Rock Farmer

2013:

8th March
8:10 pm ferry home:

walking the top deck
there’s one soft spot at the bow
hair’s gone Medusa

city glow recedes
across the salty velvet
Orion keeps pace
_______________________

8th March
for Linda Wolf and I Am a Full Woman:

celebrate women
today and every other
the whole world over
_______________________

8th March

car key snapped in two
stuck under tree of starlings
standing in their rain
_______________________

7th March

parachute party
I’ll be sad when birthdays change
to big kid style fun

_______________________

6th March

drizzle doesn’t stop
the mourning doves from cooing
love under fern swords
_______________________

5th March

girl comes home waving
letter from the principal
we’re all in trouble
_______________________

4th March

coyotes hunting
or dogs calling from fenced yards
my neck hairs can tell
_______________________

3rd March

If people match pets
I’d better get a bulldog
with lush droopy jowls
_______________________

2nd March

listening to frogs
gives my heart a bitter squeeze
on the edge of spring
_______________________

1st March

parakeets like jazz
while they gaze through the window
at sheets of drizzle
________________________

27th February 

10-year old can scream
loud enough to tell the dead
about her homework
________________________

25th February

my stars and garters
but the first day back at school
negates vacation
________________________

24th February

walking Bucklin Hill
Mira says the best music
is song of the woods
________________________

23rd February
Last assignment from Emily Williamson:

carry a marble
hide it somewhere surprising
magic for strangers
________________________

19th February

more winter may come
but birdsong and narcissus
fill the world today

________________________

17th February

sun filters through clouds
sound’s waves become mercury
a fun house mirror
________________________

15th February

gummy bear aglow
in melted spoon of fro-yo
sun shines after school
________________________

12th February

calling all wolf packs
two children looking for you
would like new mother
________________________

9th February
for Emily Williamson:

Em, this island’s love
is with you forever on
as you journey home
________________________

8th February

looking at blue sky
snowmageddon in the news
it’s a big country
________________________

6th February

bad pantry surprise
gochugaru’s gone moldy
kimchi will be bland

________________________

5th February

back door cracks open
frozen soil startles sprouts wings
flying carpets live

________________________

bulbs swell from earth still
winter’s end can drag on so
hold your head on straight

________________________

1st February

woken by a storm
3 a.m. thundering joy
raccoons on the roof
________________________

31st January

heritage breed hen
is too smart for garden’s good
annoying chicken

________________________

30th January

where once was forest
we can eat frozen yogurt
bright lights small island

________________________

29th January

cowgirl has new boots
keeps her heels down in stirrups
and her heart up high

________________________

27th January

Sunday school students
enough jumping and popcorn
pay off in deep thoughts

________________________

25th January

standing in the gray
gazing across Rich Passage
at the sunny side

__________________________

14th January

out of milk for tea
sky’s the right color and close
enough to fill cups

____________________________

3rd January

throw up the visor
driving into liquid gold
sun splits winter’s gray

____________________________

2nd January

no more wolf whistles
these days it’s hound dogs braying
from their passing cars

____________________________

1st January

may we all be blessed
with love, health, good work, and joy
a happy new year

____________________________

2012:

31st December

sunrise compensates
for early morning hen chores
standing in the muck

____________________________

25th December

rubber chicken wish
granted today by Santa
interfaith giver

____________________________

plastic-free present
porcelain doll not Barbie
sometimes old is best

____________________________

21st December, NRA press conference in response to Sandy Hook Elementary:

refuse to accept
this militarization
of society

____________________________

NRA added
darkness to this shortest day
but light is coming

____________________________

20th December, article about the death of Dylan Hockley and Anne Marie Murphy’s arms:

parapro hero
but no one should die like this
adult or child

____________________________

20th December

house smells like Pesach
filling matzah roca jars
teachers’ Christmas cheer

____________________________

14th December, Sandy Hook Elementary massacre:

I hug my children
some mothers’ arms are empty
all hearts are broken

____________________________

13th December

there’s a whole lot of
Neil Diamond and Barbra on
Christmas radio

____________________________

10th December

bad mother morning
some days start with loud failure
wailing late to school

____________________________

9th December

girl plans to attend
agricultural college
become a cowgirl

____________________________

8th December

house will smell like oil
for longer than Hanukkah
completely worth it

_____

wax on the table
air smells of onions and oil
Happy Hanukkah

_____

miracles for all
wishing freedom for the world
on this night of light

____________________________

7th December

must dig potatoes
stock up on oil and candles
find grease-stained apron

____________________________

7th December

thank you good neighbor
best voicemail message ever
about casserole:

“Wonder of wonders,
miracle of miracles,
your girls are eating casserole!”

