Small Wonder

 Is a squirrel strong enough to wreak such damage as this to a pencil? 

A mechanical pencil, I mean. 

All plastic and metal, except for the graphite and eraser. 

Forgotten outside overnight on the swing.

Maybe he could chew the ends off,

and splinter them so.

But to force the metal clip from its groove 

and slide it to the other end?

To shove the broken eraser end into the ground

hard enough to pack it with red clay and dried grass?

So many unanswerable questions large and small in the universe...

Today I'm grateful to wonder

who did this to my pencil.

A welcome distraction from

What will climate change mean for my grandchildren?

What is happening to democracy in this country?

                                                            ~dkm 11/10/21

New one for comparison

After one overnight outside on swing

Packed with clay and grass

Lucky Life Gift

 …that I was taught to make my own music…

                            ~dkm 8/23/21

Lake Jackson Reflection

On a solo writing retreat

one of the first things I do 

is determine the best place and time

for viewing the sunset, 

then set a phone alert, 

for that time every day,

that I don’t miss the show.

Pour a glass of wine and go there.  

Tonight it’s as good as Hamilton.

The water color.  

~dkm 8/22/21

New Challenge

Today, at Lake Jackson, while on another solo writing retreat of silence and solitude, as the guest of one dear friend, and while parallel writing with another from a distance, I begin a new yearlong challenge for Backyard Spectator. Only one rule: no rules. Except to record in words an observation made in nature, but for the simple act of paying attention. 

Might be a haiku… a free verse…a short essay…a line…a single word…

May or may not be accompanied by a photo…

Might be daily, weekly, monthly, or oddly…

Eager to see what the year will bring. 

Today’s observation on the lake:

      NOW

Ten Canada geese 

lined up on the railroad ties

alert and ready for yet another

day of surviving the world 

at the water’s edge.

Tall black necks, unseen eyes,

stark white cheeks, heavy oval bodies,

sturdy stick legs, wide webbed toes curled

around the top corner of the top tie they stand on.

In unison

watching, craning, preening, 

alerting, stretching, squatting

until some imperceptible signal says

 “Now.”

In a sudden noisy flapping burst they take off and

fly low over the glass, spread-winged

and together

in the safety of their ten.

~dkm  8/21/2021

       

Challenge Met

Last haiku of year 

Sunrise over sandcastle

Outer Banks morning  

Reflection on what

has been and what is to come

Here’s to The Wayback  

~dkm 52/52

Oh No!

Not the goldfinches!

Take the squirrels or chipmunks. Please. 

But not my songbirds!  

Taking feeders down, 

Cooper’s hawk twins of back yard, 

until you move on  

~dkm 51/52

Vulture-esque

Bald card'nals again

Due to summer molt or mites?

Both theories abound

Both report no harm

The feathers return come Fall

Still, an oddity

Black head skin, ear holes

Ordinarily unseen

Ugly but cool

-dkm 50/52

Cemetery Visitor

Spied crawling on back

of cemetery bench where

my friend and I sat

White-marked tussock moth

caterpillar, infamous

for its stinging hairs

Pity the child who

can't resist carrying her 

spectacular find

~dkm 49/52

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orgyia_leucostigma

 

That Friends May Know Them Too

Garden plaque arrived

Sally Green Camellia Walk

My younger sister

Beds named in years past

For ancestors, descendants

In my mind alone

A friend said, you should 

label your honorary 

gardens, so I did

~dkm 48/52

Contentment

 A deep cup of tea

A seven hundred page book

A free afternoon

~dkm 47/52

July's Garden

 Weeding in the rain

A pleasure unexpected

Cool on sweaty skin

~dkm 46/52

Eastern Phoebe Fledgelings

Perched on feeder bar

Two youngsters begging for worms 

Father teaches them 

~dkm 45/52

Chapter Five

Writing in a storm

Waxing waning waves of rain

Throughout the morning

~dkm 44/52

 

Adamant Wren

 Are you mad or glad, 

noisy Carolina wren?

What means your loud song?

