Forever Tied

On July 13, 2022 By Piano girl9 Comments

Delicate petals
Painted purple
And white
Pale yellow
Center
Completing
The bloom

Caught my eye
In a moment
Of exhaustion
A welcomed pause
To catch my breath
What is your name?
Need to keep moving
A quick photograph
To research later…

Images of you
Graced the walls
Of a coffee shop
Artfully framed
Thoughtfully
Displayed
Carefully labeled
With the answer
I was seeking

Kneeling down
I read the card
Unexpected
Sadness
At the realization
Your name is
Forever tied
To a senseless
Act of violence-

Columbine-

Delicate petals
Painted purple
And white
Pale yellow
Center
Completing
The bloom-

Simply Sunday

On July 10, 2022July 10, 2022 By Piano girl8 Comments

One More Time

Mountain breeze drifts by
Meadows and pines gently sway
Whispering my name

I couldn’t resist sharing our trip to Colorado one more time. Grateful for time with family in this beautiful place. ❤️

I lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

Draw Close

On July 8, 2022 By Piano girl8 Comments

Tiny lanterns
Too numerous
To count
Carefully drape
The night skies
A select few
Are strung
Between
Silhouetted
Pine branches
Beautifully
Complex
And yet
The simplest
Of words
Draw close
Twinkle, twinkle little star
Familiar tune
Quietly hums
In the night air
Star light, star bright
Innocent wishes
From days gone
Gently return
The simplest
Of words
Tiny lanterns
Driving the darkness away

Closer to Clouds

On July 2, 2022 By Piano girl1 Comment

Not sure which
Took my breath
Away first…
Beauty
Or elevation
A 360 degree
Perspective
No formations
Blocking my view
I could see
Where I was going
And where I’d been
All of it
Storms ahead
Storms behind
Cool breezes
And sunlight
In between
Clarity of lessons
Learned quickly
As well as those
Requiring repetition
Each one
Revealing purpose
In passing landscapes
No wish
To speed ahead
No wish
To slow down
Only the desire to be
Only the desire to live

I love spending time in Colorado. One specific area holds many memories. Family vacations with parents, kids, grandparents, grandchildren, and great-grandparents. Honeymoons and holidays, hiking, and fishing. Feeding the chipmunks. And, of course, beautiful scenery.

Gart and I are traveling to this spot with our three grown kids and daughter-in-law. What a treat! This sentimental mom can’t help looking back and looking forward. But mostly, I’m just enjoying all of us being together.

Expecting Finches

On June 30, 2022 By Piano girl4 Comments

Pine needles
Flutter
As the wind
Prepares them
For the day ahead-
Guests will be arriving soon!
With little resistance
They continue
Rapidly moving
Back and forth
Up and down
Blurring
Into one seemingly
Singular motion
Their guests
Will be small
Yet, the hopping
Of tiny feet
From branch
To branch
Has been known
To wreak havoc
And reassurance
Is required-
Pine needles
Work together
Hold tight to your branches
Only then will you
Be able to welcome
This charm of trembling finches
Into your arms of grace and strength

Pulling Weeds

On June 28, 2022 By Piano girl8 Comments

Some are deceiving
Masquerading
As another one
Of the flowers
Hiding their roots
Amongst the foliage
Of otherwise
Healthy plants
And once unable
To contain
Their original intent
Begin showing
Tiny glimpses
Of green
Peeking through
In an attempt
To steal sunlight
From the buds
Preparing to open
Tricky they are
These weeds
Precision is required
To squash any
Irreparable damage
They might cause
It’s hard work
Pulling them out
By their roots
But only after
The labor is done
Will the heart
Be able to heal
And love bloom

Any guesses as to what I did this morning? I have no green thumb, but I enjoy the flowers in our front flowerbed. So, this morning I decided to pull weeds and do some trimming. Whew! What a job!

It seemed like each time I pulled weeds from an area, more would appear. And certain ones, well, their roots were strong. I’m not sure I got them all. Truthfully, I know I didn’t. But it did make me think about my heart.

It is easy to allow weeds to get in, tying me in knots. Wrapping around the good, trying to stifle it with confusion, anger, or impatience. A simple reminder to keep doing the hard work. And then stand back and enjoy the flowers. 🌸

Bridges

On June 27, 2022June 27, 2022 By Piano girl5 Comments

So many
Conflicting
Thoughts
On one side
Shouts of anger
Worry and fear
On the other
Celebrations
Claims of victory
Somewhere
In the middle
Feeling
Desperately sad
Yet, believing
There is a way
To bridge
This chasm
Life is precious
Feel it in my bones
But it is also
Devastatingly
Difficult
If I fail to
Acknowledge
The latter
Celebrating
The first
Rings hollow
Solutions
Only arrive
Covered
In layers upon
Layers of love
So deep, one voice
Can neither explain
Nor take credit
For the outcome

Let love and kindness be the motivation behind all that you do. I Corinthians 16:14

My intention is not to simplify our current state of affairs, only to take a breath. 💔

Simply Sunday

On June 26, 2022 By Piano girl3 Comments

Adventurous One

Early morning
When there is
Barely enough
Light to see
Or early evening
After the sun
Sinks below
The horizon
Those times
Are safest
For romping
And playing
In the soft blades
Expending
All energy
Before pausing
To graze our fill-
But some days
When the sun
Sits high in
The middle
Of the day
Temptation
Is too great
Warmth and light
Too much to ignore
All concerns
Disappear
As I run thru
Open fields
Fearless and free
For just a few
Moments
Until lovingly called
Back into the grove
Protected
In the shade
Of the trees

I’ve previously written about the herd of deer near our home. We often spot them in the early morning or late afternoon. I’m always glad to see them happily grazing in the field.

One day recently, I got a surprise. Driving by in the middle of the day, I spotted a young deer hopping in the field! It was all by itself. I could just imagine its mom calling from the edge of the trees, Ok! That’s enough! Playtime is over!

Cushioned Steps

On June 23, 2022 By Piano girl11 Comments

Each careful step
Across the floor
Cushioned by
Layers of history
What was once alive
Now protects as it
Deteriorates
Feeding the earth
Lying underneath
How many have
Come and gone
Taken these same steps
Across lines of
Time and space-
Did they notice
The Luna moth
Drying her wings
In frilly foliage
Of gentle ferns
Or the bright orange
Mushrooms
Peeking out from
Underneath
The fern leaves
Were their steps cushioned as well?
Steps that allowed
Time for pause
Time for soaking up
All the forest
Has to say
About the past
The present
And the future

I Am Smiling!

On June 20, 2022 By Piano girl1 Comment

Feelings
Often show
Right
On
Our
Faces
Before
We even
Understand them
Ourselves
There they sit
Right
On
Our
Faces
For all the world
To see
For all the world
To interpret
And though
Interpretations
Are likely
Incomplete
Perhaps
The attempt
To understand
Will prove
A first step
To understanding

I caught a glimpse of myself in an airport restroom mirror. The person staring back at me did not look happy. Add another inconvenience. Nothing major. Just a broken latch on the restroom door. That’s all.

What is wrong with me? I don’t like the look on my face.

An investigation provided the following information: