he watered at noon
this one mows at dusk. Both kill
undoing stillness

For rent forbodes ill
madness, drugs, filth. fights came, left
we like it empty

Come weeds, break open
You are food, tools for paper
I know your secrets

In cold sleepless dark
I shiver under blankets
he comes, curls, settles

too early the phone rings
no message is left. sweet dreams
of walking undone

undriven car waits
blue tarp blown down. Light on dust
paw prints on

banging me awake
they fix what’s broken, cover
woodpeckers’ wood haunt

she cut five tulips
candy striped, not quite open
a big bee followed

I told her the wood
on that house had birds and bees
ahh! big bore wood bees

cold, grey May
lit by apple blossoms
snowing on mowed grass

cat’s silent urging
too insistent to ignore
open the door

dog shit in the yard
mower man said. cat stays close.
pit bull barks next door

purple evening
no mowers no birds
cat snores somewhere near

who sings at 3 a.m.
more song fills darkness
than when I wake

they argue in short bursts
sharp twitters repeat refrains
listen to me now

cell phone alarm rings
time to get up, get up cat
curled in warm circle

he mowed later
only killing one flower
more careful this time

two hats in bed
two shirts sweater, 4 blankets
cold wintry May

white apple blossoms
pink margins hold them as they
appear, open, bloom

irid shiny head
black bodies search mowed grass, peck,
fly when I roll near

chuck chirp cheep cheep churp
churp churp cheep churp churp chirrp churp
I don’t like this song

slow catalpa waits
wisely keeps her leaves. three frosts
have struck this May

cat curl Sunday
sent away, he waits for me
and knows to return

banana crepe day
butter in frying pan melts
sun streams in kitchen

angry chatter chirps
each time door opens, a bird
swoops from nest on house

a small darkness hangs
above porch edge, twigs protrude
show where chicks nestle

soft thing holding fluff
within crisp pods, tethers seeds
need names to learn these