husband crunches taco’s shell

shredded chicken, sprinkle of cheese

poetry fingertips worry the keys

that van Gogh photo you took

when we walked through the autumn woods —

I’d like to frame it, such a lovely memory

the feel-good muscle-flex

of seasonal chores & yardwork —

tree-trimming, leaf-raking

and stick-gathering,

with the occasional burst of green

poking up through the soil,

further proof that spring

is most certainly on its way

the unexpected arrival

of a waylaid birthday card,

banged up & battered,

postmarked three weeks prior ~

lost, somehow,

in the post office shuffle

curtains drawn back

in winter’s bluster,

prior to even

a hint of dawn,

rare and intermittent

proof of life