HIDDEN FLOWERS

For many years she thought herself a plant…

that refused to open to the sun.

She wondered what she could do to change…

if anything could be done…

And then one day she found the strength…

to escape the darkness of her gloom…

and allowed her hidden flower 

to come to life… 

to bloom.

Now her days are filled with laughter,

and she hopes when each day’s done

everyone’s hidden flower

will find its own way to the sun.

WHT WE LEAVE BEHIND

Her room was filled with a mixture of her family and friends…

Each one came to be with her…as her life was coming to an end…

Each person closed their eyes for a moment…once her soul had been set free.

Each person silently thinking…what this woman meant to me…

A scene that plays out every second around the world…when someone loved departs

There was a tear in every eye…but happiness in our hearts.

I was gathered with them…and though no-one spoke I was aware

How even in the silence of that room…their thoughts floated in the air…

She taught me how to laugh… 

She taught me hot how to cry

She taught me how to walk…

She taught me how to fly

She taught me about compassion…

She taught me how to swear…

She taught me about acceptance

She taught me how to share…

And my thoughts joined with the others…

She taught me how to live…

She taught me how to love…

She taught me to forgive…

And I couldn’t help thinking standing there…knowing she was finally gone…

How she may never be here with us again…but what she taught us all lives on.

And how it really does matter how we live our life…

as part of man and womankind…

because the way we live our life each day

is what we leave behind.

MIRRORED IN OIUR SOUL

When it is dark upon the ocean 

and the water misbehaves…

once the torrent settles 

we might find

the moon…

mirrored in the waves…

And when our fears are at their darkest

when they are difficult to console

If we allow our doubts to settle …

we might find

the answer…

mirrored in our soul.

THE REAL SNAKE

Our our way to an election one year

Down the path along side the lake

A country fed up with politics saw ahead of them…a snake

He came with a different outlook…he had a different view

He said if you vote for me in this election…”I’ll take care of you.”

Take me in oh voting public

Take me in for heaven’s sake

Take me in oh voting public, sighed the snake.

Almost half the country listened to his lies…as sleek as silk

And his prejudices flowed upon them…as smooth as buttermilk.

They hurried to the voting booths to get this man elected

Aware what they were doing…that it was a snake they had selected.
Take me in oh voting public

Take me in for heaven’s sake

Take me in oh voting public, sighed the snake.

They clutched him to their bosoms, “You’re what we need.” They cried

We know you were telling us the truth…we know you wouldn’t have lied.

They were happy with the choice they made…they felt the future was looking bright

Until the snake they all had voted for eventually gave them a vicious bite.
Take me in oh voting public

Take me in for heaven’s sake

Take me in oh voting public, sighed the snake.

But we voted for you, cried the people

And you’re biting us…but why

You’re dividing us with hate and our democracy might die…
"Oh shut up, you silly people," said the reptile with a grin
"You knew damn well I was a snake before you voted me in…

143

When our children were little whenever we could

we’d visit Mr. Rogers in his neighborhood.

We’d find a comfortable place and there we’d recline

to watch a man who spoke softly…who was gentle and kind.

There on the floor…the children…Mom and Dad

listened as this man spoke of feelings…

the good and the bad.

He taught through his actions and every day we’d return

for there was no better way for our children to learn.

There on the floor, on the screen….just out of reach

stood Mr. Rogers…no better person to teach…

He taught about compassion and acceptance…about how to be good

all from the safety of his neighborhood.

Mr. Rogers is gone now and our children are grown.

They have long since left his neighborhood for lives of their own…

But after all those hours spent with Mr. Rogers…I know I’m not wrong

when I say wherever they go…they bring his neighborhood along.

Since he’s been gone, though, it seems the world has rearranged

and our neighborhoods of compassion and acceptance and love have been changed.

I think, in some ways, we’ve forgotten his message.

We have forgotten how to be good…

Which makes me long for those moments we learned about love

on the streets of his neighborhood.

THE LITTLE DINOSAUR AND THE SLIDE

So we’re visiting this farm in the country as part of a farm tour

when we see this family with a little boy dressed as a dinosaur…

“What a lovely dinosaur you have!” we say to Mom and Dad.  

