All it takes
Is one early
Spring shower
And bright
Green smiles
Suddenly appear
Around every corner
The color is so vibrant
So fresh and new
It causes me
To question
Whether or not
It is genuine-
Then, a quiet breeze
Happens to pass
And baby leaves
Begin to wave
Their friendly wave
The smiles growing
Instantly wider
-Theirs and mine-
And I am gently
Reminded to embrace
Each new season
With hope and faith
Oh, and maybe a smile
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
A patch of light
Lingered sweetly
On the grass
Today, some warmth
Tomorrow, a little rain
The surrounding area
Remained shaded
The warmth’s origin
Remained hidden-
Surely not
On purpose-
Oh no, I’m near
The Pines are
Easing my rising-
Giving light and warmth
All day is hard work-
And to be effective
Must be shared
At the right time
When most needed-
At the right time
For optimal curiosity
In the morning mist
Rising from the ground
I can feel it
As sunlight clears
A green-grass path
It’s there
At midday bright
It hides behind
My squinting eyes
When day ends
And light fades
It graces the night sky
Can you feel it?
Do you see it?
Will you embrace it?
Particles may be small,
But the capacity for Wonder
Proves endless
I decided to look back a year and see what I posted. Decided to share it again today with a new pic. I love the flowers of Spring and the hope that accompanies them. 💛🌼
One lonely
Bloom
Fighting
To stand up
Underneath
The weight
Of recent winds
And rain
A tiny speck
In the vastness
Of this world
Has anyone noticed?
Bent so low
Only able to
See my shadow
On the ground
As the sun
Shines above
Hey! Over here!
Bend your ear
My way
It seems you have
Grown weak under
The pressures of
Life in this garden
Don’t lose hope
Rest, recharge
Together
Our roots will
Grow stronger
And you will
Once again
Stand up tall
Your face
Soaking up
The sun’s rays
You are stronger
Than you know
Holding it together
When you feel
Like falling apart
Not that tears
Are a sign
Of weakness
Not at all
But sometimes
True strength
Is shown in
A moment of
Thankfulness
Realizing the storm
Has calmed and
Tears of relief
Can freely flow
Sometimes, we don’t realize our strength until the need for it lessens. Our family has experienced that truth this week with our sweet Emi. It was hard to see her so sick. Especially hard for her precious parents.
We are relieved that she is home from the hospital. We are thankful she is eating, crawling, laughing, and playing. ❤️
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.
I watched
And listened
Curious
As they fell
Both individually
And collectively
Creating patterns
For eyes and ears
To interpret
And hearts
To contemplate
Providing
Sweet relief
For scorched
Nooks and corners
Aching for relief
Grateful recipients
Ready to flourish
Alongside
Spring flowers
Sharing space
In the day’s landscape-
I don’t think I’ve ever seen
Such pretty raindrops!
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
Morning drives
Typically, uneventful
Leave at a certain time
To arrive at a certain time
The same certain time every day-
Despite the routine
Most days my heart hopes
For the unexpected
And when it appears
It is always in the same spot
How does that still count as unexpected?
Grazing quietly
In the field
Looking up quizzically
As I drive by
Or hopping through the grass
Showing off fluffy white tails
Any number of soft brown deer
Passing on a surprised smile
An audible gasp
Pure unexpected joy
Another poem from a recent poetry circle. ❤️
Piano Girl 