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?
Tag: life
Simply Sunday
Bird’s-Eye View
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!
Pastoral Pink Petunias
“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
Simply Sunday
Questions
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
One of Many
A person can only fall
through so many cracks
And she has fallen through
many in her short life
Her sassy, sweet disposition
somehow remains
I’m not sure mine
would have survived
A history of being abused,
neglected, treated as less than
Years of reports leading nowhere
until circumstances could
no longer be avoided
Layers and layers of trauma
paired with intellectual disabilities
Finally, in a loving home with
People who are willing to love her
through the challenges
Always a battle for services-
physical and mental health,
unable to advocate for herself-
Reliance with no awareness
But that’s ok- she is who she is
A person- deserving
of love, respect, life
Her story is one of many
Do you know her?
Do you know him?
Will you keep your heart open
In case they pass your way?
One day, I hope to share more of her story. A frustrating phone call today brought a flood of emotions. She is okay. The system is not.
Simply Sunday
Advice From a Common Box Turtle
Speed is not a reliable indicator
of a journey’s success
My wanderings take time
Or rather, allow time
Time to stop and
stretch my neck
Feel the sun on my face
Be still, and recharge
Rest my home, that
I may traverse this field
of green, at exactly
the speed required
To meet a new friend-
One who looks like me
Unique, colorful patterns
on their legs and shell
Or one quite different-
Tall and admiring, who
offers me sweet strawberries
As I continue on my journey
Reunion
Their hair, now white
But their faces hold
familiarity, reassurance
Logic causes confusion
And my brain and heart
disagree over time’s passing
As they stand nearby
Smiling and talking
I feel a flicker of childhood
My reflection disagrees
But for a brief moment
I am once again carefree
What do they see when they look at me?
We listen more intently
Our hugs linger a bit longer
And I understand it took a village
Another goodbye followed by
A renewed sense of gratitude
for this familiar reassurance
Hushed
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
Simply Sunday
New and fresh
Young and bright
The greenness of Spring
Tried and true
Comfortable and faded
Her countenance in the mirror
Yet, with each new leaf
Each new flower petal
Youthfulness resurfaces
Along with it, a smile,
New and fresh, after all
Listening to Johnny Cash
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. ❤️
Piano Girl 