Ledge

Brown leaves and cool air
Switching to the thicker socks
Blankets on the bed

The almost full moon is seen
Crossing the garden of stars

Beside the hawthorn
Whose first blossoms have opened
Near the empty house

"For Sale" -- a sign of the times
As the sub-prime loans come due

"I wonder," he says
"Why it's difficult to save
And easy to spend?"

Warm rain's falling to the earth
Pooling on the yards and streets

Incense slowly burns,
The subtle smell lingering
At the household shrine

Something has come between them
But they cannot see it yet

When does a day end?
The last rays of the sunset
Give way to the night

Glittering in the clear air
Drifts of snow upon the ground

The profound stillness
Of the unmoving branches
Of the conifer

Perched on a high mountain ledge
An eagle surveys her realm