Sunday, December 31, 2017

December 31: Last day

Cleaning the house.
The year’s last sunlight
out the back door.

Saturday, December 30, 2017

December 30: Arctic story

Story with polar bears.
Halo around the moon
beautiful, chilling. 

Friday, December 29, 2017

December 29: Transition

Boxing up Christmas.
The old cat
sleeps through it all.

Thursday, December 28, 2017

December 28: Frigid

Below zero:
finishing off the cookies,
watching cooking shows.

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

December 27: Fresh snow

Wind chill below zero.
On the snow-covered lawn
tracks of one squirrel. 

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

December 26: Driving home

just ten degrees 
miles and miles of snowy fields
only one crow flying

Monday, December 25, 2017

December 25: Watching starlings in a snowstorm

Christmas morning.
Starling on a windowsill
eating windblown snow.

Sunday, December 24, 2017

December 24: Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve, after dark.
First glimpse of the moon
we’ve had in days.

Saturday, December 23, 2017

December 23: Musée National de Beaux-Arts

Musée de beaux-arts—
watching a single crow
fly through blowing snow.

Friday, December 22, 2017

December 22: Feeder watch

Snow begins to fall.
As many juncos as flakes
under the feeders. 

Thursday, December 21, 2017

December 21: Solstice

wren on the suet
all the Christmas lights plugged in
Winter Solstice

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

December 20: Three crows

Three crows perched low
waiting for whatever
is thrown from the mouse traps.

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

December 19: Long shadows

Nearing the Solstice
we cast long shadows
across the fresh snow.

Monday, December 18, 2017

December 18: Upriver

Snow falling fast
I can barely make out
two ducks flying upriver

Sunday, December 17, 2017

December 17: Gardens Aglow

Trees strung with Christmas lights
illuminating in snow
the small tracks of voles.



Saturday, December 16, 2017

December 16: Sea smoke

Hidden by sea smoke
long conversations
of long-tailed ducks

Rockland Breakwater this morning

Friday, December 15, 2017

December 15: Squirrels

Holiday season—
one leafless tree decked
with five fat squirrels. 

Thursday, December 14, 2017

December 14: Deer in the woods

A week before Solstice.
Shadows of deer
moving among bare trees.

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

December 13: Election

While the Solstice is about a week away, sunset this afternoon is a tiny bit later than yesterday. Our turn toward the light has already begun.

Election results.
One minute more of daylight,
one less of darkness.


December 12: Bridge

Early morning dream:
bridge across Penobscot Bay.
Sky white now with snow.


Monday, December 11, 2017

December 11: Cemetery

Village cemetery 
where my grandmother’s buried
covered with snow.

Sunday, December 10, 2017

December 10: After the storm

Echoes of last night’s storm—
laden branches letting loose
small clouds of snow.

Saturday, December 9, 2017

December 9: Snowstorm

Shadow government.
Three crows flying
in a city snowstorm.

Friday, December 8, 2017

December 8: If wishes

Diversionary tactics. 
Trying to wish gulls
into Snowy Owls.

Thursday, December 7, 2017

December 7: Orientation

Home renovation.
Being able to find
the Big Dipper.

Wednesday, December 6, 2017

December 6: Host

After the rain stops
white-winged host of gulls
descending on the lawns

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

December 5: Renovation

Bathroom renovation
The spiders have all moved
to different corners.

Monday, December 4, 2017

December 4: Full Moon

Setting full moon—
bedroom window lit up
as if it were morning. 

Sunday, December 3, 2017

December 3: Frost Moon

Making our way home
from one view of the full moon
to the next.

Saturday, December 2, 2017

December 2: Complicit

The 2017 Word of the Year, according to Dictionary.com, is “complicit.” 

Complicit: 
hands perfumed with balsam
from selling Christmas trees.

Friday, December 1, 2017

December 1: Moon

full moon rising
over a neighbor’s house—
another lit window