All My Relations

COUSIN COUGAR:

Last night's rain

gone

but

five-pad

foot-

print

ponds.

COUSIN VOLE:

Spring-

and your

winter

road-work

comes

to light.

COUSIN BUFFLEHEAD:

Floating &

bobbing

while

overhead

comes

Great Grey

Owl

circling

down

looking

for lunch.

Duck!

COUSIN BRISTLECONE PINE:

Elder

whose

lover's name

is

Fire.

COUSIN WHIRLIGIG:

You're already

there

where

you all seem

to be going.

COUSIN WATER-STRIDER:

No

religion but

grace.

COUSIN WOODPECKER:

How do you keep

that

bright red

hat on

while you work?

COUSIN OCTOPUS:

Both of us

behind

our

ink.

Structure

55 lines · 16 stanzas