If we were having coffee, I’d apologize for being late. I know we usually meet on weekends, but mine was an exceptionally busy one. But you’re here now, so pull up a chair and I’ll pour you a cup. One of the reasons my weekend was so full is because I devoted my entire Saturday to cleaning up a novel I wrote years ago. … Continue reading If We Were Having Coffee, March 19
It was personal, that decision I made to honor the day my angel grew wings It was personal, your choice to throw shade Things you don’t know could be just about anything What you see isn’t always what you get Easy to judge when a world is so small A ray of hope, a light in my darkened room that tiny heartbeat … Continue reading Sweet Grace
That’s the thing about habits, good or bad They slip unnoticed into daily life until unique shadows meld to become one, and one without the other drives even a calm person mad Recognized far too late, these choice habits morph into those deigned unfit, something to surrender, something to quit and after many a false start, many dates passed by, yesterday and yesterday circled … Continue reading Quitting
In a life sometimes too busy we forget to remember In the hum and buzz of this noisy world we forget to listen If simple progress is one step forward and two steps back we can forget to dream If we aren’t careful tomorrow might be far too late So tonight meet me under the stars we’ll share a winter’s kiss If this day creates … Continue reading An Accidental Life
Often alone, even on Visiting Day, she wandered the halls in her threadbare robe shuffling heel to toe, heel to toe and muttered nevermind, no nevermind, no Always following the same path driven by melodies of her youth she’d find a patch of sunlight there by the windows covered in bars the scent of roses overpowered the antiseptic the laughter of children blocked moans of … Continue reading No Nevermind
From the outside looking in, it seemed innocuous a world within worlds, safe if not circumspect That’s the beauty of illusion Swirling colors hide the dirt beneath And so I fell down that rabbit hole and devoured each mushroom I could find, served on pristine doilies carefully covering plates laden with filth Tea, sugary sweet as it scalded my throat Oh, how the players beckoned, … Continue reading Madness
Walking across age and generations to collect precious memories Digging deep into the past to reach the future, just dawning Stretching to grasp a tiny hand I sigh, relishing in this moment the subtle shift between who I was and who I am defines my future photo: A. Vecchitto prompts: #FiveMinuteFriday, #PoetsonthePage Continue reading Precious Memories
a single leaf clings to an empty branch twisting in the cool autumn wind waiting when the moment is right and colors explode in that perfect golden haze it surrenders the descent, slow and lazy marks the beginning and the end it’s harvest time photo: Pixabay prompt: #DimpleVerse Continue reading Chasing Seasons
Cradled in the comfort of familiar ways days slipped by, drifting like a leaf on a lazy river Even on the edge of that grand waterfall troubles faded in gentle whispers Some say you can never go home again but the heart holds a salve that always mends Spent some time with babies I once held in the world of my younger days Held them … Continue reading Family Reunion
And when the elements of what makes a life meaningful collapse and the compass you, yourself, created is guided by a broken needle, those questions you’ve been avoiding must be asked Forever isn’t found in yesterday and tomorrow holds no promise unless you find the strength to revise your true purpose and revive those lost intentions patiently waiting to guide you back to a … Continue reading Broken Compass
When the sound of a slamming door echoes for too long, it reveals truths only a healed heart can hear Because before it closed, it framed the gateway to promises made and dreams held, somehow innocent in intention Because as it closed, it carried the weight of differences unreconciled and frailty revealed, somehow reinforced in anger Because after it closed, it defined the difference of … Continue reading Seeking Bridges
What will happen when I am an old woman stripped bare of the trappings daily life brings When I forget the importance of impressions designed to enhance the illusions of life we all project When what is left is my core, raw and exposed Will I embrace laughter, delighting in fanciful music only I can hear when my private orchestra plays Dancing as it echoes … Continue reading Old Bones Dancing
The cat is gone The porcelain beauty keeping vigil in the backyard atop a cracked boulder and flanked by a faded pinwheel Even the plastic flowers…gone Taking for granted, this guardian of someone’s beloved pet who greeted me each morning as I parked my car beside the dilapidated house next to my school I didn’t consider it might disappear Stealing my breath for just a … Continue reading Progress
