Wandering/Wondering

 (C) R.L.K.

Along the roadside, patches
of shadow from oak
and ash trees alternate with
splashes of morning sunlight.
So much has changed in
so many years, is there still
a place to call home?

Later, This

 (C) R.L.K.

Tonight the wind sweeps
down from the north and whistles
around the corners
of the buildings. Yesterday
gray clouds hung low; rain, mixed with
snow, fell and snarled 
the streets. Now, the sky is clear
and sprinkled with stars.

Autumnal

 (C) R.L.K.

Broken clouds cover
half the sky
late in the day, late
in my life;

upon the hillside
colors shift
in the shadow, shift
in the light

and the wind scatters
fallen leaves
late in the day, late
in my life.

Occurrences

 (C) R.L.K.

Night falls, as if from
a great height. From my front porch
I watch cars passing
in the street under lamplight.
Softly, it begins to rain.

Where Else

 (C) R.L.K.

The lateness of the
hour: an orange moon that seems
to be rising up
out of the lake; a lone boat
on the water, drifting on...

Hometown Poem (Years Gone By)

 (C) R.L.K.

This morning the sky
hangs low with snow-laden clouds.
Gnarled wind-blown trees
stand leafless on these old streets
that are so much stranger now.

A Way of Going On

 (c) R.L.K.

The slender branches
of the bare trees are swaying
in the morning breeze.
The road to the depot is
littered with brightly-colored
fallen leaves. Parting,
as always, is bittersweet,
and all the roads I
travel now are the same and
lead back to the distant past.