December 31: Mount Battie star

The whole town hiked up

for the last star lighting--

here, we value beauty.

 

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December 30: Nocturne

How bright the one star

visible before dawn

out the bathroom window.

 

 

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December 29: Amaryllis

Amaryllis bud
swelling, straining sunward--
so this is love.

December 28: Taking down the Christmas tree

Holiday's packed up.

Fir needles will resurface

for the next twelve months.

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December 27: Camden Harbor ducks

Ducks grab stale Christmas bread

doled out by children

just learning to share.

 

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December 26: Plum Island

Where waves meet sand

instead of sandpipers

wind-skitter of dead leaves.

 

 

 

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December 25: Christmas, Marblehead

Christmas Day--

the full tide brings its gift

to the rocky shore.

 

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December 24: Christmas Eve

While the kids are still awake

we eat the cookies

that weren't left for Santa.

 

 

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December 23: Cat grass

Basket of cat grass--

to the happy, chewing cat

it tastes of summer.

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December 22: Some nights

What brings warmth some nights
is simple: dish-washing,
cat's fur, mac and cheese mix.

December 21: Starry night

Winter Solstice--

Orion on the horizon;

many candles shine too.

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December 20: Christmas Bird Count

My husband and I spent the day birding "our" section of the Thomaston-Rockland Christmas Bird Count, a Christmas season tradition which we've been sharing together for 17 years--14 of them in this section.

Flock of bluebirds--
of course they bring happiness
Winter Solstice eve

December 19: Paper whites

In the candlelit window
long stems of paper whites
graceful ghosts

December 18: Under Jupiter's bright watch

Driving home late--
what looks like animal's eyes
turns into a beer can.

December 17: What's underneath it all

After dark the mice
feet whispering in the basement
keepers of secrets

December 16: Kingfisher

Unfrozen quarry,

snowfall--lone kingfisher rattles,

plumbs the black depths.

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December 15: December sunrise

Spent the day birding the beaches, salt marshes, and nearby neighborhoods of Ogunquit and Wells for the York County Christmas Bird Count. We began the day with a beautiful sunrise over the ocean at Moody Point, where dozens of sandpipers twinkled at the edge of the chilly surf...

 

Sunrise over the beach--

at the sandy edge

one frozen raspberry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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December 14: Sunday in a small town

While we watch the game

neighbor knocks to ask

whose chickens in her yard.

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December 13: Hazy shade of winter

Snowing in the pass--
in the old horse pasture
turkeys forage, unfazed.

December 12: Revelation

Morning, parting clouds--
only the highest ridgeline
covered now with snow

December 11: Girls' night out

How do sharks mate?

Women talking together

on a rainy night.

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December 10: Dreaming

Such strange and vivid dreams last night. I woke thinking of Jung and his theories about the interpretation of dreams, what dreams about walking around in a house mean...

 

Asleep in my cocoon

I dreamt of a new house.

My soul, awake, wanders.

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December 9: Torrents

A hard rain--

the sky falls with conviction,

soaks through to my skin.

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December 8: Holiday spirit

Day before a storm--

huddled over the heater,

humming the Nutcracker.

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December 7: Christmas lights

In Portland this afternoon to see the Nutcracker and enjoy some dumplings at Empire. The Christmas tree in Monument Square is lit; the sign on the Time & Temperature building is flashing: 20 (degrees) / BUY / LOCL; holiday lights festoon Congress St. A season of lights in the darkness.

 

Street lights, Christmas lights...

Moon rising over the bay

makes us say, "Oh! Look!"

 

 

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December 6: Dark

Dystopic movie--

we leave the dark theatre,

enter night's long tunnel.

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December 5: Cold

Snow-scrapped, moonlit yard.

Inside I surround myself

with bowls of paper whites.

 

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December 4: Moon over the bay

Waxing moon lays a path

across the bay--

my escape route.

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December 2: In the dark

driving in the dark
you share the horror movie's plot
don't stop the car

December 1: Owl daydreams

Sixty-degree day
but in this snowy, seaside field
I still look for owls.

November 30: Book

Holed up all day

wrapped in clouds

reading a great book.

