FOLLOWING THE DEW

 I spotted her this morning as the sun was inching into view…

upon a leaf in front of me…a single drop of dew.

It seems the more time you spend in nature…the more talking with nature you do…

Hence my conversation with a single drop of dew.

I said to this little dew drop…”Hi, I don’t want to be a pain,

but are you a drop of morning dew…or are you left over from last night’s rain?”

The dew drop straightened upon the leaf…and when her beautification was through

she looked at me…smiling proudly and said…”I am clearly a drop of dew.”

“But I am more than just a dew drop…so much more than that.” She stated.

“I am part of every kind of water nature has created.”

“That’s difficult for me to believe.” I said. “Because when I look at you…

all that I can see is a single drop of dew.”

“That is only because for whatever reason you are stuck in your belief…

for at this moment I’m a teardrop…about to tumble off the leaf.”

“And once I jump from this leaf…if you’re quick you may ascertain…

as I fall down to the Earth…for one moment…I am a drop of rain.”

“And once I hit the Earth…without making the slightest sound…

I close my eyes and hold my breath as I’m absorbed into the ground.”

“From there I’ll join other dew drops who share a similar dream…

to unite together in friendship…to become a mountain stream.”

“The stream will carry us down the mountain…we know not what path we’ll take

Perhaps we’ll end up as a river…or eventually become a lake.”

“If I do become a river…it will fill my heart  with glee…

and I will happily ride the current…until it takes me to the sea.”

To become part of a vast ocean is every dew drop’s wish…

where we can help hold up the boats that sail our waves…

where we give life to every fish.”

“So if you only see a single drop of dew…when you look at me…well…then

may I suggest you take a moment to stop…and look again.”

With that the dew drop jumped form her leaf…and for a moment a drop of rain was all that I could see…and once she hit the ground I wished her a safe trip to the sea.

And I never will I look at a dew drop…or a person… the same again…

the way I did before….

For a dew drop taught me how nothing in nature is as singular 

or as simple as it seems…

How we’re all a part of so much more.

WHAT I BELIEVE

 She crawled into her father’s lap…her lips were quivering…

there were teardrops in her eyes.

“Some kids in school called me ugly.” She said…then she began to cry.

She looked at him with innocent, beautiful eyes…the deepest, brightest blue..

and asked him quite directly…“Daddy, do you believe I’m ugly too?”

He held her to his chest…she wiped her nose upon his sleeve…

then he whispered in her ear…”Let me tell you what I believe.

“Sometimes people say things,” he said, “to be nasty…to be mean.”

“I believe you are possibly one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen.”

“I believe you’re beautiful…and one day I believe you’ll believe it too…

I believe in miracles and Karma…I believe fairy tales do come true.”

“I believe in love and friendship….I believe in kindness and family.

I believe in ghosts and fairies and angels…I believe in wonder and destiny.”

“I believe a higher power created the planets, the stars, the sky, the sun.

I believe in the spirit of love…I believe there’s good in everyone.”

“I believe we should listen to the animals…I believe there’s magic in moonbeams.

I believe that art is all around us…I believe there’s beauty in your dreams...”

As he looked down she was sleeping in his arms…which gave him some relief.

“I believe that you are beautiful.” He whispered…

“And I believe that I am blessed...beyond belief.”

THANKS

 THANKS

When I look around at all the misfortunes in the world and think, I can’t take it anymore…I stop and make myself think about all the things I have to be thankful for.

I’m thankful I woke up this morning…healthy…not in any pain…

I’m thankful I got to greet the sun…and welcome in the rain.

I’m thankful I have a place to live…a place to call my home…

I’m thankful for my ability to think and write…to put words into poem.

I’m thankful for my memory…all these pictures in my mind…I’m thankful for when and how I took them…

I”m thankful for the foods I eat…and for a stove on which to cook them.

I’m thankful for the birds who outside our windows float melodies on the morning breeze

I’m thankful for the flowers, for the butterflies…for the birds…I’m thankful for the trees.

I’m thankful I’ve been given the joy of living…and as we step outside our door

I’m thankful for this wonderful day…a day I’ve never seen before, 

I’m thankful for my senses…the ability to touch, taste, hear and see

I’m thankful for my ability to walk…and to have someone to walk with me.

