mountain neighbor
loads the runaway kittens
into his pack

in the garden edelweiss
nothing special

lazy afternoon:
even the wind sock
scarcely moves

draped on the garage bin
a football shirt

lost again
behind clouds the moon
and all its shadows

nervous talk of war
on the news channel

drained of color
some vegetables squashed
into the sidewalk

stench and screech of gulls
surround the fish market

paper doves
on a gallery wall
peace flags flying

ON LOAN -- the works
she came so far to see

squaring-off
luscious fall colors
in the camera's lens

windstorm followed by sunshine
the bare maple

foggy night:
he takes the last bus home
a stop too far

full moon
awakened by sirens

on the icy freeway
two shoes
on their sides

a long embrace
outlasts the freight train

"loves me
 loves me not"
-- with Smarties

forty and fabulous
it's written on the cake

dinner on Wednesday -
days between don't exist
yet how long they seem

visiting hours over:
the massive gate closing

stepping stones
between garden beds

"the little yellows"*

early bee
on her Easter bonnet

first warm day
pigeons splash
under the fire hydrant

seeing red ... bypassed by
a London double-decker

in a dream
transferred to another realm
wearing brogue shoes

evening calm, the plaid rug
still spread on the grass

Indian child
raids the ant hills
for beads

on the beaches of Nice
jet-setters collect stones

the moon-faced concierge ...
where she used to sit
a key-pad on the wall

clarinet tones
skipping high, floating low

a soft touch
all the right moves
fingers searching

nothing there ...
"a scan just in case"

sturdy little wren
claims the feeder bar,
pecks non-stop

child on the jungle-gym
ignores "time to leave"

at the airport
a last bow to receive
jasmine garlands

slowly he circles his yard
... home

* Lorine Niedecker

August 1990 - January 1993