New and fresh
Young and bright
The greenness of Spring
Tried and true
Comfortable and faded
Her countenance in the mirror
Yet, with each new leaf
Each new flower petal
Youthfulness resurfaces
Along with it, a smile,
New and fresh, after all
A gentle breeze wakes
each tree, one at a time
They slowly stretch and sway
The mature ones, that is,
held steady by deep,
well-established roots
The younger ones, frenetic,
jump and wave like children,
excited to go outside and play
That was yesterday…
Today, all is quiet
Sleeping in after a
loud, stormy night?
Perhaps, like me, it takes
a bit longer for the warm
sunshine to reach their toes
We were so young then.
And now? Young at heart?
Photographs and nametags
temporarily transport us
back in time to the
start of our journeys.
We had no idea
where circumstances
and choices would take us.
Reuniting, we share memories.
But more importantly,
losses, loves, mistakes, and grace.
Seeing each other as individuals.
Connecting with more than just a memory.
So go ahead, reminisce,
just for a moment.
Let the images, old and
new, meld into a sweet
recollection before saying,
Goodbye, it was so good to see you.
My hands are beginning
to remind me of Mom’s-
Her hands remind me
of Grandma’s
Skin grows thinner
Simple bruises turn
unreasonably large and
take longer to heal
But wear and tear is
proof of living life
to its fullest, right?
And our hands serve as
an extension of our hearts
When my fists unclench
Anger is easily released
When my hand lingers,
gently holding yours,
hurts quickly disappear
An excess of love
and kindness
graciously offered
as precious proof
A beautiful paradox-
Strength in weakness
One thing I often want more of
When I realize how much
Has already passed
My appreciation grows
Exponentially
Even for the tiniest sliver
A moment to breathe deep
An uninterrupted hour to read
The opportunity to
Sit
Listen
Laugh
Talk
Cry
With no other intention
Simply being together
In awe of this precious gift
Only now beginning
To understand the irony
The less of it that remains
The more cherished each measure
It’s not for lack of trying
You soak in every
Drop of rain
Bask in each
Ray of sunlight
Stand tall in your
Strongest strong
Timing and balance
In this current season
Are just a bit off
Not that you hold
Any control where
These particular changes
Are concerned-
One thing is certain
Changes will occur
But even when your
Branches sway, bare
In Winter’s breeze
Your beauty will not fade
I see you up ahead
Peeking out from
Around a corner
Wearing a curious smile-
You used to be
Much further away
Another lifetime away
But now my sight
Is surprisingly clear
Considering the distance
My heart has already covered-
Strange, I thought it would take longer to reach you
Even the thought of it
Made me nervous
Not knowing how different
Our reflections would be
Yet, catching a glimpse
Of your curious smile
Around the corner up ahead
Assures me that it will be okay
It’s not the getting older
That bothers me
Yes, I often wish
My body felt less stiff
My joints were less achy
But it’s not the getting older
That bothers me
Aging is a natural progression–
I’m beginning to understand
What bothers me-
It is the time passed
Compared to the probability
Of the time remaining
Life’s great happiness is to be convinced that we are loved. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
Old hurts suddenly
Rear their ugly head
Bringing new
Aches and pains
To the surface-
Fear closely follows
Afraid the fractures
In an already
Fragile armor
Might give way
Leaving behind
A pile of rubble
To sift through-
Then I remember
Strength resides
On the inside
It feels the hurt
But also sees the light
Finding its way
Through the rifts
Into the Hidden
Recesses where
Healing continues
The light shines in the darkness
And the darkness
Has not overcome it.
John 1:5
When the notes
Fall out of tune
Will you still listen?
When my hands
Grow stiff and slow
Will my music still
Make you smile?
When wrong notes
Become noticeable
Will you still ask me to play?
Music played in the past
Not always playable
In the future-
Notes too many
Rhythms too complicated
Tempos too fast-
But what if
I intentionally
Left out a few notes
Simplified rhythms
Relaxed tempos-
As long as the music
Remained centered
In my heart, perhaps
You would not object
To my necessary revisions
Piano Girl 