I’m thankful for the the little creek where we stopped and watched the water as it flowed.

I’m thankful for the turkey family who walked ahead of us on the road.

I’m thankful for the colors in the sky and how throughout the day they blend.

I’m thankful for my children…my grandchildren…I’m thankful for my friends.

I’m thankful for babies…even when they fuss and scream.

I’m thankful for donuts, chocolate chip cookies…I’m thankful for pizza and ice cream.

Im thankful that, at my age, I haven’t forgotten how to learn.

I’m thankful that I love…and that I am loved in return.

I’m thankful that I can find things to be thankful for each and every day.

I’m even thankful for unknown blessings I know are already on their way.

It’s funny but whenever it’s to dark places I find my mind has slid…

I take the time to be thankful…and I’m always thankful that I did.

It’s a matter of simple physics…one of the keys that could make this world we all inhabit great….because the more time we spend giving thanks…

the less time we have to hate.

WHERE THERE'S A WIL

 WHERE’ S THERE’S A WIL…

I love to write down what I’m thinking…I love to take the time…

to gather up my thoughts…and try to make them rhyme.

I post these thoughts on Facebook…for friends and family to see…

and I am always overjoyed…when everyone agrees with me.

But every now and then a friend or family member comes along…

who disagrees with what I’m thinking…who thinks that I am wrong.

This person gathers up his thoughts…he even takes the time

to respond to what I’m thinking…(although he never makes his rhyme!)

I believe our country’s headed in the wrong direction…from what I hear and see

He sees with different eyes than mine and does not agree with me.

I try to comprehend his thinking…as I’m sure he does mine too…

It’s a struggle as we try to understand each other’s opposite point of view.

I’m pretty sure we both know….we both have come to realize.

there are certain issues in this country on which it’s impossible to compromise.

Still, I imagine we both share this similar thought…about the difficulty of our plight…

How do I make him understand that he is wrong…and I am right?

We do agree on some minor things…but on most major ones…we don’t

And if we ever hope for total agreement with one another…

there’s a good chance that we won/‘t

But I will keep him as a friend on Facebook…because we have a lot of work to do…

and unless we discuss our differences…no-one will ever change their point of view.

So I will continue to listen to the words he writes…and he will listen to my rhymes…

as we both keep fighting to change the world…one person at at time.

There’s a chance neither of us will change our views as we dance this delicate ballet…

but I figure I have a distinct advantage….

because where there’s a Wil…there has to be a way.

DENDROPHILES

 

I love trees but I am not an expert…I just know they touch my heart…

Except for some maples, poplars and a few oaks…I can’t tell trees apart.

Because I’m not an expert…but still love the way they make me smile…

I would never be considered an arborist…but I am a dendrophile.

An arborist would have studied and understand the science of every tree that comes her way….but as a dendrophile…walking among the trees I’m surprised a little every day.

An arborist knows there are over 64,000 species of trees…a fact they have been taught…

As a dendrophile I look at all the trees in awe…and say,..”WOW! I sure do see a lot.” 

An arborist…probably has some awe in him…but understands a tree’s creation

As a dendrophile, happily, I only have my imagination. 

An arborist cannot make up stories about trees she knows may not be true….

but a dendrophile…we’re different…for that’s exactly what we do. 

Since there is so much about the trees and the forest we do not understand…

a walk though the forest with a dendorphile…is like a trip through a wonderland. 

A dendrophile walking in the woods…bathed in moonlight or in the light the day…

hears the trees whispering to one another…and wonders what they’re trying to say.

So we make up fables and fairy tales…some as fanciful can be..

about all that inhabit the forest…and about our friends the trees.

For instance arborist sees two trees close together and explains how they communicate, how they share nutrients…how it’s part of what the Creator and nature have planned…

A dendrophile sees the same two trees and says…

Aw look…they’re holding hands.

Certainly there is a place for arborists….

their profession is both beneficial and worthwhile…

But as for me…

I’m happy walking through the woods for the rest of my life…

one joyful dendrophile.

THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD

 I look out on the world and try to find the beauty that is all around us…and most days I find that easy to do.  Today, however, not so much.  Today I lift my voice is sadness.  Today I pray that whatever entity you pray to, you pray that he or she can teach us all love, compassion and honor so that we may heal the world…and each other.

Tomorrow, hopefully, I’ll go back to discovering the beauty…because I need to see that beauty…it is that beauty that gives me hope. It is that beauty that usually guides my voice.

THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD?

When I was young I was brought up to believe America was the greatest county in the world…a country other countries around the world adored…

but now that I am older…I don’t believe that anymore.

Look at our history with the Native Americans, with Slavery, with Japanese Americans etc. etc.…atrocities our country would like to remain hidden….

So much so that in some states…teaching about them is forbidden.

Would a great country do that?  Teach only the history that makes us look good…that makes us glad…while ignoring our barbarity…while excluding all our bad.

Can we call ourselves a great country…this America we’re living in…

when people are still discriminated today…because of the the color of their skin?

Can we call ourselves a great country…can we call ourselves a shining star

when people are still victimized…for who they love and who they are?

When you stop to think about it…can we call this country great

when some people use their religion…to justify their hate?

Where we forget our servicemen and women…where we don’t even make a fuss

or fight to take care of the very people…who fight to take care of us.

When money is more important than the environment…more important than our oceans and our seas…more important than the animals…more important than the trees?

Where we don’t have health car for everyone.  

Where we don’t welcome everyone to our shore.

Where there is still a huge discrepancy between the very rich…and the very poor?

Where unimaginable numbers have been murdered…as each new killer tries to top it…

Where we say how sorry we are at each family’s loss…but do nothing at all to stop it.

Where innocent people are gunned down…where someday it might be you…

Where even the people who say it has nothing to do with guns…know that isn’t true.

And now a decision by our Supreme Court that has left many of us bemused…

the women in our country have lost their right to choose.

They say it’s to protect the unborn children…that all life is sacred…but, please, don’t be fooled..this came a day after they made it easier to carry a gun and and kill our children in their schools.

So when I hear someone say America is the greatest country in the world….

as I see her frail democracy dying….

I find it difficult to agree…or cheer…because, right now, I’m too busy crying.

For not only do I NOT believe this hype…this propaganda…this absurdity…this buzz

but looking back at our history…

I now wonder…if she ever was.

A BLIND MAN AT MONET

 We visited the Monet and Friends exhibit at the Biltmore Estate….

It’s a melding of technology, art and sound

The music is a backdrop…while the art is projected all around.

Immersed in the music and the art you can’t help but me mesmerized

It is a celebration for the ears…and a festival for the eyes.

As my eyes tried to keep up with the ever-changing art projections…I became aware

on a bench across the room…and an old man with a cane who was sitting there.

His eyes were closed which piqued my interest…and he swayed a little as he reclined…

He was listening more than watching which made me think…this man is blind.

You don’t come to an art exhibit, I thought to myself, if you do not have your sight…

So I eased on over and sat next to him…to see if I was right.

“I suppose you’re wondering what I’m doing here.” he said. “For you may have guessed that I am blind.”  “I have to be honest.” I replied. “The thought has crossed my mind.”

“I haven’t always been blind.” He said. “Over the years my eyesight slowly faded away.”

“Before it did I loved looking at all kinds of art…my favorite was Monet.”

“When my daughter heard of this exhibit…this Monet & his Friends show…

She asked already knowing the answer…If I would like to go.

“But how are you enjoying this?” I asked. “Surround by paintings you can’t see?”

The old man smiled, let out a sigh then patted me on the knee.

“It’s true my eyes no longer see the paintings…that is a consequence of being blind

but because I remember what they look like…I still see them in my mind.”

Because my ability to see them has long ago faded from my view…

my mind now does the seeing…my eyes refuse to do.”

As I listen to the music…I enter the room in my mind where all my Monet’s are stored

and across the darkness of that room…his colors begin to soar.

And once again I experience his paintings…they’re right here in front of me…

and for a moment, a wonderful moment, I feel like I can see.

We sat together in silence for a while…I even closed my eyes…hoping I could find

a way to experience the beauty of Monet…through the eyes of one who’s blind.

