forsythia, newly planted

leaf bursts, virgin yellow blooms

my mother’s final journey

crowded & overgrown,

they’ve overstayed their welcome—

fistful of chives

ephemera collected over the years

memories suffused into bits & bobs

who might cherish it as much as I?

darkened sky to the east

drops of rain on sunroom windows

a hint of wind to go with it

the British call it sorted

handled, organized, under control

I just like the way it sounds

burning brush

in a wrought iron pit

its hinged mesh cover

corrals unwieldy ash

as towering flames

reach for unseen stars

reams of silver, slices of magic

sunshine’s glowing warmth

ah, the benevolence of spring

dust on the banister uprights

and every level surface, cranny & nook

seek and wipe away the façade

one-hundred sixty-six poems

lyrical aspirations, earnest voices

hopes & heartstrings put to paper

my task: sift through each one,

seeking out poetic nuggets of gold

hidden pond

cattails & water lilies

serenity morning