MY LUCKY DAY

 In the middle of my walk this morning I paused in the park to breathe the morning air

when I noticed not too far away from me…another old man sitting there.

He was talking to himself while on his face I noticed a grin

so I decided, for a little while, I would listen in.

A rabbit hopped in front of us, “Hello rabbit.” I heard him say.

“You’re the second rabbit I’ve seen already…

today must be my lucky day”.

I saw him look up at the moon, “Hello moon.” I heard him say.

“A full moon in the morning…today must be my lucky day.”

Suddenly a light rain began to fall, “Hello rain.” I heard him say.

“A little rain to cool me off…today must be my lucky day.”

Finally, we heard a bird begin to chirp, “Hello bird.” I heard him say.

“I get to hear the first song of the morning…today must be my lucky day.”

When he got up to leave he smiled at me and left without saying a word

This old man who found inspiration in a rabbit, the moon, a little rain and the singing of a bird.

“Thanks old man.” I whispered as I watched him shuffle on his way.

“I’ve learned a lot from you this morning…today must be my lucky day.”

NOT AN EXPERT

 NOT AN EXPERT

I am not an expert on the stars or the flowers.

I can’t think like an expert does.

I am not an expert on the stars or the flowers

but there are times…when I wish I was.

I used to dream how great it would be 

in this wonderful world of ours

to be a botanist who knows the flowers…

or an astronomer who understands the stars.

But I never got to be an expert.

An expert my parents never begat…

No…I have never been an expert

and I’m okay with that.

Because there is a distinct advantage to now knowing 

everything in sight.

It means I’m surprised most every day…

and amazed most every night.

I don’t need to know every constellation

to experience the wonder of a planet or a star.

I don’t need to know the name of every flower

to see how beautiful they are.

When I walk among a field of flowers

In a morning or afternoon breeze

I only think how lucky am I to share this beauty

with the butterflies and the bees.

Every now and then, only for a moment, I envy the experts

who have within their power

the name of every constellation, every star

and every flower.

And every now and then…

as I allow my untrained eyes and heart to wander free

I wonder if, only for a moment, 

those experts don’t envy me.

A MAGIC MOMENT

When it comes to being happy…this opinion I must express…

We tend to search for magic moments…to ensure our happiness.

But if we’re lucky we find moments…moments in a day 

when, even though we were not searching…

magic finds us anyway.

Take yesterday for instance:

Our nephew and his wife who’d been on vacation in NC

brought an apple pie back 600 miles and gave it to Deborah and me.

We missed going to North Carolina this year…

the pandemic causing too much of a fuss…

Knowing this they brought a piece of NC back to Florida just for us.

An apple pie made with fresh apples right off the orchard’s trees

which they purchased after standing in line…from one of our favorite bakeries.

They handed us the pie…knowing it’s a pie we both adore

and I’m not sure if it was them…or us…who happened to be smiling more.

In fact Deborah was so happy…I thought she was going to cry…

as we both understood there was more than apples…there was magic in that pie.

So to keep the magic going…with this pie we were bestowed…

we covered it with vanilla ice cream…and ate it al-a-mode.

And with each bite we felt lucky to have that moment…

that moment in our day….

when, even though we were not searching…

the magic found us anyway.

(And let me tell you, wether you find it or it finds you…as I now end this little ode…

Most magic tastes a little better when it’s served up al-a-mode!)

BAD LABELS

I imagine one of the first things we did…when we humans realized we were smart

was to give everything a label…so we could tell everything apart.

I’m a human, that’s an elephant, that’s a bird…that’s a manatee.

That’s a rock, that’s a tiger, that’s a flower…that’s a tree.

But sometime in our history…way back in humanities archives

we smart humans allowed those labels to control our very lives.

We began to see differences in each other that we hadn’t noticed there before

and suddenly I’m a human, you’re a human…wasn’t good enough anymore.

We were all humans once…I was me and you were you

until I became a Muslim, you a Catholic, me an immigrant…you a Jew.

I was white, you were black…I was yellow, you were red and I was grey.

You were German, I was French, you were straight and I was gay.

Certainly some labels can be beneficial when used to assist both you or me…

You have epilepsy, I’m near-sighted, you have asthma…I am gluten free.

When we use our labels for good…then good is who we’ll be

but when we use our labels for bad it leads to hate and bigotry.

For labels cannot tell us what’s inside a person’s heart

and in the end...all bad labels do...is push us all apart.

Which makes me long for a time when we weren’t so smart…

when everyone agreed…

that human…

only human…

is all the only label we would need.

YES INDEED

 When she asked, “Have you been happy with me?”

He answered, “Yes, indeed! For everything I have,” he smiled,

“Is everything I’ll ever need.”

And when he asked her, “Have you been happy with me?”

Her smile lingered…steadfast…undaunted.

“Yes, indeed!” She said.

