Out of Place

Residing in a ceramic pot
Glimpsing life through paned windows
Sleeping behind closed curtains
The orchid blooms out of place, defiantly

Iwanagara Apple Blossom orchid

Memory Tree

My memories are housed in a backlit tree
A few branches almost as bright as day
Details dangle on the leaves and
Murmur in the background

The tree shrinks some memories so small
Its trunk conceals them in its woody crevices
Where no light reaches

The farthest twigs hold on to my distant past
Out of my reach, forever

Tree full of memories

Temperatures drop
Screaming wind slashes the earth
For some, no escape

No escape this time

Overslept
Long lines at the gas pump
Freight train stopped on the tracks
Empty slots on the grocery store shelves

A day of deep sighs
Teeth gnashing, nose crinkling

Sherbet in the sky

At dusk, I refill the hummingbird feeder
As it lurks on the fence
I turn to its chirps to explain my lateness
And realize I was wrong all along

The swirling, sherbet sunset awaits, as promised
The sunrise had greeted me and will do so again
The day was right on time

What’s beneath?

Exhausted from searching
In my dreamland quests
Always seeking the trees

Beyond my reach

Leaves furl away at my glance
Unfurl to peek back, claiming it’s the wind
Bare roots and branches seem to hide nothing
But I wonder