Colors of Winter

bright yellow warblers
evergreen trees standing tall
red winter berries
grass turns into winter nests
water falls as gentle snow

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

Just in Time | #NaPoWriMo Day 26

Goldilocks time
the second between dusk and night
when the stars come on

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.

Looking West at Evening | #NaPoWriMo Day 24

waiting for the geese to fly overhead
dreams of going home
© Elizabeth Bennefeld, April 2021.

As night falls | #NaPoWriMo Day 23

time grows short
shadows stretch to night
wee mice play
Liz Bennefeld,
Copyright 2021-04-25

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

Frozen Dew – NaPoWriMo Day 14

bunnies and sunshine
a mix-up of the seasons
winter in the spring
snow blankets on the tulips
frozen dewdrops on new grass

Sounds Surround Me – NaPoWriMo Day 13

distant sounds echo
police car sirens fleeing…
snowflakes come to rest

my puppy snores and resettles
birds sing their morning psalms

Image by myungho lee from Pixabay

Wake up! New day!

birds gather
on backyard cables
morning news

Photo by Hassan Pasha on Unsplash

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.

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.

After the winter — Poem a Day — 30 November 2020

even in death
flowers speak of life
root and seed
sleeping through winter
new petals at spring

No Shadows — Poem a Day — 28 November 2020

clouds before the sun
no shadows without daylight
silhouettes of trees

Cloudburst — Poem a Day — 10 November 2020

soft sunset colors
after swollen clouds and rain
winds fade and die
rivers overflow their banks
trees are mirrored in the streets

Day 18 – From Solid Ground | Poem a Day (NaNoWriMo)

Skyscape

from the mountaintop
I was always looking down
in dells I look up

peaks provide a heady view
but in valleys, heaven’s light

Written to #RonovanWrites #Haiku weekly challenge prompt: Valley & Peak

Day 16 – Leaves on the Ground | Poem a Day (NaNoWriMo)

willow leaves and grass in melting November snow

like autumn leaves
at the edge of winter
brown on green
dreaming of the halcyon days
that are surely yet to come

Day 14 – Respite | Poem a Day (NaNoWriMo)

shaded river path
rippling water’s cheerful song
soft grass underfoot

nature’s essence soothes the heart
calms the sorrows of the soul

Written to #RonovanWrites #Haiku weekly challenge prompt: Nature & Nurture

Image by Tim Hill from Pixabay

Day 13 – Unsettled Winter | Poem a Day (NaNoWriMo)

pile of brown, fallen leaves on top of the snow in the front yard — **Intermission**

restless leaves dance
across the newly white grass
never still for long

errant winds stir them around
shaking off the falling snow

Day 12 – Nature’s Puppeteer | Poem a Day (NaNoWriMo)

black and white fallen leaves on the ground — Autumn Dances

swirling on the path
fall leaves dance to nature’s tune
just before the snow

Eventide

budding branches in a still evening against light cloud cover — Resting Winds

the wind rests quiet on the land
faint sunlight shrinks behind
tree branches and blue clouds
pasted on a blue-grey sky

birds sing summonings
then nestle into nests
for warmth throughout
a night with which the cold
returns too soon

cling to the cold, a shield
against the warming days

One-upmanship

a murder of crows gathered in the crown of the cottonwood tree — Crows in the Treetops

crows caw overhead
landing on high branches
taking off again

the loudest bird will settle
only for the highest perch

Quiet Spaces

The Written Word at Home

nature