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I did yard work yesterday while it was sunny
Then it rained early morning and the wind blew
Fall leaf colors sailed everywhere all around me
When the wind stopped the rain suddenly died
I noticed summer flowers still in the garden
And green summer leaves still on their trees
Summer was poking fall to see if it would wake
But the sun had not weakened the leaf stems yet
At least not enough for them to fall into autumn
Some landed on my car and some on the ground
So I blew them around until I couldn’t see them
They are probably snagged under garden bushes
That was the best I could do with the time I had
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Fog drapes obscure the morning
It folded in sometime last night
Dragging heavy without a breath
Over-top a silent star-less ocean
Calm and quiet entwined forever
Neither wants to raise the other
Both listen for autumn’s owner
Dressed up in warm rich colors
Now standing at our back door
Striking the season’s silent bell
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Today, I walked along the river
Beside the Blackberry bushes
I plucked from all last summer
Berries that held my eye then
Shrink as they are traded for fall
Or left in place to feed the insects
Garden spiders craft morning webs
Above the yellowing summer canes
Stringing their autumn webs tight
between the bare branches of trees
Cottonwood, Alder and Willows
Grow silent along the riverbank
Contemplating their past summer
Or pondering fall’s coming color
While fat spiders spin silver webs
Perfect love for the morning sun
Rising behind fog over Blue River
Where each berry ripened its life
And held its story within its taste
The morning birds sang free
As they ran beside the river
Stop looking so you can see
Stop seeking so you can feel
And the world opened itself
As I walked along the river
I saw everything that was
The water making the river
Was unique – small particles
Never to be together again
Laughed with its bright joy
Trusting the river forever
To turn back toward life
As fall colors float away
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Winter water with waves
In constantly clear seas
Show fish and some birds
Swimming and flying
To places we can’t go
Except in our dreams
Or with heaps of help
A mask, snorkel and fins
And if the water’s cold
We need a special suit
To follow the fishes
In our awkward way
So it is better to stand
At the edge of the cliff
Looking down into water
To watch birds and fish
Looking for their food
In a clear winter sea
Than it is to chase them
To places we can’t feed
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I don’t talk to myself much anymore
Sometimes I whistle, sometimes I hum
But I hardly ever mutter words to myself
I don’t trust words alone with my memories
They just always seem to form silly questions
Most voices I could offer immediate answers to
But some questions I needed to think about first
My answers have proven themselves over time
As the simple lucky echoes of my own past life
Life lived early was bright with lasting surprise
Like arrow heads forgotten on a dry earth floor
Left by family and friends when I sought shelter
Now I burn in the present but still honor my past
Grateful smiles tie memories to those who I loved
The elders that valued me when I was still young
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Animals walk the land
Animals visit my dreams
They seem very different
Even if they look similar
Animals that walk on land
Are always so independent
Even when they notice me
They choose their own action
I never know their thoughts
When they visit my dreams
They are always intimate
Even when I fear them
They share their intentions
That I always must respect
Even in shallow dreams
I never know them well