“He has grace and he has style.”

The Mom and Dad say thank you…and the dinosaur gives us a smile.

A little later we come upon the family again at a slide built into the ground,

where their little dinosaur is having a ball…running up and sliding down.

When he notices us watching he runs up and says, “This is really fun!”

“Are you going to do it. Wait! I know…Let me show you how it’s done.”

We watched the little dinosaur slide sitting down, laugh, get up and then

we watched him slide down on his tummy, jump back up and slide again.

When his demonstration was complete…when we learned all that we could learn

the little dinosaur smiled then turned to us…“OK, now it’s your turn.”

We didn’t think about our age…how we might injure ourselves or break our crowns.

We climbed to the top of that little hill and the both of us slid down.

We slid down fast landing hard in the dirt …but when all was said and done

We turned to that little dinosaur  and said, “You were right…that was really fun!”

When we looked back as we walked away that little dinosaur was still sliding

And I thought…How lucky we were that, for a moment, our worlds were coinciding.

And I wondered why that little dinosaur chose us to teach…

at that moment on this farm tour…

Perhaps he realized we were the same species…just two older dinosaurs…

Or was it when he saw us …he looked past our aging dinosaur skin…

past the scales and the wrinkles…and saw the children there within.

For whatever reason I’m glad he did…It was ‘really fun’ and what’s more

I’ve already decided for next year’s farm tour…

I’ll be going as a dinosaur.

WE ALL PRAY IN OUR OWN WAY

Have you ever noticed as you watch people going about their day…

how everyone no matter where they live or who they are…prays in their own way?

Some people fall to their knees, others pray from a religious seat

some fold their hands, others lift them up

some say a blessing before they eat.

Some raise the roof in joyous salute and shout their prayers out loud

others say their prayers more quietly…hands together…their heads bowed.

Some pray when they are driving…or running

others pray at a slower gate,

Some pray so quietly no one can hear them…

Some people meditate.

Some people fly their prayer flags, 

and everybody knows

those who have pictures of their God hanging in their house

whose eyes follow you wherever you go.

A God may or may not be involved

for I believe anytime you share

your hopes or your dreams with the universe…

this is a form of prayer.

Praying is universal…it’s a wish you hope will travel far

It could be praying to a God…or wishing on a star.

If this is true…that everyone prays

then in this way aren’t we all linked?

Wouldn’t this mean that all of us

are more alike than we may think?

It is my wish our world will come to understand this…

some time…some place…some day….

and that our praying will unite us…

for this…is what I pray.

LOVE...NOT JUST ANOTHE WORD

Before they knew each other…it would hew been absurd

to think that love was anything but just another word…

Until they met and in their hearts they felt it….

something stirred…

and immediately they understood the meaning of that word.

And now as they spend their life together 

it would be quite absurd

to think that love could ever be

just another word!

I TRY

I noticed long ago when I try to use compassion to conquer anger…

my anger dissipates…

So…

I try to use laughter to conquer sadness

I try to use love to conquer hate

I try to use acceptance to conquer fear

wherever I may go

I try to use kindness to conquer cruelty 

I try to use joy to conquer woe…

I am not always successful

but I’ll keep trying to reach these goals…

trying keep tenderness in my heart

and hope within my soul.

FIREFLIES

It’s firefly season in the mountains…to which nothing can compare.

It’s the time when the stars dance close to the ground…and there’s magic in the air.

For you remember the first time you saw them as a child…

when your parents introduced you to fireflies

and how, even today, when you see them flashing…

you can’t believe your eyes.

And you harken back to when you were that child…

when you believed they were twinkling stars…

how you ran around smiling and laughing…

trying to catch them in your jar.

How you might have caught a few…but most of them got away

How you used your jar of fireflies as a lantern…to help you light your way…

How when you released your little rays of light…the moment the lid was unscrewed

they’d fly up into the night sky…twinkling their gratitude…

And how on days you couldn’t catch one firefly…no matter how well you planned

if you stood silent and wished hard enough…one would land upon your hand.

Yes it’s a magical season in the mountains…a time when you stop and stare

when you become a child again…as fireflies fill the air…

Reminding you as only nature can…how important is the night

How you need a little darkness in your life…if you ever to see the light.

