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A pile of frogs
A dad and his boy
A job to be done—
a bucket deployed
Flip-floppin’, hip-hoppin’
frog-wrangling joy!
A pile of frogs
A dad and his boy

Molly Hogan ©2020

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Crisp-winter stomp,
hound-prancing romp

Snow-freckled trees
worn, rustling leaves

Snout-plowing trail
squirrel-chasing tale

Boot-tramping creak
ear-flapping streak

Glaciers in claws,
popsicle paws

Nosing the door
snooze-ball once more.

—©Buffy Silverman

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Loud morning sounds filter in

orchestrating a wake-up tune

"Let this sun-shining day begin."

Sounds surround as birds croon.

Winter dances its syncopating step,

digging a fast tree-swaying,

blustery, wind-yowling rep.

Spring interjects on this cold-smacking,

winter-dancing, February morn.

Winter, can I please send you packing?

Answer, a brand-new thought is born!

©CV, 2020
https://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2020/02/on-cold-smacking-day.html

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The wave-dancing, endless crashing
water music welcomes me

to the sun-blistering,
crazy-quilted beach.

Where towel-unfurling placement is an art,

and undertow-racing, deep-hole digging children
scream f o r e v e r. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Their voices carried off by ocean breezes,
drowned out by seagull-screeching songs.

Where eager bathers dodge the sea-foamy shore,

and summer-heat's magic becomes a healing balm.

Where strangers share their bits of sand-tinged tapestries,

tip-toeing around with care.

© Janet Clare Fagal

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It’s a foam-splashing, wave-crashing, sea-thrashing day.

It’s a cold-battling, board-straddling, arm-paddling day.

So grab your wet-suit and be on your way.

Hurl in the curl cuz the surf’s up today!

Dianne Moritz - February, 2020

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Rachael Ikins

Spring exhalation,

a sinuous snake flowing in

window-crack, licks lips

tasting air. House sighs.

Tongue caresses found

scents; book-pages,

asphalt, and jump-ropes.

Peepers’ fragile flame,

sound, reedy.

Swamp heats rot’s perfume,

a lip-smacking drool.

Excess.

Ecstasy.

Wake! Wake! Wake!

cardinal sings,

single scarlet notes,

bleed into blue.

© Rachael Z. Ikins

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A wee nose-nudge

in a sleeping ear

earns a grrreeting...

but she's still sleeping!

He tries a paw-prod,

a leg-chew, a collar-chomp--

what will it take

to get her up?

Finally,
she snarl-rolls to her feet,

Stop gnawing on me

while I'm trying to sleep!

He tears down the hall

with her fast on his heels--

playtime has started

with a roar and retreat!

Tabatha Yeatts

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Beneath a sun-peaching sky

mini Marshmallow stroll-patroller

surveys his territory

yippy-yapping at all trespassers

secures dominion over

his home, yard, and grass-kissed sidewalk

© 2020 Mindy Gars Dolandis

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An umbrella-floating,
wind-howling,
color-observing day.

It is a sun-shining,
hawk-squawking,
umbrella-looking day.

Yesterday was a rain-falling,
person-frowning,
cloud-covering day.

Tomorrow will be a book-reading,
computer-typing,
person-silent day.

I want to be a queen-smiling,
sun-shining,
notebook-writing friend.

by Breighlynn, 4th grade
Mrs. Simon's class

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head dipping,

feathers dripping,

wings thrashing,

splish splashing―
Sir Robin

lingers spleasureably long in his bathwater realm―

totally

quenched

and

royally

drenched!

(thoroughly UNRUFFLED―

while his subjects queue on . . .

deferring their cool)

Cory Corrado ©

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Drippity drop,

Makes drippity drips.

The drops go,

Ploppity plop.

Big drops, little drops.

Drippity drip!

Droppity drop!

Ploppity plop!

By Angelique Pacheco © 2020

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Gray clouds cover the color-opening sky
hiding the balloon-rising sun.
Everyone is umbrella-popping sad,
wet from mist-bathing skin
until the baby starts a puddle-splashing dance,
and we all join in.

© Margaret Simon

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A moss-hung bayou

has a coot-spooky feel.

It's a gator-gliding,

limpkin-screaming,

cypress-kneeling deal,

where snakes a-sliding,

raptors hiding

give it squeal appeal.

©2020 B.J. Lee

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Nature and I have an understanding.
She goes about her day—
bees pollen-bobbing for their deliveries
clouds sky-surfing at high tide
roses petal-kissing on the bush I neglected to trim last season
And I pretend to go about mine—
words clinging to the page
like Spanish moss on blossom-ready branches
holding on to hope despite a stiff, chilling breeze.

© 2020 Michelle Heidenrich Barnes. All rights reserved.

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J.G. Annino

Globes-glowing

neon color-showing

done-growing

harvest-knowing

fruit-picking

pulp-squeezing

liquid-dripping

trays-filling

juice-chilling

ice giving-tree

© Jan Godown Annino all rights reserved

* On a daily trek I’m among city suburbs as I stroll. Our lemon is one of the most color-packed (in season) trees of our front yard.

