Author: martin gottlieb cohen

salt marsh
sunlight flecks the egret

night traffic
the smell of seaweed wafts
above the pier

day moon
the night stays in the lake

lake crossing
dusk lingers in the ice

wet snow
a crow follows
the road

dawn—
the bow rises
with the dolphin

late autumn frost
the bench gathers moonlight

wall calendar
O’Keeffe’s moonflower droops
out of the page

November rain
buzzards drip from the water tower

October night
dead leaves rush towards me

autumn chill
the earth’s shadow moves
up the chimney

autumn night
the smell of summer in a broken twig

Trinity Churchyard
worms in the flesh of a crabapple

night tide
the attic in its mirror

mountain lake
the night air fills the loon’s call

diving Grebe
the glint floats on the water

night sky
a swimmer passes
under the bridge

sidewalk shadows
the bee between sunlight and the daisy

shimmering grass
the silhouette of an egret

cricket’s song
the smell of magnolias
in the night sky

wetland shore
the maple ripples
with the sky

Earthrise
the gold visor reflects
Orion

tossed stone
the pond’s sound skips
through the trees

moonlit floor
the scent of sumac wafts
through the shadows

river sunlight
the smell of tugboats
and blossoms

marsh lightning
the tree’s blossoms open
into egrets

kitchen floor
the nightlight reddens
the mouse’s ears

snow brighter than the day moon between the caribou

breaking wave
winter sunlight curls
into itself

silence
snowflakes melt on the window

wetland chill
a patch of ripples disappears

Monument Valley
The long shadow of the prairie dog

desert lightning
the rattlesnake between the rocks

marsh wren’s cry
the sun ripples onto the mud

morning traffic
the sun reflects
off the wildflowers

spring puddle
the maple leaf ripples
in the sunlight

the mountain top dimples under the strider’s leg

morning sunlight
the sound of rain on the marsh

the red horizon in puddles
darkened street

moonless night–
the smell of the pond
in the bull frog’s cry

spring thaw
the crow pecks at its shadow

closed snow street
sunlight stops at the house windows

snow-viewing
the raven tumbles
down the hill

afternoon class
a corner darkens
near the sunlight

leaping salmon
sunlight falls to the rocks

autumn night
my breath passes through the porch screen

morning haze
mosquitoes rise from the lake

wildflowers
the sun rises on a thousand droplets

scale cloud
sunlight deepens the stone Buddha

Marathon
a full moon in every puddle

mist
the heron balanced on its reflection

sea breeze
the light green of a plum blossom

cold spring night
a line of distant fires
above the dune

cloudburst
flecks of sun on a thorn bush

winter surf
seagrass bristle on the dune

tree ice
sunlight inches down the bedroom chair

autumn rain . . .
a leaf has curled
into its shadow

clouded night
faint stars surface in the bow wave

leaf
mites and a grasshopper step on each other

an old house
near the cemetery
wild flowers

playground
after the rain–
the sound of traffic

sunlight
a sparrow crosses the river
to Brooklyn

a curled ant
on microfiche ~
tiny words

old photo
my father as a child
looks past me

new snow
my footprints fill
with shadows

sunset–
the beach fence darkens
near the moon

winter surf
a dog smells distant places
on other dogs

new year’s eve-
the party’s noisemakers
in the rest room

winter the shadows of a crow on a tree

naval station
the clanging of rope
on the pole

Brooklyn Navy Yard
the sounds from a playground
across the river

water strider
on a trembling moon-
distant voices

tower-
the spread of hawk’s wings
in the sun

methane breeze
rising from the dump
wild blue bells

snow storm —
the spray covering
the jetty

a spider’s thread
between the eave and door —
morning sunlight

dusk —
the light goes out
with the tide

new year’s eve-
black ice and wood smoke
near the bus stop

fifty buzzards
off the water tower
winter trees

fall sunrise
the shadows of leaves
follow the wind

Pine Barrens
a blackbird chasing
its shadow

black clouds
water falling
through rocks

the Loch Ness
a patch of sunlight
deepens it

spray
from a sea wall
rainbow

paper prayer-
the resting legs of a fly
on its proboscis

summer sun-
the honking of snow geese
on the tundra

wire fence
the smell of coal dust
from the barge

spring afternoon
the sound of gears and sails
from the windmill

coney island light
a kewpie doll in the sand
just before sunrise

ferris wheel
it rolls to the edge
of the night

daisy–
its flower opens
to the sun

lighthouse
in the sea breeze
faint stars

ferry steamer
a token in the mouth
of the river

icicle
dripping from the eave
to the sill

artic wind
along the blue ice
snow eddies

winternoon
red buildings brighten
the sidewalk

casino
its light fades away
in the dawn

the wood smoke
rises unnoticed
winter light