Jewelweed at Edge of Forest
Jewelweed
The jewelweed blossoms shine,
bright as summer’s petunias,
next to fronds of goldenrod,
to be followed by a wave
of color that travels along
the trees near the river.
Soon, the breeze’s cool breath
and a crescent moon will
appear to announce
the arrival of autumn.
Lainie Senechal
Along the Contoocook #3
The sun unlocks and scatters
a cover of dark clouds
that seem to portent rain,
as a cluster of ducks
paddle slowly up the river
in this sultry season.
After the parting, a time
of missing you lessens
when the late afternoon sun
illuminates the forest trees
and soft winds ruffle the leaves
that shimmer in the fading light.
The memory of love overtaken
by the brilliant beauty of the day.
Lainie Senechal
Attitash Sunset
Farewell to Attitash
I leave the lake, awash in remembrances
of living along its shore -
childhood summers carousing with cousins,
decades enjoying its seasonal charms.
Time passes and age sets in -
my days in this place are over.
Change is the expected nature of life.
Many are forced to abandoned homes
under dire and extreme circumstances.
For me there are no regrets, only a plethora
of pleasant reminiscences, a peaceful passage
on to new and unexpected adventures.
In making a final departure I carry
only time’s satchel of memories,
for my stay here has reached its end.
Lainie Senechal
Clouds
After the Storm
The heavens opened
with a burst of raindrops
that blurred the landscape.
As the storm cleared it left clouds
gathered in the setting light.
Over Monadnock they floated -
swirled in strange, eerie
and fascinating shapes.
A time to appreciate the beauty
found in the mountains
and a wish to experience
this singular vision again.
Lainie Senechal
April Moon
April Moon
The darkened sky opens to reveal
a quite full pink moon which was submerged
under waves of thick black and gray clouds.
Its brilliant light shines so softly on
the great sprays of gold forthysia
that spring straight up like large, loose feathers
from the base of each broad, sturdy bush.
At dawn the air is rich with bird song
while spring’s sweet breath wafts in gentle wind.
Lainie Senechal
Daffodil Buds
Early April
In spring sun remnants of snow have melted,
dripped from roof’s edges, formed rivers on path.
Robins arrive in garden, search for worms
under last autumn’s decaying brown leaves.
The shoots of emerging daffodils stretch
their long, supple, green limbs to the clear sky -
gather armfuls of golden, solar rays.
Lainie Senechal
Sea Smoke
Ice Off
The March sun pours down
on the shiny ice layer
that covers the lake.
It slips slowly away,
shrinking daily, foot by foot.
What was solid is now fluid -
underneath the fish waken
from their winter torpor
and light dances sprightly
on the rolling waves.
Lainie Senechal
The Rhythm of Bird Songs
Carried by the Wind
The transition into the next season
is not swift and is now suspended
by snow that blurs the scene
as it falls, like soft feathers,
on the still frozen turf.
One does not need to squint
to perceive the signs of spring.
They are carried by the wind
in new songs from birds
preparing to mate and nest -
avian messages about the change
that will shortly arrive.
Lainie Senechal
Valentine Moon
Say It Isn’t Snow
Although the seeds of desire
for an early spring beginning
take life in warm February afternoons,
the season circles around
and nothing but clumps of snow
bloom on tips of bare stalks.
A look forward, a leap back,
such is the whim of
late winter’s fickle days.
Lainie Senechal
Blizzard
In the Midst
Sheets of snow,
hurried by harsh gales,
circle the house in white veils.
No sun appears today.
Time to hunker down
near the fire where
flames flicker and dance
beyond the beat
of winter’s steady drum.
Lainie Senechal