WE WILL SEE WHAT CAN BE
Today a flower will bloom,
tomorrow another,

then more and more
until the earth is covered
in a blanket of vibrant hues,

the soot and rust
of tarnished regrets
and harmful human choices
for a time forgotten,

colorful vistas and luscious scents
will stretch across the lands,

inviting us to see what can be
when everything we cherish
is nourished,
when every human
is fed,
when every leader
is filled
with compassion,

we will see what can be
when nature guides our steps,
when our hearts join together
for a more loving, caring
and just world,

today a flower will bloom,
tomorrow we will see what can be.

BEING GOOD IS WHAT HE WILL BE

No one has told him yet
that a red sky at night or in the morning
can change delight into a warning,

or explained the exact
forces that create the ebb and flow
of waves lapping at the shore,

he sits in awe
without worrying about
ozone holes or all the souls
who’ve been lost at sea,

he hasn’t started collecting losses
or crossing wishes off a list he’s just begun,

he trusts the power of the sun,
the power of the sea,
knowing that man doesn’t rule such wonders,

that a sunset sits without lessons or judgment,

disappearing each day
after striating the dimming sky
with breathless hues,
allowing him to choose a wish to close the day,

he believes this is good,

that we are good,

and that being good is what he will be.

Photo of Kathy Garvey Quinn’s grandson taken in Hawaii by Sean Quinn

THIS POEM IS FOR YOU

This poem is for you, for your new year.

I pray you will have good days and good moments,
but I can’t promise they’ll all be good.

We know life doesn’t give that generously.

There will be days when everything goes wrong.

You might feel defeated. You won’t be.

You’ll get up the next day and try again.

You might feel you’re not worthy. You are.

You might feel you have nothing to offer. You do.

You might believe everyone else is doing better. They aren’t.

We’re all imperfect humans just doing the best we can.

So be kind to yourself.

You deserve love and respect, give that in return.

Life is a big circle of giving and receiving, but it isn’t always fair.

Just do the best you can and then do the same the next day.

I promise I’ll be here rooting for you.

Photo by Eliza Ingram of her daughter with Banjo

THE HAND THAT I HELD

I remember that day
when my toes were so cold,
when I thought I’d never grow old,

I remember how good it felt,
the hand that I held,
as I trudged up the hill
to slide down again,
and again,

I can still taste the cold,
feel the crunch of the snow,

I think of it now and again,
and remember how good it felt,
the hand that I held,

I remember it even now
after so many winters have passed.

During this holiday season, may your memories,
old and new, sparkle with love and light!

*This is a repost

Poem and Photo by Rita Bourland
Norton the Dog at the Sunny 95 Hill
Photo editing by Philip Bourland

I took this photo in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada.
The sculpture is of Joseph “Jos” Montferrand, born Joseph Favre. (October 25, 1802 – October 4, 1864). He was a French-Canadian logger, strongman and folk hero of the working man and was the inspiration for the legendary Ottawa Valley figure Big Joe Mufferaw.
This sculpture is part of the Culture Trail through Gatineau.

YOU WILL BE MY COMPASS

Sleep little one, sleep,

hear the lullaby in the tide,
the beat of my heart,

smell the fish in the sea,
the salt in the air,

I will be your boat,
you will be my compass,

we will travel o’er the waves,
drifting on the endless sea,
just you and me,

from the dawn of days
through starlit, hopeful nights,

I promise to be by your side
for as long as you need me
to stay.

Photograph by Annalies Corbin ©2024
Sea Otter and pup in Alaska
Website: annaliescorbin.photography
Instagram: @annaliescorbinphotography

AN IMPROMPTU STILL LIFE
Wispy, late afternoon clouds
reflect in a glassy river,
daylilies kiss the fading light,
tree silhouettes hug a distant shore,

a child in summer hues
sits like a subject in a painting,
her ice cream cone the centerpiece
of an impromptu still life,

we peer at this picturesque scene
not wishing to disturb
the texture of this fleeting moment,

a vision that gives us pause,
causing our breath to catch,

if she recalls this day when she’s grown,
may she remember how it felt
to bring a painting to life
in the colors of love and light.

Photo by my sister, Maureen Shepherd, of her granddaughter

A LATE SUMMER DAY

Children play a game
of their own making
involving chalk, leaves and rocks,

while adults gathered
‘round picnic baskets
laugh at their creative antics,

a red-tailed hawk circles above,
letting the wind guide its path,

its wings reflect in the glistening pond,

in a nearby field
a solitary sunflower,
following the arc of the sun,
tilts slowly from east to west

soaking up nourishment
from its rays of luminous light
while bringing delight to all
who witness the spectacle of its
wondrous, late summer presence,

a precious gift before its seeds
turn into food for hungry birds.

and the circle of life continues.

Photo of Sunflower by Marti Durkee Garvey – noted photographer based in Nashville, IN

BETWEEN SEA AND SKY

If I move forward,
there’s a chance it won’t work out,

there’s a risk I won’t succeed
or find another reason to try;
another dream to apply myself to,

somewhere between sea and sky am I,

waiting for a push,
waiting for a pull,

what am I waiting for,

some overseer of dreams to say now,
to say this is how,
to say I bless you with a sacred vow,

unless I test the fates
on my own,
I’ll never embrace
the promise that awaits
in the magical space
between sea and sky.

Photo taken by friend and neighbor, Estelle Boyaka, on a recent trip to France
Nicolas Lavarenne’s Bronze Sculpture – Grand Défi – Antibes, France