Loons

My beloved grew up on Long Island. I spent summers in Northern Minnesota. Loons are different creatures to both of us.

Every summer

We listened to loons

Eerie calls

Watched them dive,

Carry babies

On their backs

Until it was time

To return to the ocean.

They were silent there.

Their feathers changed

So my beloved

Never knew

It was the same bird

I knew

When I grew up.

No eerie calls

No black and white

Feathers

But dull brown.

Somewhat

Winter light is dark.

It’s dark.

So dark.

Even though everyone says

Even though

Calendars say

It’s getting lighter.

I somewhat

Believe all of them.

But only

Somewhat.

Not a children's story

It is known that on Christmas Eve all the animals speak. This is for Richard Adams, aged 96, who died on Christmas Eve, R.I.P. Watership Down is not a children's book. There's something there for all of us, rather like The Velveteen Rabbit. Rabbits, rabbits, everywhere.

He died the night

All animals speak

The dogs

The cats

The armadillos

The rabbits

Especially the rabbits.

Perhaps they called him

To the Other Side

Somehow.

He is there now

Speaking in a place

Where everything

And every one

Has Voice.

Each one listens

To the other.

It is as it should be.

This is not

A children’s story.

Tick tock

With the disappearing snow, I have disappeared the braces which do not allow me to exercise my feet and ankles. I do not like the walker either, but imagine that will be with me for awhile longer.

The snow

Has disappeared.

I abandon

My braces

For the moment.

I walk around the house

With my walker

Alone.

Up and down

The stairs

With the railing.

When I sit

I exercise

My feet

Tick tock

Tick tock

Tick tock.

The right ankle

Has it pretty much

Down.

The left

Needs a lot more

Practice.

Tick tock

Tick tock

Tick tock.

Great grandfather Roberts

We all have relatives who leave questions behind.

He sat in bird blinds

He built

Up in trees.

My mother

Always described him

As so large

He needed a driver

Because he did not fit

Behind the wheel.

How he sat in bird blinds,

Much less built them,

I have no idea.

How he sat in trees,

Shot birds,

Prepared bird skins,

I have no idea

There

Either.

Perhaps he hired

A driver.

Perhaps not.

Ruth, 100

For Ruth Hammersmith, a lady of grace and gumption

She has reached

100

Ruth

Outlived two sisters.

I remember our visits.

I loved

Our visits.

Probably

My favorite part

Of parish ministry.

Each sister belonged

To a different parish.

She holds the house

To herself.

The college has waited

For the house

For more years

Than they ever expected,

With some grace

For Ruth

Now 100.

I loved

Our visits.

Dangerous reindeer

The tweed reindeer has been found. It is difficult keeping him upright, particularly when the cats are attracted to use him for a scratching post, and he falls on them. This is an exciting season.

I arrived home

To the reindeer

Found.

It has fallen

On the cats

Twice.

They are now

In another room.

The reindeer is asleep

On its side.

We still won’t decorate

Until Christmas Eve.

Everyone will then

Be upright

Even the reindeer.