shar crisp air
breathe in
breathe out
awake to now
shar crisp air
breathe in
breathe out
awake to now
A tone of voice, an unkind word
can cause a hurt deeper than intended
and seeps into one’s bones.
A smile and a kind word,
can heal old wounds, and transmute hurt
into compassion.
I have weathered the storm,
mangled and bruised,
but still standing.
my dreams have drifted away
lost at sea
maybe someday
my dreams will return
“13 Things I love about you”
(a poem dedicated to my daughter)
I love the way you wrinkle your nose.
I love the way you shrug your shoulders, when I am too silly.
I love the way you laugh.
I love the way you ask for cuddles, before I tuck you and kiss you goodnight.
I love how creative you are, when we play games with our imagination.
I love how you jump out of bed full of energy, and that you wait for me to have my first cup of coffee.
I love how you dance.
I love that you love to sing.
I love that you love the environment.
I love, when you get excited about the rain.
I love, when you get excited about the ocean.
I love that you ask me to read to you.
I love you being you.
my identity is etched into my skin
but unlike a tattoo,
it’s not drawn in with ink.
who I am has been etched into me
by my ancestors, by codes of DNA,
and the prayers of my people.
I am so much more than the labels
society puts on me.
I am forgetful
teaching myself to write everyday
is more difficult than I anticipated.
just for today, I am writing
a free verse about
how hard it is to write. 🙂
fear grips me and pulls me into the depth of dark places
your love pulls me back from the deep of dark waters,
into the light and to the surface where I can breathe
your love reminds me to breathe deeply
and offer myself compassion that I freely give others
(Waterfall in Shenandoah National Forest, picture taken by me)
words cascade down on me like water from a waterfall
they pound down on me fast and hard,
washing away all the tension held in my body.
words with depth and weight like a mountain stream is cold,
the life giving waters wakes me into life
and heals my aching heart.
* We all need words of hope right now, but sometimes the sounds of nature say more than my words ever can. i found this hike to the waterfall renewing. i walked into the falls and laid my body against the mossy walls, and the water cascade over my body.