on a ping-pong table
with the net askew
it reminds me of a chalkboard
where all the lessons
have been erased

who knows how long it's been
since their last meal
the unplugged stove
with a soup spoon
and an overturned saucepan

with its short tail
wrapped around seaweed
it's not likely the extinction
of the dwarf seahorse 
will make the front page news

wishing my son
a "happy birthday" on 9-11
the brief song
of a henslow sparrow
before it flies away

Like me, the henslow sparrow is not noted for its vocal ability but it likes to sing anyway.

outlasting all
of our writings
this fossilized
oyster shell
preserved for posterity

rows of coffee cups
grouped together
like companions
in the grip of each handle
a different opinion

the noncommittal posture
of tree branches
over a park bench
there's no way to tell
if they're lovers or just friends

accompanied
by solitude
it's hard to be depressed
around so many
yellow chrysanthemums

how many dangerous journeys
have started out this way
the monarch butterfly
weaving like a drunk
in and out of the weeds

perhaps they hold the secret
to a successful marriage
the duck couple
ignoring each other
on a sunday afternoon