EATING STRAWBERRIES

"Strawberry", oil, by Hall Groat II

He eats strawberries

the way winds find their way,

with leisure and casualness,

or the way a winsome day passes,

with a serenity

he wishes he could keep in a basket,

but he can’t,

just like he can’t keep strawberries

from coming to his mouth

in a slow-moving and sumptuous way.

ON THE PATIO

"Roses in the Morning", oil, by Roxanne Steed

Birds at the feeder,

flowers falling over each other,

the fullness of the sky above.

He sits like a silent stone,

staying just where he's supposed to be,

where the always sensible universe

wants him to be. He belongs

to an association of privileged people,

of which all of us are members.

A SINGLE LIGHT

"East End Sunlight", oil, by Cooper Dragonette

Some birds I noticed yesterday
were building mansions
made of sticks and leaves,
and little rivers of happiness
were passing among them.
They were pointing toward pleasure
with their beaks,
and breaking sorrow into pieces
in the summer sky.

A single light shines
inside this universe
which knows no boundaries,
just like the joyfulness
of these birds.