January

lyrics on a day that’s cold and cold at least in the MidAtlantic

Suburban Wait

Winter light’s
Too bright
For cleaning deeply

Finally
Dispiriting

The leaning light
Shows everything we’ll never get
To or
Even want
To get around to

Those dust-bunnies shall
Keep their warrens
After all

While we wait
For the easy lighting
To clean by

Which
Will happen
You know
Spring

Roll

Roll in the hay

Roll out the barrel
Mister
Yankovic

Roll on home
Now
There might be rolls
For dinner

Rolled oats
Though I don’t know what
These are

Roll the dice
Roll to win

Field Work

God
You love us
Anyway
Which is remarkable

Not inexcusably
But
Unconditionally

Which splices doctrine
Maybe
But you can handle that
And so
Should we

The field of the Lord is vast
There are no mines
No
Not ever
Only living things
Mythic plants
That spring back as we pass over
Them
So that everyone may have
The chance
To pilgrim
Toward
What’s next

Possessive Tense

The dogs of God
The cats
The bunnies
Too

The aardvarks
And the platypus too silly
Some
Might think

The insects
Too
There might be reasons
For mosquitoes

What is tall
What is
Low
What is brief
What has long life
On Earth

The Earth is the Lord’s
Too
A place on which to keep
The complex
Living things
And
Well
Among these
Us

Use Words
(as you are able)

I love you
Honestly
I know
(since I’m in me)

You love me
I think I know
Not quite as
Whose woods are these
I know

(not with the same divine
assurance
frankly)

So you might have to say
From time to time
Though if you
Always do
(flawed occasions notwithstanding)
Then
Maybe not so much to say
But
Sorry
Still
To say

C L Couch

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” Robert Frost (cited)

Photo by Kevin Cress on Unsplash

Remember the Good People of Plains then and New Orleans Now

I don’t think I’ve said anything yet
To post
Or what I’d prefer
Briefer
Thoughtful
Something for all or most or many of us
To share

This might be a day off
Though I’m unsure
Why
I mean
I didn’t get much sleep
And the difficult situation locally
Around me
Occurred last night regarding sleep
And about the situation
Generally
These days

But what have I for you
A good word
Maybe
Could be
Think
Or could be
Love

And
Yeah
How ‘bout
We go with these
Today

We go with both

C L Couch

Photo by iSawRed on Unsplash

snow on one branch to start

snow on a branch
then move closer to the window
to see the snow
is everywhere outside
of course

and this is good
it’s winter
and it doesn’t look severe
most of this will clear away
and the temperature
supposedly
reach fifty
by
midweek

it’s the kind
to look at
and to watch it fall
as if nothing else is pressing
even though it is
calls for a drink
with rising vapor
and to sit
at something
by the window

take it in
and also think
and feel
far away

this is hardly farm show weather
it is so mild
but it’s the first snowfall
to note
in a year
and will have to do
being an untroubled visitation
on the first day
of
the January fair

c l couch

photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

(x = space)

Inaugurations

January enters

Like a wet

Dog,

Poor dog

Winter is

Allowed

But the ground

In PA is

Spring or

Fall swamp-like

Instead with

Additional on the

Way (which

means more

rain)

Four-year change

Is coming, not

A holiday

I wonder

But something

In the USA

We do so that

Change

Keeps things

The same

Not that we

Are the

Exemplar

We believe we are

Should be

To the world

What do you know?

A real dog is

Barking, below

Go inside,

Dog,

Leave certain

Things

Outside to

The oath-owners

C L Couch

Go, Dog, Go is a story (about dogs) written by P. D. Eastman.

Photo by Victoria Palacios on Unsplash

Sequoia National Forest, United States

Glory and wonder here on little old earth. This shot is from a particularly magical hike through the Sequoia National Forest. We were so up high in the mountains that the clouds decided to settle around us and create a mystical fog all around us.