It’s a particular drive that urges us forward as we follow paths that define us Teacher, Nurse, Chef Carpenter, Banker, Scientist Entertainer, Minister, Mom We all began as children playing in the schoolyard For some, the call came early almost predestined in a grand plan For others, the way wound around several sharp curves and u-turns Still, we were once those children trying on roles … Continue reading The Paths We Choose
The Book of Life slipped out of my hands It fell to the floor and opened to the chapter titled Transitions Captivated by stories of change I wept as my trembling fingers turned each page Gone were the days of innocence Epic tales of good and evil recorded my personal narrative as my eyes scanned the story of my life Detailed accounts of triumph and … Continue reading Book of Life
It seems not long ago in some faraway hazy place You were here Clinging to hope with clammy hands This can’t be real As one day blends into the next My blood boils, consuming my existence My heart hardens, turning me to stone You left me behind I throw sharpened spears tipped with rage At your empty chair I’ll do anything Give all … Continue reading Grief
Life is too short to wait for tomorrow At times like these Filled with sorrow Moments of clarity Amidst the mourning It’s in the sadness we hear the warning Life is too short to have regrets At times like these Best advised to forget Choices forged a path Along a treacherous trail Created an existence Doomed to fail Life is too … Continue reading Make A Change
Today’s writing prompt is a ten minute free write. I was feeling stuck, so I asked my husband to give me a phrase. He answered, “Nothing in my head but confusion.” This is what came from his phrase. A little background…we’ve been tossing the idea of going into business together. Just a little catering business, but our minds have been consumed with choices and implications … Continue reading On the Brink
In preparation for a unit on The Cay , I provided my seventh grade class with a belief assessment list. They had evaluate each statement and decide whether they agreed. One of the statements was “True friends never lie to each other.” It was fascinating to watch my group of fourteen students select opposite sides of the room, almost equally. Many felt that it was … Continue reading White Lies
Look back Look forward Remember the good times Aspire to make new ones Remain faithful and diligent Endure even when all seems lost Days gone by A life that no longer exists Plans made by the me I no longer know A life meant for someone who existed in a place Where the world turned more slowly Somewhere in the past Days just … Continue reading Better Days Ahead
I was in my kitchen preparing dinner when the first one hit. Grabbing the edge of the counter for support, I tried to breathe. Well, that was a strong one. I regained my composure and sat my two toddlers down for their evening meal. As the next contraction hit, I clung to the handle of the oven and gritted my teeth through the pain. I … Continue reading Not the Way I Pictured It
Today’s prompt asks us to quickly list five things we’d like to change in our lives. Quickly list? Hmmm…. I have vague aspirations I’d like to achieve, and maybe that’s the problem: they are vague. I suppose if I create this list quickly, those items that are most important will be revealed. Deep breath…here goes… Edit and resubmit that novel I first wrote in 2005. … Continue reading Bucket List
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRrT0Ak18Pc “I found a book that my mama kept Filled with secrets she hid And in a dusty old attic, one mornin’ I read About a woman I never met Who had dreams just like mine With every page that I turned, the words came alive” (Written by Liz Hengber, Deanna Bryant) My mother is not a writer, but she is a brilliant individual. … Continue reading More Than This
I spent the day at a meeting today in which the speaker discussed the pressure society puts on us to attain perfection. To me, perfection is deeply personal and means different things to different people. Perfection lives in perception Crafted in the eye of the beholder Appreciated by the designator Declared to be so Perception lives in perfection Perfection exists in creation Designated in … Continue reading Perfection
Human beings are innately social creatures. From birth, we find ourselves belonging to a series of associations. We spend our lives striving to make connections, whether personally, professionally, or spiritually. Moving among family ties, peer groups, work organizations, and interest based alliances, we spend our time interacting with others with whom we share a common interest. As we traverse this endless cycle, it is only … Continue reading Second Opinions
George Eliot said, “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” What does that say about who you were that makes you what you are now? If it is said each step begins a journey and each must follow his own path, what do the missteps and jaunts in the wrong direction say about the traveler? How does a broken road … Continue reading Broken Road