____________________________

5th December

meet, chirp, move on in
for parakeets it’s easy
love is in the house

____________________________

3rd December

because books matter
and so does where you buy them
local bookstore love

____________________________

3rd December

Grandma Inge’s tip
put used coffee grounds in car
you’ll be happier

____________________________

2nd December

scent of cardamom
stove and roof bubble music
rice pudding and rain

____________________________

28th November

one parakeet left
calling calling for his love
she’s not coming back

____________________________

26th November

I once had a cat
who purred only when she heard
La Marseillaise

____________________________

25th November

raising a horse girl
involves plenty of laundry
love thrives in barn dust

____________________________

24th November

pecan pie sings out
sweet browned butter siren song
can you hear it too?

____________________________

23rd November

someone had to eat
the German chocolate frosting
fridge was just too full

____________________________

18th November

morning of puppets
afternoon of membrillo
but first more coffee

____________________________

9th November

Grateful to see frost
through my kids’ eyes not just with
my frozen fingers

____________________________

7th November

grateful for daughters
growing up free to learn, love
live true to themselves

____________________________

6th November, election day, 11 pm

Let love rule.

____________________________

6th November, election day, 10 pm

now I can pick up
the phone again without fear
no more robocalls

____________________________

6th November, election day, 8 am

can’t take this suspense
having trouble staying in
my skin itches hope

____________________________

2nd November

Bainbridge Island fall
on fire with all the colors
of rotting pumpkin

____________________________

27th October

wind catches witch hat
billows cape rustles broomstick
maybe I could fly

____________________________

27th October

hands orange gore stringy
even vegetarians
slaughter these and smile

____________________________

22nd October

it’s nightmare season
all night long with the bad dreams
of election night

____________________________

21st October

goat cheese for dessert
goat cheese with my breakfast eggs
just can’t have too much

____________________________

16th October

it’s Pumpkin Walk time
this year is in fast forward
or maybe that’s life

____________________________

12th October

northwest children dance
jumping for joy shouting out
rain! rain! it’s raining!

____________________________

7th October

salt breeze stirs apples
blackberries and maple leaves
into heaven’s scent

____________________________

30th September

Sukkot 5773:

