Click Title to Open Micro

July in the South

A southern summer:
fried chicken sizzles
the front porch swing creaks
condensation rolls down
the glass of iced tea
blue sky puzzle pieces
show amidst the clouds
and a green tinged furry puppy
runs joyfully through
the fresh cut grass

Moonglow Ribbon

the haloed
glow of the moon
this night of mist
and damp

delivers lunar beams
which course over
and around me

as I twist and flap
a banner
in the indecisive
wind

melody

the sea gleams
and sparkles
she croons to me
a lullaby
a ballad
hypnotizing
age upon age
this aria
the depths and
breadths
assimilate
my soul
ever
I sing
back to her

Potential

The sun's dazzling rays
ricochet off the
tawny water

blinding me with
their brilliance

There are spots
dancing in my eyesight

Compelled to peer
beyond the black holes
I relish the loveliness
encircling
the ebony puddles

A strumming pulse
throbs in my bloodstream

Cause and effect
I melt into myself

The Blue Jay

A jay chases an ebony crow
Pecking, scolding

I grapple with dark clouds
Snarling, snapping

Desolate is the call
afloat on the wind

Emerald leaves turn inside out
Preparation for the coming storm

My skeleton ossifies to stone
against my personal onslaught

My sculpted being watches
the clouds part

Golden rays of sunshine
flare amongst the gray

Subsequently wisps of hope
drift skyward from my soul

Even as smoke from a bonfire
soars alongside the fawn jaybird

•

Renee Butner © 2023 

in the morning as I run

Cover: 'On the run'

•

Wonder

A panting dog and quite still
man stand ahead of me as I
round a curve in the road.

Something in his posture
causes me to slow to
a walk. There...he points...

a fawn. I see it young
and innocent and smile.
Whisper, he is beautiful!

Quietly as possible I begin
to run again, watching him.
I smile for a long time.

as I run

in the morning
as I run
I forget the
cares and trials
to come later
in the afternoon
as I work
I pound the street
in bright blue shoes
a beat pounds in my ears
I mouth the words
the summer heat
beats relentlessly at me
the relentless winter wind
briskly cools my cheeks
I cool down
following the run
while looking to the sky
bare branches or green canopy
block out patches of blue
trivialities temporarily blocked
the day now moves in
as I go into the house

OCD

I used to count
steps as I ran
it drove me crazy
'til I began to carry an iPod
Much better

Now I count cars
that pass me
and dog walkers
and runners
and those only walking

I texted my
grandson one morning
with an animal count
one black-and-white dog
one brown, a rabbit and a deer

When I do my
cool down
I count reps of
my stretches but
that is normal, right?

Two Haiku

Around the corner
Lemon sun glows dimly
Mist now dissipates

I once tried to run
with Trixie, my daughter's dog
Scar on my left knee

treadmill

snow and slush
fill the streets of
my neighborhood

here and there are
patches of dull green
grass peeking through

and tracks made on
sidewalks by boots
and paws over and

over have caused
the snow to melt in
places as well

so that soon enough
I can leave the
boring treadmill

in the gray
cinder block corner
of my basement

Sounds of Summer

Lawnmower thrumming
Dragonfly wings humming

Woodpecker rat-tat-tatting
Backyard party chatting

Undulating sprinklers hissing
Brilliant fireworks whizzing

Kids in the pool splashing
Sudden thunderstorm crashing

Runners' shoes beating
Beach traffic horns bleating

Evening bonfires popping
Everywhere flip-flops flopping

Contented tears all but leaking
I on my porch swing gently creaking

•