Simply Sunday is back! I participated in an author event yesterday, and several friends stopped by. 🩷
It has the power
to convey a lifetime
Transcending years past
Instant recall
of sweet memories
as well as difficult days
Its beauty lives in the eyes
The way they twinkle,
glimmer with tears
A message
Clearly conveyed
I see you, I remember
And sometimes,
that sweet smile
acts as a magnet
Connecting past with
present, offering
hope for the future
Baby clouds dot
the afternoon sky
Reminding me of a
playground full of children
I wonder if the clouds noticed
The parade of geese this morning?
Adults noticed-
I’m certain of that!
Cranky car horns honked,
unintentionally joining
The naturally humorous
noise of such a procession
What if children witnessed the parade?
Would their laughter influence
Reactions powerful enough
to transform the noises of
impatience, anger, and greed
Enticing wearied souls
back to the carefree
wonder of childhood
At least long enough to enjoy
a morning parade of geese
I closely observed them
Groups of two, three, four,
and so on, in a variety of
interesting shapes and sizes
Like families…
Some groups were secluded,
while others gathered close
I smiled, as they seemed
to act out stories
encouraging imagination
And play in childhood
games of hide-and-seek,
chase, and charades
Individuals also
stood on the outskirts,
no apparent family
Once noticed and invited,
They happily joined
the ongoing festivities
They are all part of the same sky
Suddenly, the groups
converged, and a
storm began to brew
Disagreements tossed
like lightning bolts
Grumblings rolled
into thunder claps
Until the rain began to fall-
Cleansing rain, like tears
quietly saying, I’m sorry
Repairing and renewing,
returning to their unique front
with restored compassion
Like the peace following a
thunderstorm, may we allow
our tears to cleanse our hearts
Happy 250th birthday, America! May we return to the strength found in compassion. ❤️🤍💙🕊️
Pink flowers smile as
I leave for work
Birds sing their morning songs
Trees offer a Good Morning
Stately or giggly, depending
on age, mood, and the weather
And then there are
those magnificent clouds
Sometimes they are accents
across the day’s canvas
Other times, they cover
the entire landscape
And me? The traveler
Sometimes weary
Always determined
to notice and wonder
A precise wonder,
thankful to be even the
smallest figure in the
painting that is today
Write a poem that includes the phrase “precise wonder.”
I recognize her song,
though it often changes,
dependent on her journey.
Does she choose her own?
Or does it choose her?
Traversing through
a grove of Aspens, she
sings a melody
gentle and sweet.
Each glistening leaf
adding a note of color.
Coursing over rough rocks
on the shoreline, she
sings a melody bold
and courageous.
Each pulse of the current
increasing her resolve.
Each melody, each path is a journey
of awe and wonder paired with challenges.
Listen. What song does she sing for you today?
I see you perched
at the highest point
on the top of our roof
What do you see from up there?
I feel jealous of your current
position-The broader, all-
encompassing perspective
Does it lighten your load to see
further into the landscape?
Does it reaffirm that there is
light shining in the darkness?
I choose to believe your answer is Yes!
“Where flowers bloom so does hope.”
~ Lady Bird Johnson ~
Heads bowed, a quiet
Thank you! for protection
during the stormy night
Now, rain barely falls.
And they nod, barely aware.
Faces turned toward
the afternoon sun-
Their preference-maybe later
Solemn quiet allows space
for a prayerful song
Growing deep from within
where roots, long forgotten,
began to wake due to the
Slow seeping of evening
rain reaching the underground
A renewed purpose-Holding
strong, so the faces above
remember their origins
Reassurance that they will
again turn their faces to the sun
Knowing from their current
posture, future sunlit faces
will accompany grateful hearts
More and more questions
Many answered before
the realization that
They even lived
What should I wear today?
What do I want for lunch?
What time should we leave?
Questions that serve
to move my feet
through the physical
And then there are
those questions that
cause me to pause
Why do I smile when the trees speak to each other?
Why does the smell of sawdust remind me of Dad?
How is it a terrible storm leaves behind such peace?
Questions that simultaneously
freeze and thaw my heart
As I consider the answers
Answers that will undoubtedly
change with age and experience
As long as I continue to ask
The progression is slow
A snail trailing from one
side of the sidewalk
to the other
A caterpillar inching
from stem to leaf
Ready to face its
final transformation
A curious smile
growing with the
increasing warmth
of the sunshine
The whole sky
shining clear
and blue
and wide
The unease from
yesterday and the
day before and the
day before that…hushed
Layering itself within the everyday,
grief flows between memory and
emotion through eyes, ears, heart-
Leaving me with new reasons to miss you.
Johnny Cash spinning on your
granddaughter’s turntable.
We listened to Johnny Cash
on a long drive in my car.
Your grandson wearing
one of your straw hats.
I found a picture of you
wearing said hat, smiling.
My sweet granddaughter
and her blue sky eyes.
You would have been
so excited to meet her.
Your voice in my head, fading.
How’s my little girl?
Grief flows between memory and emotion through eyes, ears, heart-
Leaving me grateful, yet
wishing you were still here.
Mom and I had a recent conversation about how we sometimes struggle to talk about the ones we miss. I get it. There’s a fear of causing tears, sadness, and increasing grief. But I’m finding that talking about my dad, remembering good times, brings peace. Yes, it may also bring tears, but tears have the power to restore. ❤️
