joy

driving over the viaduct
i offer the traditional
two-finger wave
to the birds
gathering for their morning coffee
squinting into the sun
that glistens
on their blue-black feathers

they seem so happy

my cats
vie for the bowl
of tuna juice
playfully nudging each other
out of the way
to taste the elixir of the gods

or

they flop down
in the sunlight
in pure bliss
while another
grooms them
licking, purring
nuzzling
as if making love

no pretense
no expectations
just pure grace

oblivious cows in the field
have a snack
of cornstalks
already harvested
or run after a calf
who's discovered, it seems,
that the world
is big and beautiful
safe and trustworthy
simply delicious

my friend and i
meet for a drink
and all others don't exist
we tell
we remember
we laugh like kids
sometimes we cry

and it's all good

 we trust
each other
to guard our secrets
and tenderly hold our hearts

to mirror back to each other
our own beauty
that we often cannot see

it is sanctuary
it is life
it is holy

it is
pure joy.