“For everything I’ve ever had…

is everything I’ve ever wanted.”

WHAT SHE LEFT HIM

 His mother had a way of lighting up a room…

a grace, an elegance, a unique and singular style…

It was something that he noticed every time he saw her smile.

He doesn’t remember the first time he saw her smile

so much of a baby’s life is a blur…

which made him wonder how many times she must have smiled at him…before he smiled back at her.

How many times since the first smile he remembers….did she smile at him?

He can’t begin to guess at the amount….

Even if he had been keeping track…he would have, long ago, lost count.

Because that’s one of the beauties of a mother’s smile…as the days and years go by

she always has another smile to give…as if she has an infinite supply.

Her smiles continued as she grew older

“My smile keeps me young”, she’d say, “because every time I smile all my wrinkles fade away”.

He remembers the day she died…although so much about that day is still a blur

he does remember how she smiled at him….and how he smiled back at her….

And he knows she’s not completely gone…even though it’s been a while…

because every time he looks in the mirror he sees…

how she left him with her smile.

IN ONLY FLOWERS COULD TALK

 Have you ever wished flowers could talk as you pass by them throughout the day?

Have you ever wondered what they were thinking…what it is that they might say?

How wonderful would it be if the moment you drew near

a flower had the ability to whisper in your ear.

Would what they say be filled with important knowledge?

Would their advice be enlightening…and wise?

Or would they be happy just to bid good day…to you 

to the bees and the butterflies?

We paused on our walk this morning as we were surprised to find.

on a bench…a bouquet of flowers…someone obviously had left behind.

We would love to know their story…

Why they were left on this bench by the side of the road…

Were they purchased by a man for a woman…but the woman never showed?

Were these flowers intended to make someone happy

or to cheer up someone who cried?

Were they meant to celebrate a birth?

or for the the memory of someone who died?

What was the story of these flowers?

If only they could whisper in our ear…

and give us at least a clue

as to why they were abandoned here.

Alas, we did not hear a whisper

which means, perhaps, we’ll never find…

what happened on this bench last night

and why these flowers were left behind.

HOW I LIKE MY FOOD

 I just happened to grow up this way…it’s not something I was taught…

but when it comes to my food preferences…epicurean I am not.

Some people like to separate their food…they think that’s the way it taste great…

I approach this from a different angle…I mix everything on my plate.

I don’t know how to explain it but to me a meal isn’t splendid

until all the food groups set before me have come together and been blended.

I have a friend, he is a food critic, who thinks most meals I disgrace…

I only know when I mix everything together…I love the way it tastes.

I love the way the colors blend but what I truly savor

is how, with every bite, I get a different blended flavor.

Deborah says it’s like feeding a dog but I am not subdued

I mean…show me any dog out there who doesn’t love their food!

Again I can’t explain it but to me it’s easily comprehended

and I make no apologies for loving food that’s all been blended…

I don’t expect everyone in the world to eat their food this way

(that would be nothing short of rude)

but I do think it would be wonderful if everyone in the world

blended together…as easily as my food?

2 DAYS

 If you knew you had only one day left to live…

okay let’s be generous and say two…

In the little time you had left…what would you say and do?

Would you continue to be the same person 

if you found you only had two days more…

or would you look at the world through clearer eyes than you ever had before?

Would your heart be kinder and gentler?

Would you act more impulsive and carefree?

Would you begin to find joy and the beauty in everything you see?

Would you discover the inherent dignity, the virtue

the beauty everyone possesses...

the beauty in each skin color or the way each person dresses?

When you see two people in love…

would it matter to you if they were gay?

When you see someone kneeling in prayer…

would it matter to which God they pray?

If you knew that today or tomorrow would be your final…

your ultimate day…

Would who and what are important come into focus…

while all the other things faded away?

I wish everyone has a multitude of days left to live…

with all my heart I do…

But with all my heart I also wish everyone would act…

as if they only had one or two.

JUST PASSING THROUGH

 

We'd occasionally see him on our morning walks

that’s how our friendship grew.

Now, we smile and we stop to talk…when Big John comes into view.

We chat about our families, the weather…happy to pause for a minute or two.

Happy to spend some time together…as good friends often do.

Big John likes to tell stories and give advice…because that’s what old folks do

and he has earned that right…because Big John is 82.

Underneath his stories and his bad jokes (believe me he knows a few!)

he shares with us his experiences…his knowledge…

and a bit of wisdom too.

His best advice is to be kind and find joy in all we do

because, he says, when it comes to life…we’re all just passing through.

He says you want to leave behind good memories when you bid this world adieu…

Leave a smile on your friends and family’s faces …when you’re done passing through.

And this advice as stuck with us because as Big Joh is want to do….

He likes his own advice so much….he repeats it a time or two!

