I will stand, nervous,
delivering some haiku
and trying to breathe.

Reading the epics
mortal heroes and the gods
their loves and friendships.

(just finished the first book of the Walton Mabinogian!)

This morning I went out to get the mail and there seemed to be a wonderful, life-affirming, beneficent glow or shimmer around the mailbox.

“what can it be?” I wondered as I opened the metal door.

It was my 2012 NaNoWriMo Shirt inside a nice USPS envelope packed with good karma and cheer! Thanks guys!

One cat is purring
As I read haiku aloud
One hides by my knees.

My nose twitched tonight
As I came up road home
Someone spooked a skunk?

There’s no other smell
quite like the smell of a skunk
be it squashed or spooked.

On the soft shoulder
rests a skunk not very skilled
in crossing the road.

Next door’s dog perhaps
may be outside a few nights
since meeting a skunk.

you could have:

Almondolla Electrica

or

Coussin Chauffant

or

you could have a plain ol’ heating pad. Your choice.