THE RIVER IS WIDE AND NOW CROSSED OVER

This is the last day of winter's virtual river of stones 2012.I imagine I can see each large smooth pebble placed carefully next to each other large smooth pebble, differing only slightly in size and shades of grey. It's only upon close examination that one can also see, etched very faintly on each stone, a few words, a phrase - possibly a poem. The words are, after all, written in stone, just as I'd hoped at the start ...

GETTING CAUGHT UP - Part Two

Day 26

BRUISED SKIES

The new moon, the size of a slim cuticle, here in this

part of the hemisphere shows as a sly grin against

Arizona's bruised sunset skies - all mauves, dove-grey and

faint apricot bleeding out ...

Day 27

LAST DAY IN PALM SPRINGS

We did the aerial tram yesterday ... very high and fast but worth it ...
Today, the art-museum - lots of Henry Moore - a surprise;
lots of other sculptures too. Just missed an Andrew Wyeth exhibition - sadly,
but enjoyed touring downtown, walking on the granite stars of celebrities
and humanitarians - mostly one and the same.

Day 28

SILVER WINGS TO HOME

Tiny children all around; I fear for their ears on this flight -
know the toll altitude takes on same but remarkably these babes travel well.
Large brown eyes regard my husband seriously through the crack
in the seats ahead of us - no smiling, just studying as the thumb goes in.

Day 29

WOLF WELCOME

There's nothing to compare to the unconditional welcoming
love of your dog.Farley bounds into the house (after  a week at his "cousins") does his peculiar backing into me for hugs and sideways licks on my face, wiggles all over his body ...goes between us numerous times
before taking up his regular spot by the front window to survey his domain.

Day 30

BACK TO WORK

Holiday over; time to settle into a different life. He' s retired. I'm ...
at loose ends,trying hard not to fall down the rabbit-hole again
but not sure just what it is I want to do.Know it will involve writing
and most likely poetry but am not sure how much or how to dive back in.
Film at eleven.

HANG-DOG LOOK

He knows we're going away;
our suitcases lie open,

half-filled with summer things.
He lies, inert - liquid brown eyes
the only part of him moving,

follow my every move.
Occasionally he gives

a sigh so human-like, it's uncanny.
If dogs can look particularly sad -
that's the look he's giving me.

S.E.Ingraham©

Day 20

BOOKSTORE LOVE

lost in the aisles, time becomes immaterial;

new titles are poetry and art combined

a bookstore is a sanctuary, a cathedral

a place of holiness - the scent of ink and paper

real or imagined - fills me up

S.E.Ingraham©

Day 19

DINNER OUT

Familiar aromas blossom into the

parking lot as we struggle out of the car

and  into our local eatery.  A mixture

of seafood lasagna, liver and onions

and something I can't quite distinguish

mingles with a wind-chill factor

that freezes flesh in less than a minute;

we scoot inside and into a booth in

record time.

S.E.Ingraham

Day 17

RELUCTANT SEASON

As if loath to settle in here this year

winter, after many false starts, finally

came in earnest last night, stealing through

the darkness like a thief, swallowing warmth

left lurking from an autumn that had out-stayed

its welcome, true winter brought wind-chill

temperatures and snow with a bite.

S.E.Ingraham

Day 16

ART GALLERY

On the wall we hang art from friends

and acquaintances, all of it brilliant - some

of straight-forward, beautiful; some of it

enigmatic, challenging, difficult to understand

and all the more beautiful because of that ...

S.E.Ingraham©

LINING UP

The airport line-up snakes around

the velvet ropes; all sizes, shapes and ages

of traveller trying to maintain their cool

as yet another delay is called to a long-over-due

trip.

S.E.Ingraham

Day 13

RAINBOW HOUSES

In a show we watched about St.John's

the camera kept panning the streets

and I remembered all the different coloured

houses there; how paint that doesn't sell

elsewhere in the country gets sent to

that far eastern province (at least that's

the story)and so a mustard house stands

next to an emerald green one that's next

to a violet one and so on - it's made even

more remarkable when contrasted with

the typically grey skies overhead.

S.E.Ingraham©

Day 12

MAUVE MAGIC

Tucked in the corner of the desk-mat

a photo of mauve flea-bane, so cheerful

with their velvety button centres; in this

unusually warm winter, they look as if I

might have picked them just yesterday.

S.E.Ingraham©

Day 11

AN ENDEARING MOON

The moon, the colour of pale butter
or real cream is lop-sided tonight
in an endearing way, as if Luna being
anything but less than perfect is
somehow endearing.

S.E.Ingraham
Day 10

GLINTING SILVER

In the dimly lit bathroom mirror

a crone peers at her,

someone she barely

recognizes; will not look at straight

on for fear of knowing ...

silver hair glints in the moonlight.

S.E.Ingraham©

Day 4