Snow melts at the mountain’s peak
Creates soft streams of flowing water
Rocks and trees steer, shaping the flow
Many paths converge, then join together
The landscape guides the water’s direction
As rocks and ridges control its path
A river is created as water merges
In time, the river reshapes the land
The river grows stronger
Banks form a defining edge
Ripples draw designs on the surface
While fallen leaves float and gather
Carried by the current’s unyielding will
A soft flow from a mountain peak
Grows to a developed body of water
Creating an ecosystem unmatched
With fish, birds, and new lives found
Sustained by the downstream river
Life returns once again to the peak
Where snow melts and the water trickles
Following the rocks and ridges’ path.
Choosing to Fly
The sea calls out to me.
I whisper,
Just please let me be.
It calls out my name,
I whisper,
My answer’s the same.
A strong wave rolls in,
I whisper,
Roll back out again.
A sandbar appears,
I whisper,
I will not shed tears.
The sea or the sky,
I whisper,
Dive deep or fly high?
A seagull flies by,
I whisper,
I’m choosing to fly.
Fire’s Embrace
The wind that
touched you
touched me
A hot breeze blows
we feel
but we can’t see
Heat fills the air
It wraps
My limbs
In exhaustion
Then
Frozen in time
While the fire rages
Overtaking all
The fire’s march
Relentless like an
unstoppable Brigade
Red and yellow
Fill the sky, while
Fear fills our hearts
So much is lost
We watch in panic, this
Uncaring destruction
Embers glowing
Erasing our lives
Taking its toll
But
Neighbors reach out
Unknown support
Hands touching hands
Loved ones embrace
With sad
thankful tears
The pain that
Touched you
Ignited me
The Garden
The days of children running across the grass
and skipping pebbles in the pond slowly fade.
The sculptured bushes once manicured and well tended
have started to show their neglect.
A path once worn
by the presence of countless footsteps
has grass runners reaching across from opposing sides.
An interrupted hopscotch pattern remains
as a silent reminder
that children once played here.
Overgrowth conceals the pond
and provides hiding places for small creatures.
The weeds extend across the land,
clinging to the fence
like strokes of a fresh coat of paint.
The gardenia bushes push against the fence,
a natural barrier building stronger over time.
The wind carries the fresh scent of flowers
across the garden.
The fragrance, sweet and floral,
encourages pollination of the flowers.
Ivy transforms the bench,
weaving through its frame
with vibrant green leaves.
Moss hangs from the tree branches,
creating a look of tinsel on a Christmas tree.
Decorative nests add to the story of the trees.
An overgrown garden stands alone
in the middle of the city.
Screeching cars announce their presence,
while the exhaust mixes
with the sweet aroma filling the air.
The calmness of the unkept garden
rejoices in the rainbow,
as a well-manicured garden
savors its splendor.
Time has left its mark.
Lines
Waiting in line, it’s what we all do.
We’ve all been trained to stand in a queue.
To pay for your groceries, you get in a line,
When you’re ordering food, there’s a line just to dine.
To travel, you need to show your ID
You can’t just shout, hey “it’s me, it’s me”.
Go to the doctor- you need your insurance card,
Keeping it all straight can get really hard.
Even my car needs to have it’s own tag,
It doesn’t matter if it’s a rag or a jag!
My dogs even tagged with her very own license,
She’s walked on a leash and shows no defiance.
Our lives are full of rules we impose,
Obey, comply, stay right on the nose.
We do all of this to keep us on track.
It helps keep civility many might lack.
What if one day we declare that we’re done!!
We just want to live; we want to have fun!
No more lines, no queues, no logs or signs,
Life with no rules or crazy deadlines.
But what if we show up in the same place one day.
How will we know where to go, what, when, or which way?
We’ll need to make some decisions real fast,
And someone will still end up coming in last!
Proverbs
This saying is right whether day or by night,
“You can’t eat an elephant in just one bite”.
The moral is do it a bit at a time,
And with an elephant, maybe add some thyme!
It’s said “A roaring lion kills no game”
When you talk too much it makes you seem lame.
Maybe it is time for you to take a little action,
Before a quieter lion makes you a distraction!
“It takes a village to raise a child”
With love, kindness and a voice that’s mild.
Look out for each other is kindness untold,
Before you know it, you’ll be part of the fold.
As they say, “The lead cow gets whipped the most”.
And leading might give you time to boast.
But scrutiny is present when you’re leading,
Second in line can still have you succeeding!
And now I add my own thoughts for this day,
There should be a proverb about a parfait.
I plan to eat ice cream and fruit till I’m full,
Sorry, I can’t talk now, I have a mouthful!
First Chair
I stroll through a beautiful garden, enjoying the perfumed scent of the gardenias, when I notice the scent of jasmine lingering nearby. Jasmine, growing alongside the gardenias, competes for the senses. The white flower blossoms co-mingle, contrasting with the deep green leaves. The flowers seem to whisper in place, shyly dancing in the breeze.
The canopy of the Southern Magnolia trees creates a cooling ground for comfort. A blanket laid beneath the tree welcomes company to the base of its trunk. This garden, once so overgrown and lonely, beckons us, becoming a sanctuary for many.
A pond sits in the center of the garden. Many hands worked to return it to its former glory.
Frogs, quiet today, will make themselves known after a cool rain. Squirrels shimmy along the fence top performing acrobatics for all to see.
The garden, also so full of hidden life, is a perfect habitat for earthworms as they continually work to restore the ecosystem.
Raindrops land with a pitter patter on the surface of the water. Frogs croak as bees buzz by. The wind whistles gently, weaving the melody into its sweet song.
I sit on the bench and gaze across the grounds. A tear rolls down my cheek as I realize the garden bursting with life, is an ever-changing symphony with a full orchestra, adjusting for each season, and we watch as nature takes first chair.
Inner Voice
The darkness of
Space
speaks volumes
In its silence
Bright stars
Twinkle
lighting darkness
In its path
The softness of your
Touch
cements
the firmness of
My love
The silence of
Space
soothes my inner
Voice
The path filled with
Stars
brightens my
Mind
The firmness of our
Love
softens my
Soul.
Sparkling Seashells
Waves crash
against the shore
Creeping forward
Leaving seaweed
In its wake
Swooping seagulls
Grabbing seaweed
In their beaks
Flying off
Wings flapping
Sunshine heats
Warming footsteps
In the sand
Tiptoe, tiptoe
Water’s calling
Rolling waves
Forming sea foam
A healthy coastline
Encouraging life
Seashells sparkling
Crunching Silence
The day’s shivering cold, the grass is bone dry,
You’ll hear it crinkle under your feet as you walk by.
The crunch, crunch, crunching, tells the deers you’re near,
They sniff and sense that you’re close enough to fear.
Walking oh so quietly and as slowly as I can,
I find a place to hunker down since hiding is my plan.
Now I’m sitting in a field, as quiet as can be,
Still as a statue – hoping the deer will close on me.
I’m calm, I’m quiet, I stay right where I am,
Not a sound is made, I’m as quiet as a lamb.
A herd of deer move in but keep their senses keen,
I silently stare ahead as their day seems so routine.
They’re so close now, I hold my breath, afraid to make a sound,
Before I know it, ears are high, they plan to stand their ground.
But one turns away, he leaps so high – he knows something’s not right,
They were so close, but now they’re gone, and completely out of sight.
Excited and happy to see the deer, I could feel my beating heart,
Though I knew it would happen – still sadness crept in, as I watched the deer depart.
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