April Odds & Ends

too many dreams and
so little time to follow
any to its end

if they don’t bathe in sunlight
daffodils will never bloom

lying on the sand
looking up at Ocean’s mirror
the rain dropping through
brief remnants of the daylight and
their echoes—the stars and the moons

TV noise …
I saw it before
Star Trek reruns eternally

Poems in addition to the ones assigned to April days. Still looking through text files for poems I may have missed along the way.

Liz

Trees and Rivers | NaPoWriMo Day 29

moss and scattered grass
trees stretch to reach forever
anchored in the ground
seeds drop into mountain streams
traveling to lands unknown

Starting Over | NaPoWriMo Day 28

new plants grow
from ancient seed
feelings aren’t forever

back to the roots
I never knew
growing up again

Contentment | NaPoWriMo Day 27

wrap yourself in quiet
put sadness aside
look past pain to joy

deep rivers carve their way through stone
falling tears both heal and burn

Rain on the Flowers | #NaPoWriMo Day 25

camera in hand
soon after the day begins…
tulips and raindrops
Copyright © 2021-04-25, by Elizabeth Bennefeld.

April to May – NaPoWriMo Day 22

“A Path to Summer”

At the edge of winter
Promises of spring flowers and
Rising temperatures with sunshine,
Ice hangs from the eaves and
Lies in wait, nearly invisible
————-still, that
Makes the daily walk to the mailbox
An exciting dance of life or death
Yet a welcome break in the routine

Photo by Izzy Park on Unsplash

Tempted – NaPoWriMo Day 19

clear skies and sunshine
beckon those indoors to come
and play in the grass
meanwhile in growing shadows
water drops appear and freeze

May Day – NaPoWriMo Day 18

rain in the morning
snowfall starts at afternoon
sunshine at evening
water for the thirsty plants
next comes warmth for May Day blooms

Winter Storm Day – NaPoWriMo Day 17

rain, snow, and bluster
promise of a quiet day…
warm and cozy bed
surrounded by my pillows
piles of books and lots of tea

Image by kristamonique from Pixabay

Time and not again – NaPoWriMo Day 12

This (new) poem came about as I thought about a poem that I wrote for an online Halloween Poetry Reading in 2007: “At Allantide”.

the passage of time
days too short
haunted nights too long

moonrise light
shadows come and go
bending trees

waiting for footsteps
never heard
last chapter…The End

Before the snow – NaPoWriMo Day 11

After a dry, breezy week and weekend with yard work and new leaves on the bushes, Monday finds us damp and misty, with light rain and snow from late this afternoon through Tuesday night. Welcome moisture after the dry grass and carrying water in a cup to pour around the emerging wildflower plants.

new leaves garbed in green
unfold into warm sunlight
despite rising winds

tomorrow night’s soon enough
to doze under falling snow

Laughter – NaPoWriMo Day 9

reveling in sunlight
flowers lift up their faces
the Earth laughs

Photo by Norikio Yamamoto on Unsplash

Still Looking – NaPoWriMo Day 8

drip
drop
raindrops
spattering
on my windowpane
I still watch for the rainbow sky

Sanctuary – NaPoWriMo Day 5

autumn leaf on winter snow accompanying two lune — solitary leaf

one leaf on the snow
left behind
by December winds

sunlight on the leaf
makes a nest
shelter from the storm

Rainbow Dreams

dry dirt…crumbling leaves
— dreaming of raindrops
dust dims the morning sunlight
— their patter on the water
no clouds in the sky
— rainbow memories

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

Ancestors

forests and meadows
places where my ancestors
and their reindeer roamed
flat prairie and dry rivers
can’t compete with mountain streams
Copyright © 2021-04-01, by Liz Bennefeld.

Photo by M on Unsplash

Wake up! New day!

birds gather
on backyard cables
morning news

Photo by Hassan Pasha on Unsplash

Saturday afternoon thoughts

tulips emerging from beneath autumn's fallen leaves — Tulips in March, 2021-03-25

winter’s end
watching for springtime
new tulips

sentries on alert
crows in the highest branches
sunrise gathering

long-neglected bricks
melting ice and acid moss
useless…thrown away

people die, cities moulder
all will vanish in the dust

unopened books
left to gather dust
or burn for heat
how does one build the future
as all knowledge dies in flames

faces and voices
people that I’ll never touch
people whom I love

feelings never recognized
fill my mind and heart with light

bitter winds rage
cold ground beneath my feet
just beyond the door
orange tulips trust the spring
to make way for fragrant flowers

Remember

remember the spring
recall the scent of lilacs
sweetly humming bees
red clover and green fields
amber honey in the comb

Image by ykaiavu from Pixabay.

Thursday morning thoughts

tulip shoots
covered with spring snow
cold blankets

fragile leaves
still cling to their twigs
icy rain

autumn grass
covered with new snow
spring thaw

sight of morning leaves
with unexpected snowflakes
one more cup of tea

spring’s promise
pending due to winds and snow
seed packets

haiku sans pictures
no paper, ink, or photos
no haiga today

years after her death
i do not write of mother
lest she proof my lines

Changing seasons

dawn’s soft colors
shades and shadows on the path
falling leaves
Copyright 2020-12-09, by Lizl Bennefeld.

Image by chunli chen from Pixabay

Morning’s Glory — Poem a Day — November 2020, Day 9

at morning the crows
flock together in the trees
they sing to the sun
in praise of golden light and
the glory of creation

When I first woke up, this morning, to let the dogs into the back yard, I heard the gathering of crows in tall trees around the neighborhood. I love their song at the beginning of the day, and again at evening.

Image by Mabel Amber from Pixabay

A Pause in the Journey — Poem a Day — November, Day 8

tree leaf at autumn, blown upright by the winds, anticipating a final landing — A Pause in the Journey

on edge for a moment between wind gusts
the leaf’s anticipation
the joy of final rest

Prompt: Write a kimo, an Israeli poetic form that tends to capture a moment (like a photograph in words), using three unrhymed lines with syllable count 10, 7, 6.