Gerunds and Participles Past and Present

living is easy

gathering is hard

discarding is forever

mid-morning and

i am daydreaming

after sleeping

my dogs

are napping nearby

after eating

after running

after chasing

night's rabbits

dashing through

the gardens

the rabbits

have been

feeding

ravishing

the foliage

of the newly

rising

flowers

despite

the chewing

columbines

are laughing

in their failing

holding up

what’s blooming

the unfolding

petals seem

to be saying

tomorrow

not today

is for wilting

sun is rising

world is spinning

two bluebirds

are chirping

for a moment

on a green bough

resting

my thoughts have

once again

begun their drifting

wings are opening

wings are lifting

flying off

i wonder

where the birds

are going

i am watching

while i'm

planting

what i've

seen before

digging holes

in clay soil

which is

unforgiving

the birds are singing

on the tree

where they are landing

for a final time

watching me and waiting

their song

is filling

the clear distance

between us

a floating wisp

of cloud is passing

overhead

changing the

perspective

before they’re gone

the birds are whispering

like the wind about

the whys of their leaving

about the learning

of their names