Internal eye rolls
Awkward silences
Short-lived
Moments
Remaining
In Memories
Holding
Potential
For regrets
That is, until…
I find myself
On the other side
And any possible
Regret instantly
Transforms into
Appreciation
Understanding-
Now, the parent
Then, the child
Now, the one
Wide Awake
Late at night
Praying
As each name
Each face
Each concern
Crosses my heart
The one hoping
To offer reassurance
Simply Sunday
Changing Colors
Yesterday fades
Into the light
Of tomorrow
Hellos and
Goodbyes
Echoing
All along its
Colorful trek
Remembering
Without
Looking back
There is little
Room for
Looking back
Only for living
Within each
Change of color
Quietly guiding
Measure by measure-
Yesterday fades
Into the light
Of tomorrow
Greeted
By today-
Time spent with Miss Emi reminds me of the importance of being present. Taking it all in. Not simply for remembering but as part of living. This weekend was filled with baby noises, eating, playing, napping, and lots of family! Oh, and just a tiny bit of shopping. 😉
I am grateful. I am also beginning to understand why my mom always said the house was too quiet after one of our visits with our kiddos. ❤️
Page One
A Heart-shaped
Opening
Graced the sky
Caught my eye
Made me smile
Strata of color
And light
Spun behind
As it shifted
Gently
With the wind
Visible for only
A moment
Yet, stamped
The Imprint
Of a soul
On the story
Of the day
Page one
Wednesday
Morning
Wrap Me Up
One may
Cause me
To cry
Another
To laugh
Maybe both
At the same time
But I cannot
Travel
Back in time or
Remain endlessly
Engrossed
In a single
Snapshot
Even when it
Has the power
To wrap me up
In a cocoon
Turning my heart
Inside out
As it mixes
The broken
With the upheld
Before releasing
Simply Sunday
This time
It snuck in
With a dream
One of those
Chaotic
Makes-no-sense
Dreams
Ending suddenly
In a moment
Of clarity-
A familiar photo
From the past
One I have seen
Many times-
And I woke up
Remembering
How much I miss you
After a great first week at my new job, I wasn’t expecting a visit from grief. But that’s how it goes. My capacity to hold this grief will continue to grow. That acceptance that death is part of life. It does not make me miss my dad any less. But it does allow me to both cry and smile over sweet memories. ❤️
Over My Shoulder
Brushstrokes
Warm oranges
Soft pinks
Painting me
Into the day
Not pushing
Encouraging
With a graceful
Good Morning
No hint of
Hurry Up or
You’re late
One glance
Over my shoulder
Yes, still there
And though
Colors may fade
Their message is clear-
Today rolls out
In front of you
Dip your toes
Into each tint
Watch as the
Canvas
Changes
With each ripple
October!
I am excited to announce the upcoming release of my second poetry collection! Grateful to River Dixon of Potter’s Grove Press and https://thestoriesinbetween.com/. He is a pleasure to work with, and I appreciate his encouragement and professionalism. Also, a big thank you to my son, Ryan, for the beautiful cover art.
Hope you will check it out! 💜
No Longer Kids
We grew up together. Cousins, a curious mix of family and friends. If I’ve ever talked to you about cousins, you know I have twenty-five first cousins on my mom’s side of the family! I love sharing that fact.
This group was enveloping. Some older, some younger, and some the same age. We played hard and fought sometimes. Learned how to hold babies when a new cousin came along. The older ones served as built-in babysitters.
Now, we’re all grown up. We each took our own path. Don’t see each other often, maybe at a funeral or a rare holiday visit. But when one is sick, as is currently the case, or facing challenges, there is a flood of memories and emotions.
In those moments, I picture us as kids again. Running and playing with no thoughts of accidents, cancer, or death. But reality snaps me back with one look in the mirror. The truth is unavoidable. We are no longer kids.
That truth mixes with our history, leaving me grateful that we grew up together. Leaving me wanting to say, I love you.
Simply Sunday
Sometimes an
Easy decision
Is difficult
To make-
Kind words
Well wishes
Sweet treats
Sending me
On my way to
New adventures
Goodbye
See you later
Bear Hugs
Tugging at my
Heartstrings
I’ve been here before–
Acknowledging
Each decision made
Affects more than
Just the decision-maker
On Monday, I am starting a new job! The work is different (more on that later,) but the place is familiar. Union Public Schools has been part of our family for twenty years. I am excited to be returning, although not as a teacher. In some ways, it feels like going home.
Saying goodbye to my current co-worker friends was bittersweet. I will miss them. ❤️
Traffic Humor
Yesterday, I saw
A red toaster
Flying
Down the road
Weaving
In and out
Of traffic
Passing by
All the other
Traveling
Appliances
On their way to
Who knows where…
Perhaps there was
A toast emergency
A loaf of sourdough
In need of
A red toaster
To ensure proper
Toasting
A golden brown
Layer of Goodness
Evenly covering
Each slice-
I can’t think of
Any other reason
A red toaster
Would be flying
Down the road, can you?
Piano Girl 