But I know for myself…and I’m pretty sure that goes for Deborah too

We always leave Big John with a smile when our visits with him are through.

It’s amazing how he has enhanced our lives

though we only see him for a moment or two…

as our lives occasionally intersect…

while we’re all just passing through.

ECHOES OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

 There are many reasons I love my morning walks…many ways I find to be enthralled

but sometimes the best moments…are when I do not walk at all.

Today as I began my walk…in the street I quietly stood

listening…as all around me I heard echoes of our neighborhood.

I heard the voices of children playing…children who are no longer there.

I heard sounds of joy and laughter filling the morning air.

I heard balls bouncing, children signing…I heard the clomping of their feet.

Echoes they left behind as they played upon this street.

There was a symphony of children’s voices flowing to and fro…

I heard our children’s voices…as well as children I did not know.

I imagine these echoes are always here drowned out by the cricket and the birds…

so why on this particular day…did they make their voices heard?

And then I realized…they weren’t for me…all these voices I heard today

but for our neighbors, who just moved in…who have a baby on the way.

I think these voices came together in anticipation of the day

when another baby…another voice…will join them in their play.

The day when the voice of this new little miracle will mix and blend with theirs

And the symphony will become more beautiful as as it drifts upon the air.

I didn’t get much walking done today….as in the street I stood

I was too busy eavesdropping…

on the echoes of our neighborhood.

THAT DOES NOT DETER ME

 All my life I’ve loved to draw…the many people and things in front of me.

The only problem is the things I draw…don’t always look like what I see.

It seems it should be easy which is why I do not understand

how the beauty I see before me gets distorted by my hands

I can draw the sun, a house, and occasionally…a cloud

but all my other drawings would only make Picasso’s mother proud.

My drawings might be simple, they might be incoherent and raw

but that does not deter me…for I still love to draw.

All my life I’ve loved to dance…the moment I feel the beat

but it’s hard to find the right rhythm when I was born with two left feet.

When people see me dancing (trust me it’s not a pretty sight)

they usually call for a doctor and ask if I’m all right.

My movements might be simple…might make some think I’m in a trance

but that does not deter me…for I still love to dance.

All my life I’ve loved to sing…how I envy all the birds….

for they like me are happy singing when they don’t know all the words.

I think of myself as a nightingale whose voice is beautiful once let loose…

but from what I’ve been told by others…I sound more like a goose.

My voice may sound more like a bird who has a broken wing….

but that does not deter me…for I still love to sing.

I was lucky that a long time ago I came to understand

I don’t need to be an artist, a professional dancer or a singer in a band.

For despite my little drawbacks I am as happy as a clam

Happy drawing and dancing and singing…just the way I am.

HOW FAR DO RIPPLES GO?

 When we toss a stone into a quiet lake…

we watch perfect circles flow

spreading out from that one act…

we see them grow...

and grow...

and grow.

And we marvel at the beauty…

and how easy it was to make.

with the simple toss of one stone…

endless ripples across the lake.

Which makes me wonder…

When we show another person an act of kindness or love,

when we toss a simple smile to a stranger, a friend, or a foe

spreading out from that one act…

how much will that kindness grow?

Hopefully, we will marvel at the beauty as we begin to understand…

how one simple act of kindness...of love 

can send endless ripples  across the land?

ANOTHER PANDEMIC

 There is another pandemic raging across the land…

one…to which we all are prone.

It’s called hatred and it has but one symptom…to turn our hearts to stone.

Hatred is contagious…and once it has attacked

despite our best defenses…it’s hard not to hate back.

The moment you come down with it…when you feel it begin…

It becomes harder and harder to fight it…and easier to give in.

Our hearts begin to freeze up…our minds become constricted

what makes this even sadder is…this disease is self-inflicted.

There is no vaccine we can take……no pill…no miracle injection…

But there is a way, if we are willing, to extinguish this infection 

It will not be easy and recovery will take time

It will mean all of us who hate…must be willing to make the climb…

To climb out of the hole we’ve dug ourselves with hate…

To find a way instead of carrying hate…to drop it

because hate can only hold power over us

when we refuse to stop it!

It will mean everyone…

everyone…

everyone…

everyone with no objections

must replace the hate that’s in their hearts

with forgiveness, 

with acceptance…

with love and 

with affection.

I have this on good authority…

all the Gods and experts concur…

When faced with a pandemic of hatred sweeping the land…

Love is the only cure.

WHEN HE LOOKS INTO THER EYES

He thought he knew where love originated…

where in the body it lies

He was sure it was in the heart…

until he looked into her eyes.

He thought he knew how time and memory relate to one another…

He thought he knew…and yet

when he looks into her eyes he can’t remember a time before they met.

He thought he knew where his life was heading

but it wasn’t until their two lives crossed

until he looked into her eyes…that he knew he had been lost.

