The warmest of oranges
Disappears into the deepest,
Darkest of Blues –
Perfect backdrop
For a display of
Silhouetted trees-
Their true colors
Temporarily invisible
Yet, they stand tall
As details of their searching
Rewards from their reaching
Are etched into this brief
Window of time-
A reminder that each day
Will come to an end
But on the best of days,
A lingering gratitude
Like glowing coals
From a dying campfire
Holds enough affection
To warm my hands
Leave me with rosy cheeks
All the while, melting my heart
Tag: hope
Neighbors
At first glance
I saw a man
Back slumped, head down
Weathering the storms
In this life-
Not giving up
But, oh, so tired-
If only I could see his face
Faces often tell our stories
Our eyes allowing
An elusive glimpse into the soul-
But his back was turned
And I passed by too quickly
For any other possibilities-
One more glance
In my periphery-
Oh, it was not a man
It was an old piece of wood
Worn down from
A different set of storms-
No longer holding branches
That held leaves
No longer able
To reach toward the sun-
It was not a man
But it easily could have been
Back slumped, head down
Not giving up
But, oh, so tired-
Still able to reach
Toward the sun
With a little help
And encouragement
After sharing an elusive glimpse
With a neighbor-one soul into another
Hoping
The entire day
Looked like night
A continuous moment of gray
From the end of a sad day
Stuck in a time warp
Confusing the senses
Of all who took the time
To look out the window –
A confusion so deep
Once the light appeared
It was almost unrecognizable –
But lingering shadows were
Unable to push it away-
My squinty eyes smiled
Soaking in the light
Hoping even the memory
Of this brief appearance
Would continue to shine
Throughout the night
And into Tomorrow
What Can I Do?
Gray clouds linger
Matching the heaviness
Hovering over my heart-
As deceptions spread
Anger and sadness
Try to sneak in and
Overtake my emotions-
But worry and fear are not
The way forward-
Returning hate for deception
Will not lift this haze-
Love enveloped in grace
Mercy grown from love
Sentiments that begin to
Calm my anxious thoughts-
The gray clouds will lift
Long before this heaviness
Hovering over my heart
But I must believe it, too,
Will eventually clear-
In the meantime,
What can I do?
Love my neighbor as myself
Winter Wisdom
Each tiny twig
Like a cold hand
Reaches toward the sky-
Too many to count-
Each held in place
With its larger branch
Securely attached to the trunk-
The roots, always unseen
Yet, their presence felt
With every passing storm
Their wisdom entrusted
In this season when youth
Fades with the falling leaves
And lessons emerge
From an intricate design-
A skillfully drawn
Pen and ink against
A blue-pink watercolor sky-
Teaching my outstretched hand
To soak in the warmth of even
The most short-lived
Patch of Sunshine
Remembering my sweet Dad today. Miss him so much. ❤️
Observations
New every morning
Ready and waiting to greet us-
One day, a gracefully
Blended watercolor
The next, child-like
Sponge-painted clouds
On bright blue
Construction paper-
Certain summer afternoons
Perfectly uniform shapes
Stenciled onto an
Azure backdrop-
And on not-so-happy days
A blank gray slate
Hovering in agreement
With the tears below-
Only a few from
An infinite list-
Simple descriptions
Of the sky above-
Once seen, never
To be seen again
Except in memory
If we remember
It is new every morning
Ready and waiting to greet us
Hoping for a greeting in return
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV
Fade to Smile
Twinkling Christmas lights fade
Snowman family on the corner
Waving goodbye. Until next year!
Santa and his sleigh? Long gone
Nativity scenes? Packed away
Beautiful reminders of
Love and innocence
Drawing smiles from even
The grumpiest of Scrooges
Shhh! That’s our little secret
Realizations accompanied
By gray morning skies
And approaching cold
As deer graze in the field
A little while longer
Goodbye, Hello
Leafless, yet not lifeless
Able to feel
The sun’s rays
Warming the core of
Bare, gray branches-
Smiling contently while
Sharing the sun’s warmth
With young evergreens
Standing close behind-
Wisdom gained with
The passing of time
Wisdom intertwined with
Roots buried deep
Wisdom acknowledging
The continuous
Changing of seasons-
One year, waving goodbye
As a new one says hello-
Grateful for the
Warmth of the sun
Reaching the core of
Bare, gray branches-
Understanding the space
Created by fallen leaves
Allowed for the sharing
Auld Lang Syne- Kelley Morris, piano
Mountaintop
Though the incline is great
My steps must remain small-
Looking too far ahead
Will tempt my feet
To move faster
Hindering any chance
Of reaching the summit-
Yes, the mountaintop calls
Its majestic views providing
Inspiration and opportunity
But it is not the place
For putting down roots-
Besides, the powerful effects
Of a higher altitude
Allow only for short visits-
Time enough to gather
Images and lessons
Meant to carry me
Back down into the valley
Where rich soil waits
And love continues to grow
Simply Sunday
The Earth is still
Cold and quiet
Not frozen to the core
Yet, longing to
Soak in and reflect
Any ray of sunlight
Able to reach the surface-
What about my heart?
Is it cold, quiet, frozen?
Or simply longing-
Longing to remember
The love sent long ago-
A precious baby
Held close by His mother
Greeted by cattle and sheep
While angels filled the sky
Piano Girl 