shake your lulavs here
our sukkah loves visitors
please bring fresh s’chach

____________________________

24th September

homeschool calls to me
I can’t stand all this homework
crowding out real life

____________________________

21st September

predictable yes
this is my mental loop song
for these Days of Awe

____________________________

20th September

kneads my hair to frizz
breathes whiskers along my neck
cat loves bedtime most

____________________________

16th September

grateful hands all red
blood sacrifice tastes salty
blackberry juice sweet

____________________________

15th September

family music hour
Riff Cohen Barbra
Lady Marmalade

____________________________

13th September

pink orange shimmering
wildfire smoke sunrise filter
destructive beauty

____________________________

12th September

blackberry tool kit
colander iPod long sleeves
feisty attitude

____________________________

11th September

so much has changed so
much remains the same old same
eleven years on

____________________________

9th September

fall is in my hair
golden-green tree confetti
ticker tape parade

____________________________

7th September

hen sings her egg song
in time with Leonard Cohen
hallelujah-awk

____________________________

6th September

curly willow’s bird
sings a monotonous song
I know how that goes

____________________________

5th September

what have I become
yard full of men with chainsaws
and I love the noise

____________________________

29th August

frying zucchini
I missed the first drops of rain
matching sizzle hiss

____________________________

29th August

after school mint tea
underneath the cherry trees
called off by the rain

____________________________

28th August

find the lunchboxes
stock up on colored pencils
school starts tomorrow

____________________________

25th August

picking blackberries
mama raccoon says they’re hers
I defer to growls

____________________________

15th August

wrapped the neighbor’s dog
in two receiving blankets
comfort for his grave

____________________________

15th August

dangerous knowledge
I can make potato chips
in my microwave

———————————-

14th August

pneumonia and I
like to cough at shooting stars
oh hot summer nights

——————————————-

11th August

expecting good eggs
thanks to that melted ice cream
the hens just slurped up

——————————————-

25th July

no one else likes you
poor raspberry clafoutis
you can be my lunch

———————————-

23rd July

will not turn heat on
going to shiver through it
with more hot coffee

————————————

21st July

supple leather boots
fast bike sharp axe linen sheets
midlife crisis list

———————————————-

21st July

sorry lavender
I didn’t mean to mow you
but now life smells good

———————————-

20th July

flashy high rumbling
over a blanket of rain
my plants love this storm

————————————-

16th July

sun sets early here
in the bowl of Baker Hill
cool evening relief

——————————-

15th July

canes heavy with fruit
fill me with juicy ripe guilt
must pick raspberries

——————————-

14th July

note to self:

when all hope seems lost
remember there is always
lemon icebox pie

————————————

13th July

rolling suitcase dream
bumped along my roof all night
woke to thunderstorm

——————————–

still with the thunder
one whole rumbling night and day
whose weather is this

——————————————-

7th July

seagull swoops too close
strangers take each other’s pics
sun drenched ferry ride

———————————–

glorious sunshine
makes me crave songs of doomed love
no happy endings

————————————–

5th July

some days are plain hard
but a jar of sweet peas cheers
so there’s that at least

————————————————-

4th July

holiday of noise
candy rain at the parade
sulfur fireworks air

————————————–

3rd July

Steller’s jays stand out
rich blue flashes on gray sky
waiting for the rain

—————————————-

30th June

one extra second
will spend mine eating berries
picked in the damp dark

——————————————

29th June

remember boxes
of free kittens and puppies
outside grocery stores

————————————-

28th June

so much time sorting
trash to treasure piece by piece
makes a person tired

—————————————————

26th June

8 hours yesterday
10 more dumpster hours today
I’ve seen some weird stuff

——————————————-

20th June

post-solstice panic
tomorrow has less daylight
sliding to winter

————————————–

17th June

watching waves leap up
drenching Wapato Point dock
windy summer break

—————————————–

16th June

little hurricane
my new music obsession
can’t stop listening

——————————–

15th June

summer begins now
must have music to survive
this is a good start

———————————-

10th June

we need volunteers
for the Rotary dumpster
sign up now for fun

———————————–

9th June

bowl of sweet red joy
no more for cheeky robin
girls get these berries

——————————————————–

5th June

wrinkles setting in
must remember default smile
lock that lie in skin

—————————————–

5th June

sour gray morning
drizzle adds to gravity
pins me to flat earth

————————————

3rd June

laptop my laptop
please forgive that coffee spill
please come back to me

———————————————

1st June

moth on my laptop
squirrel uses school’s crosswalk
the forest grows strong

——————————————–

30th May

pink satin nightie
goes well with boots for dawn chores
weep now, ancestors

————————————

29th May

past midnight baking
rhubarb vanilla custard
fragrant lullabye

———————————–

27th May

green gold treasure trove
Swainson’s thrushes fill this grove
each sounds a bit drunk

———————————-

25th May

pileated friend
skittish on the suet block
why so worried red

————————————

23rd May

waddling heartbreak
ducklings crossing parking lot
mama duck braves doom

————————————–

21st May

squeak chicken coop rat
I know I should kill you dead
but your hands stop me

—————————————

16th May

motherhood includes
word I swore I’d never use
inappropriate

—————————–

14th May

teapot warm to touch
before kettle is on stove
hot day on the way

——————————

9th May

Mira loves Pink Floyd
most especially The Wall
so much for Raffi

——————————–

8th May

work impacts my screen
Googling green sex data
nets me new side ads

————————————-

7th May

72 true?
looks like summer’s come early
and on a Monday

—————————-

6th May

slept through first sunlight
chickens are ashamed of me
goldfinch scolds from tree