He thought he new about happiness and joy

but much to his surprise…

He only began to understand them

when he looked into her eyes…

Her eyes have taught him about life

with every joy they shared

with every sorrow they overcame….

and he hopes after a lifetime of looking into his

her eyes feel the same.

THE PROBLEM LIES WITH THEM

 To anyone feeling the pain of injustice…

To anyone whom that injustice has eternally scarred….

Here’s a little reminder…of how wonderful

how extraordinary

how beautiful you are…

When dealing with people’s biases…

although it’s difficult…you would be wise….

to look at yourself…then look at them…

and see where the problem lies….

If there are people who are prejudice against you for any reason

Who look down on you…who condemn

know…there is nothing wrong with you

the problem lies with them… 

If there are people who think that the person you know you are is wrong

who look down on you…who condemn

know…there is nothing wrong with you

the problem lies with them…

If there are those who do not understand a heart wrenching decision you have made

who look down on you…who condemn

know…there is nothing wrong with you

the problem lies with them…

If there are those who find something wrong with who you love

who look down on you…who condemn. 

know…there is nothing wrong with you

the problem lies with them…

And though we cannot take away the pain you feel…

we cannot remove your scars…

know…there are far more of us who will celebrate with you

the person who you are.

Who love you…all of you…

love you…

and you…

and you…

Who know love….has no boundaries

no limits….

that only people do.

THE SAME PATH

 I walk the same route every morning…from this path I do not stray

because I have so many friends to greet whom I’ve met along the way.

There are the trees that tower to the sky…many, I’m sure, older than me

There’s the crickets and the owls and a host of other animals I hear but do not see.

There are the shifting clouds that are always moving 

from right to left or left to right

There are the flowers waiting for me…the ones that only bloom at night.

There are the toads and the rabbits who dart in and out of the shadows of the moon

Who either stand in one place hiding…or hop away too soon.

There are the churches with their marquis lit

with messages for the mind

There are the oranges painted by a friend

he graciously has left behind.

There are the old folks who live on the corner

the early morning enclave

who, as I round the corner

always smile and wave

There’s the homeless lady who never speaks

but will occasionally smirk

There are the silent streets of a city asleep

there’s the bookstore where I work.

There are the stars that guide me on this walk,

the moon with her occasional grin

There are the silent messages I send to my family

and release upon the wind.

I love this path I’ve chosen

love the friends I greet as on this path I roam

and I love the way this same path

always leads me home.

ANOTHER WAY

 I once dreamed of being a carpenter…but I don’t want to be a carpenter anymore…

Who knew there is only one right way that you can hang a door!

I dreamed of being an electrician but from that career I would quickly tire….

Who knew if you simply get your wires crossed it can easily cause a fire!

I dreamed of being a plumber but plumbing is much harder than you think

Who knew you had to be a contortionist to fit under a sink!

So I became a teacher and  I taught ’til I was old and grey.

In teaching there are no absolutes…if something doesn’t work…

you find another way.

If my students were having difficulty learning…it wasn’t an option to adjourn.

It was up to me to help them find another way…another way to learn.

If they continued having trouble…if what I was doing still didn’t reach them.

It was up to me to find another way…another way to teach them.

It’s ironic when you think about it…for me as a teacher at the end of every day

It was my students who would teach me…to find another way.

Another way of thinking…another way of viewing life

Another way of overcoming obstacles, 

overcoming heartaches, pain and strife.

Which is why I still have hope our country will survive this latest crisis…

even though things look bad today….

I have hope that people can put aside their hatred…

and find another way.

Another way of thinking

Another way to make their anger and enmity cease…

Another way to live together…

Another way to harmony and peace.

TRAVELING THROUGH TIME

 They’ve spent so much time at home…many a night and day

No traveling, no restaurants…from the experts guidelines they do not stray.

Since they could not physically journey…no traveling to or fro

they decided to travel through time…and oh the places they would go.

They know time has a way of controlling life…

for schedules they do not lack

They know time keeps moving forward and is never moving back.

But they know memory is different…they think of it as one of life’s little jewels.

Memory snubs its nose at time and refuses to embrace her rules.

So they’d go back in time and remember moments when they were children

when all they did was eat and sleep and play…

Specific moments…they’d remember…as if they happened yesterday.

He remembered the first time he said, “I Love You.”

He remembered a feeling so wonderful and new.

He even remembered what he was wearing

when she said…”I Love You, too.”

They remember the day they were married…when their began life anew

They remember so many moments as they grew old together too…

They remembered when their daughter was born…

Holding in their arms…a life so precious and new

and in the next moment they remembered

holding her daughter in their arms too.

So they’ve spent a lot of time together

remembering moments of their life with ease…

forward and backward…flying through time

stacking memories any which way they please.

They say time travel is impossible…

but this couple…now old and gray…

as they sit home during this pandemic…

has somehow found a way