In the moist summer, the male tarantula can be seen roaming in search of a consenting partner. I recently spotted this 5 inch arachnid in my backyard.

Compelling Mission

Late summer rains awaken thee.

‘Cross wide terrains go willingly.

With wanderlust, search out thy mate,

And win her trust to procreate.

© 2010 Photo and Poem by Rose Marie Boyd

Upset over the destruction of trees during the widening of a local road, my friend requested I write a poem that expressed her distress.

Photo by Susan Popko

Tears for the Slaughtered

For decades they flourished,

Tall verdant characters

Verging the narrow course,

Only to be brutally hacked,

Martyrs quickly downed

As sacrificial lambs

To the pagan gods of progress,

The stout powers-that-be,

Craving wider paths

Of copious tar and asphalt.

© 2010 Poetry by Rose Marie Boyd

Carl and I will be celebrating our 34th wedding anniversary this Sunday. The below poem commemorates the occasion.

Floating Along

Thirty-four years together

In fair and stormy weather,

This pair drifted side-by-side,

Coping with the changing tides.

© 2010 Poem by Rose Marie Boyd

Carol & Jimmy Bettino celebrated their 40th wedding Anniversary on April 18, 2010. We're privileged to enjoy this amazing couple's friendship.

Extraordinary Moths

Once they caught each other’s eyes,

Both hearts soared like butterflies.

Sustaining what had begun,

Two enamored joined as one.

Forty years they’ve kept up stride,

The pair flitting side by side.

Through life’s fast and hurried pace,

Their loyal wings remain embraced.

© 2010 Poem by Rose Marie Boyd

Photo from: http://www.buschelmanphoto.com/butterfliesinsects.htm

A Nebulous Performance

I’ve viewed numerous sensational sunsets here in Prescott, especially on overcast evenings. But, contrary to the publicity they receive, I haven’t enjoyed but one dramatic sunrise, the one pictured below.

A Nebulous Performance

A somber backdrop for the dawn matinee,

Dismal grays let the rising star

Ignite the stage with a fiery flamboyance.

© 2010 Photo and Poem by Rose Marie Boyd

Down the Home Stretch

Winter portrayed such cold tenacity during yesterday's early morning snowfall. If it races through the rest of the season, and approaches the end with a spring in its step, I’ll be thrilled.

Winter

Down the Home Stretch

The hoofs of Winter trot toward spring,

A frozen March to the season’s end.

Closing in on the final finish,

Winter displays an icy determination.

© 2010 Photo and Poem by Rose Marie Boyd

Slippery Inclinations

Proposed shortcuts to a particular objective might be tempting, but often have precarious consequences. For instance, the rock steps in the below photo seem to provide the quickest access to a higher level; but their icy condition made them treacherous to climb.

Slippery Inclinations

Despite a slick pitch

Purporting a quick ascent,

Glacial risks abound.

© 2010 Photo and Poem by Rose Marie Boyd

Change is hard, especially for the dim-witted.

A play on words.

Plastic or Cash?

A Poem that Stinks or Makes Scents

It takes too long to make change

For a buck without much sense.

***

But give the dear some credit

Since he's quick to charge away.

© 2010 Photo and Poem by Rose Marie Boyd

The Phantom of Winter Nights

Although I can't see it, I know it's there. I can feel it and hear it when I wake up dry-tongued in the middle of the night. Something hovering by the ceiling, noisy and annoying, blows hot air directly in my face.

The Phantom of Winter Nights

Sporadic banter,

Full of dry taunts,

Awakens me

During the witching hours.

A blast of heated breathe,

Enough to rob the moisture

From my skin,

Spews through sharp fangs.

I curse the poltergeist

And his exasperating monologue,

Until the torture ceases

And dead silence lulls me back to sleep.

© 2010 Photo and Poem by Rose Marie Boyd

Impressions

I took a walk today and noticed quite a few tire imprints in the dirt, some were prominent while others less obvious. Below is one photograph I snapped along my route. Studying the photo, the thought occurred to me that some people have a good grip on life while others slip and slide along. But we all leave some kind of impact wherever we go. The idea inspired the below haiku poem.

Impressions

Gauged deep or shallow,

Each one makes unique tread marks

On life’s muddy path.

© 2010 Photo and Poem by Rose Marie Boyd

Weighty Burden

Yesterday morning, I inspected the new fallen snow outside my window. A particular bush, taxed by the white slush, drooped its branches towards the ground. The plants posture resembled that of crestfallen person, one struggling with negative psychological baggage.

Weighty Burden

Heavy on weak shoulders,

Raw load is hard to bear.

Till stress melts away,

The strain appears unfair.

©2010 Photo and Poem by Rose Marie Boyd

Bound for The Garden Party

This white bloom sprouted from one of my house plants. If you strain your imagination as I did, you might see the profile of a young lady in the shadows of its curled petal. Young and inexperienced she's on her way to an affair under the sun.

Bound for The Garden Party

The curled white brim

Obscures a face in shadows,

A pompous profile

With chin and nose held high.

One tight yellow choker

Holds erect the long, thin neck,

A small lump of insecurity

Hiding behind its beads.

© 2010 Photo and Poem by Rose Marie Boyd