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November 29: Selling Christmas trees

• Christmas trees' past lives--

• sometimes we find a bird's nest

• or a vine garland.

 

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November 28: Day after Thanksgiving

Decorative corn--
off the door, an offering
for the squirrels.

November 27: Thanksgiving turkeys

On Facebook we share
photos of wild turkeys
wading through fresh snow.

November 26: White world

that holiday feeling
snow falling all day
a white blind slowly drawn

November 25: Sunset

Despite the rage-inducing injustices in the world, of which we are daily reminded, we can't avoid moments of beauty and joy. Maybe that's what keeps most of us sane.

Pondering Ferguson.
But when the whole sky lights up
I only feel joy.

November 24: Maces Pond

Half-frozen pond--
winterberries glow
in the strange mist.

November 23: End of a long weekend together

sun streams in on us
the game's on tv
at the good burrito place

November 22: Lake Champlain

Biting cold--

across the grey lake

clouds and mountains.

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November 21: I89 to Burlington, VT

Snow starts, then stops.
Crows mass in whitened fields,
dead deer in the median.

November 20: To Vermont

We drive all day

over the mountains to Sue's.

There's snow here and stars.

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November 19: Riverwatch

no ducks here
late season fishermen
river calm enough to freeze

November 18: Unexpected

Sounds of machinery.
I wasn't expecting
pink burst of sunset.

November 17: Don't we all ponder our mortality?

Darkness at 5 pm--
thinking of ducks at roost,
cold, dark water.

November 16: Snow Buntings on Clarry Hill

Wish fulfillment--

white wings, crimson barrens,

mountains on the horizon.

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November 15: Across the bay

From atop Beech Hill--

snowy mountains, ice blue bay,

calls of winter finches.

 

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November 14: Owl kind of night

Light snowfall, falling dark.
I drive toward the Big Dipper
expecting owls.

November 12: Fog

Audiobook playing--

car full of British history

in a thick fog.

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November 11: Wind, Leaves

A big animal wind
flushes the leaves.
We have no control.

November 10: Blue Monday

Most people aren't thrilled when Blue Jays dominate their bird feeders.

I wasn't expecting
my office visitor
to defend Blue Jays.

November 9: Birding Portland

Today was the 11th annual Rarity Roundup in southern Maine, coordinated by my friend Derek Lovitch of Freeport Wild Bird Supply. Groups of birders bird a particular territory on the coast between Portland and York, particularly looking for uncommon or out-of-season birds. Derek, his friend Evan and I birded Portland, from the Eastern Prom at sunrise to the West End to Back Bay at sunset. Highlights included a flock of crossbills, a pair of shovelers (ducks) in Deering Oaks Park's pond, Black-crowned Night-herons in the pond at Mercy Hospital, and a Red-eyed Vireo in a West End neighborhood. The bird of the day was the Hermit Thrush, which we found in every little pocket park of downtown Portland, on lawns, in backyards, and in patches of woods, over thirty in all.

 

Spirit of the woods--

bright-eyed thrush watching

in every tree-green corner.

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November 8: Solar energy

Sunlight ignites the last leaves
silvers the cat's fur.
The river can't wait.

November 7: Barrens

Blueberry fields so red
I'd expect them to steam
in this cold rain.

November 6: At the hair salon

Oh, to be redone

amid white noise of dryers,

next chair's murmured gossip.

November 5: Tamaracks along Route 17

Golden tamaracks--
my grandmother taught me
a song about them.

November 4: Election Day

We walk to the polls.

In the river, ducks squawk.

No one's feeding them today.

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November 3: After the storm

A wonderfully energetic sense of community emerges when we're all toughing it out together, having literally weathered the storm. We've still got downed trees all over and power outages are expected to last for days, but for now, at least, we're finding things to be grateful for (like a car charger so I can post this on my iPad, while also enjoying the car heater).

 

Power's out all over.

Neighbors pause their shoveling

to laugh together.

 

And from last night, when the storm was raging (to undoubtedly be duplicated tonight, sans game):

 

Blackout tableau--

candles, oil lamp, glass of wine,

game on the radio.