~dkm 43/52

 

Ee-Oh-Lay

Came the magical

calls of a wood thrush today

from inside the woods 

~dkm 42/52

Feeders Cleaned, Refilled, Returned

 Gift of choosing to

make peace with the pine siskins:

Rose breasted grosbeak

~dkm 41/52

Pollen Season

Pollen and petals 

swirling in a rain puddle

bring to mind the verse

“April Rain Song” by

Langston Hughes, the poem we

said from memory

each day of April

on the first grade rug for our

poem-of-the-month

~dkm 40/52

                “April Rain Song”

Let the rain kiss you

Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops  

Let the rain sing you a lullaby 

The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk

The rain makes running pools in the gutter 

The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night 

And I love the rain

                                                      ~Langston Hughes

Yoshino Cherry Blossoms

A moment of Zen

when spent pink petals drop to

carpet the driveway

~dkm 39/52

 

Gardening Pleasure

Dip and lift of beak

I watch a mockingbird drink

Perched on birdbath lip 

~dkm 38/52

Tech Truth

I apologized 

to my grandson for needing 

technology help

He excused me with 

"But Omi, you were born in 

the nineteen hundreds."

~dkm 37/52

For Jacob

Thundercloud plum tree

Planted with a bottle of

Muccigrosso red

Chosen for its leaves

The color of pinot noir

And for its March bloom

~dkm 36/53

Remembering Ruby

There is a beauty

in death as well as in life,

teach the camellias

~dkm 35/52 

Rogue Hyacinth

What's that purple spot

In leaves under daffodils?

Have a closer look

Perhaps a squirrel 

buried it for safekeeping

It sprouted and grew

Distinctive fragrance

Fortunate color combo

Liliaceous

Wayward hyacinth

May you divide and prosper

for future bouquets

~dkm 34/52

Pine Siskin Irruption Year Hazard

Perched at my window

Outside looking in. A pair

of fluffy fledglings?

No, it's too early

for newbies to be out, plus 

Siskins don't nest here

These two don't fly off

Even as camera moves close

More sleepy than scared

Research is needed

I consult good Dr. Zinn

It's salmonella!

Poisoned by feces

Outbreak among pine siskins

From west coast to east

Feeders must come down

Decks must be disinfected

Until siskins leave

Mystery solved but

such unhappy solution

for all of Georgia

~dkm  33/52

Oh Camellias Japonica Trio

How every spring you

bring me to revere anew

your petal and hue

Veiny rose of Jack's,

    Pale flesh of Hagoromo,

    and Pink Perfection

Your ardent frailty

Your breathless gentility

Your humility

~dkm 32/52

Spring in the Time of Covid

Fresh warm breaths of spring

Rattling magnolia leaves

Exhilarating

~dkm 31/52

Winter Song

Throng of pine siskin

Army of red-winged blackbird

Here for the winter

All day every day

Fighting each other for seed

Not stopping for rain

Neither could be called

Lyrical songsters, more like

Dissonant janglers

Eating their way through

twenty pounds of seed per week,

two bags of dried worms

I wonder what our

year-round residents suppose,

or if they notice 

~dkm 30/52 

 

Mushroom Auricularia

Mister Wood Ear Man

Found in grass, moved to pavement

to see more clearly

Reading up, I learn

that auricularia 

sometimes called wood ear 

is often cooked in

Chinese hot and sour soup

I may have had it

Mister Wood Ear Man

Truly? Your head and guts are

delicious to eat?

~dkm 29/52

Hope

This morning I heard

the first spring mating call of

a single bluebird

He perched on the chair

Soon enough to the feeder

came the azure pair

~dkm 28/52

 

Redwinged Flight or Fight or Mating Display

When at rest, he hints

via yellow epaulet

at some deeper truth

 

Only with wings spread

Does the blackbird reveal his

shocking red secret

~dkm 27/52

Red Yellow Blue

Three birds come to feed

Card'nal, pine warbler, bluebird

Primary triad

~dkm 26/52

Sweet Carolina Wren

How did you get in

and how long have you been perched

at my kitchen sink?

Do not be afraid

O small intrepid brown wren 

Though I know you must

And tell you, I must

the only way to free you 

is to frighten you

away from the glass 

toward the wide open door

Please forgive the chase

I'm sorry we can't

explain civilization

or clear view windows

~dkm 25/52

This, For Instance

I was afraid of

exactly this when I switched

to weekly haiku

That I would forget

not to notice but to tell 

of the noticings

The act of seeing

things I'd never slowed enough 

to attend before

is now imprinted

in the overt actions of

my daily routine

But six days I skip

the elusive wish to put

pencil to paper

Though I grieve over

the losing of such white hot

writing intentions

it can be enough

to be graced with the moments

of fine noticings

This, for instance. This

jelly-like growth that looks like

a brown cabbage leaf

~dkm 24/52