White-headed woodpecker, Picoides albolarvatus
Bark
Protects hidden hearts
With tough layers of texture
Clinging and peeling
And revealing small glimpses
Of tenderness deep within
Bark – Tanka poem
Poetry
Finding grace
Headwaters of the Metolius River, Oregon
Rivers make their own way
Flowing
In a steady direction
Turning
When they find obstacles
Rising
And descending towards
Finding
A unique form of grace
Weekly Photo Challenge – Graceful
Snowfall makes
Snowfall makes
Mountain ranges on branches
Snowfall makes
Stars burst forth below
Snowfall makes
Logs into letters
Snowfall makes
The roughest spots smooth
Snowfall makes
New tracks in ancient places
Fall Foliage Fireworks: Weekly Photo Challenge
Fall leaves
Bursting with color
Explosions of warms and cools
Reflecting the last rays of summer
On a quest towards the
Cold crispness to come
Weekly Photo Challenge – Quest
Concealed
Hiding in plain sight
In a cradle of summer
She patiently waits
Grounded 2: Notice the world beneath you
Look beneath your feet
And notice
Notice the textures
Notice the colors blending
And bold
Bold and brilliant hues
Bold and distinct edges
And patterns
Patterns of cracks
Patterns of smoothness
And transitions
Transitions moving towards new
Transitions moving in a rhythm
And beat
Beat into the earth
Beat into your memory
And soul
I am re-posting one of my favorite posts in celebration of one year of blogging and 100 entries. Hope you are enjoying my blog!
Embrace them
Fox kit at Yellowstone National Park
A gust of wind
Can take them away
Embrace them and guide them
With gentle breezes
Words: A poem on Sticks and Stones
Words
Sharp and cutting
Smooth and soothing
Colored by what surrounds them
Words
Forked and dividing
Fibrous and fortifying
Defined by what surrounds them
Words
Tangled and eroding
Tranquil and tempering
Embraced by what surrounds them
May Showers, High Desert Flowers
Purple sage and paintbrush
A desert can be desolate
Arid and barren
Spring showers
Splash colors
Of brilliant hues
Amidst the sand
Painting with a delicate brush
From a palette of rainbows
Balsamroot 
Tiny Oasis: A Haiku about a starlily
Tucked beneath the sage
Reflections of stars above
Shine forth from the sand
Flocking to Malheur in the Springtime
In the Spring, the flocking begins.
Flocks alighting,
Optics focusing.
Nature’s fireworks on display
Exploding in a timeless rhythm.
Wings fluttering,
Voices trumpeting.
Welcoming visitors to share
In a celebration of Spring.
Flocking to Malheur.
Easter cottontail
Mountain cottontail, Sylvilagus nuttallii
In the sagebrush sea
Where bunchgrass waves in the wind
Alone he grazes
Nose twitching, large eyes gazing
Cottontail punctuating
Winter… : A poem of the season
Winter…
Mutes colors
Softens edges
Highlights textures
Blankets the sleeping
Peace Tree: A message from Nature
This peace tree was seen in my backyard. Please share this image and the words I wrote to go along with it.
Grounded – A poem of the Earth
Look beneath your feet
And notice
Notice the textures
Notice the colors blending
And bold
Bold and brilliant hues
Bold and distinct edges
And patterns
Patterns of cracks
Patterns of smoothness
And transitions
Transitions moving towards new
Transitions moving in a rhythm
And beat
Beat into the earth
Beat into your memory
And soul
Winter Sunrise captured in words and visions
Winter Sunrise
Cool snowy blankets
Boldly contrasting branches
Frame an immense sky
Blinking awake in deep blue
Blushing in flashes of fire
Green – in vibrant images and words
Green
Verdant and vibrant
Cool and calm
New Year: An optimistic reflective poem
As the new year approaches
You can choose to look down and back
Or up and forward
Chickaree
Douglas’ squirrel, Tamiasciurus douglasii
Agile climbers
Mischievous thieves
Scolder of treetops
Digger under leaves
Cool Crystals
Covered by cascading cool crystals
Clouds
Fort Rock Cloudscape
Brilliant Sunset in Bend
Three Sisters Summer View
Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park
October Sunset in Bend
Darkening Bend Sunset in Winter
Clouds…
Obscure what was once clear
Release things that burden them
Blanket the cold nights
Shine brightness on what’s to come
Surround us in the divine
Bat Haiku
Flyer of the dusk
Pursuer of six-legged
Caller of echoes
Fall’s Laughter
Fall begins with joyous laughter and warm caresses that
Nod and wink as they cloak you with a touch of frost
Standing there entranced, you are enveloped by color
Cool greens evolving into explosions of vibrant
Yellow, orange, and crimson
North winds swirl about you encircling you
Wrapping you in the scent of remembrance
Snaps and crackles sound under your feet
Inviting you to grab handfuls and throw them into the air
You smile as the coolness surrounding you is
Warmed by a shower of brilliant laughing tones
Emanating from falling leaves readying themselves for winter
Stronger than the Wind: A poem of resilience
Sometimes you will be happily flying along in life when – WHAM!
A gust of wind comes out of nowhere and hurtles you to the ground.
Pick yourself up, preen those damaged wings, and remind yourself
You are stronger than the wind.
Branches
Cling on to leaves all seasons
Brilliant leaves dropping in fall
Profusions of big, bold flowers
Flowers that are quiet and small
Cones that depend upon fire
Tiny, but intoxicating cones
Juicy, sweet abundant fruit
Fruit that is dry as a bone
Delicate and ephemeral
Resilient and strong
Twisting and rough
Straight and long
Furrows in the bark
Bark peeling and red
Running near the surface roots
Deep-reaching roots that are more widespread