I thanked his as I left him sitting there smiling…no longer wondering what he was doing…Wondering instead which one of Monet ’s paintings he happened to be viewing.

I knew seeing this exhibit would be wonderful…and I’d probably learn something along the way…but never did I expect to learn so much about how to see…from a blind man at Monet.

OLD OVERALLS

 I have this wonderful old pair of overalls…with years of stains from head to toe…

I bought them the first year we came together to the mountains….34 years ago.

I wore these overalls when our children were young…because I wanted them to see

how working around the cabin was important…and…because they looked good on me.

I wanted them to understand…hoping the overalls would help them see…

how the cabin, our home for two weeks every year, still needed some TLC.

I wore them to work in the yard or the garden…with Deborahs father by my side…

we wore our overalls and worked together…until the day he died.

And I’ve kept wearing these overalls…even though at times working alone is sad…

to keep our cabin looking good …and as a tribute to Deborah’s dad.

Each year I put them on again…and smile at the memories…

then go to work around the cabin knowing he is watching me.

I’ve tried to respect his vision for the cabin…I think about that with my every move

and even though he’s no longer here…I like to think he would approve.

My grandchildren have seen me in these overalls…and as my oldest grandson grew…

there came a day when I was happy he he asked, “PopPop…can I wear them too?”

These overalls have seen their fair share of sweat and mud and rain

and no matter how many times we wash them…we can’t get out the satins.

But that’s fine with me because I love every grass stain on them…

even how the legs over the years have frayed

It’s all part of our shared history…and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I put them on again this year and as usual said, “Hey, these still look good on me.”

and as I began to work around the cabin…

I’m pretty sure…

Deborah’s father would agree.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

 The heart is a remarkable organ…ready to accept love with every inhalation 

and just as prepared to give love back with every exhalation.

Which means everywhere we stop…pieces of many other hearts we find…

and when it’s time to go…we leave a little of our heart behind.

For when a heart is filled with love…no matter where we roam…

Wherever we stop for the evening…will always feel like home.

We have a house in Florida….it’s where our children received their chromosomes….

It’s where they did their growing up…it’s always been our home.

We have a family cabin in North Carolina…

for two weeks every summer to this cabin we would roam…

for two weeks every summer…this cabin was our home.

Our children all are grown now but when we get together…

or even when we just talk to them on the phone….

in a restaurant, or 600 miles apart…it always feels like home.

It is a wonderful feeling…wherever I go…and from every place I may depart…

I have a mobile home that travels with me…I carry it in my heart…

The other day, after returning, I was cleaning the floor of our cabin in NC…

when I noticed a heart design in the floorboard…staring up at me.

Reminding me as I grow a little oder…no matter where I roam

my home will always be where my heart is…

and where my heart is…

will always be my home.

TRAVEL

 Travel, according to Mark Twain, is fatal to prejudice, narrow-mindedness and bigotry…and the more and more we travel…the more wholeheartedly we agree.

On the road we’ve seen the wonderful diversity of people and I know we are not wrong…when we say we’ve been pleasantly surprised how easily everybody gets along.

We’ve seen people smiling at other people they don’t know…helping one another too…

people being kind and generous to total strangers…because more often than not… that’s what people do.

When traveling…we have one shared goal…the minute we begin it…

to enjoy the world around us…and all the people in it.

We’ve seen gay and lesbian couples…couples of mixed race…

people speaking different languages…happily sharing the same space. 

When traveling you smile and speak with everyone…most…you’ll never know their names…it’s amazing how all travelers treat other travelers the same.

And we’ve noticed something wonderful…we’d like also to exclaim… 

Mothers and fathers from across the world…treat their children all the same.

Dads from every nationality…with a long way yet to hike and not feeling very strong…

will pick up their crying child…and carry them along.

Moms will stop in the middle of a snowstorm…with the cold turning their hands blue…and kneel down in the cold wet snow to tie their child’s shoe.

People smile at one another, laugh together…share a story or two

talk with kindness to one another…as each one passes through…

We’ve seen all this while traveling…in people of every shape, every color…yellow, black or white…which leads us to believe that Mr. Twain was right.

I wonder if we would treat each other equally…

with kindness…

as if everyone had worth…

if we realized we are all travelers…

traveling together 

our vehicle…is the Earth

ROAD TRIP

 

This road trip has been wonderful from the first stop to the last and all those in between…

all the places we have gone…

all the people we have met…

all the wonders we have seen.

But as I look back on our life…and all the blessings we’ve been bestowed…

every day we are alive is just another trip along the road.

Which makes every day a road trip…of course…this is just my point of view…

whether you’ve traveled this road before…or if the road you’re on is new.

Whether the trip takes you to places you’ve never been before…

or just a short walk down the street from the steps of your front door.

And what make each road trip special has nothing to do with fantasy…or myth

It’s loving the road you’re on…and loving the ones your with. 

So here’s to a life of road trips…

may you travel with Godspeed….

and may you all find love and happiness…

wherever your road may lead.

SOMANY KINDS OF BEAUTIFUL

 Our long and wonderful road trip is over…and as our next adventure starts…we imagine friends will ask us…what was your favorite part.

But when we think of all we’ve seen and done…all those wonders…all those views…

we realize with so many kinds of beautiful out there…it is impossible to choose.

Because when you compare two things of beauty…when your comparison is done…

you end up stealing a little of the magic and the beauty from each one.

As we think about all the the kids of beauty we’ve seen…and we’ve seen beauty everywhere….

knowing each one has a beauty all its own…we find no reason to compare.

From Mammoth, Kentucky where we explored the inside of a cave so big you could get lost…

To the Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Shoshone and Ohio rivers…all which we have crossed.

From walking in a field of wildflowers…to gazing at the stars outside our Tipi

From standing under Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse the St. Louis Arch to the stature of Dignity.

From admiring so many lakes we lost count….not to mention all those creeks

to standing on top of a volcano…a pyramid…and driving up Pikes Peak.

From cruising down the Mississippi River in the front of a riverboat

to watching the sunrise over the prairies of Kansas with some horses and a goat.

From the lodgepole pines in the Tetons and Yellowstone…the tallest, straightest trees

to the rolling Flint Hills of Kansas…their grasses swaying in the breeze. 

From the way we saw people’s kindness…as they lent each other a hand…

to falling asleep in Yellowstone and waking up to a winter wonderland.

Everywhere…and we mean everywhere…from North Carolina all the way to Yellowstone…from theTetons to Dollywood…had a beauty all their own.

So if you ask us which part was our favorite….which was the most beautiful

we’ll smile…give your shoulder a loving pat…

and politely say as as we remember the many kinds of beauty we have seen,

There’s no way we can answer that!

SUBARU AND GPS

 As our trip comes to an end after all the miles we’ve driven through…

I’d like to take time out to thank…our GPS and Subaru.

Our Subaru soldiered on…taking us wherever we wanted to go…

Through the heat, the hail the rain…the fog, the winds…the snow.

She never faltered…not once…and she was carrying quite a load…

even when the winds in South Dakota tried to blow her off the road .

Even buried under 5 inches of snow…which would make any Florida car weak…

Even at the prospect of a long fall off Pikes Peak.

In Tennessee when the temperature reached 114…she even kept her cool…

when we left her sitting in the sun…as we jumped in the pool.

But the Subaru can only do so much…imagine what a mess

If we’d have tried to complete this trip…without our GPS.

With the Subaru running smoothly (you could hear her engine purr)

we’d tell the GPS where we wanted to go…and leave the directions up to her.

And as I sit here reminiscing….now that our trip is done…

every place we programmed in… she found them…every one.

Even when I made the wrong turn and I was feeling sad….

she rerouted me with a smile…and never once got mad.

Deborah more than once said remarked…you talk to her nicer than you talk to me…

at this point I kept silent…I mean I could not disagree.

She said perhaps I need some therapy…because with this device I seemed obsessed….I said which one of us needs therapy…your jealous of my GPS!

But in the end we worked out our differences…

knowing we wouldn’t have made it through….

without the assistance of our GPS…and the strength of our Subaru.

OUR SILENCE

 Our trip has been filled with a multitude of sounds…

conversations, joys and laughter to name a few…

but today I’d like to focus on the silence we’ve shared too.

