another day
avoiding it
the sun
avoiding it
the sun
**
summer night-
in a pile of rubble
the house’s scent
in a pile of rubble
the house’s scent
**
between poems
at the microphone
the wind…
**
another reminder
the blossoming tree
the blossoming tree
with thorns
**
sun on new snow-
a chickadee
repeats its name!
**
in an opening
just right
Orion’s Belt
**
the way
the waterfall flows
into being frozen
the waterfall flows
into being frozen
**
one generation
pushes another
in a swing
pushes another
in a swing
**
autumn again-
after everything
I pour her tea
**
each time
out to the U-haul
holding hands
**
another day
a few birds fly
across the sunset
**
outside the meeting
back and forth
the sprinkler
**
stuck inside
the dog gets up
and turns around
**
autumn nightfall
dropping my son off
for something else
**
where I sit
on my usual bench
remains of a nut
**
on the trail again…
walking deeper
into myself
**
after our visit
in quiet, the things
I forgot to say…
**
Halloween-
to a simple question
my life story
**
first snow gone-
this steady need
to practice
**
I choose one-
a roomful of chairs
without people
**
crickets…
my eyes closed
to the day
**
lunar eclipse-
back inside something I did
or didn’t do
**
letting her
walk all over me
ladybug
**
back home
these trees I knew
in all their seasons
**
another full moon
my checkbook
still unbalanced
**
snow filling
our tracks into the woods
by heart
**
undefended:
in the cold rain
their snow fort
**
long wait alone
in the parking lot…
a dog in the next car
**
keeping quiet
the day’s last light
on new grass
**
she wanders away…
her snail disembarks
the matchbox truck
**
alone
in the middle of a crowd
someone I knew
**
always takes his time
the custodian watches
the floor dry
**
peepers
my daughter whispers
something she knows
**
reading her letter-
suddenly aware of the look
on my face
**
from room to room
on the Clue board
a tiny spider
**
by the ocean…
again filled
with emptiness
**
reading into it
as much as i can
my life
**
a few floors down
in another building
someone else looks out
**
so much we have…
yet between us too
an emptiness
**
a few snow flakes
entering the woods
silence
**
cold dusk
my thoughts pass through
a crow flying by
**
boardwalk-
we go to one end
then the other
**
the plant in the window
has gone everywhere
it can
**
spring frost-
the park cannon aimed
at the church
**
in the empty room
two quiet types
father and son
**
despite
the development
deer path
**
a flat tire
near my father’s grave
I stop to visit
**
in love
bicycling
into the snowstorm
**
the spread of stars
wind moves the snow
from where it fell
**
between bites
from the apple
he stares…
**
lingering in bed…
the ceiling has no
answers
**
flea market-
the Rubik’s cube
already solved
**
snow fall-
my daughter asks where
we are going…
**
left and right
he follows the way
of his kicked stone
**
winter stars-
our meeting
un-arranged
**
wondering …
will the squirrel find
half of what it buried?
**
most of the rain
not falling
on me
**
mower won’t start
busy as a bee
a bee
**
straight out
of a dream
another day
**
steady rain
a pickle
in the parking lot
**
the dates
on the coins
I give up…
**
spring
removing the neighbors
from view
**
the chainlink fence
runs into
high water
**
the crow
in me
gets a response
**
the habit of looking
where it used to be
– the mirror
**
garden walk-
she checks herself
in the pond
**
taking off my clothes
my heart
closer…
**
alone in the waiting room
checking the plant
for reality
**
droning plane fades out…
how little difference it makes
what age I am
**
my child asks
what keeps the moon up?
you do, I reply
**
walking
through more
– my life
**
being there
in the woods
a tree falls
**
cross country runner
no one ahead
or behind
**
each
of the rain drops
that touch her…
**
mountaintop:
giving back
each breath
**
free spirits
a year later
they return
**
the way
rain takes
the mountain
**
for my son:
lifting a stone
to see
**
watering their plants
seeing their house
without them
**
rehearsing
the reading
to no one
**
the clouds
calligraphy
reads…
**
day break-
from the bread truck’s roof
frost swirls
**
dreary day…
jack o’lantern collapsed
on it’s grin
**
crane
on the horizon
holds a cloud
**
at the cliff edge
my whole life
behind me
**
closed-
deep inside
a light
**
under the manhole
the night gives
a gurgle
**
after the thriller
the wideness
of bed
**
river bank swallows-
my beer label
peels easily
**
lying in the leaves-
the sun shares the shape
of her corduroys
**
the hypnotist
describes her technique…
sound of the stream
**
swallows sweep
through the cemetery
– fresh grave
**
stiff wind-
shadows of things
stretch on the street
**
passing me by
in the stillness
a snowmobile
**
on the street
a person really happy
about something
a person really happy
about something
**
no one there
the bus driver
opens the door
the bus driver
opens the door
**
back and forth
the elephant
weighs a foot
the elephant
weighs a foot
**
sunrise-
yesterday’s footprints
in the snow
yesterday’s footprints
in the snow
**
on a rise
between headstones
a snowman
between headstones
a snowman
**
the custodian
brings up
karma
brings up
karma
**
in a day dream…
I almost
walk into her
I almost
walk into her
**
end of its first day:
the shiny garbage can
all beat up
the shiny garbage can
all beat up
**
morning light-
the strangers have become
the strangers have become
familiar
**
high up
against a big cloud
specks of birds
against a big cloud
specks of birds
**
first day-
a student turns the map
every which way
**
daylight savings-
I leave my calendar
a month behind
I leave my calendar
a month behind
**
in the way
of a dream
the turtle without a shell
of a dream
the turtle without a shell
**
overnight snow-
to help the sun
I shovel some
to help the sun
I shovel some
**
glint from a car
a stray thought
of Camelot
a stray thought
of Camelot
**
time called
wrappers rush by
home plate
**
old wagon
the last load
still there
the last load
still there
**
end of the trail
the world
without humans
the world
without humans
**
the back road…
one turn after another
one turn after another
more outrageous reds
tom clausen 