The ancient eavesdropper

With
outstretched
leaves —
the young
ash tree
accepts
an offering
of rain —
droplets
dancing
down
each
vein.

Springtime
sensations —
pollen-laden
air induces
sneezes —
a second
wind beneath
butterfly wings.

Splayed
upturned
umbrella ribs —
tight clusters
of fine white
inflorescences —
hairy stems
with leaves
rough around
the edges —
free range
wild and restless
cow parsnip.

Pinned to
the braided
locks of a
willow grove —
I spied a forgotten
gemstone —
gleaming with
untold worth —
rewarding
my patience.

Grass sways
to and fro —
waltzing with
the wind —
clouds cast
shadows
over rolling
hills —
their
indelible
impressions
elevated —
as time
follows
the earth’s
cadence.

Lily pad
Pac-Man
chomping
on sun —
frogs
playing
Twister
and tearing
a new one —
floating
swamp
pies with
a sliver
amiss.

What is it you
see through
the thick haze?
Does your mind
stand on end
in an empty
hollow,
waiting to fell
the moment’s
marrow and trap
distant echoes?
Will an airplane’s
engine drone
drop in
overhead
and whisper
where
sunshine
goes
to spy on
the lost spires
of your soul’s
compass?
How low does
this ceiling shrink
amid windrows
with no breath?
At what cost do I
eke higher ground,
evicting oxygen
for clarity?
What does Nature
have in store for me,
if not a dizzying destiny?

Shore pines
twist their limbs —
leaning towards
each other —
as if lost in
conversation.