late arrival

late check in

the van’s muddy tires

remember pouring rain

…

are better than

not showing up at all

without a reason

as hosts as well as

anyone how expects people

to come to the event or not

almost always keep receipts

zoom in

pixelated

the grass remembers

where rabbits ate

…

zoom out

zoom back in

zoom back out

having a lens

or perspective

will help others

see what we see

choices

racking leaves

the robins listen to

morning music

…

one decision

will lead us

to another set

of options

to choose from

and after that

the pattern repeats

valuable

sewing table

sitting in the dark

waiting for work

…

is the lamp

that has

no power source

no light bulb

bent cord

chipped base

still valuable to us?

stuck zippers

departure

the big city lights

fill the train

…

we understand

how to get from

the start

to the end

but if we get stuck

solving the problem

becomes our next task

running

blurry images

avoid the puddle

looking at the moon

…

if we head

somewhere

at a fast pace

we may get

there in record time

but might miss the things

that make the place special

empty to full

empty bowl

on tatami mats

leaves a stain of green

…

our minds

can only hold

so much of

knowledge

until it’s forgotten

then to be learned

all over once again

play on

boarding call

the cat falls asleep

waiting for the sun

…

stopping

in the middle

of the action

to review things

is important

but so is finishing

the game we started

soup opera

nail clipper

the gate closes

without warning

…

if we wash

our hands

without soap

can we say that

are hands are

truly clean

of dirt and grim?

fear of

winter fog

the hands of giants

the branches of trees

…

falling

spiders

thunder

and lightning

public speaking

is really only

in our minds

think of us

blurry dots

horses race

around the pond

…

whenever we

encounter and experience

a scenic sight

a specific sound

a subtle smell

a seasonal supper

a special specimen

open sea

dancing again

ginko leafs twirl

on the water

…

with so much

to explore

we may not know

where to sail to

unless we have

a compass

and a goal

smiley face

sprinklers

the tears stop

after seeing food

…

sad face

mad face

laughing face

sleeping face

excited face

our faces tell the story

hiding

glitter streaks

the sky glows

above the clouds

…

in plain sight

we learn to see

things that often

fly under the radar

of normal audiences

but not us

at least not yet

escape

slow rumbles

of the train station

after nine am

…

where do we go

when we have

devices that can

transport our eyes

to a place

literally from the

palms of our hands?

the mask

the child

learns to not

lick the snow

…

we put on

and talk to

our parents

our partners

or even ourselves

is often a reflection

of the relationship

refreshing

mountain range

a shadow moves

with the wolves

…

even if

all the stories

have been told

when we put

our own unique

take on telling it

we create something new

witness

parking lot

shopping carts return

to the bakery

…

the beginning

the middle

the end

and then

we will see

if we have

the whole picture

rhyme

tile maker

the rough edges

hold a masterpiece

…

time

slime

mine

wine

pine

line

shrine

plant the tree

afternoon sun

plum trees blush

at winter snow

…

and watch it grow

for even in the snow

it will begin to show

it’s character no matter

how slow and steady

it takes for the future

is always coming