A rat stood on his hinds, in grass
between sidewalk and street,
gazing up with one eye it asked:
"Should I run? Stay here, delay
and sacrifice my final breath to you?"

Surprised at this spectacle of nature
one can only think that it was sick
or stricken by fear at this chance encounter
though something in that static eye spoke
of many lives over millions of years.

Moving on, it stared at this passing
as though it was meant to happen
forever in just this way with little fanfare
and no interruption of the moment
as two fixed as one endured recognition.

-cec

I hear a dog whistle in my tin-ear
higher in that morning wake up listen
followed by some sleeping memories spent
to spark life back into bed bode on bier
head up leads first spinal twist-spin leg's weir
feet on this floor balance grav'ties decent
trunk set motion pivots towards day's ascent
close pass window to view, to shape, to hear

there on tree tips chick'dees flit-fly blithely
rain drops para-****** atop old smoke
starlings fidget to worm's earthly writhing
legions' insect swarm free onto blossoms
dandelion yellow peak out of sight
as this morning trundles spring tides rise

-cec

pink, purple, greens, white
fragrances coil eves whisper
Spring wears its perfume

-cec

"Will you walk into my parlor?, said the Spider to the Fly ..." **
"I want to listen ...I hear you" arachnid's tactic sly
The fly, furious of all the carnage, complained
telling of fallen family and inexperienced friends
now desiccated, wrapped in silken shrouded end

The Spider listened patiently, as spiders often do
and lent its stoic eyes for each escape, maroon
while thoughts of chains, gears and echoed screams
served as mental appetizers to a growing hunger swoon
as wet saliva moments stayed his craven dreams

Soon Fly was shifting silent having said all that it could
hairs upon its body augured danger in this hood
closely watching Spider and knowing of his brood
chose to hover near to exit from this room
so defied this spider's web to seek a greater good

Now this Spider still it waits for unsuspecting game
its nature and demeanor belts a greedy gut and fame
sequestered in its isolated ravages, reprobative mind
as its silken lies trace traps in this ancient worst of times
heed this breeze that frames its doors to unrepentant doom

-cec

waters bend shoreline
under billowing clouds
mirrored blind white, groping
wrapping around mountain trees
drifting in dusk's catnap

-cec

Seagulls float in this neighborhood
also crows in their multitudes
legions of tiny feather ***** and
an occasional raptor

Much like country music they all play their part
a weeping plucked guitar tweet or
sorrowful melody

When the wood wind reeds
wings fold gusts of air into harmonious flight
through cords of trees and branches

Fast moving clouds frame the miles-per-hour
while those that can take to sky in ovals,
loops, swoop high and low in concert currents
and fiddle footed dancing in another Northwest blow

-cec

pink cotton candy saw it's reflection
being so shy, it blushed, pale white
becoming a cloud long shore

-cec