R A Ruadh

A look at the weather

I look out at the back field

the snow blowing sideways

piling little drifts on the corners

of my kitchen window

I look out at the hay barn

the rain beats against the

living room window and puddles

in the tractor tracks down below

I look out across the street

at the blue sky and the sun

shining between the clouds

playing catch me if you can

All at once

All the weather

All around my house

Doing Mark Twain one better

If you don’t like the weather

just look out a different window

Sentry

He paced the line between

safety and danger

seeing the forest between the trees

danger lurking in the dimness

The dark of the moon

hid the most menace

every sense alert for disturbance

of sound of scent of shadows

If there was to be an attack

he would be the first to die

his life in exchange

for his duty to shout warning

Long years later

he would sit on his steps

staring out as as night fell

silently watching and waiting

For what I never knew