BE FOREWARNED

When it’s five below,
we’re warned
it might be too cold
for our faces,
our skin
might freeze,

so many degrees
of danger set in,

yet no warning is raised
when it’s sixty degrees,

to beware
of the kiss of sunlight
brushing our faces,

the touch of a gentle wind
caressing our skin,

the symphony of bird songs
thrilling our ears,

restless hearts,
uncertain of such joy,
could use a warning
to take it slow
when it’s sixty degrees.

Photo by Rita Bourland – Children’s Garden – Franklin Park Conservatory – 2018

UNEARTHED

I don’t believe in ghosts,

I say it again
then glance at the moon
through twisted trees,

crooked branches
cast eerie shadows,
flitting, floating,
fooling my senses,

an owl’s shriek cuts the night,
bats zoom by in darkened flight,

shapes rise up
unearthed, set free,

I’m frozen, alone,
afraid to scream,

figures draw near,
then an icy whisper in my ear:

‘come follow us to a secret place
where humans keep our spirits fed,
you shouldn’t fear what lies ahead.’

I fight for my life
then slip away,
I shiver and shake
’til dawn the next day,

I now sleep nights
with sheets pulled tight,
a light beside my bed,
lest figures find their way inside
to whisk my soul away.

Photo by Lisa Berg

BE KIND

Breathe in the air,

take a break
from holding your breath
against bad news,

let your lungs expand
with the promise
of this day,

there are so many
ways you make a difference,

your smile,
your style
of letting others
be heard,

all you have learned
in life
is part of your
beautiful being,

share that,

live that,

be kind.

Photo by Lisa Berg

When is it Time

When is it time
to go,

it’s a mystery
how I know
I’m ready,

subtle shifts in the air,
small whispers in my ear,
prepare,
take care,

your journey
will be long,
you belong there
not here,

be strong,
bring along
your will
to fly,

keep an eye
to the skies,
to the earth
spinning ‘neath your wings,

~

we yearn
for our own
whispered clues
as we ponder
our days,

it’s hard to discern
which way to turn,
whether to go
or stay,

be safe
little hummingbird,
we’re counting
on you.

SELDOM

Hatred

Seldom slows

to contemplate,

Seldom seeks

to compromise,

Seldom looks

to analyze,

Seldom tries

to stop a lie,

Seldom hopes

to calm a fear,

Seldom takes

a look inside,

Seldom finds

a way to turn

to love.

SHIFTING SAND

He went straight to heaven,

that’s what the priest said

at his funeral,

there is nothing else to be said

when a boy of ten is gone,

I was home that day

when he passed away,

only four,

too young to know about death,

yet, sharply tuned,

like our old piano,

to the hurried steps,

the rush to get help,

my father’s tears

as he carried him

out the door,

it was already too late,

I could tell at four

by the faces,

there were no more traces of hope

for my brother,

it nearly killed my mother

who had done all she could

to help his ailing body heal,

and yet, in a twist of fate,

she carried new life

in her womb that day,

death and life

shifting like sand

beneath our feet

never sure of the tide

or its direction.

THE RIVER OF SONG

I believe in you,
the heart and soul of you,
the river running through you
from the beginning of time to now,

the healing waters
washing clean the stones of suffering
lodged deep in your being,
removing damage done in the course
of burdened travels.

I believe in you,
the love and song of you,
the notes playing through you
from the beginning of time to now,

the healing symphony
soothing the chords of suffering
lodged deep in your being,
allowing new songs,
the songs of the universe
to soar free.

I believe in you,
and the river of song
running through you.

From Dawn to Hopeful Dawn

There’s a grotto where an angel stands,

her hands in silent prayer,

she doesn’t flinch as stones are tossed

and bullets fill the air,

she knows full well of human strife

and bombs and war that fill the night,

she knows the scourge of homelessness,

and the plight of those

who must take flight

to reach a safer land,

yet, still, she prays unceasingly

from dawn to hopeful dawn,

doing all she can, it seems, to counteract

the endless stream

of hateful words

and harmful deeds

that seem to fill our world,

so, let us add our prayers to hers,

then act with God’s true grace

to walk our path and leave a trace

of only light and love,

we have a chance this Christmas to

move toward Peace on Earth

by all we say and do and live

from dawn to hopeful dawn.

There once was a poem, oh, so fine,

it was like an expensive red wine,

with hints of aged oak,

and hickory smoke,

it seduced with each full-bodied line.