Walking in Silence with a Friend

we walked in silence except for
the sound of our boots against stones
along the path
we must trust to walk in silence
doing it so seldom, it feels awkward,
easier to fill the void with words,
mostly meaningless, mindless chatter
that fills the space gaping between us.
we climb silently, only our breath
connecting us, intimacy without
one spoken word. 

Forever Snowing Illegible Adjectives

my jacket was covered in illegible adjectives,
like snow on a wintry December day,
adjectives of longing and adventures
unknown as of yet, percolating inside
only to yield their secrets in time, more
slowly if watched too carefully, with too
much focus, they collect on my sleeve
only when I am looking into the
distance at a hawk circling overhead.

Photo taken by BotheredByBees
http://www.flickr.com/photos/botheredbybees/with/439638233/

BrainFreeze

was it the water,
the fog, the wine,
was it the beauty,
the sunshine,
the rhythm of the paddles
in the ocean, the
total relaxation of the
brain that no longer
recognizes orbital debris
or micrometeoroids,
Matlab code or
anything involved with work,
no, it's just the aftermath
of vacation,
brainfreeze.

saying good-bye, for now

she had to grow up and become her own woman,
I still embrace her as tightly as I did when
she was a young girl, but now I have to say
good-bye and watch her walk away to her life.
I turn the ignition in the rental car, and
load the address of where I am headed
in my own life into the trusty GPS.
We separate from each other, off to gather
life's bounty to share when we see each
other again.

Sea Sunset Seals: The Last evening in the San Juan Islands

they also look west to see the sunset
their heads breaking through the surface,
smiling, it seems, their long whiskers
shedding water droplets back into
the source. 
we are smiling, too, holding star
fish in our slippery hands, its
roughness surprising, we expected
slimy, instead, shininess,
its superb beauty, the sun is
sliding south, leaving behind
stupendous drifting clouds
suspended between the softness
of mountains and shadows.

Fog

fog is in season here,
wisps drift above a lazy lake,
the trees dream in it,
the trails fade in the distance.
it rains, droplets tap
on my black umbrella,
my breath, suspended in
air, fog.

Photo taken by Chris Preen
Trees in Mist on Flickrs Creative Commons

Waiting for the Ferry

waiting for the ferry
with a beer in hand, Brie and
rosemary sourdough bread,
our faces cooled in the sea breeze.
they tell you to come early so
you can picnic by the water
and relax in preparation
for rejuventing sleep in the deep forest,
the sun crossing your face in the
morning, rousing you to a day
unburdened with worries, a day
of pure delight.