Winter Visit

Snowflakes
Circling
Round and round
Falling toward
Frozen grass
Too cold out
For human hands
Tiny birds
Swooping
Up and down
Trees to feeder
Feeder to ground
Feathers puffed
White bellies shining
In contrast with
Gray skies
Gray bark
All but one…
Its red feathers
Radiant against
The wintry scene
Its red crest
Held high thru
The winter storm

The temperature in my little corner of Oklahoma today is a whopping 5 degrees. The windchill is -16. Winds are howling, and snow is blowing. But the birds still flit in the backyard. Our feeders are full, thanks to my sweetie. 💙❄️🌬

Expecting Finches

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

What Was I?

A calm voice
Soothes the heart
Like a quiet breeze
Soothes the rose

A harsh voice
Stirs up conflict
Like a strong wind
Stirs up dust

What was I today?

The boisterous wind
Leaving friends
And strangers alike
With dirt in their eyes?

The gentle breeze
Leaving nothing behind
But the faint memory
Of a well-timed smile?

What will I be tomorrow?

The Oklahoma winds are strong this week. A chance of storms in our forecast. The last two afternoons, outside car duty, have left me with dirt in my eyes. That unpleasantness caused me to think of how I react in certain situations. I have a choice to be calm or stormy. Tomorrow, may I lean more toward the first.

Mingling

Gentle breeze
Across my face
Carries hope
For a new day
Lately my mind
Has been stormy
Unable to focus
Thoughts jumping
From one to
The other like
Lightning bolts
On the horizon-And yet,
The storm passed
With a quiet word
A gentle embrace-
Reassurance from
Your presence
Mingling with
The breeze-
Kissing away my fears

…always

The wind blows
A sturdy tree
Leaves dance
Branches wave
As if to say,
Come with me!
Like a mom
Calling to her child
Run to me!
I will catch you
The wind will
Carry us away


Where will it take us?
I do not know
But we will go together
Our very own adventure
How long will we be gone?
I do not know
Only time will tell
Minutes, hours, days
One thing is certain
Each journey will
Stay with us
For a lifetime

As the steadfast tree
Continues to call
Waving branches
And dancing leaves
Waiting to embrace
And carry me away
I also stand
With open arms
Ready to embrace you
To share another journey
Wherever the wind
Carries us…always

For Robert & Erin, Rachel, and Ryan~The reasons I love being a mom. ❤

The Lonely Wind

Some days, quiet
Remaining unnoticed
Content simply to whisper
Other days, turbulent
Disruptive, unsettling
Causing all in my path to shiver

Swaying the trees
Spinning the leaves
Singing my blustery song
Clouds in the sky
I'm moving them, too
Remaining, as always, headstrong

Creating my path
Traveling alone
Yet, never really going away
Though effects linger
Remaining unseen
Maybe you'll notice one day
Poppy is ready for take-off!