some of the older oaks

are still holding to their leaves.

Caps are popping

up a bit

in between the leaves.

redundancy

In all,
the days have gone so fast
that I did not
could not
get past the pile of duties
that I say
kept me from here
until this day.

winter

keeps a steady pace
of snow and ice and
wind burned face.

I swear they said
the other day that
cold this year
would stay away.

birds

at the feeder
flap about
and flip the seed parts
into snow.

heat

welds the air in solid steam
while leaves are drained
to lop and lilt.

dead bees

pile up in the bottom of the hive
and I wonder if I could have really kept them alive
with my pesty no pest strips and sugar water blood.

I brush them onto soft cold mud.