DAY NINE - SPECIAL PLACES

NEW YORK CITY

It has always been thus, a big-hearted city
that has treated me kindly, never harsh, nor rude
Has granted me solace when I've needed some
Let me sleep overnight once in Penn station
As long as I've been coming here, she's been
my safe haven, the one place I feel really fine

DAY EIGHT - THINGS OFT OVERLOOKED

Flipping through your baby album
I dwelt on your sweet face as always
But was taken aback by a couple
of pages where I'd shot nothing
but pics of your chubby feet; I hadn't
remembered doing it nor how cute
they were - how easily we forget
thingslike feet, toes - dimpled ankles.

DAY SEVEN: SEVENTY PERCENT CHANCE OF PERCIPITATION

DAY SEVEN - 70% CHANCE OF PERCIPITATION

The gloomy sky agrees with the weather forecaster;
grey banks of clouds glower at the city.
I open my umbrella to make sure it still works,
and am surprised at how lovely it is.
How is it I've never noticed the royal crests
decorating this practical tool? Purple, pink and gold -
did this used to belong to Prince? Oh, I wish.
I especially like the gilded ropes that link the crests to each other.

DAY FIVE: NO PHOTO BUT DESCRIPTION, YES

At least I didn't step in it this time
With very little sense of smell,
(a bonus sometimes, but not always)
I have, more than once, stepped
in dog poo - and if one of our dogs
poops inside, it's usually because
they're ill - so the poop is diarrhea

First there's disbelief as a cold
pudding-like substance closes
around my foot; then the sure
knowledge as I flick a light on
in the pre-dawn dimness, and even
my poor sense of smell allows me
to get a whiff of the truly disgusting
ill-dog crap, usually pea-green.

DAY FOUR: FLEETINGLY SEEN

FLEETINGLY SEEN

In a sea of shades of green:
emerald, jade, moss -
it is surprising how easily
they are able to camouflage
themselves.
But, buff-coloured bodies,
tails as white as milk,
large ears outlined
as if with charcoal-
somehow are here and gone,
in a twitch.

DAY THREE: UNEXPECTED IN A PARKADE

UNEXPECTED IN A PARKADE

It is silent and cool in the parkade
when I go to pull out of my spot,
I see the outline of a bird sitting
on a wire outside the structure
I take a photo through my window.
Some trick of optics makes the
crow appear enormous when I upload
the photo to my computer.

Day 2 Awake August BLACK PUG AGING

Amber eyes still bright in fast graying mug
Cotton-candy pink tongue peeks out

DAY SIX - WHAT OTHERS SAW AT THE RODEO

I WILL BE GETTING CAUGHT UP ... BUT STARTING TODAY AUGUST 10th

WORRYING ABOUT THE WRONG THINGS

Sipping iced water, my neighbour and I relax into afternoon on our deck. All I see is the rotting boards, the nails popping out, or missing. She tells me how much she loves our pots of flowers - wonders how we get them to bloom like this.