Red Panda--the cutest animal in the world

I finally got some photos of the rare Red Panda--the zookeepers had to wake her up to put her inside for the night...you can't see in these photos, but there was quite a battle of wills! --And a big bag of treats to get her off her perch. (This is all the same individual, funny how the pictures look so different)
--click on the photos to get a close-up view!

crane

This one is much too exotic to live in my neighborhood...unless it's in the zoo, of course!

the time of listening

whatever bird you are
whose wings whisper
like ships leaving the shore

whatever bird you are
who waits until my heart
is a desert sky

to fly
whose color is the still wind
before it turns away

whose song
is the air darkening

who moves inside me
always
at twilight

whatever bird you are

catskill waterfall

waterfall

the moment that
the night
released my hands
and let me fall

to land
and leap again into the air

was I thinking
that with every breath
I would aim for the sky
again

or with each heartbeat
re-invent
the arc, the bow, the thrust
of motion

was I thinking
that there would be
a next moment, and a next

time passes
still
I stand

falling, again falling

as the night
holds up
my veil of light