How wonderful to reach a point…where no words need to be spoken….

where there is no need…no purpose…no reason…for the silence to be broken.

The sounds we make together…as well as our shared silence and solitude

excite and energize my soul and fill my heart with gratitude. 

There is a beauty to our silence…in the quiet stillness of the air…

devoid of sound and commotion…I find some comfort there.

Yes, I find as much beauty in our silence…

as when we’re chipping together like the birds…

After all…

If we cannot comprehend each other’s silence…

how can we ever understand each other’s words.

DOLLYWOOD

 If you have ever traveled…no matter how little or how far you roam……

there’s a chance you may feel a twinge of disappointment…

when it’s time to head for home.

Knowing this was a possibility…we tried to plan so we’d be immersed….

In as much fun the second half of our trip…as we had been on the first.

This meant never traveling over 300 miles…on any given day…

which allowed us to stop and smell the roses nature planted along the way.

If you’ve been on this journey with us…it would be easy to conclude…

not only do we stop for nature’s beauty…but we also stop for food.

You may have noticed as we traveled we have gone far out of our way

to stop for a donut shop, a chocolate factory…or an occasional buffet.

Some people might think we’re crazy…others at our carelessness might be miffed….

but for Deborah and I…it’s easy…we think of it as a gift.

Which brings us to our final stop in Pigeon Forge where we both understood…

we’d be spending two nights in a cabin and visiting Dollywood.

Although we both love Dolly Parton who over this domain presides…

we don’t particularly care for roller coasters…any fast or scary rides.

So what would bring us to her amusement park…is it the beautiful scenery…the mountains…the sky…is it the occasional concerts or the off-chance we’ll see Dolly walking by?

Although these are all wonderful arguments…the real reason we made Dollywood the end of our line….is the warm home-made loaves of Cinnamon bread (with icing) she sells for $9.99.

Our plan was to buy two loaves of cinnamon bread…one for Deborah and one for me…but that plan changed when we realized one loaf is the size of Tennessee.

So we bought one loaf…and with two forks smiled then declared…

how a loaf of bread the size of Tennessee tastes better when it’s shared.

As this road trip comes to an end…you’ll find us smiling with bread crumbs on our lips and cinnamon dripping from our chins….

Happy for the wonderful adventures we just finished…

excited as the next adventure begins.

For that is the wonder of adventures…

the minute one’s completed…

the very second that it’s done…

you only have a moment to catch your breath…

before the next adventure has begun.

BUFFET

 One the joys of staying at Air B & B’s…is, how every place energizes…

each one is a little different…and is filled with such surprises…

You book the place your staying on line…sometimes many months before…

but you never really know what you’ve got…until you pull up to the door.

You love to meet your host or hostess…the ones who you are paying…

to learn a little about them…and the place where you’ll be staying.

At Lake of the Ozarks when we arrived at our cabin…after driving 200 miles…

Ellen the owner of the cabin stopped to talk with us a while.

She was working in her flower garden and decided to take a little break…

So she gave us a little history of the cabin and some information about the lake.

She mentioned if we weren’t leaving too early we might want to take part of our day…and head to Jolly Rogers Grub and Grog…for their award winning buffet.

She said it’s been voted the best buffet in Missouri…and she wanted us to know…

If your in town for any length of time…it’s a place you have to go.

She said she and her husband have eaten there often and their food is truly great.

She said the omelets, pancakes ad eggs Benedict are made to order while you wait.

She said when it comes to food in the buffet Jolly Roger’s has the most

They have pastries, donuts, black beans and rice…and three kinds of French Toast.

She said when you’re done with breakfast…since they serve lunch at the same time…you can eat steak…or chicken…or burgers…or even rib that’s prime.

She went on and on talking about the foods the service…how they’ve eaten their with their son and daughter…How beautiful it is to sit and look out on the water.

She knew so much about Jolly Rogers…and she tried hard not to gloat

when she said we can drive to the restaurant…but they prefer to go by boat.

When finished she smiled and said I think I’ve made my point…so…what do you say…

Deborah and I smiled at one another and said together…

Ellen…you had us at buffet.