I am standing in a field
holding tight to the
middle of a rope
A foolish attempt to
bring balance in an
unexpected tug-of-war
On my right, grief
grips the cord
with all its might
On my left, love
holds firm
Always fierce
Suddenly, I understand-
Neither one can let go
They are forever bound
Now I’m faced with a choice-
Allow the tug-of-war
to continue within me
or let go of the rope
Reach for images,
past and present,
patiently waiting in
the back of my mind
Watch, as grief and love
fall into each other,
simultaneously releasing
laughter and tears
I am lying in a field
having let go
of the rope-
Exhausted, grateful, content
Tag: life
Simply Sunday
Pearls of Wisdom
Their formation takes years-
A process hidden from sight
in the depths of the heart
A heart learning to wrap
life’s difficult bits
in opalescent layers
of mercy and grace
Not ignoring the irritants,
only processing-
Some taking longer to
transform than others
Yet, each one eventually
emerges- Iridescent gifts
of hope, love, and wisdom
A delicate string of
pearls, not displayed
around the neck, but in
the affectionate smiles of
those standing the closest
Morning Minute
Yesterday morning’s fog
held a tinge of pale pink
A slight relief from
recent grays
There was something
varied in its lifting as well
No intention of completely
disappearing into emerging
sunbeams – only hiding
for a bit – waiting for
an opportunity to once
again share its surprising tint
Patience – let the soft hues
permeate your dreams-
And who knows, your
soul may be soothed by
an appearance of peaceful
pink in tomorrow’s sunrise-
If you remember to look
A Shared Lament
Like unwanted vines
choking a rose bush, it
blocks the sun and rain
until delicate buds,
nearly ready to bloom
Whither and fade-
Their true colors
never allowed to
grace the garden
I would miss your
beautiful colors
even more than
those of the roses
So, let’s face our
grief together, and
let tears fall like a steady
rain, reviving wilted buds
And with open arms
invite others who are
hurting to join us until
we are wholly comforted
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5: 4
Winter Wisdom
My breath catches
in the bitter cold
Teeth chatter
Shoulders shake
To escape Winter’s arrival,
I need to move faster
Instead, my motions slow
Besides, there is no escaping
And winter won’t last forever
Merely long enough
to remind me what
is important
Warmth from
a cozy blanket
Steam from a
cup of hot tea
The much-needed
rest that occurs
as I lean my head
against your shoulder
Simply Sunday
And in Turn
Have you ever noticed
how clouds, while providing
shade for the Earth, also
provide shade for each other?
Strange
I never thought of
clouds needing shade
Then I think of a parent,
providing comfort
for their child, suddenly
the one being comforted
Or a teacher, planning
lessons for her class,
realizing her students
may be her best teachers
Like the clouds, our layers
carry such a variety
in their purpose
To give and receive
To hold and be held
To cry while also
drying your tears
To feel the sweet relief
provided by a cloud on
a blistering hot day
And in turn, offer
a cool drink of water
to the one standing just
out of reach of the cloud’s
soothing, reassuring shelter
Not the Only One
Pink lines and blue spaces
pulled me into the day
Inviting my thoughts,
one note at a time
A quiet calling, not
rushed, but encouraging-
Today waits for your melody.
Waits for our melodies-
Whether joyful
or melancholy
Raucous or
Peaceful
So, go ahead, sing
Let your notes float on
the breeze, blending
with others before
returning to you
A new song-
not meant to soothe
every worry, but to
remind us that we are
not the only ones singing
Simply Sunday
Revisiting a poem from 2020. The list of names, already too long, continues to grow. No title this time.
His child, spouse,
sibling, parent-
Helpless, watching
as he lies on the ground
Terrified, he struggles
begging for breath-
A knee pressed
down on his neck
Calling out
Mama!
His cries for mercy
ignored-then silenced
A family left
grieving-
Another name
added to a list
Life, liberty, and
the pursuit
of happiness
denied, destroyed
A weeping world
refuses to look away
A weeping world
will not be silenced
“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.””
Galatians 5:14
Song and Sway
The bird outside my window
sings proudly, loudly
Her message carries
intent and direction
She shows little concern
that I am listening to her song
The evening breeze travels
through a row of pines
Its direction and strength
changing often, paying
no mind as I stand nearby,
listening to its peaceful sway
If only I had the tenacity
of the bird and the breeze
to share my song and sway,
my true self, without fear
Confident, no matter who
stands nearby, listening
A Little Preview
Sharing two poems from my upcoming collection, The Space Between Clouds! Release date March 15,2026!
IN THE CLOUDS
Posed on a calm
quiet breeze
or shouted
in frantic storms
The question remains the same
Do you see me?
My soul longs
to slow down
to be still
Locking my eyes on
The whole of you
Do you see me?
Recognizing the purpose
provided in your design
whether serene or inclement
Answering your question
as you answer mine
Yes! There you are! I see you!
SMILING BLUE
A patch of baby blue
cheerfully smiled,
Good morning
A welcomed greeting
following recent gray
heavy-mist days
Even the sun
attempted a greeting
but its rays produced only
a white glow behind
the lingering clouds-
An overcast day lay ahead
One glance in the rearview
and there was that smiling
patch of baby blue
reminding me of you-
Your smile, even in passing
always a welcomed sight
Forever remaining close
Even if the day is long
Even if the day is gloomy
Even if I’m simply wishing
for more time with you
Piano Girl 