Tag: family

The Life of Leaves

On By Piano girl5 Comments

This year carried
An increased awareness
Concerning the
Life of leaves
Usually, there’s
An excitement
With the appearance
Of new buds
A sweet sigh of relief
A sure sign of
Surviving the cold-
And, of course,
There is always
Oohing and Awing
Over their magical
Color changes in Fall-
But this year…
This year, it was
The bright green
Of newly opened leaves
That filled me with
Joy and hope-
Just like the smile
In my granddaughter’s eyes

Another poem from the writing circle. Thank you, Ali ❤️ https://flashlightbatteries.blog/

Simply Sunday

On By Piano girl10 Comments 
Miles in front
Miles behind
Yet, it feels like
I'm standing still
Stuck in a loop
Remembering the past
Looking toward the future-
Past and future
Each holds 
An importance 
Of its own
One influences the other 
The other reflects the one
Perhaps the secret
Lies in the stillness
Of a single breath
When they are
Momentarily the same

I drove from Tulsa to Dallas yesterday. Our nine-month-old granddaughter is in the hospital with pneumonia. I checked the remaining miles on my map at least one hundred times.

Even when I knew I’d traveled a distance, it felt like I would never arrive. Those last ten miles were the slowest. 

But I made it. Held my sleeping granddaughter. Sat still, watched and listened to her breathe. Silently breathed a prayer.
Happy to report our sweet girl is getting better. ❤️

I Remember…

On By Piano girlLeave a comment 
Watching you hold her
I remember 
Holding you
No thought of
How I would feel
From this vantage
No thought of
The excitement born
From watching you 
Know the joy and laughter 
The lessons and messes -
Watching you hold her
Worried because she is sick
I remember 
Holding you the same
Praying away the struggles 
All the while knowing
They are part of our world
But only a part
One superseded by the joy
Found in the memory
Of holding you
While watching you hold her

Cotton Candy Pink

On By Piano girl4 Comments

Your sweet
Sunshine
Giggles
Your bright
Cotton candy
Pink swing
Dad and Papa
Standing near
One in front
One behind
One pushing
One catching
Flying only high enough
To reveal surprise
In your sky-blue eyes-
Simplest moments
Soul-reaching joy

This girl! Even when she doesn’t feel 100 percent, she still has a smile. And I think she likes her swing. 😉💖

Captured

On By Piano girl12 Comments 
Words are playing
Hide-and-go-seek
With my thoughts
These days-
Right as I'm about
To capture one
It disappears
Behind an image
Or a memory
Before bringing
Another word
To the forefront
But only for a second
Continuing this game
Of trying to remember
All the things I hope
To never forget-
My brain says
There are too many
But my heart
Has trouble accepting-
Perhaps today
Is for finding 
Only a few
As I sit quietly 
Next to you




Simply Sunday

On By Piano girl5 Comments

Quiet, Not Empty

The house is quiet
I’ve felt versions
Of this quiet before-
A missing laughter
From the next room
Absent sounds of one
Coming and going
Or the rattling of a
Bucket of Legos-
Yes, it is quiet
But it is not empty
The space holds
Memories from
All that occurred
Along this path
Of parenthood
Love and laughter
Heartache and tears
So much hope and joy
Perhaps more than
These walls are
Able to bear
But that’s ok
My heart is more than willing
To share in the holding

Twenty-Nine

On By Piano girl5 Comments

Take a breath
It isn’t complicated
At least, it shouldn’t be
Most of the time
It happens with
Little thought
Until a thought
Becomes thoughts
And thoughts turn
Into questions
And suddenly
I’m seeking answers
For how to react
To the latest change
Then change
Turns into changes
And soon, there are
More than I can count-
Well, maybe
I’m exaggerating
Just a smidge
Concerning the number
Of changes, just not
The significance-

A house with no kids
For the first time
In twenty-nine years

How does one prepare?

Yes, I know-
Thank you
It isn’t complicated
Take a breath

Once again, I am grateful for the poetry circle. Listening, writing, sharing, connecting. ❤️

Simply Sunday on a Tuesday?

On By Piano girl11 Comments

I wrote the following poem in a recent poetry circle with Ali Grimshaw. https://flashlightbatteries.blog/ I had planned to share it on Sunday, but a not-so-fun bug made its way through our house and left me zapped. So, Tuesday it is! 😉

Best Baby Life

Your world is growing
So quickly, I can barely keep up
Sweet sleep became
First smiles became
Babbles and the beginnings of words-
Simply sitting on the floor
Watching as you explore
Affords a new kind of joy-
Goodbyes are difficult
They make me sad
Afraid I’m placing
Too much pressure on you
Until I realize you are
Living your best baby life
Reaching, learning, growing
And I am part of your journey
Just as you are part of mine

Simply Sunday

On By Piano girl11 Comments

When we know what our children want from life, we want those things for them. Whether it is finding that first apartment, going to college, getting a job, or finding their life partner.

That last one has its challenges. Finding that one person who gets us. One who loves us for who we are. But when it happens, there’s a profound combination of excitement and calm.

All that being said…

Our daughter, Rachel, got engaged this week! ❤️ Simply seeing the smile on her face (and his) makes me happy. And seeing them together gives me hope for the future.

Welcome to the family, Austen!

Simply Sunday

On By Piano girl7 Comments

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