GRIZZLY PEAR
He placed toys at the foot of the stairs.
Transformers
Lincoln Logs
A family of bears
Building blocks
“It’s unsafe. Clean it up.”
He wanted to photograph his Shop.
I unlocked my phone.
Twenty minutes later, they were taking photos around the house.
The stair — still a hazard.
䷲䷘
shock goes hither and thither
watch your step
Our girl met a classmate at the park.
They climb the play structures.
Our boy is an evil dragon, scared of the sands.
They keep him at bay with magic wands.
He follows them.
They chase him.
As the sun sets, they bury the wands beneath a bush.
The little dragon heads home.
䷭
within the earth wood grows
the image of pushing upward
Mommy went out for groceries.
We put up the tree.
I set up the base as they dug through the ornaments.
She stacked the sections.
I wrapped lights — stars, birds, and bulbs.
They hung the ornaments.
I fussed with the timer and batteries.
They drew at their desk.
Sheets of paper, markers, and a scissor.
New original 8.5 x 11 ornaments.
Snowmen in our desert.
䷯
the well is being lined
a month of revelry
no blame.
䷽
Stuffed animals filled the stairs.
A dark blanket hung at the bottom.
Instant amphitheater.
䷦䷑
obstructions
a stage
friends come
Skipping veggies cost him a week of snacks.
Sister cheered him up.
Momma was still angry.
She cheered him down.
䷷䷢
the wanderer’s inn burns down
ice cream seven days away
Monday night makes for a quieter halloween.
We masked up and strolled through the neighborhood.
Three years after the last time, bitterly cold then.
Pleasant tonight.
Re-entering the land of the living.
On a night for the dead.
䷁
the earth’s condition is receptive devotion
ghosts of dogs, rabbits, and carrots spring out of pumpkins
Yesterday, I dropped off our mail-in ballots at an early voting station.
At my building!
In the double sized classroom with an operable partition.
So cool to partake in its civic life.
There.
But life doesn’t just hand out W’s.
I was only there to diagnose lingering problems.
I’ve learned to savor the little victories.
Whatever reason why I’m there.
One day, I’ll visit just to visit.
No ballots; no problems.
䷙䷊
one attains the way of heaven
slogging through the swamp
He finished his mask for Halloween.
I cut the paper.
He insisted that she draw and color.
She drew more characters, taped to popsicle sticks.
They held up their new friends so they could watch a movie.
Later that night, he asked me to add a cat for their collection.
She said it was the strangest drawing ever.
䷱䷴
The movie was fun.
Not an absolute classic like the first one, but still very good.
It was ambitious of them to push into the wider world with more human characters.
The Cleaner scene and the Jessie montage are top-notch.
The great Saturday wind swept our trash cans away.
(Fortunately they had already been emptied!)
I spent half an hour peeking into dislocated receptacles around the neighborhood.
No luck.
Sunday, our trash can showed up in a side yard around the corner.
It was paired with a second trash can with a blue lid.
(the spot had been occupied by a trash can with a black lid.)
Monday, I grabbed a recycling bin at the bottom of the hill.
It wasn’t ours, but the markings were unclear.
After two days, I guess its owners preferred our old recycling bin.
䷬䷁
sublime and enduring perseverance is needed
but any box will do the job
He was crying over nothing.
Inconsolable.
The boy has a bad temper.
I picked him up and sang the song.
小宝宝去睡觉
(little precious go to sleep).
The one they hate and never worked.
He’s getting long.
I don’t have many chances.
䷾䷞
water over fire
tears sting in the smoke