A person ahead of me
And another behind
Do they see what I see?
Take another look
Yes, it’s still there
spikes following
the curve of its head
ridges lining its back
Not a frightening creature
Quite the opposite
It seems to be smiling
Swimming in the blue
Should I roll down my window?
Shout out for all to hear?
Hey! Look at that!
Would anyone believe me?
Perhaps if I snap a picture
I spent the last few days in Oklahoma City at Writercon https://writercon.com/. What an amazing conference! I will share more about it later. Today, my brain needs a little rest. The following is only a drop in the bucket. 😉
My heart is full
My thoughts crowded
Words are slow to arrive
Meaningful connections
Old, new, renewed-
all held together by a thread
Perhaps a smile
Hand on a shoulder
Or a sweet hug
Each silently waiting
for the next strand
to strengthen the bond
Also, a big thank you to Raw Earth Ink! https://raw-earth-ink.com/
The morning air was damp-
Did I brush my hair
before stepping outside?
The feeling of hurry wasn’t helpful-
funny what makes me frantic
Well, maybe not frantic
but slightly concerned-
A dying phone battery
being away from home
bringing the wrong charger-
Purchase made, crisis averted
Sitting quietly with my
tea and my thoughts
Hopefully my curious smile
reaches past my frazzled
brain and frizzy hair
Enjoying a weekend of being surrounded by fellow writers! Writercon
Learning, relearning, and someone even said unlearning. 🤍🩶
Logic would say today is gray
Tell me to move on
I take a second look, then a third
Subtle color variations appear
Lines of demarcation between
Heaven and Earth seem to ripple
within the rhythm of the wind
I keep looking until a tiny
semblance of light appears
from behind wispy layers
It doesn’t last long
Only a few seconds and a smile
Darkness covers the faded colors
Now, the sky is gray
Rain begins to fall
I smile again, grateful for those
subtle variations gracing
the morning sky-Preparing me
for the slow unfolding of today
A beginning so strange,
so pure and innocent.
A sweet baby
lying on its back
feet up in the air
a perfect button nose
evident in its profile-
A picture that changes
so quickly, it is like
a stretched-out cloud
that holds its shape
only until the next
breeze blows by.
Perhaps it was
a cloud I saw,
and not a baby.
Both are strange,
pure, and innocent.
And if a cloud can remind me
of a precious baby, well,
Therein lies another mystery.
I can say
I miss you
But it doesn’t
Seem like enough
Such a simple thing
I do miss you
I can’t pick
Up the phone
And hear your voice
Or buy you a present
To open for your birthday
More simple things
In the grand scheme
Grief is like that
Rising out of the
Simple things
And today, my heart
Is missing the
Simple things
The reasons
I love you
And miss you
Sometimes my brain
feels overcrowded.
Like, there’s not enough space
for all my thoughts to process.
Then one word emerges
from the muck.
Spaciousness.
My busy thoughts pause-
It does exist.
Spaciousness.
Between the time you were born
and the person you’ve become.
Between the first dark cloud
of a storm and the last drop of rain.
Between each breath I take,
as I slow down to watch
clouds gracefully float past.
Have you ever noticed
how certain clouds
appear so put together?
Smooth and round,
every particle in place.
Gleaming against their
bright, blue background.
Gliding gracefully
through the day.
And then there are the others.
Honestly, I think they
outnumber the first.
Frazzled, edges a little rough.
Looks like they survived
a tornado or hurricane.
Typically draws a second look.
Color is the same, as is
their current backdrop.
Particles are the same, only shifted.
Perhaps they need a
gentle breeze, accompanied
by a genuine smile.
That is, if clouds
respond to smiles.
Last week, I took a walk.
Everyone around me
was running.
In this instance, the results
would be the same.
I suppose that’s what
happens when you get
caught, unprepared,
in a rainstorm.
The thing is, I knew
the rain was approaching.
I knew there was no umbrella
hiding in my backseat.
And still, I chose to
ignore the warning.
Not always a wise choice,
but this time it was warranted.
Last week, I took a walk.
Drenched from head
to toe, I laughed.
My soul felt lighter.
Then the rain stopped.
Gigi, look at the sky!
I always seem to be
looking at the sky.
Had my granddaughter noticed?
Either way, the reminder
brought a fresh curiosity.
What did her eyes see when
looking at the sky?
I knew she noticed airplanes.
I’d watched her eyes
respond to hearing one
even before it flew into view.
Then watched as she
waved, asking it to come back.
Listening, looking, responding-
Is it that effortless? I think so.
Gig, look at the sky!
A flood of wisdom in
the simplest reminder
from the tiniest voice.
Piano Girl 