Simply Sunday

It is sometimes difficult to slow down in our busy world. Phrases like Just Breathe and Smell the Roses are commonly shared. Easy to say. I hesitate to offer similar advice. And certainly don’t suggest missing an event by trying to capture every moment. But when something catches your eye or your heart, it’s okay to stop and take the picture. 📸

Who is She?

Some might say
She’s too bright
For her own good
Perhaps a bit bossy
Would take up
The whole sky
If she could-
But right away
I noticed her ability
To shine light through
The darkest of clouds
Providing pockets of joy
For anyone taking time
To look her way-
The last time I saw her
She coaxed me into
A giggly game of hide-n-seek
And I was happy for
The chance to play
I felt like a kid again
But then I had to
Get on with my day-
Hope we can visit again soon
Let me know if you see her around 😉

About the Sky


It’s a curious thing
Raindrops so huge
They land with a splat!
On my windshield
While across the sky
The sun fights its way
Through dark clouds
There must be a rainbow close by
Natural progressions
Able to awaken
A belly full of emotions
Welling up through
My lungs, exiting
With each breath
Pulling me
Into the day
While a song
About the sky
Plays quietly
In the background
Another sky photo from my Mom. 🤍💙

Exquisitely Unique

Creatures crawling
Across desert sands
Ocean floors
Swimming in
Deep seas
Mountain streams
Flying leaf to leaf
Tree to tree
In the jungle
In the forest
An unending variety
Of shapes and sizes
Colors and textures
Providing
Infinite possibilities
Of patterns
Infinite possibilities
For imagination
Nature, science, math
Impossible to separate
Creatures living
And dying
As the artist searches

https://crystalbridges.org/calendar/exquisite-creatures/ A surprising and beautiful exhibit!
Snapshots from our hike at Tanyard Creek in Bella Vista, AR

Describing Faith

The way sunbeams
Pierce the gray
Morning clouds

The way a melody
Sweetly greets
My morning yawn

A quiet breeze
Causing the trees
To gently sway

A blade of grass
Singly illuminated
By the afternoon sun

The way pinks and reds
Grace the horizon
Right before nightfall

The way Grace
Eases the fears that
Arrive with the dark

Each experience
Accepted with
No sense of doubt

Knowing the Source
Is always present
Even though unseen

Paint-by-Number

We all begin
As a clean slate
Or do we?
How much of my mom
Was present from
The beginning?
What about my dad?
The physical likenesses
Are obvious, even expected
But what about nature-
Was I already more
Like one than the other?
Or did watching
Their example
Produce gradual growth
Transforming me not
From a blank slate
But from the outline
Of a complex
Paint-by-number portrait
Coming into view
As each new color
Is added and blended
Brushstrokes
Of emotions
And experiences
And connections
Rendering
My journey
Of Becoming


The Life of Leaves

This year carried
An increased awareness
Concerning the
Life of leaves
Usually, there’s
An excitement
With the appearance
Of new buds
A sweet sigh of relief
A sure sign of
Surviving the cold-
And, of course,
There is always
Oohing and Awing
Over their magical
Color changes in Fall-
But this year…
This year, it was
The bright green
Of newly opened leaves
That filled me with
Joy and hope-
Just like the smile
In my granddaughter’s eyes

Another poem from the writing circle. Thank you, Ali ❤️ https://flashlightbatteries.blog/

The Peace of Rain


When clouds appear soft
Their colors muted
Blending one with another
Covering the sky
With a grace-filled blanket
Evenly sharing their weight
Allowing for a healing release
Of raindrops so gentle
You barely notice them-
We forgot our umbrella
Should we go back?

Let’s follow the raindrops
Into this unexpected reprieve
From the busyness of life

Weather Report

Cloud and Sun struggled 
Over their place
In the sky today-
One provided shade
While carrying
Hints of rain
The other interrupted
With light and warmth
There was an ebb and flow
Within their banter
More like siblings
Vying for attention
Instead of a competition-
Of course, they had a
Captive audience-
Newly Bloomed Rose
Reported the following:
There was an encouraging air
Of cooperation overhead today

Simply Sunday

Dear Mom

I love that
You send me
Pictures of clouds
Telling me how
Pretty they are
On a particular day
Where you are
I love that you
Take time to notice
Assuring me it is ok
For me to pause
And take notice
Of the clouds
Assuring me it is not
Time wasted
But rather a time
For deep breaths
That leaves behind a
Happy, thankful heart