Category Archives: poetry

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My Reality

As I release my disillusionment
Morgan raises her sleepy head
and sits up on the warm, moss covered rock
where she lay
She cocks her head
and looks quizzically in my direction

My hands are raised in supplication
tears fall silently down my cheeks
I am abandoning what I thought was
and I am facing what is
It hurts

Morgan says nothing
watching in silence

My heart is breaking
as I release my idea of what a family should be
media driven ideas of mother, father, children and a dog
social ideas of a nuclear nest that is warm, nurturing
a source of comfort

My reality is a reality of divorce
not amicable
custody battles
fighting for my children
fighting for my sanity

I look at Morgan
she remains silent
but I see compassion in her eyes

The emptying of my hurt continues

My reality is a reality of new beginnings
re marriage
step parenting
Welcoming more children into my life
I cry as I am accepted by these young people
but continue to face rejection by my own

My reality is a reality of joy but also disappointment
it is with the disappointment
where disillusionment lies
hopes and dreams dashed

Reality is hard to face
I want to hang on to what I want to believe
not the reality that is in my face

To have a child facing jail time is a harsh reality
what happened? where did we go wrong?
the blame game explodes to the surface
and is difficult to quell

To have a child feeling so distressed
they try to take their own life –
that is a much harsher reality

Morgan gasps and comes to my side
her silence continues
but her presence is comforting

The desire to help, take away the pain
make it better for my child
is consuming
but ineffective
I am rebuffed, accepted, rebuffed again
I can no longer hold any illusion of my world
Reality is before me and cannot be ignored

Morgan embraces me and holds tight
I feel safe, secure, protected
and wish I could do the same
for my family

As I embrace Morgan
I embrace hope
hope for healing of tormented minds
and restoration of severed relationships
I hope for loving kindness to prevail
for peace and well being for myself and my children

I hope for a new reality

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A Night at Improv

When was the last time you played?
Really let go of your inhibitions
no inner censor
let loose and had fun?

Silliness? Perfectly okay
trusting those around you –
a required element

To see barriers tumble
to watch body movements
quick on the spot thinking
Worth it!

So many smiles
and laughter

Belly laughs
Tear induced laughs

Everyday burdens lightened
no thoughts of outside worries
no thoughts of what needs to be done or places to go

Just interacting with strangers
people who have come together for the same purpose
to take a chance
to be playful
to release their inner child

It worked!
And was so much fun!

Laughter is good for the soul 🙂

by

Earth Day

Rainbow Delight(The water rushes out of the shower head and cascades over my sleepy body. I indulge in a few more minutes of closing my eyes before I have to snap to attention and fully wake up. The coffee pot gurgles with the push of a button as water mixes with the ground beans to produce the daily stimulant. I look out the window at the river flowing swiftly through the city, reminded of how fortunate we are to have such an abundance of a resource; so easily taken for granted. My car splashes through puddles laying on the roadway and I make a mental note that I have to wash it again – more water.
Today seems appropriate that water is on my mind. Earth day. A day to celebrate the bounty of our world, to be grateful for where we live and to reflect on those who suffer drought and shortage of food. Water is available to us at the flip of a lever or tap. Others have to walk miles to wait in line for a chance to fill containers to lug back home. And the water they receive may not be clean…)

Earth day
birthday
happy celebrate your worth day

Earth, fire, water and air
we are grateful for the resources
that always seem to be there

The earth at its finest
when rich dark loam
provides a place to grow food
both far away and at home

The air we breathe
allows our bodies to function
it is so taken for granted
people feel no compunction (polluting it)

Fire is the center
the molten core
it holds earth’s secrets
which scientists and oilmen search for

And then there is water
sweet and cool
quenching, satisfying
aqua blue

Water for bathing
cooking too
it’s at our fingertips
easily available to me and you

It’s trapped in glaciers
and snow covered mountain tops
tumbling down waterfalls
skipping over rocks

Our world is beautiful
and so we must be aware
that the bounty we have
may not always be there

We have to be good stewards
we have to share
we have to handle our precious planet
with greater love and care

by

Waif

Sometimes I just have to cry
the emotion sneaks up on me when I
am least expecting it

A happy day
sun shining
so why do I feel so blue?

Somewhere there is a wounded
little girl
frightened
not knowing where to turn

I can see her
I can feel her
but I can’t quite reach her

Each time I get close
and open my arms to embrace her
she scurries away
anxious about getting too close

I recognize the look of trepidation
in her large blue eyes
Her mistrust runs deep

With her dishevelled hair
unkempt clothes
her neglect is apparent
My heart aches for her

I want her to know
that people do care
she is not alone
The world can be a beautiful place

I want to keep her warm
her tummy full
her mind challenged

I want to find her
and let her live…

Tonight is going to be
a two bottle night

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Misunderstanding

You’re going left
I’m going right
We both want the same
Yet we struggle and fight

The storm clouds brew
They swirl and spin
Meaning is lost
The tension begins

The sweetness, the romance
Gone in a flash
Hands draw into fists
Teeth clench and gnash

You make your point
I strive to make mine
The atmosphere charged
We need intervention: divine

Ears that won’t listen
They can’t seem to hear
All progress lost
Replaced by tears

I thought I understood
I now know I was wrong
Peaceful resolution
Is for what I long

I was so excited
I thought we were in this together
I didn’t anticipate
Communication stormy weather

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Empathy

(This piece was inspired by imagining what the parents of the young man who killed five fellow students must be going through)

I hear you speak
but the words don’t make sense to me
My mind is swirling
thoughts flying in and out
too quick to capture
Maybe this…
What about that…
a fierce competition for my attention

Focus
one thing at a time
calm down
breathe deeply
Now, what were you saying?
A barrage of words assault me
and it takes every bit of willpower
to comprehend what the babble means

Instinctively I am in denial
I do not want to hear the message
coming my way

When I became a parent
I never thought this would
be a message for me

Your child is in trouble
Your child has been hurt
Your child is gone…
Your child is the per pe tra tor

Nothing prepared me
for a foreign message like that
My heart swells
it breaks
part of me shatters
and runs to the shadows
a place where no one can find
me

If they can’t see me
it can’t be real, right?

it can’t be real
it can’t be real

The world sees a monster
a psychopath
I see a sick child
my beautiful son

where is the little boy
I once knew?

by

Priestess

The hands of time
shift and swirl
A veil of fog lifts to reveal
a precious new life

Beautiful Morgan
heiress in a long tradition
of ancient priestesses

She will learn
the knowledge of land,
sea and sky

Plants and animals will bend
to aid her
spreading peace throughout the land

She is blessed

All who come in contact with her
leave radiating a shimmer
of her infinite love

She is time
and timeless

She is Morgan

Her arrival timed to be
precisely now
A celestial chorus
cheers triumphantly
ready to guide and protect her
on her earthly path

Beauty

Wisdom

Knowledge

Morgan is here to teach

Here to love

Here to release
the constraints on earth