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Having just watched Spain totally dominate Argentina, I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed my very first World Cup experience.

I now understand (a few) of the rules and how the game is played, much more so than I did just one month ago!

I’ve been blown away by the fans, the pageantry, the passion, the colors, the music, the outfits and costuming, the moves and the fierce traditions of all these massively engaged soccer devotees and the athleticism of the players they love. The whole thing has been quite a ride, and I am so glad I decided to give it a go.

My husband and I both enjoyed watching and now I ‘get’ why the World Cup is such a beloved sporting event worldwide. Hopefully, the limited knowledge I’ve attained watching the 2026 World Cup will not escape me when the crazy chaos returns four years from now!

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I heard the year’s first cicada yesterday.

its tell-tale whirs and clicks made me smile.

this morning, I found an abandoned husk

clinging to the underside branch of our pear tree,

remnant of what I’d discerned the day before.

the sights and sounds of the locust horde —

bearing witness to summer’s tumble toward autumn

as the seasons circle round, as they always do.

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the witch’s teat runs dry.

her stippled alabaster skin,

tinges of greenish gray.

she howls in echoed cadence

with a waning gibbous moon,

her thirst for retribution

unquenchable.

village folk and all who toil

late into the dark of night

or beneath the blazing heat

of a cruel sun in resistant fields,

those who tirelessly tend

to cattle, sheep and fowl,

those who bleed and sweat

and endure many hardships,

those who strive to protect

their families & keep them safe, fed

and sheltered from storm —

there are some who embrace her magic.

and yet, there are none of these fools

who do not, will not yield to her charms.

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I’m doing battle

with leatherwings

and Japanese beetles

this summer.

*

both are annoying invaders

to my patio of serenity,

my colorful array of florals.

*

one loathsome creature,

a dahlia destroyer,

happily munches away

on my emerging blooms.

*

the other is a bug

I’m told is beneficial to gardens

though I find their massive numbers

exasperating as they

fly into my hair,

cling to my clothing,

forever hovering, hovering.

*

they’re everywhere!

it’s all so very distasteful & annoying.

*

blech!!

*

curiously, both insects’

vibrant markings

are quite beautiful,

I cannot fault

their appearance.

*

it’s their very existence

in my garden that I detest!

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Photo by Mariah Hewines on Unsplash

traversing dense woods & steep elevations,

it’s handy to keep a compass close at hand.

you won’t use it but it will comfort you

knowing that it’s there.

*

binoculars and a camera — though

your cell phone will suffice —

allow for up-close capture of fall’s majesty,

& strange objects on the horizon.

*

you may desire the company of a loved one

to delight together in the joys of discovery

though solitude is an excellent mechanism

for the examination of one’s interior thoughts.

*

hydration is important, always remember that.

a fistful of beef jerky, granola bar, a chunk of parmesan —

these will provide sustenance in case you become fatigued.

also, never worry should you find yourself lost.

*

that is what the compass is for.

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~ Originally published in the March 2024 issue of The Argyle Literary Magazine; Photo by Iryna Limborska on Unsplash

cavalier women chase

a powder-blue hat

down a windy thoroughfare

*

they balance Easter eggs

on upturned teacups

under a globular sun,

*

left hands stroking

the unruffled feathers

of a great horned owl

*

while a circle

of Slovakian tourists

marvel at their feats

*

of dexterity

and fierce bravado—

each is wearing high heels

*

after all, mounted

on roller skates,

ankles cloaked

*

in cashmere stockings,

their delicate earlobes

dripping in malachite