Some days the sun consoles my fears
And lifts the wetness of my tears
Some nights the stars and moon embrace
The sorrow written on my face

 And lay a sheet of silken weave
Upon the pillow where I grieve
When stars have nowhere else to be
Sometimes the sky belongs to me

 Like a virgin whose beauty
Can tease and entice,
So was the arbutus,
Forbidden but nice.

 She trailed her long vines
Emitting her scent
But permission to pick her,
Not given consent.

 Endangered, her species,
Protected by law,
To the plight of this flower,
My sight had a flaw.

 Embracing her beauty,
I held her up close
And drank in her fragrance
That outranked the rose.

 As guilt ran all through me,
for her roots now exposed;
With regret, I now threw her;
This flower disposed.

 I watched as she wilted,
My conscious, it pricked,
I watched her lie dying;
Guilty, the verdict.

 Trailing arbutus,
remembered so well;
No more have I seen her
Or fragrance to smell.

-- Submitted by Gloria Sarasin from Trinity, NC

 The Sun
Bringer of life, majestic deity
Worthy of the praise
Of all humanity.
You inspire and daze
And make us feel free.
Always vigilant
Over your domain
Nursing every plant
Back to life again.
Creating new forms
And brightening our days
After rain and storms
With your magic rays.
Warmer of the earth
And of orbs beyond
Forger of rebirth
In the cosmic pond.
Keeper of creation
Before the world begun.
Deserver of adoration,
Our everlasting Sun.

-- Submitted by A.V. Fenton from Empangeni, South Africa

 Like a torch of fire burning hot,
It sends its' unrelenting rays
Upon the crackled dried up earth.

 The crops all cry out for they thirst
And bow their heads as if in prayer
For just one cloud to release its' tears.

 The rivers lie silent without flow,
No splash against the rocks is heard;
Just the crackling of the clay.

 Each flower stands with bowed down head
While leaves enclose as if to hold
The precious drops of morning dew.

 Fires angry run amuck
As if revenge was what they sought
For the one who raised their ire.

 What cries of mercy must ring out
Before Mother Nature sheds her tears,
Giving drink to an earth that thirsts.

 -- Submitted by Gloria Sarasin from Trinity, NC

-- Submitted by LindaAnn GiffenOdgaard from Vernon, BC, Canada

 Its tranquil still and halcyon calm
Reflecting rays of blinding sun

 The fish disport in waters clear
Their rainbow hues delight us sheer

 The corals too their forms display
Fantastic shapes and colours gay

 Then clouds foreboding dense and gray
They shroud the earth from the light of day

 Its hush before the raging storm
Thence blows the gale in furious form

 The ripples turn to boiling sea
The waves surge high and creatures flee

 They foam and froth they groan and growl
Their tantrums show in ways most foul

 They smash and bash the cliff in vain
The rocks stand stiff with full disdain

 The resonance of crashing waves we hear
The sprays are like the sparks of fire

 The waters wild is a stunning sight
When calm and clear evokes delight

-- Submitted by Emile Cheng from Singapore

I like it
The usual sign of spring
Bird with fantail flicking upward
Flycatcher bird on schedule.

 Mosquito King
Coming back for the summer
Your home is my home
Noticed four in the nest while I'm barbecuing.

 I notice
You're working nights and weekends
No sunflower seeds desired
Only bugs accepted- super flycatcher!

 Beautiful bird
With pale eye rings and threatened brethren
You are welcome back
Whenever.

  -- Submitted by David Soriano from Bradford, PA

The night sky is as beautiful
As beautiful as when
The sun peaks from the hills;
The waves rolling down the beach;
The prairie with the tumbling fields;
With the stars shining and dancing
Dazzling the dark sky
The moon comes out
And says hello
Making everyone smile with joy

 Wonderful things
In the night sky
As you keep your eyes
Up high
You wonder
What is the universe?
The world?
This life?
And just maybe, you could see the answers
There, in the night sky

 -- Submitted by Mayumi Samarakoon from Toronto, Canada