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November 2: First snow

Wind whipping tree boughs
snow on perfect gold leaves
even the cat's anxious

November 1: Cozy

First snow forecast.

We watch horse races, football

with the heat turned up.

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October 31: Halloween

Halloween morning--
pigeons huddle on a roof
as falcon flies past.

October 30: At the planning workshop

Morning, downtown--
skein of geese flying
past the opera house.

October 29: Maple tree

River running high.
Finally the one maple tree
has turned to gold.

October 28: Almost Halloween

Down by the river
our neighbors throw a party--
bonfire glowing.

October 27: Rising wind

Wind rising with dark--
the one tree with all its leaves
roars like a waterfall.

October 26: Clarry Hill

Spent this afternoon up on Clarry Hill in Union, surrounded by blueberry barrens, watching hawks soaring southward over the coastal mountains.

 

Kestrel hovering

Burnished fields, wind picking up

That's my heart out there

 

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October 25: Greenery

Under a heap of leaves

pot of chives still green

still pungent

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October 24: Crows at dusk

Dusk comes so soon now.

Perched on a bare, wet branch,

how big the crow looks.

October 23: Reflex

Dark and stormy night--
I keep swerving
to avoid skittering leaves.

October 21: Rain ahead

As predicted, it rains--
jays mob the feeders,
river sighs, opens wide.

October 20: Bare branches, bare arms in the cold

Trees shivering, leaves lost,
colors fading underfoot--
I'm not ready.

October 19: Winter is coming

Walking through Camden's Harbor Park and Amphitheatre this afternoon, the signs of coming cold were gathering with the fallen leaves.

Frost warning--

schooners wrapped in plastic,

flocks of south-bound sparrows.

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October 18: Schoodic Head Trail

Raven alerts the woods--
our clumsy passage through
misty spruces and moss

October 17: Schoodic

Arrived in the dark

we hear the sea's dark pulse

glory in all the stars

October 16: Pears

Standards on the radio,
rain falling hard--
the middle of my life.

October 15: Warm Spell

Still warm at dusk.

A bat flits overhead.

What else will we lose?

 

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October 14: My grandfather would be 99 today

Opalescent sky
He wanted to be a gull
in his next life

October 13: Autumn day trip

A day of sparrows
in fields going to seed
leaves red and falling

October 12: Autumn Zen

Fall leaves prayer flags.

On the front porch Buddha

contemplates a pumpkin.

October 11: Date night

A happy marriage--
enjoying burritos
after seeing "Gone Girl."

October 10: Color

Autumn leaves--

lost in thought, I drive for miles

without noticing.

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October 9: Urgency

Squadron of jays
bombards the feeders all day.
Waiting for that call.

October 8: Lunar eclipse

Lunar eclipse
hidden by a thunderstorm
I'm wide awake

October 6: Edginess

At the field's edge--
restless sparrows rustling
in the dying asters.

October 5: Sunday

After the rain, sun.
Crows cawing in the backyard
beckon us outside.

October 4: Mushrooms among us

I've been out sick for a few days--hence the brief absence here--but this morning was up for a mushroom outing at Fernalds Neck Preserve in Lincolnville, led by the very entertaining and knowledgeable Kirk Gentalen of Maine Coast Heritage Trust. I learned a little about mushrooms and other fungi, but what I seem to have retained has more to do with poetry, I think, than biology. Like learning names that are stories in themselves... Witches' Butter, Bear's Bread, Crowded Parchment...

Learning mushrooms--
Velvet Earth Tongue speaks
from the forest floor.

September 30: Home again

In the washing machine

a small chestnut

pocketed on the island.

September 29: Rough seas

Leaving the island--

drenched with sea spray

I'm turning to salt

September 28: Last night

Last night on the island--

the sea too sighs

in the starry dark.

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September 27: Siskins

All day the flock grows

shifts and calls, bells overhead

chiming in the spruces.

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September 26: Porpoise

Boat around the island--

our dreams of water

manifest as porpoises.

 

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September 25: And sunrise

Monhegan sunrise--

the day begins with beauty

and small birds flying.

 

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September 24: Sunset

Sunset on Monhegan--

the gulls don't notice

what's happening to the sky.

 

 

 

 

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