Deep Within

Somewhere, hiding in my bones,

My blood vessels.

My heart, my guts

Is the real me.

Am I a beast struggling to escape?

A gentle giant yearning for peace?

An artist creating her own world?

Or a minuscule creature, hiding?

I hear a prayer

When the wind blows,

The birds sing

Children laugh

He answers in a touch of wind

A brush against my arm

The kiss of my husband

And the joys of friendship

Deep within lies my secrets

My hopes and dreams,

For even as I grow old,

I live for another day.

Our Life Stories

all of life is a series of

nonstories

the might-have-beens

the almost becames

the things we dreamt of

doing

but never did

the wishes unfulfilled

presents never delivered

or received

places never visited

near-misses

chance occurrences

that developed into nothing

the left-behinds

and

soon-to-be forgottens

all stories untold

mysteries locked

romances closeted

things never experienced

foods never tasted

but secretly yearned for

nonstories frozen in place

and time

with no characters to lament

plots stagnant

themes dragging behind

do we obsess

over the lost stories

and live life in a

vacuum?

NO

we constantly create

our personal life stories

our dreams springing to

a life lived luxuriously

laughing joyously

over the endless

possibilities

              Radiant Vision

The sun arose and filled my eyes

With heavenly glory personified

Tears down my face did solemnly pour

I stood transfixed, and begged for more

Golden rays lit up the new morn sky

With brilliant spectacle for the eye

With mouth agape I did profoundly stare

And wonder what God’s doing up there

To me He gave such wondrous gift

That my poor spirit felt tremendous lift

To my knees I should have promptly fallen

But I could not move despite hearing Him callin’

Frozen in place with feet on the soil

I praised the Lord’s amazing toil

For humankind: to free our souls

From worries: to give us lofty goals

Reaching deeply into my empty purse

I feared God’s wrath, or maybe worse

Instead my heart did nearly burst

With joy: I knew I was not cursed

The sun arose and filled my eyes

With heavenly glory personified

Just for the Picking

Ten thousand wishes float into the air

Brightly lit rainbow dots drift without care

Air-filled hopes slowly rise into the sky

Waiting for the moment to multiply

Realistic fantasies within reach

Specifically crafted for us each

Inside, a single dream lurks unfulfilled

Waits for perfect heart in which to be spilled

Dandified dreams as mystic butterflies

Burst in multicolored hues ‘ere our eyes

Windswept images of forgotten faces

Mist-enshrouded thought of faraway places

Everyday troubles weathered away

Lucky lazy bubbles brighten the way

Worlds of wonder wrapped in shiny white

Drawn down to earth by fragile string of kite

Electric energy for those who dare

Ten thousand wishes rise into the air.

My New Best Friend

To know God,

to truly know God.

That’s what I want more

than anything.

He’ll come to me as a friend

and sit by my side.

He’ll sing to me of love, joy,

and inner tranquility.

He’ll tell me what a good girl

I’ve been all my life,

and how pleased He is with

the paths that I have chosen.

When tears run down my cheeks,

He’ll wrap His arms around me

and hold me tight, not letting go

until the shuddering subsides.

We’ll share cool water from my fridge,

some homemade bread, and a bowl

of fresh fruit, picked off the trees in

my backyard.  Before we begin, we’ll

bow our heads and offer thanks for

all the good and kind people in the

world, for peace, for love, and for

self-acceptance.  I won’t like that last one.

When He bites into the apple and juice

runs down His chin, I’ll snap a photo,

and then we’ll laugh.

He’ll take a picture of me smiling, so that

I may treasure it forever.

After our meal, I’ll invite Him to spend

the night.  We’ll have a slumber party

with popcorn and a G-rated movie.

He’ll sleep in the front bedroom, and

when I close my eyes that night,

I’ll sleep soundly until late the next day,

for the first time in a long, long while.

In the morning, He’ll wake me with the

warmth of His smile.  I’ll feel tingly all

over, and when I get up, that feeling will

cling like plastic wrap.

Before He leaves later that afternoon,

He’ll pull me aside and whisper in my ear.

Like a gentle breeze, I’ll hear Him say

that He will be my one best friend.

Forever.

What is a Friend?

A true friend is a gift from God.

No more, no less.

Ears, eyes, heart

finely tuned

to every thought

action

need

A friend seeks balance,

craving only that which

is offered

and not one drop more

Giving, sharing

even the smallest things.

A warm hug,

kiss, smile

A friend knows when

to step up

and when to step down.

Never pushing or demanding

Reaching fingers

with open palm.

Electric energy pulsing

across the gap,

joining two strangers

into one compact unit.

A friend asks for nothing,

but is grateful

when something

drips into the heart,

warming the soul’s

ties.

Prayers offered

and heard.

Thanks given

for the smallest

of gestures

A friend is all that

and more.

Flowers, Flowers Everywhere

It didn’t take too long to realize

That I had begun to fantasize,

And I was forced to carefully apprise

The situation before my eyes.

My time had come, that much was certain.

I stupidly stared at the white curtain,

After my legs had stopped their dartin’

And my poor heart had ceased its hurtin’

The doctor, a diagram he traced

Of my heart: at me he boldly faced

And now declared, as my eyes gazed

At my demise. I was sorely fazed.

Later that day, I died, my heart hurtin’

Sad I was this good world to be partin’

I’d never again be smellin’

The flowers everywhere they be placin’

Another day awakens

A new day begins,

Promising calm winds

Sunny skies

A touch of clouds

That guide me through

The hectic times of my life

I stretch, drawing in

Energy to replenish

My weary soul

To revitalize desires

And strengthen interests

A healing, needed balm

The day beckons me forth

Greeted by the early

call of morning birds

Filled with bounteous joy

That fills my soul

With unbounded joy

I burst into expectant smile

The day is mine to conquer

I shall vanquish foes

Destroy doubts

Eliminate naysayers

While rising to the peak

Of my talent

Ah, the dreams of a new day

A day of joyous victory

To fill my sights.

I rejoice.

Despair Comes Again

Crispy, crunchy bits on the floor

Remnants of what was once me

Speak in sequestered voice

Whispers for none to hear

Memories masked in flimsy gauze

Distort into moaning miseries

Slices of soul oozing through my eyes

Trek along determined trails

Hollowness hails each morning

Darkness so deep that no light gleams

Heaviness haunts my limbs

Paralyzes rational thought

No hope, no light

Nothing but everlasting midnight

Covers my heart

Entrapped in cement, I wail