CANADIAN GEESE

a great flock of them stands by the pond
spilling out onto the side of the road
a few scouts slowly begin to make their way across the road

I brake to let them cross
they have been here for three days now
what is it I wonder

that causes them to stop here for so long
is it somehow predetermined
or do they spontaneously decide to stop flying and land

and what is it I wonder
that causes me to pause in my journeying south then north again
that tells me where to stop and for how long

or does nothing tell me
and I decide strictly on my own
spontaneously without any predetermination at all

now those few have passed
and I continue on my way
wondering if I shall see them tomorrow

SKIPPY

draped across my lap
head down on one side
tail down on the other
he sleeps
and I
leg rest up
legs extended
place both hands on his warm body
meanwhile
my mind busily scurries from one thought to the next
saying
“surely there is something more important I should be doing”
then my heart asks
“what
right now what could be more important than this”
and my thoughts slow
and I relax in the moment
and slowly breathe in and out
in and out