cinders like fireflies
the summer she turned sixteen
a bonfire of loss
his two grown daughters
anchor him on either side
his last beach visit
small trajectories
the straw wrapper taking flight
across the table
playing with mirrors
determined to see himself
to infinity
opening the book
to find a photo bookmark
a child, date, and age
her eyes shift skyward
to find the familiar moon
staying up past noon
the youthful maestro
convinced of the recorder's
infallible song
waking from a nap
the shadows of mini-blinds
edged with afternoon
kitten in her lap
the sleeping ball of black fur
rising and falling
places I can't reach
droplets running down your spine
from the drowning pool
summertime's hot winds
bending over the cell phone
finger in my ear
mentally tracing
the outline and deep shadows
of a charmed necklace
near the garbage can
with lettuce and feta cheese
abandoned rabbit
demolition days
the sand castle's western wall
welcoming the tide
waking in the night
fingertips along the wall
to guide her way home
teasing the kite string
dragon huffing and puffing
to a crystal sky
voracious vacuum
grabs hold of the tasseled rug
for some tug o' war
still in the driveway
reading the new manual
cover to cover
summer's first delight
the ripened apricot held
between tongue and cheek
fingering fabric
wondering what it would take
to mismeasure you
