spring break —
the migrant child chases
willow fluff

mud wasp and I
alive together —
outdoor bath

swallow bellies
grazing the water
we drink

North Carolina —
the lush local dialect
of mockingbird song

waterfall
a sad man’s face
in the bark of a laurel

Pale green waves
jostle ashore in twilight . . .
the throb of bullfrogs

fern
uncurling
the faintest breeze

dogwoods near the stream
  a blossom
    in our jelly jar

the dark folds
of a greening mountain —
my sister’s locked diary

mountain pass —
each valley a different shade
of spring