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A strong wind a-howlin’- it’s swirlin’ and growlin’ -
it seems like the wind wants to play

It’s a swing set a-swayin- wind gustin’ and baying’-
hold on to your hat kind of day

It’s a billowy, breezy- and ever so sneezy-
a what’s in my eye sort of day

The tree limbs are flailin’- the wound-wind is wailin’
this flag whippin’ - furlicky day

It’s a toupee’ hair raisin’ - wind lashing- sun blazin’ -
California style red flag wind day

So grab your best kite- but be sure to hold tight-
as the wind may just blow YOU away

Janie Lazo 2019 - all rights reserved

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Rabbit-stirring started early

on Valentine-loving day…

Spring-creeping curled up by

Cottontail-sleepy eyes.

Wake-up-slumbering rabbit

get those whiskers-whisking about.

Leap Year-calling has come

Leap Year-singing has begun–

Shake those big feet-stompers

wake those big feet-leapers,

are you ready with your

feet-parachuting pounce…

© 2020 Michelle Kogan

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Winter weather grip grip gripping

Pigeons peck peck pecking.

Sun shim shim shimmering.

Cardinals flirt flirt flirting.

Icicles crack crack cracking.

Chickadees chat chat chattering.

Snow melt melt melting.

Sparrows chirp chirp chirping.

Winter weather shive shive shivering.

Until ... days get long long longer.

Kathleen Mazurowski 2020 -all rights reserved

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A brown cardboard package
ker-thumps on my porch.

The open door

creates a cascade.

Icicles scatter-shatter.
Squirrel-tail twitches

before tiny toes flee.

Brown birds heckle and hang

on twig-twanging holly branches.

Rabbits munch ice-crusted clover,

small, round eyes fixed. On me.

I give the cold package a shake.

And a tilt. Bump-whump.

My nose doesn’t quite freeze.

Inside, I slit packing tape,

but some part of me

remains outside

as if my soul is part hound

and the universe has shouted

“Squirrel!”

Copyright 2020 Brenda Davis Harsham

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Dreaming cruse sing
looking beyond
windows view
first winter-star-slush Glisson's webbed- footed-welters  screech for crumbs
not welter feet but for wills a free-rolling me
bound rusty fences
free rolling-roads
winding me mountain-summit-high
fielding-dear-prance-dancing out my
home-traveler ride
clod hopper prints of
grisly-growlers
paving bumpy roads ahead  Dreaming cruse sing
looking beyond
windows view
blanked by billions of star-whistlers as they whistle
pining-towers  of quiet
far beyond my windows view
first winter-star-slush Glisson's as I  cruse in my junkyard RV

poem by Jessica Bigi

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Want to see my snow-skipping day?

Here’s the kid-tumbling, angel-making neighbors at play.

A neighbor scurries by with a leash-pulling dog

who’s after a nut-munching squirrel on a log.

The sun-gleaming orb whines. Its shine’s gone awry

to the wind-whipping, cloud-covering sky.

Tis smiling-me on my boot-sliding walk,

for a flake-stinging, winter-dazzling talk.

Linda Baie ©

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On winter walks

on crisp cold mornings

my favorite part

of frozen gravel paths

is finding

rumpled edges

and shallow ditches

where skims of

clouded ice

hang waiting for

my ice-searching

puddle-crunching

foot to

smash crash crinkle crackle crunch through

to the hollow space beneath.

© Rebekah Hoeft February 2020

Image by Rene Schue from Pixabay

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Outside my back door lies heaven,

a snow-dropping,
limb-trembling heaven.

These trees of my heart,

full of nest-building, tail-swishing critters,

tell me seasons and tick-tocky time.

A shade, a shelter, a savior,

my guardian woods stand watch,

brighten my nature-starved soul.

© Sherry Howard

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A tree-sparkling palace

was built overnight.

So armed with my camera

I took in the sight.

Booted and bundled,

snow-crunching my way,

I captured the beauty

God sent me that day.

© Cindy Breedlove

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Snowflakes bumping

gliding, crashing

down in heavy

storm-silence.

Such bough-drooping

bark-mottling

random artistry!

Watch as it leaves lacy

crystal hieroglyphs

everywhere.

© Janice Scully 2020

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Such a feeder-crazy

Finch-fighting day -- frenzied

Squirrel instigated

A wren-skittering fray

I’m just hoping this food

Calms the mood

© Karen Eastlund 2020

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Frenzied flurries are in a mood―

A chickadee tagging, turn black cap into white mood,

A squirrel chasing, cover-the-gray into down of cloud mood,

An air zipping fly-by-kissing, leave no thing unblissed mood . . .

YESSS.

Frenzied flurries are in a mood―

a whimsical

o n e  d e r l a n d

snow-flurrious

mood!

Cory Corrado (2020)©

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The summer sun is on respite

Fall’s blazing leaves have taken flight

Now barren limbs brave icy night

Earth’s color- gods have lost their might

My sun-starved soul’s gray-gloomy plight

By Janie Lazo 2020 all rights reserved

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BACKGROUND IMAGE: "Dictionary" by Mike Licht (Webster's New International Dictionary on the "free" table outside Capitol Hill Books, 657 C Street SE.)