Small Stones #18

white breasted nuthatch:

a bright black face

and a black striped head.

Quickly climbs the entry post,

surveys the eaves,

and just as quickly leaves.

Small Stones #16 & 17

#16: At the Theatre

Two couples arrive together.

The husbands dutifully shuffle to their seats

guided by sprightly wives

with hair silver bobbed and curly white.
The men remind me of my great uncle on the farm -

Plaid shirt and crumpled polo shirt;

wispy white hair, balding;

both with sloppy suspenders

pulling up their trousers to mid-back

and exposing ankles.

Outside, milling around the lobby

boys in slouchy shirts mingle with

girls in skinny jeans and black boots.

Clad in middle aged neat attire
we take our seats in the rows 

between slouchy and suspenders.

#17: On the Train

Small hands rest on my knees.

I look up from polishing a small stone

to see a child in pink sweats with sparkle and bling.

She gazes up at me in welcome

then turns slowly to her mother in confusion.

I wonder who she was expecting.

Small Stones #15

With a blanket around my shoulders

and the warmth of the morning sun on my face,

I sit by the window and watch

a solitary brown sycamore leaf

turn end over end;

bumping across the orchard grass

and skidding over the gravel garden path;

Catching, finally, in the

bare bushes bracing

for the next gust.

Small Stones #14

The heirloom pear was sick.

The tall strong tree 

With fruit heavy, sweet, juice dripping on my chin

Had leaves blackened and dead.

To save it, we cut away all the diseased limbs.

All that remained was the trunk 

and two small short skinny sorry limbs.

Today there are fat blossom buds

ready to burst.

Small Stones #13

Waiting to meet the vet

we sit in the truck cab,

facing west toward the mountain.

The afternoon sun is warm on my face

and I close my eyes

listening for the crunch of gravel

beneath the tires of the truck

bringing back my puppy.

Small Stones #12

Jackson is fetlock deep

in green grass;

muzzle searching, choosing;

teeth ripping, chewing.

Me ~

sitting on the slope

soaking up the sun

and happiness

Small Stones #11

Small brown birds hop along

the wood beam,

surveying the porch eaves.

Are they choosing a nesting location or

reclaiming the remains

of last year?

Small Stones #10

Pointed green noses

poke through the orchard grass.

Narcissus

hidden within.

Small Stones #9

 

A rocky trail walked with aching feet.  The smell of sage and anise soothed my senses.

Small Stones #8

Kalvin

Yesterday

Warm sun with a strong cool wind

trees and leaves rustling, creaking, singing

Silky black mane blowing,

Ears pricked and tail high;

Kalvin hurtles from shed fence to pasture pond.

Big bucks bursting

one, two, three, four

Fence! 

Sliding stop.  Spin. Repeat.

Today

mud clods

spattered on the run-in shed walls

dangling from the ceiling.

Kalvin, sweat matted winter coat,

Ears pricked.

Small Stones #7

Early morning sun casts a long, thin,

 sweeping shadow

of a smoothly soaring

blue heron.

I send a silent warning

to the graceful, gliding goldfish -

Hide!  Hide!

Small Stones #6

Concentrating on my breath in yoga

is like herding cats.

Someone is hacking and sneezing.

Must be a man.

No woman would make such loud wet noises.

breathe, breathe,

Popcorn when I get home?

or cookies...

breathe, breathe, slow, even,

I wonder if Jackson's muscles feel like this when I ride,

stretched, open, a bit sore.

Shoot!  Did it again...

breathe, breathe

Small Stones #5

Across a linen laid lunch

we share smiles and sighs;

Remembered years of

hurt, hope

and now 

happiness.

Small Stone #4

hay rustles and settles;

warm cozy

nesting box.

cluck, cluck, squawk!

egg. 

Small Stone #3

Savasana (corpse pose)

Melted, heavy muscles

sink into the

mat.

The day's tension is

erased.

I breathe comfort and

peace.

Small Stones #2

Small stones is a writing challenge of sorts.  Basically, you take a moment in your day and make that your stone.  It can be something you see or feel or particularly notice.  Then you polish your stone by reducing down to as few words as you can -- polishing it down to the essence -- and posting.  There is more about the challenge on my sidebar - click on River of Stones.  Today, the challenge was to use a sense other than sight.

warm

sweet burnt caramel

chocolate smooth

espresso