Another Day

The sunrise blushed
A sweet pale pink
Hint of innocence
Not the crimson red
Flush of embarrassment
Strange to think
In the color scheme of things
Those shades are not
Very far apart
But when it comes
To matters of the heart
They are on opposite
Sides of the wheel-
Perhaps that blushing sunrise
Prepared me for
The gray days ahead
Bashfully saying
Don’t forget me
You won’t see me for a bit
But I promise to return
As soon as the foggy mist
Has had its say
And moves on to another day

Ready for a little sunshine here in Oklahoma! 💛

Both Places

I’m getting used to
Not knowing
What to expect
Or how to feel
Choosing
Not to view
This turn of events
In a negative light
That would be
A contradiction,
Would it not?
Light has a way of
Lifting, drawing out
Right as the heart
Begins to cry
Whether the tears
Come from the reality
Of grief’s reminders
Or from the joy
Of new life’s smiles-
Light can live
In both places
Perhaps that lesson
Is teaching me peace
Even in the not knowing

I always look forward to poetry circles with Ali Grimshaw of https://flashlightbatteries.blog/ I wrote the above poem during our most recent circle. Thankful for this space and the precious friends I’ve met. ❤️

Simply Sunday

Good for the Soul

Evenly spaced rows
Of gently waving wheat
Wonderfully wound
Bales of hay
Equally sided cubes
Childhood toys
Labeled with letters,
Numbers and pictures
Ready to be
Neatly stacked
Then knocked over
Only to be
Stacked again-
Little hands reaching
Sleepyhead resting
On my shoulder
Comforting weight
Beneath the rise and fall
Of sweet slumber-
Calm exists within
The routine
On any given day-
Whether passing by
Or sitting in the center

Gray Skies

One carries weight
While another
Carries wonder
The difference
Difficult to spot
Until all that’s been
Held tight is released-
The latter leaves me
Feeling like a child
Watching as each
Intricate
Individually
Designed
Ice crystal
Softens and joins
With the others
Floating gently
To the ground
Covering
Each rooftop
Each blade of grass
Each heavy heart
With a blanket of hope
Encouraging
A curious smile
A whispered prayer
A new beginning

Simply Sunday

I don’t know how
To prepare myself
I’m not sure
It is even possible
Some things are like that
…most things are like that
But this is…different
A certain stopover
On this fresh journey
Known as grief-
So much can change
In the blink of a year
Starting a new job
Becoming a Gigi
Or, in Mom’s case
A Great Grandma
So much remains
The love of family
And missing you

Giggling

A sweeping swath
Of palest pink
Lies below
And above
The blue of
Early morning-
One glance out
Of the window
And I am once again
Five years old
Giggling out loud
At the simple mystery
Of the sunrise
That each morning
Is both changeless
And ever-changing

Colorful Cover

Listening to hear
Not simply respond
Speaking to connect
Not simply inform
Linked by
An unseen thread
Of hopefulness-
It can happen
Sitting together
On the couch
During a phone call from
The next state over
Or a chat from
Across the world-
Each new stitch
Creating
A colorful cover
Of understanding-
Your heart beats
Inside your chest
The same as mine
Carefully carrying
Thoughts worth sewing

Last week I had the opportunity to be interviewed on the podcast, Hello Sunday, hosted by Lokeish Umak. Someone else wanted to talk about poetry and ask me about my writing. Can you imagine? I nervously agreed. It was such a fun experience!

Here is the link in case you’d like to listen. ❤️ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hello-sunday-with-lokeish-umak/id1506356343?i=1000640801504 It is also available on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/0VrTdke71Tgp4fADpvCo8u?si=raRHAwKETB-4fjwGbYuQGw

Simply Sunday

Our Voices

Strange to think
My voice sounds
Different to your ears
Than to mine-
An awareness
Only realized
When recorded
And played back-
Like listening
To a stranger
Nothing at all
Like the voice
Inside my head-
Sounds odd to me
But you don’t
Seem to mind-
I guess all that
Truly matters
Is for the voice
Inside my head
To match the one
Inside my heart

Two SistersWritten and read by Kelley Morris

The recorded poem is from my latest collection, Quiet Embers: Poetry of Faith. Available here: https://a.co/d/89QGhz8 💜

Feathery Flock

Gray clouds soared
Across the sky
Like a flock of birds
Their feathery wings
Perfectly spaced
Providing each
An opportunity
For brief rest
While taking in
Blue ocean waves
Rising and falling below-
If not for the airy
Space in between
Those same clouds
May have appeared
The menacing type-
But, oh my!
How working
In Harmony
With the wind
Gave reason for
Imaginations to soar
Right alongside
Like a flock of birds
Their feathery wings
Perfectly spaced

For Old Time’s Sake

A childhood photo
Favorite song
Cherished tradition
Competitive game
Of cousin kickball
Why would we attempt to recreate such things?
Because memories fade
Some we hope
To never forget
Others we wish
We could forget
But time is a teacher
Showing us where
Each puzzle piece belongs
And that our personal picture
Unlike the puzzle in a box
Has no straight edges
Always leaving room
For new connections

Auld Lang SyneKelley Morris, piano

Happy New Year, Friends! ❤️