Carolina Jessamine

thin clouds, a hot wind flattens

carolina jessamine, what climbs the rail

the way long loose hair flattens

slingshot wind, lively surf pounds

the near sand, spindrift pocks the dune

necklace of yellow flowers

ease the mind of present care

carolina jessamine, what climbs the rail

bee, butterfly, hummingbird midair

yes, the porch rail rotting sooner

rain & dust pressing on wood

paint wearing away, white going gray

two months the native vine flowers

carolina jessamine, what climbs the rail

fragrant yellow trumpets — this shower

What I Know

I know an osprey fishes this pond

alone, it sails & hovers & dives

until it takes one, I know a great 

blue heron lives two houses down

when I saw it yesterday I felt nothing

large or wild, I saw curved gray below

the head behind leaves, the heron

I thought, I know bluebirds on wires

on tree stakes, on my porch rail

I know the sound my washer makes

before it drains, I know I broke

the yolk before it reached the pan

broken yolk on grits, the taste

the same, I know the buckeye lives

I know the rain is over at least for

a few days, I know more clover

needs to be pulled, I know the water

yesterday blown into ridges today

lies still & mirrors the still gray sky