Haiku By Michele Baird and Shirley Robertson

eagles alight treetops

stern gazes stabbing distance

plummeting, talons extend

pushing, stretching, towards the sun

the snake scales skyward

but clouds are all he finds

Haiku by Michele Baird and Shirley Robertson

snow melts icy water

vapor rises

a sunbeam cracks the sky

acorns in the squirrel's nest

leaves flutter the breeze

owls watch from afar

bubbles drift past smiles

at Coney Island

music floats along behind

 Steps by Leann Snider

How many steps have I taken

Upon this path I chose

The long steps of youth

When life was like a rose?

Beautiful and blooming

Face turned to the sun

Smile like a dreamer's wish

And all I did was run.

How many steps I've taken

When I felt I could take no more

When tears made me stumble

When my feet were tired and sore.

When those endless sunny days

Turned into darkest nights

When my soul got too weary

And just took off in flight.

The steps of youth, forgotten

Slowed to give me time

To watch where I was going

To make sense of what was mine.

Now the steps are shorter

The footprints fade away

Someday they'll be but echoes

Like stars that fade with day.

How many steps have I taken

How many more to go?

I know I will keep moving

On this path I know

With stardust running through my veins

And magic in my eyes

I step to new horizons

Until my spirit flies.

Christmas, 2015

 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all around, except for the news, there was nary a sound. The children were grown, except maybe for Missy who snooped for gifts-all of which turned up missing. That's because Santa had not yet flown by; radar locates him over Russia, up high. In the fridge there were goodies, like deviled eggs and fudge, which Blue clearly wanted, with his nose and a nudge. And mama in her leggings and I in my cap had just settled down for an afternoon nap. When what to my sleepy eyes should appear but a fat little man without any reindeer. His timing so bad, it could only be Gene, our nap interrupted and our sugarplum dreams. When all of a sudden a barking arose and Blue came a-runnin', all a twitter, his nose. This message he wants all of you to hear: Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.