Nuts in May

Ah spring sun!
ready to run!

winter is over
rain has gone

windows open
doors unlock

ominous grey
to azure blue

spirits lift
like morning dew

a sea of dark
turns an ocean of color

flowers blooming
bunnies grooming

California poppies
fill the scene

blue waters fill the bay
white horses sparkle away

nothing like May to put
the wind in your sail

long shadows
grace the trails

maybe it's nuts
to run while it's hot

then again, may be not

maybe it's time
to go nuts in May

time to run?
"you must be nuts," they say!

Ode to a Mum

three years since i saw you last
my they went by so damn fast

out you went into the night
unafraid without a light

Rosie had to go outside
always by each others' side

the garden a charm in daylight
treacherous in the dark of night

out of the window you saw me
you rushed out when i grazed my knee

you helped me stand up from my falls
scolded others who called me a fool

you used to stand oh so tall
now i fear you may take a fall

i offer you a helping hand
getting you on your feet to stand

time for school you always said
as you roused me out of bed

now i sit by yours instead
old memories fill our heads

we reflect upon times gone by
and ponder on many whys

sharing stories of the past
and sharing many a good laugh

i read to you newspaper stories
we discuss the gory and glory

we talk of how times have changed
and how things just aren't the same

Ode to the Beast - Along the Dipsea Trail

the beast awaits

quietly, hesitantly, 
they approach her back
and start their way
along her tracks

they are nervous

will she spit and crack
will she glow
will she soothe

they wonder

will her warm licks
be of glee
will she lure them
with views of the sea

perhaps she'll show a rabbit,
a deer, or two
perhaps she'll cool them
with morning dew

i'm nervous

she lures me
like an old love affair
i arrive and wonder
why am i here

but when i arrive
at cardiac hill
i remember why
i love her still

and always will

Peaceful Moment

I reached the top of the segment where the trail flattened out before me. Specs of blue and yellow danced about a sea of green greeting me as I caught my breath from my first climb.

Yet it was not this breath-taking view of above and beyond that caught my gaze... but a golden gleam of orange illuminated by the warm early spring sun that captured my glance and warmed my thoughts.

My what a splendid sight of this jewel glowing so bright! Her dance gave me a feeling of warmth inside... Shimmering and bobbing up and down with pride, as if in praise of my every stride. I pause for while to admire her show. I exclaim, "Oh California poppy! You raise my spirit so! You are the sign of spring!"  She nodded her head in agreement as the soft warm breeze brushed her petals.

 She softened and embraced me with her beauty and glow. I resumed my own dance along the trail embracing my encounter with a moment of peace.

The Beast - An Ode to Mount Tam

They quietly approached her at the crack of dawn
As she slumbers through this dark wet morn
Lightly footed they go a creeping
Careful not to disturb her sleeping

Will she fight so much today
Or will they keep her ire at bay..
Their legs a'trembling brows dripping in sweat
Alert and skittish trying to not fret

Ignoring the pounding in their chests
Approaching slowly is always best
They look up in awe at her dark face
Knowing to treat her with respect and grace

Silently cautiously they lunge up the stairs
Nervously climbing towards her lair.
Confusing them with awkward turns
Watching them check their way with concern

Taming the beast is such a feat
Many who try end in defeat
She shrouds herself in the sea mist
Teasing strangers with tricky turns and twists

The locals know the beast well
It's only strangers to whom she gives hell
She lays in wait for her opponents
Surprising them with heart-stopping moments

Chests start to loosen and they feel on track..
Dancing around obstacles along her back..
They're feeling strong and full of grace
They enter a trance with their quicker pace

But then in the middle of feeling great
They start to sense her full of hate
Her cold damp breath they suddenly feel
Cooling their skin to a deathly chill

Along the hackles of her long dark back
They start feeling her spit and crack
Pressing on aware of her hidden dangers
She heaves and bellows at these strangers

Showered with spit and deafened by wails
Relentlessly they continue climbing her trails
Breathing heavier legs a'cramping
Counting up the miles trampen'd

Holding on to her rearing contours
Sweating wondering what they're here for
Taming the beast is the usual reply
Love and respect for her grow by the miles

She offers them a brief reprieve
And they wonder if they've put her at ease
She calms a little with quiet warm breaths
Allowing them to continue on with their quest

She often pauses for a short while
That apparently is her usual style
Oh they're beginning to know her well!
This cunning but beautiful beast from hell

As the morning sun reveals her beauty
They finish like soldiers after a tour of duty
She calmly watches them descend her side
Licking them graciously with warmth and pride

Green and majestic is her dominant profile
They miss her turn away and her they'll-be-back smile
She patiently watches across the bay and sea
Waiting for more runners lured by her beauty

Ode to a Rose

The English rose in her splendor
Is looking to spread her red petals
Adoring touches soft and tender
In an admirer's hand she will settle

Her thorns are mellow 'til scorned
Her petals quietly fall and wilt
Full bloom will soon be mourned
Leaving an admirer full of guilt

She yearns for an admirer's taste
Of her early morning dew
So seduce her at a gentle pace
And her petals will widen for you

Please handle her with loving care
And she'll willingly display with pleasure
Exposing her swollem bud to share
For her admirer to love forever