Shelter

The year’s second day—

in a castoff running shoe

a mouse takes shelter.

Crèche

Christmas Day blizzard—

a homeless man finds shelter

in the church’s crèche.

The homeless shelter—

an old vet digs through the bins

for a blue sweater.

Blackbird on the wing,

seeking shelter for the night,

will your flight be long?

frigid afternoon—

even the brown pelicans

shelter from the wind

purple umbrella—

sheltering under its arch

from the winter rain

tornado shelter—

emerging after the storm

to find flattened wheat