today, continued warm temperatures

but tomorrow, southerly winds begin to blow

a little rain & cooler, crisper air soon to follow

so long summer; hello autumn loveliness!

I wrote a poem in tribute to the closing of a downtown Des Moines gathering place that closed its doors earlier this year. It appears in the local CITYVIEW online and print October issues.

I’m so pleased they’ve chosen to run it. I am grateful!

My poem, Ode to the Ritual Cafe, Downtown Des Moines, appears on page 15. Thank you for looking!

I find some poems

difficult to read

I’d name names —

that would be rude —

but I think

you know who you are

sneezes bellow —

eyes itch;

nose does, too.

pollen levels

continue to irk.

ragweed not done

with me, just yet.

navy/rust rugby, comfortable cotton —

just a smidge of spandex (why? not a clue.)

oversized but I don’t mind the look

and the autumn woods are calling.

leaves littering the patio

skitter across the concrete,

they tumble and writhe

in an artificial wind

dusty mauve

of my neighbor’s hydrangeas —

a mass of glorious blooms.

might he miss this single snip,

one that adorns the desk

where I write?

late afternoon light,

racing whitecaps

to a distant shore —

the slap on the hull,

the piercing bow