——————————-

4th May

solo parenting
through sensory meltdown storms
don’t try this at home

——————————–

3rd May

standing in the rain
remembering to live love
nothing matters more

burying a friend
rain soaked dirt drums on coffin
umbrellas startle

———————————

22nd April

blisters and splinters
I earned this gin and tonic
sipped by new fire pit

—————————-

21st April

shoveling compost
trying not to spear the hens
dashing in for worms

———————————-

20th April

shattered French press gone
glass shard still stuck in my foot
coffee-free week sucks

———————————

13th April

past midnight thinking
plastic straws and poetry
instead of deep sleep

———————————

6th April

girls sweep chametz up
feed it to six happy hens
trade for Pesach eggs

—————————————-

28th March

dog ate something wrong
licked my nostrils inside out
now spring smells like shit

————————————

7th March

puddle droplets fly
junkohs bathe in lid left out
nature loves our mess

————————————

26th February

graupel in the night
soft blanket of hush falling
makes the dog bark bark

————————————

22nd February

dreamy bedtime talk
Richard Nixon Watergate
sweet dreams wee nerdlets

————————————-

22nd February

black shadows on green
grass liquid gold in between
strong sunshine at last

————————————–

20th February

peeping tub of fluff
red light warms people up too
spring chicks in winter

—————————————

3rd February

part moon bright as full
dog wants out at 1 am
runs circles in light

———————————–

26th January

gray morning surprise
bus stop lost to bad driving
sad muddy rubble

————————————

23rd January

DSL back on
5 day net fast is over
ice storm’s mixed blessing

—————————————

17th January

flat gray sky and sound
color of a just-dead fish
waiting for new snow

——————————-

15th January

junco army hops
must secure the suet block
no bushtits allowed

——————————-

9th January

merde alors chickens
flying into the garden
need a higher fence

—————————-

8th January

database research
who knew it would be so fun?
no I’m not kidding

————————————–

4th January

robins singing out
in my January yard
too early for spring

————————————–

3rd January

7:30 bus
lunch boxes of mystery
vacation’s over

———————————

2011:

31st December

parking lot rainbow
be a harbinger of joy
a happy new year

———————————

24th December

baking gingerbread
is much more fun than learning
you need four new tires

———————————–

23rd December

things you shouldn’t do:
web search potential issue
your kid’s doc brought up

—————————————-

23rd December

winter vacation
second trip to urgent care
I need more coffee

—————————————

22nd December

all-ages gambling
will the state shut down our den
of dreidel spinning?

————————————-

20th December

potatoes piled up
house will reek of oil and joy
for eight glowing nights

————————————-

5th December

anna’s hummingbird
honey badger of the air
dogs? it just don’t care

—————————————

2nd December

work meeting stops cold
all heads snap to the window
alarmed by the sun

————————————

11th November

bird-leaf confusion
junkohs flash up leaves straight down
chickadees spiral

————————————

16 September

fall goldfinches match
the buddleia’s dying leaves
dirty mustard brown

—————————–

28th July

Freedom Rock neighbor
it’s finally summer now
where is our soundtrack?

————————————-

23 July

fixed gear bicycle
that road looked so flat to me
now I know it’s not

———————————-

21 July

picking raspberries
wearing my black fleece jacket
no scratched arms this year

———————————–

13 July

wearing coat inside
too stubborn to pay for heat
yes it is July

———————————

2nd June

air all aflutter
a hummingbird Thunderdome
spring’s a brutal time

——————————————

1st May

warm enough at last!
enough insects for the bats
pooping on the deck

———————————-

25 April

first golden goldfinch
back at the feeder today
it wasn’t a dream

————————————–

31st March

still in pajamas
eating fried kabocha squash
spring break island style

————————————-

25th March

Rufous hummingbird
Mexico is far away
this nectar’s for you

—————————–

11th March

Libya Japan
much too much daily heartbreak
good thing there’s love too

——————————-

28th February

robin has more faith
hopping in the garden mud
convinced spring has come

———————————–

16th February

barking barking dogs
six hens dashing for cover
this is some hail fall

———————————–

20th January

bus stop not so dark
enough light for colors now
scarves and sky aglow

—————————

11th January

muffled ferry horn
backyard a cottony hush
finally some snow

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