Constantly interrupted sleep,
a cycle of words and phrases
repeating and evolving
between quiet moments.
When morning came,
the words were gone.
As if they’d never crossed my mind.
Just as I’d put aside
any attempt at recovery,
a beautiful blank slate appeared.
Its location? A pleasant surprise.
A page of blue surrounded
by white clouds and sunshine
I think my day just wrote itself.
A little patch of pale blue
Whispered my name
After the storm.
Rain had fallen
So hard, the sky was
No longer visible.
I could barely see
The road in front of me.
My shoulders tensed.
My chest tightened.
My heart grew heavy.
As the storm passed,
My body relaxed, tired.
But the heaviness
In my heart remained.
Even the little patch of blue
Couldn’t lighten the weight.
But that’s okay.
That wasn’t its purpose.
The little patch of blue
Whispered my name to
Shift my gaze and remind me-
Look for the good.
Trust that the storm will pass.
I sat with
The heaviness
All-day-long
My heart wrapped
In a blanket of grief
The day wrapped
In weeping clouds
A peak of the sun
Broke my stillness
Only a glance
Out the window
Surely, I should not soak it in
How could I?
Amid so much suffering
That sweet sunshine
Not to be ignored
Determined to draw me out
Shone a little brighter
Bravely displaying
Light and shadow
Simultaneously
I couldn’t help
Whispering
Thank you
Even as my heart
Continued to cry
Today, I am sharing a poem from my recent collection, When the Glass Breaks. Once again, the day, the world, feels anything but simple. And I know there are no simple answers. But I am reminded of the following quote.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
Thought of with excitement,
or overwhelming fear.
For me, the fear part usually
rises in the middle of the night.
Like waking up from a dream
with a sudden Gasp!
Except, this kind of fear is not a dream.
Dream or no dream, I have
no control over the outcome.
And worrying about all that remains unseen,
does nothing to enhance my state of being.
Not to say it is easy to push the fear away, but I keep trying…
Breathe.
Look out the window.
Find that glimmer of hope
calling to your soul, ready and waiting
to swallow up your fears.
I know her song,
though it changes often.
Depends on the day’s path.
Does she choose her own?
I wonder.
When traveling through
A grove of Aspens,
her melody is gentle and sweet.
Each glistening leaf
adds a note of color.
When coursing over rough rocks
on the shoreline, her melody
grows stronger, driving forward
with each pulse of the current.
Both melodies, both paths,
inspire awe and wonder.
Listen. What is she singing for you today?
Poems from the poetry circle. ❤️
Standing tall behind
A concrete barrier
Not the place
I would expect to see you-
Your face turns left, then right
Back and forth with the breeze
While your palms wave
A friendly hello-
Your sudden appearance
Brings to mind a puppet
Popping up from behind
A carefully constructed stage-
A giggling child, your audience-
But you are no puppet
And I am not a child-
You are a happy little Sunflower
Not standing in a field, amongst
A family of sunflowers-
You are a happy little Sunflower
Smiling and waving, standing tall
Behind a concrete barrier
And I, a searcher, thankful
For your glimmer of hope
A heart-shaped cloud
Usually prompts a smile
But not that day-
That day, the cloud was gray-
A symbol of grief
A reflection of the hurt
Many suffer, often in silence-
The sky was silent, too
Unlike recent days of rain,
Thunder, and lightning-
As if now holding
Its breath while
The grieving heart
Cautiously passed by
Light remained-
Not bright, but soft and warm-
Like a lamp lit
In the corner of a room
Quietly lingering
Offering comfort
Holding space for healing
The air is thick
Like molasses
So heavy, I
Can barely breathe
Wishing the gray sky
Would release its weight
And ease the tension
If only for a moment
But relief remains
Quietly hidden
Providing no clue
As to its arrival-
Perhaps it waits
For me, for you
To push through
And greet the day
Take my hand
Together, we’ll walk
In and out of the haze
Into light on the other side
I can’t say there’s
A set recipe
For thirty-two years-
Only that laughter
Eases many tensions
Creating lasting memories-
Patience and understanding
Cover a multitude of
Life’s challenges-
And commitment is
A bond that carries
Far beyond feelings-
All of these ingredients
Leave me with a grateful heart
Looking back and looking ahead
The proof is often hazy
Evidence sometimes vague
Requiring intense searching –
You know the sun is there
Its warmth permeates your skin-
Your eyes see the light- But lines
Painted across the clouds
Are so faint
That they are visible
Only through squinted eyes –
And even then a sliver of doubt
As to your squinty-eyed realization
Creeps its way into your thoughts –
Close your eyes
Feel the warmth on your face-
Open your eyes
Believing the source remains
Even when temporarily out of view
We took a walk
That time of the afternoon
When it feels like
The minutes pass by
A bit slower
A time when weeds
Serve as flowers
For little hands
To pick and share-
Your tiny feet
Moved ahead of mine
Far enough to bring
A tinge of nervousness-Until
I recognized the feathery
Wings of an angel
In the wispy clouds
Gracefully floating across the Blue-
A protector of our path
A guardian for my heart
As we turned around
And walked side by side
The path leading back home
Piano Girl 