Indianapolis Winter Night

Walking out the Army gate late
on a snowy evening in early March
Lumened streetlight halos in the holy snowfall
Grace and quiet against the storm of young blood
Houses quiet and sleepy soundless lawns
A yellow warm door-glass leaks a private laugh
Jump boots squeak and shush in icy rime
To Californian eyes and ears and skin, a myth
Like a fairy world enchanted by endless futures
But then a pang of home and this time it's real
And then flakes mingle with diamond tears.

Rain Resurrection

Rain and mist and sluicing roof-water
Soft and splattery roar in the garden
While in the breeze a gentle memory
Of yellow raincoats and child-games
And an ocean-spent dream of oars
There, a soft and new-green leaf cloud
As the Lazarus garden stirs in winter's tomb:
Summer somnolence promised in the blessed wet.