In Which The Annoying Side Of Winter Comes Early

O wind, I've had enough of you. The snow

That fell so lightly last week blew away.

The trash you blew into my small yard, though,

Won't budge now. All of it is here to stay

Until I trudge outside and pry it loose

From plant stalks, branches, fenceposts - these all clutch

At what they've caught, tenaciously. Profuse

Enough, the snow we'll have -- too much,

Some folk will say -- but it at least can hide

The plastic bags and flyers, wrappers, junk

That flies around, breeze-tossed, both far and wide

Until it comes to me. Here comes a hunk

Of Taco Bell refuse right now. Come back,

Dear snow, and cover up the verve I lack.

Good Bye, Good Weather

This time last night, 'twas horizontal snow

And I could not see 'crost the street for it.

Today it's simply wind. I watch it blow

From safe inside where I shiver and sit,

(The vestiges of illness plague me still)

Behind a keyboard with a cup of tea;

I pretty sure this week is what will kill

Our Indian Summer. How long will it be

Ere just one layer of clothes will sure suffice

For bike commuting? How long till my skin

Can bare before the elements? Soon ice

Will force me to slow down; I'll pedal in

At half the speed to work, in darkness, long

Before dawn's chorus warms up its first song.

In Which I Feel The Approach Of A New Season

The leaves, still green, could have blown off the trees

Today, instead of twisting to point out

The wind's direction. We've not had a freeze

As yet, to make my neighbors rush about

And cover their tomatoes, but, this week,

When I get on my bike, the sky's still dark,

For that first morning ride to work. Soon bleak

And cold this trip will be, lonely and stark --

Already my hands need a pair of gloves.

But for right now, the grasshoppers, my friends

Still bask in afternoon heat, but my loves

Grow sluggish, and more of them meet their ends

'Neath walking feet and skates and, yes, bike tires.

And with them soon the summer, too, expires.

Lines Written Upon Seeing Elk Mountain For The First Time In 2009

As house-hunting, then moving, both have kept
Me to a small, small circle in Cheyenne,
It's been more than four months since I have slept
In any other town. I've had a plan
This week to hit the road at long last, and
Partake of my hometown's delights and see
My folks and friends and survey how this land
Has fared through this sere winter. Glory be!
I packed my car and strapped to it Deep Blue,
And loaded up a certain glad collie
And put Jack's tires to pavement, barreled through
A hundred miles of wind, then with jolly
Wild shouts took in a gorgeous, welcome sight,
Snowcapped and lovely in the noon sunlight.

My New House Had A Surprise In Store For Me

The month of April's cruelest, Thomas said
(By Thomas I mean Eliot, T.S.).
While he meant more its goading from the "dead"
The dormant plants and flowers, I'll profess
A crueler face of April is by far
The storms of spring, the snowfall and the wind
That drives it into drifts, buries one's car,
And barricades one's house. Have I so sinned
In gloating o'er the beauties of my home
That I should so be cursed and have to dig
Through waist-deep snow to leave? Oh how the foam
Did fleck my face as I fought 'gainst those big
Waist-deep drifts with a less than perfect tool
A plastic shovel! Yeah, I'm super-cool.

I Did My Bit for Global Warming, and I'll Do It Again Before January is Out

I thought, perhaps, I'd ride my bike today
As morning dawned, so bright and clear and clean.
My plans on sober pond'ring went astray;
The cold wind in my face, also the sheen
Of hoarfrost glitt'ring all around the place
Belied, indeed, my window's invitation.
Astride my bike, I go at a good pace,
Much rapider than in p'rambulation.
A walk with collie proved I'd be a fool
To let that cold wind hit with greater speed.
Am I a wimp? Oh well, I'm sure that you'll
Say so. I just didn't see the need
For pain. And so, though it's not very far,
I did my grocery shopping with my car.