What Will Tomorrow Bring?

His hands are folded softly in his lap
To better handle troubles bearing down.
Fortuna comes, but will she pause to rap,
To offer balm or ease a troubled frown? 

To better handle troubles bearing down,
He rises up and makes a solemn pledge
To offer balm or ease a troubled frown 
For those, like him, just sitting on the edge.

He rises up, and makes a solemn pledge.
Still wondering, what will tomorrow bring
For those like him, just sitting on the edge?
A peace will come with fear in shackled rings.

Still wondering. What will tomorrow bring?
Fortuna comes but will she pause to rap?
A peace will come! With fear in shackled rings
His hands are folded softly, in his lap.

Empty Nest

The old bird sits
Surveying nest and tree,
Mama flits and flies about
An hundred errands left.

His memories are a thousand scenes,
Bereft of ordered source.
Not random, but in retrograde
Recap a season’s end

     Materials gathered 
     Woven tight 
     Feathered, warm with down

     Hatchlings screaming
     Growth and learning
     Fledglings flap and gone

The old bird sees an empty nest
While mama flits and flies
A season closed, a longing pride
Begins to fill his breast.

The Hedgehog

A hedgehog sat upon a log
And ate a purple fig.
Soon, all that he had left of it
Was half a purple twig.

Next morning, he arose anew;
Declared that he felt fine.
Except for one development,
He now had purple spines!

Covered Bridge

Damn you, cursed covered bridge, 
Damn your easy way,
Damn your timbers strong and high 
That let her slip away!

Opposed by torrent moat she was 
Compelled to wait and try.
But no!  You let her ride across 
And keep her corset dry!

Within her surrey black and sleek,
By dappled stallion drawn,
You let her pass without dispute; 
Satanic stilted spawn! 

We quarreled once or twice ‘tis true
But now she’s gone for good.
I’ve half a mind to strike a fire
And torch your rotting wood!

I Was Rattled

I was minding my business, taking my time,

Ridin’ Ol’ Bess from the West Miller Mine

When all of a sudden, (weren’t nothing’ I did)

Bess started buckin’ and she hit the skids!

I was pitched off her back like a sack of no worth

To land near the meanest dang rattler on earth!

His tounge was a-flickin’, tasting the air,

His eyes clouded over, like a blind man’s that pair.

He was longer than Bess with a full twelve-inch girth,

My mettle dissolved to a pitiful dearth.

His head raised up proud, his tail even prouder

And that buzz, just kept getting louder and louder!

His mien was aggressive and I was a wreck

So I pulled out my shooter and aimed for the neck!

Now I hate killing creatures; God’s watchin’ and all,

But he had my number and was dialin’ the call.

His head is still there, by the side of the trail

But I took the rest home, even that tail!

His meat fed me supper, yep, top o’ the line.

His hide and those rattles?  A hat-band so fine!

Autumn Reverie

An ample log burns softly on the fire

Where I’ve curled up to read a favorite book.

Hot cocoa in a steaming mug helps me retire

To the fantasy of painted woods and brook.

The road to now is one I’m glad I took!