Rainforest Sentinels
Touch with care
or not
at all
for cedar slivers
sting
like bee stingers
when piercing flesh
leaving behind
red marks
angry welts
when a rough
graze
knocks bark free
from thick trunks.
pacific rainforest
Gideon’s Challenge
The Drowning
Frothed like
whipped topping
stray bits
of sensation
lick
at the air
as the swirl
of clouds
float overhead
seen
beneath a
rippling surface
as I drown.
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
Noisy Steps
Crunchy steps
the bits
of decay
look wet
and soggy
yet with each
step
they sound
like dry leaves
crackling
undfoot
and ice cracking
on a still pond
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
Not Lost
Each tree
looks the same
to the uninitiated
and lost souls
that are unused
to the patterns
and marks
and subtle hints
that lead
the way.
You can’t get lost
when you always
know which way
is home.
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
Little Buds
A mild winter
creates the promise
of flowers
that will not bloom
even as
vibrant buds
peek out
delicate and new
The kiss
of raindrops
no consolation
for the loss
of summer sun.
Photo © ZenStatePhotography
Gideon’s Challenge
Look Closer
It is in tiny signs
that the promise
is given.
In little nubs
and tiny bumps
in delicate buds
curled tight
and close
to damp branches.
Everything
curled up close,
waiting for warmth
to set free
nature’s promise
of a new start.
Twisting the Leaf 