Karen Fullett-Christensen's poetry

Rock at the River's Edge

The current: smooth flotilla of cottony fluff

snowy egret fishing on the distant shore

silent, still

water's surface broken into pinprick flashes

crickets chatter

birds skitter across the pebbled mud

concentric circles reveal the place where minnows swim

ripples mark the presence of the gentle wind

upended trees

sheltering

all the secret partnerships

dance in wondrous symmetry

Kitchen Window

My kitchen window opens out unto the sky

and trees

brilliant pink that fades away to winter white

quite bare, revealed

How far I've traveled for a glimpse

of ancient landscapes

whispered rumors, hidden tales

questioning what they conceal

Only to discover

that the birds who battle squirrels

with voice and wing

know all the secrets

of the world.

Aurora: Home for Your Dreams

Aurora beckoned ...

a job, a romance, a chance to start over

like many who came from other places

I found a dream here

A city of contrasts:

Those whose families count generations,

who long for the past;

those who paved paths for the lost and forgotten,

forging a future

Those with energy, passion, art

those with backs and shoulders to carry —

building machinery, monuments, parks

spaces to gather in pleasure and sadness

the work of community

Choose your desire:

the flash of fireworks,

sweet flowing river,

wide open hearts:

home for your dreams.