POET


NATURE POEMS


THE FIRST SNOW CAME AGAIN TODAY
© 2004 Jordan Margolis

It happened this morning
about quarter to ten
after everybody'd gotten to work
the first snow came again

We'd been pretty lucky
a real late Indian summer
nobody'd even begun to wear gloves yet
cause it's really not winter til it snows

The trees have been empty for awhile
just waiting
their branches angled slightly upward
ready to bear the weight of white

And gingerly it came
mixed with rain
snowflakes hid behind raindrops
the whole ride down to the ground

The school children saw it first
the boy closest to the window shrieked out, "IT'S SNOWING"
and class stopped, head lifted, mouths opened, all eyes went outside
even the teacher smiled, undetected

At lunchtime the schoolyard erupted
with laughter and running
catching snowflakes on little pink tongues
pointing to dandruff on a friend's hair

BUT DOWNTOWN THERE WAS NO REJOICING
office girls worried about their hair
businessmen pulled their lapels closer together
and streets sloshed with mirky slush

By three, the snow came bolder
no longer camoulflaged as rain
big white crystals tumbling slowly
sticking to grass, still melting on sidewalks

The first snow came again today
a bit timid itself
as if not to make us too angry
as if to make us its friends


IN EARLY NOVEMBER
© 2004 Jordan Margolis

I walked outside
and felt the chill immediately
my intermediate jacket insufficient
my additional sweater inadequate
November seeped under-around-inside
and found me

The trees fought back galliantly
bending, swaying, but always returning upright
defiantly
clutching onto their last leaves
proudly - for others had already been stripped bare
raped by November

And at the great lake
even the waves could not lie flat and hide
they swelled and thrashed at the rocks
white spraying gray
the last boats in the harbor circled their moorings
like nervous stallions

The sky tried to remain neutral
light gray, all across
clouds united for strength
but seemingly non-committal

I couldn't blame the sky
November pulled away each rain drop at a price
There was only the Wind - cold
biting my fingers
numbing my toes
slapping my face raw

It snatched away leaves,
old leaves,
golden and crispy,
and carried them far from their trees,
dropping them anywhere - no where,
lost forever,
left to die,
crumpled and alone,
or burned anonymously in autumn piles

I went inside
where it was toasty-warm.
Yet my conscience beckoned me towards the window
to see what remained out there:
stark trees standing tall
in the cold
over multicolored earth

The trees had not been betrayed.
It had all happened before, and before
THEY KNEW THAT. but still,
They had a right to be disappointed
In losing again
By looking old

Looking out from inside my window,
Though there was nothing I could do,
I could not help but feel a little guilty.


WE ARE ALL, BUT SAND
© 2004 Jordan Margolis

Packed Tightly or loose Some Chiseled Others round in the middle Faceless - more or less Still, sand (none the less) Alone Together Wherever Before, During...and certainly After Life Steadily seeping falling mounding Until the hourglass is sans sand.

COULD CLOUDS CARE
© 2004 Jordan Margolis

Could clouds care
weather it's night or day?
Would waves wear
Whitecaps if they had a say?

Do deserts dare
reverse their order
of empty spaces
boundbyrockyborders?

Might mountains moan,
WE'RE AFRAID OF HEIGHTS,
or forests groan
about tics and mites?

Can rain complain
it's climatically challenged,
Will wildfires feign
heat exhaustion or damage?

Are animals THAT SURE
without thinking thought,
Are we watching Nature
or are we being watched?


A PRAYER OF THE VICTIMS
© 2004 Jordan Margolis

YOU were PearlHarborized
forgive us for the sin in comparison

YOU were Hellified
forgive us for the sin of angelicating

YOU were Genocide
forgive us for the sin of taking sides

YOU ARE (Wreck)tangled
forgive us for the sin of bemoaning the loss of a skyline

YOU ARE <Penta>gone
forgive us for the sin of believing we're secure

YOU ARE Geometrized
forgive us for the sin of statistician

ashes to ASHES, dust to DUST

There is no closure
When the earth opens

WE are white
Scared white-Gypsum white-Cloud white-Shroud white-
TheGreatWhiteWay white
WE are 1600 Pennyslvania White

YOU ARE LIGHT
Your sprint is on every street corner
Your face is in every mirror

WE Were THERE
WHITE we'll wear
White as PRAYER


FROM HERE TO THERE
© 2004 Jordan Margolis

I used to go
from here to there
without a care
No need for prayer

I used to go
with style and flair
everywhere
Until The Chair

But now I know
my eyes must stare
from here to there

It's just not fair
I took no dare
No risk, no scare

It's only air
ITS ONLY AIR....................................
from here..................................to     there