Tell Someone

On By Piano girl11 Comments

A tightening in the
center of my chest
A knot in my gut
Breathe
A few moments of relief
And then with no warning
A tightening in the
center of my chest
A knot in my gut-
Add in a little race
between my pulse
and my thoughts-
Breathe deeper
Take a drink of water
Tell someone how I’m feeling
The cycle may continue
a little longer
but I’m no longer
circling it alone

I often speak of writing as a type of therapy. I’m able to get feelings on paper without speaking the words.

I have not written about anxiety and depression in a while. But today was tough. Anxiety was knocking down the door.

If you happen to also be there, you are not alone.

Much love,

Kelley

Simply Sunday

On By Piano girlLeave a comment
Photos from friends, family, and a few of my own. 💙🧡❤️

Graceful arms propel her forward
Legs gently float behind
Feet periodically kick-
Not forceful, only enough
to maintain momentum

Where is she heading?

Storm clouds line the horizon
She’s passed through them before
Impossible to avoid-
And time, impossible to control

The bright sun warms her face
Grace holds her heart
Mercy lifts her soul
Momentum is maintained

Perhaps the question is not
where she is headed
but instead, how she
sustains a spirit of peace

Saying Thank You

On By Piano girl3 Comments


A gaggle of geese
flying overhead in
perfect formation

A formation of clouds
branching out across
the sky at sunrise

The branches of a tree
securely holding leaves
until their time to fall

Your hand holding mine
filling the empty spaces
between my fingers

Images comparable
in angle and purpose-
open and strong

Unexpected gifts
healing my heart
with their presence

Quiet Calling

On By Piano girl2 Comments

Faint lines evenly divided
the morning mist
reminding me of the lines
on staff paper, waiting
for the composer’s
song to dot its
blank lines and spaces-
Or the lines in my journal
waiting for words to
fill its blank pages

A composition of melody
and harmony working
through dissonance-
A story of life and love
acknowledging the roles
of grief and loss

I’ve never considered
any possible purpose
for the morning mist
except blurring vision
and slowing travel

Perhaps today, it was
waiting for me, curious
what I would place on
its lines and in its spaces

Whether I will allow dissonance
to permeate my day, or
be peacefully resolved
in the ebb and flow
of another day

Simply Sunday

On By Piano girl3 Comments

I sit quietly, mesmerized
by the path of a morning breeze
travelling from the peak
of a tall oak, downward
until each branch, each leaf
engaged in childlike song.

The entire tree danced, as if
calling me to join in
until the breeze moved on
to the loblolly across the fence.

I watch as the breeze
continues conducting.
Whole sections of the loblolly
swaying and swirling in grand gestures
like a gentle giant preparing
to pick a tiny flower.

The same breeze spoke
through both trees.
Responses varied due to
their individual states of being.
Results proved equally persuasive.

Songs my soul needed to hear.
Lessons my heart aches to understand.

Fingerprints

On By Piano girl3 Comments

From our very first reach,
we leave lasting imprints
Tiny fingers, tiny toes
unaware of the enduring
impact engraved on
all who hold us close

Choice eventually becomes
part of the equation-
Deciding if what we leave behind
is positive, helpful, encouraging,
or cynical, hurtful, disheartening

Each imprint is personal
an identifying set of
lines and ridges
creating a pattern-
Sacred responsibility
held in every touch

I saw such a fingerprint
in the afternoon clouds-
Lines and ridges
creating a pattern
belonging to the one
who holds the sky

Simply Sunday

On By Piano girl6 Comments

Pulseline

Sometimes, relief for
anxious hearts is held
in surprising places

Have you ever sat
in a chair beside
the hospital bed of
someone you love?

The steady beep
of a heart monitor
mapping the tempo
of each precious breath

The gentle curves
of a stable pulse line
repeated over and over
reporting all is well

Peace surfaces alongside fear

I have experienced
this peace at other
times, in other places

A morning row of clouds,
their gentle undulation
performing a steady beat
underneath the warmth
of a brilliant sunrise

A skyline of treetops
grown together through
storms, their silhouette
a uniform motif of peace
painted across the horizon

Sometimes, relief for
anxious hearts is held
in surprising places

Peace surfaces alongside fear

Birds

On By Piano girl5 Comments

I picture them perched
along electric wires
carefully watching
as we pass by.

I wonder what they think of us?
Are their conversations more
logical than ours? Friendlier?
They sing such sweet melodies.

Yes, they also squawk
and screech, but for a
purpose-imminent danger
or a particular need.

I can hear them now
calling each other
back and forth across
the yard, tree to tree.

Hey there! Will you fly over for a visit?

Sure! Let me finish feeding the babies.

I gathered some extra twigs to bring you!

Thank you! See you soon!

Perhaps we could learn
from the birds if we
intentionally listen
and quietly observe.

Perhaps we could learn
from each other
the exact same way…

Mourning doves 🤍🩶

Belongings

On By Piano girl3 Comments

A silver shopping cart
sits in the middle
of an empty
parking lot

They must have missed it
during the big clean-up

Someone’s every
single earthly
belonging lay
still inside

There was no someone.

I imagine it will
be gone tomorrow
Another attempt to
solve a problem
by covering it up

But the question
remains the same

Where did the people go?

Third poem in an unintended trio. Read the others here:

https://pianogirlthoughts.com/2025/09/10/eerily-clean/

https://pianogirlthoughts.com/2025/09/19/plain-sight/

Simply Sunday

On By Piano girl3 Comments

She searched, frantically
pacing back and forth
calling out his name

How had she lost track of her baby?

He was tiny, smaller
than all the other lambs
And now he was lost
Hopes of finding him
quickly dwindling

A sudden hush fell
over the anxious flock
as the young shepherd
slowly made his way
along the path

The little lost lamb
peacefully laid
across his arm – safe

Overcome with relief,
unable to speak, she
gently leaned into the shepherd

It’s okay. I found him
You must know I would never leave him behind

Yes, she knew, but somehow, had forgotten

Crystal Bridges Museum, Bentonville, AR