Encouraging you to remember…playing in your yard…running near..and far…Reminding you somewhere in your heart…you’ve captured that feeling in a jar…

That perhaps today is the day…to give yourself a surprise…

To find that jar…to open it…and release your fireflies.

3 DOGS

Our son Ryan sent us a picture the other day of his dog Mattie when she was a puppy soon after she arrived

and standing next to Matty was our dog Whitman 

while he was still alive.

The very next day our son Bryan sent a picture of his dog Madison which only magnified

how fast time flies since a year’s already passed since Madison had died.

The photos brought back old memories of wonderful moments…wonderful days

memories that, thank goodness, are never far away.

Memories that lie dormant…enshrouded in a fog

Memories that are easily stirred..by pictures of three dogs…

We are thankful Matty is still living…

while Whitman’s and Madison have been gone a while

But when we see their pictures…we cannot help but smile.

Because when it comes to all dog owners…this point I must concede…

Just like the dogs we love…we are a unique breed.

There is a wonderful phenomenon with dog owners…

A kind of space/time aberration.

that all dog owners understand

that needs no explanation…

When it comes to the dogs we love…

our feelings are quite strong…

for we all believe we have the best dog in the world…

and none of us are wrong.

HAPPHY ANNIVERSARY...THE SEQUEL

Yesterday, to celebrate our 30 years together we thought a big celebration we’d forego.

We decided to skip the cake and ice cream…and a camping we would go.

We got up early, packed our camper…and left soon after daybreak

We drove two hours to South Carolina…to a nice spot by a lake…

But we didn’t take into consideration the weather…which had us quickly changing our tune….

Seriously, does anyone in their right mind…camp in South Carolina in the month of June?

The temperature was 93 when we arrived…did I mention it was June?

Still we were optimistic as we set up camp that it would cool off soon.

We turned the AC in our camper to high…we thought that would do the trick…

But the temperature outside was not cooperating…it had risen to 96.

And if that wasn’t enough to show us perhaps this camping trip was never meant to be

as the temperature rose higher and higher…so did the humidity.

The AC was straining to do it’s job…yes, cool air was blowing from the fan

but inside our little metal camper…at 98 degrees…felt like being in a frying pan.

At 8 o’clock the temperature reached 100…I think I heard Deborah’s cries

but it was awful hard to see her with sweat dripping in my eyes.

The temperature topped out at 102…

and we still wanted to celebrate the day that we were wed…

So after 30 years together

we took cold showers…then went to bed.

You might think this anniversary was a failure…

But I think it still endears…

You see, I think it was a great way…to start our next 30 years.

You never know when you begin an adventure…there’s no way to comprehend

what will happen along the way and how that adventure will end.

There are many things we can’t control…like the temperature and the weather

But just as we did 30 years ago…we began this adventure together…

Besides we learned two valuable lessons as we begin another 30 year honeymoon….

The first: We can still smile at life’s little misadventures….

And the second…do not camp in South Carolina when the calendar reads June.

FOOTSTEPS

I recently walked the Appalachian Trail!…I know…please do not begrudge me…

well…in truth I only stopped and walked a little…I know…I know… don’t judge me!

Where was I, oh yes, the Appalachian Trail…

In the short time I was on it…in the little I did explore

I found myself seeing shadows…of those who walked before.

I could see their shadows walking by…all of them smiling and alert.

and as they passed I bowed my head…and saw their footsteps in the dirt.

I have hiked up in the mountains…and seen footsteps on the land.

I have walked along our beaches…and seen footsteps in the sand.

But it occurred to me there on the AT…in those few strides I took

that the footsteps we leave behind in life…deserve a closer look.

For no matter where we walk today…on the land or on the shore

we all walk in the footsteps of those who came before.

And each footstep tells a story…it marks a time…a place…a day

A memory that will linger

long after those footsteps wash away.

And I found myself wondering…on this lonely wooded lane

What were the people like who left these footsteps?

What memories of them remain?

And I wondered about those of us alive today.

Will we be remembered as compassionate and kind?

What memories will be inscribed

In the footsteps we leave behind?