Leopard of Desire

i look in at the orchid's
      shadowed altar 
   of passion and i see 
there looking back at me,

      her hidden secret 
winged leopard of desire.

an orchid is mysterious,
      every time i look.

passion there is obvious 
   an almost open book.

there are some variations,
      its very plain to see,

but a leopard on an altar,
   winged crouching 
      in the shade,
from her bright light.


    dazzled by images:
   unexpected insight, 
vision of lurking danger.

the leopard face emerges 
      from obscurity.

Margaret Falls 2021b

falling in wet ropes
   over rough stone,
      it seems slow.

then we look again.
   our timescale's off.


rough slippery surfaces
      cause disturbance 

   and water falls,
stops and bounces.


slippery wet shale
      looks a bit odd.

   water falls in lace
patterns on the wall
      of the waterfall.


underneath it all
      there's a cavern.

where local people 
   go sometimes,

it seems we are always 
   looking for adventure.

Freezing Kalamalka

      black and white
seems almost right

when we want to see 
      instead of what 
colours might reveal.


      instead of colour,
we can see shadows.

shadows can surprise
   and can tell us a lot.


snow covers everything,
      creating shadows
where none ever were.

shapes and shadows
      in deep snow

change things so
   what you thought
you knew changes


      and nothing is
exactly as we always 
   wanted to believe.

these strange grim days,
   there is no knowing
   what surprises lurk,
around tomorrow's corner.

Basking in Sunlight

Basking in Sunlight

afternoon warmth,
   a special comfort
      in the sunshine.

some creatures
      need to warm
before they are
    truly functional,

ready for the day.


we crave attention
   or maybe affection

feel such warmth 
      as there may be.


warmth and comfort:
things we want to feel.

      deserved or not.


      in the season of 
   the golden leaves,
though we can't feel it,
 
   experience tells us, 
winter is on the way.


outside our cosy home,
   it 's icy and frosty still.

   no respite in sight.
sometimes we get 
      what we deserve.

Golden Skies

Golden Skies

   we see in the west
as night rolls down
   darkening hillsides.

      skies like fire,
   we seldom see
or take the time 
      to notice.


      something so 
wonderful seems
      to announce a
   golden wonder,

   a visual fanfare 
      for something 
simply amazing.


   we must wonder,
      if we'll ever see
incredible beauty
      like we lead 
ourselves to expect.

      what is this place,
what are these times

   why do we believe
   in our ideas of what
the mysteries mean?

Restored

   some things i can't
remember any more.

gone like a wisp of 
      smoke in the wind.


      i am not alone.
who remembers
   blank spaces 
on an ancient vase?

    can we remember
things we never saw
or heard or thought.


bring back those
      good old days,

when things were 
   so much simpler.


      this icy morning,
when i can see frost 
   on the driveway,

      and i know that 
   i don't want to go 
outside to find food,


remembering 
      better days,

      i'd like them
to be restored.

With a Bit of Dignity

i know i heard her say
   she wanted to die
with a bit of dignity.

unsure of context,
   hairs stand up
      on my neck.


the pandemic rages
      all around us.

   outside it is freezing,
or so it looks from here,

      inside where it isn't
   quite warm enough.

      and here we are:
january midwinter!


a very old woman
      walking her dog,

as i shovel my snow,
   she says she has had 
enough winter.

how can that be?

i tell her it should
      be warmer soon.


meanwhile we live
   with a bit of dignity
as i shovel my snow.

Seeing the Mighty Oak

      so much is invisible
to us in our wisdom.

      yes we know we are
the cleverest creatures,
   amazing things!


we are always right!

      and we have a right,
we know this is so.

because we so wish it.
   and so we believe it.
(sarcasm)


      why we persist in 
our huberis and folly,

expecting everything
   will go as we wish.
(forever)


      we have seen a plot 
to exterminate democracy,
   (something we thought 
to endure forever.)

some wish the extinction
      of this inconvenience.

   blindly,
   they do not consider
the other implications

because they never
imagined that they
      ever might exist.


such a mighty oak
   can fall and will,
they will tell us
leaves demonstrate
   absolutely nothing.

but look,
      they have fallen.

Watching All the World

      there they were:

sitting on a doorstep,
   even one more step
      a world too far.

(been on that doorstep
      with them,
   and that tired.)

footsore and weary,
      we've all shared
the feeling.


   enough of trying
to see everything.
      do everything.
know everything.

      a time comes,
it is time to rest.


   we can reflect
on all the good
   we have done.

or maybe not.


he may be the next
      great thinker and
his words of wisdom:

   and maybe not

Vatican Courtyard

      and how have i 
come to be here?

i wondered as the
   hot sun broiled
those ancient lands


we never understood
      where our feet 
   had taken us,

why so much sorrow
      attracted evil men

      sweet prudence,
i never could read 
   her beautiful mind.


      not sweetest taro
not chilled bananas

nothing seemed to 
   make much difference.

      it was a finer voyage,
he used to sometimes say


   and she did not argue.