GOOD MORNING TO THE MOON

Knowing life is temporary and will be over much too soon

Every day I take a walk and say good morning to the moon.

I say good morning to the clouds reflected in her light

I say good morning to the stars and all the animals that populate the night.

I love to walk among the shadows with the sounds around me blending

I love to begin my day the moment the night is ending.

And because every moment is precious and I don’t want to miss a one

In the evening I will look out and say good night to the sun.

Good night to the clouds that darken as she slips into the bay

Good night to all the animals that populate the day.

And as the day heads off to sleep…as she turns of her last light

I always make one wish as I retire for the night.

Knowing life is temporary and will be over much too soon

I wish that on the morrow…I’ll wake up to greet the moon.

GEORGE

One thing I love about memory 

is how a song, an aroma, or simply something that’s been said

can awaken a memory from where it rests and pop it in my head…

Our family noticed them on a walk…a young couple with their retriever…golden brown

we were walking up a hill while they were walking down.

As I stopped to pet their golden and we began to talk

I suddenly thought of Whitman, our golden, and how he loved to walk.

I scratched George, their golden, behind his ears…a tail wagging ensued

and I remembered how, when I scratched Whitman there…his tail would wag too.

I wondered why they named him George…and in my reverie

I remember how we named our Whitman after a bakery…

As I continued petting for a moment…right there and right then

It was as if I was petting Whitman and he was alive again.

Before they walked away I thanked the couple for sharing George with me

and I whispered into George’s ear…”Thanks for the memory”.

I watched them continue down the hill feeling glad that we had met

and I smiled because my memories of Whitman hadn’t finished yet.

Once his memories faded away…and returned to where they rest

I caught up to my family…feeling lucky…feeling blessed.

And in awe of how once they’re awakened…

even for a little while

memories can seem so real…

memories can make you smile

A SONG IN EVERY TREE

Wonders come in an array of shapes and sizes…so many different kinds

You never know from day to day what wonders you might find.

A daughter walking with her mother

to her mom’s hand the daughter was clinging

when, suddenly she stopped, “Mom, listen!  I think this tree is singing.”

So they stopped to listen for a moment as the tree completed her song

and the mother began to smile when the daughter sang along.

The mother felt a wonder she didn’t know this day would bring

when her daughter turned to her and said,

“I never knew that trees could sing.”

Here the mother had a mild dilemma…

Should she solve this little mystery?

Should she tell her daughter there is a hidden bird singing in the tree?

Before she had the chance to speak

while to her mom’s hand she was still clinging

her daughter said, “Mom, over there…another tree is singing.”

Yes, wonders come in many shapes and sizes

You never know how they’ll unfurl…

Today’s wonder for the mother came in the shape of her little girl…

Who as they walked hand in hand together helped her mother see

when you stop to listen…

there is a song in every tree.

PLANTING

Have you ever noticed when we plant a flower

we never really know

the exact moment it will see the light

the exact moment it begins to grow.

It matters not how much knowledge we have

it is not within our power

to know the exact moment it is ready

the exact moment it will flower

We know if we give it our love and care

eventually it should grow

but as to the exact moment it will blossom

well this…we never know

So once we plant the seed

and give it our all…

and give it our best

it’s time to sit back, 

relax 

and let nature do the rest.

If we’re blessed there will come a time…

we happily assume

when we walk into our garden

We’ll be greeted by a bloom.

I wonder if we can learn form this

learn from the flower seeds we’re sowing…

and apply this knowledge to our own lives

and the children we are growing.

REMEMBERING WHEN THEY WERE BABIES

Remember when our children and grandchildren were babies?

How we were immediately taken with their charms?

How we could not wait to pick them up and hold them in our arms?

To them we must have looked like giants…

so big 

so strong 

so tall 

To us they looked so tiny…

so delicate 

so small.

We realized these little miracles were so beautiful…so light

and we immediately fell in love with them…

it was…love at our first sight.

And we found different ways to express our love…

it seemed we had a knack

remember how we’d perch them on our shoulders…

or let them ride upon our backs?

And remember how there came a time, 

though we were still captivated by their charms

when they grew too big to pick up and hold within our arms?

When putting them on our shoulders or playing horsey on the rug

gave way to kisses on the cheeks, or a smile and a hug.

And how every now and then we stop…and ask ourselves 

as every day they grow taller…

Have they really grown that much…

or are we just getting smaller?

And now they look like giants…

so big 

so strong 

so tall

And I imagine to them we look so tiny…

so delicate 

so small.

But no matter how big they grow…

we’ll continue to be captivated by their charms

as we remember the babies…

we once held in our arms.

A CHANGE IN MY PERSPECTIVE

There are times when I’ve looked in the mirror and thought

certain parts of me I’d like to undo them

but the older I get the more I realize

it’s all in how I view them.

When I see how old my face looks…

I could lament my wrinkles and my scars…

or rejoice in the knowledge that I’ve been blessed

to have made it in life…this far.

I could lament that I wear glasses

that my vision’s not crisp and clean…

or rejoice knowing with my glasses

all the beautiful things I’ve seen.

I’ve seen our children and grandchildren grow up

I’ve seen nature’s beauty all around me

and everywhere I look

I see how my family’s love surrounds me,

I could look in the mirror at my ears 

and lament their enormous shape and size

or rejoice that with these ears

I have heard our babies’ cries.

These ears have heard all kinds of music, 

our children’s and grandchildren’s first words

They’ve heard every sound from a lion’s roar

to the chirping of the birds.

Besides…when I stop and think about it…

when everything is done…and everything’s been said

If I didn’t have these big ears…

how would I attach my glasses to my head?

So the next time I look in the mirror

and see all my different parts that seem defective…

I’ll turn around and try looking again

this time from a new perspective

AMERICA'S PASTTIME

On our way into the stadium before the game had even begun

I saw them walking together…a father and his son.

They were excited, smiling…laughing as father and son are wont to do

They had on matching hats and shirts…the same color…Toronto blue.

The son was wearing a mitt on his hand…to me it looked brand new

Hoping, I’m sure, to catch a foul ball and make a dream come true.

I saw them at the concession stand where the father gave his son a wink

and said, “We’d like two hot dogs, two french fries and two drinks.”

On our way down to our seats still before the game had even begin

I saw them sitting in front of us…a father and his son.

They were excited, smiling…laughing as father and son are wont to do

Only this father and son were much older…in their matching Toronto blue.

I watched as the son put down his old mitt, stood and ask his father loud and clear

“Dad, I’m going to the concession stand…do you want a hot dog and a beer?”

The father looked up at his son, smiled and nodded his head…

“I’d like that.” His voice was barely above a whisper…

"The usual.” He said.

On our way out of the stadium…after the visiting team had won

I saw them walking together…these two fathers and two sons.

And it reminded me of what I love about baseball…

where the future meets the present and the present meet the past

where families just by watching a game make memories that last…

where fathers and sons come together…

fathers and daughters too

where even if the home team lost…and no foul ball was caught

dreams can still come true.