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
Crescent-shaped
Shadows
Gracefully swayed
Above the ground
Underneath the trees
On an unexpected canvas
A slab of concrete-gray
And yet, a backdrop
Able to artfully display
This rare masterpiece-
Looking up at the sky
I was in awe of
The heavenly origin
But if my gaze had
Remained in the sky
My soul would have
Missed the beautiful
Transformation
Of the shadows below
It is difficult
To remember
The me who
Once was seven
Do you find the same to be true?
Oh, there are glimpses
Flashes of childhood
Aided by photographs
And the reciting
Of stories at
Family gatherings-
I believe at seven
Happy outweighed sad
And freedom came
When swinging way up high
High enough to touch the sky
Then bravely jumping out
It is difficult
To remember
The me who
Once was seven
But I am grateful
For her spirit
Continuing
To reside in me
Even when I’m afraid
To jump out of the swing
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
I haven’t known
This room long
Five, almost six
Years now
Snapshots on display
Some celebrating
Recent events
Others remembering
Family history
Trinkets on display
Some simply for
Decoration
Others holding
Precious memories-
Today, the room is quiet
No shared laughter or tears
And yet, they are here
I can hear them
I can feel them
And my heart tells me
There is room
For so much more
I wonder why
The hero is
Most often pictured
Riding into the sunset
Embraced
By the warmth
Of the deepest orange
Another day done
Ready for well-deserved rest…
Instead of riding
Toward the sunrise
Layered with colors
Bright and muted
Light calling
Through shadows
To the possibilities
Of a new day, imagined
But, not yet seen
I don’t have an answer.
I only wonder if
Perhaps the sunrise
Might shift focus
To the journey
Instead of the reward
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.
Piano Girl 