Just Walk

Terrain provides the challenge
but movement makes the road,
defines the path, step by step,
determines changes of direction.
Just walk, the road will follow.

On Mortality

Everybody knows the sun
that rose so red will set.
Everybody knows green
seasons fade come winter.
Everybody knows babies
don't stay little long enough.
Everybody knows death
 will soon come knocking.

Nobody knows what color
clouds will grace this sunset.
Nobody knows how many
 days the green will hold.
Nobody knows what dreams
will enchant or fail this baby.
Nobody knows what doors
 dark death may open.

 Everybody needs to stop
 and breathe the colors.
 Everybody needs to store
 up stories for the winter.
Everybody needs to kiss
the baby good morning.
Everybody needs to live
and love while slowly dying,

.

Sedative

I knit my nerve ends together,
stitch by repititious stitch,
no counting, no purl, just knit,
row upon row, scarf after scarf.
Fresh color combinations, texture,
sparkle add delight to necessity
but mostly, stitch by stitch,
I knit my nerve ends together.

Warning?

Woke to nightmares again this morning,
zombie daughter cradling dead baby,
unwilling, unable to say what happened,
Nazi death squad in and out my window,
lost child, lost child, don;t know her name.
Something afwul is happening, about to happen,
or maybe not. Maybe no warning, just nightmares.

U- - Umbrellas (for Diane)

Umbrellas are for cowards
she taught me, before we
knew her words were numbered.
Umbrellas waste time, before
we knew her time was short.

Let the rain soak me.
Open heart uses no umbrella.
Tears pf loss flow wet and hot
salty with life force,
Fair price for joy of love.

Bowl of Stones

Sits on tiled table
between therapy chairs.
My niece made it in college,
heavy in my two hands,
deep green, smooth, cool,
piled with white pebbles
from wild Washington beaches,
speckled river rocks from
high Rocky mountain hikes,
polished spheres of amethyst,
smoky quartz, mookite, blue
lace agate, rose quartz heart.
Take them in your hand, roll
them, balance, examine, hold.
Before you go I will ask you
to choose a stone to remind you
of your own unique soul.
You will hold it like a treasure
and I will smile, because
that is absolutely true.

R- Real

Real is better than perfect.
Perfect is an illusion.
Real is what I can give you
right here, right now.
Real is what you can give me
not what you wish you could.
Real is better than perfect.