Natural Things

Nature

I stood in a forest
With the tall trees.
Among these big sisters and brothers,
Myself and my worries
Seemed less significant.
I asked "Mother, will I make it?"
And Nature responded
With rustling leaves,
With a bird's song,
With the sound of a nearby stream.
She said "You've always made it,
And I will always be here for you."
And my heart felt light and still.
Thank you, Mother.

Serenity

With all the beautiful music
And songs in the world,
Sometimes,
There's no more beautiful sound
Than the silence
Of the woods.

Sun

Sun,
There you are.
So bright,
Fiery,
Wild and untamed.
Just like her,
The one I would give you to.

Moon

Moon,
There you are.
The brightest
In the night sky.
So light
And free.
Just like her,
The one I would give you to.

So much more

You are beautiful.
And you are so much more.

Where are you from?

With a fire burning so bright,
You could have only come From the stars.

Forever wild

A free spirit like yours
Deserves the whole universe
To roam freely.
And I would never want to tame
Your wild youthful flame
Because that flame
Set my fire free.
And as wrinkles find way
To your beautiful face,
And as the gray hair
Becomes commonplace,
To me
You will always be
Forever young,
Forever wild.

Full of love

When things don't go well,
And there's room for anger
And for resentment,
When things get rough,
I just want to be
Full of love.

A thought

I think.
Sometimes I wish I didn't.

I don’t go there any more

I sense tranquility.
No more sadness, no pain.
Just a light.
There's peace six feet deep,
In becoming a ghost.

I learned to be the sky

When worries come,
I learned to be the sky,
For when the storms arise,
The sky does not resist.
It knows that they will pass,
And things will be OK,
And in the puddles cheerfully
The sunshine rays will play.

Happiness

When I create space
Between me and my wandering mind,
I fill it with breaths,
With the warm summer breeze,
With the feel of your touch,
With a bird's song.
When I create space
Between me and my mind,
I fill it
With absence of worry.
I fill it
With happiness.

This Beautiful Morning

This beautiful morning
I had nothing to do,
No errands to run,
Nothing to leave to chance.
So this beautiful morning
I lived life -
I had some tea,
I sang, and I danced.

Spring Came

Spring came,
Flowers bloomed,
And broken hearts started mending.

Sun shone brightly,
Birds sang,
And smiles returned.

Spring came,
And then the summer,
And everything
Was just fine.

I drink

I drink
Just to feel again.
That rush.
My heart beats excitedly again.
Just for a moment,
I can do anything.
Before I sink again.
Coffee.
The only reason
I still want, I still can
Wake up again.

I write

I write these poems,
Kind of like one of the idiots
That Shakespeare spoke about,
Writing words full of sound and fury
Yet signifying nothing.

Well, there's an ache in my stomach.
I'm not sure how it got in,
But I hoped, maybe if I write,
I hoped it'd be my medicine.

So I write my silly poems,
And I meditate as well,
And I try to give my thanks,
But nothing seems to help.

There's still an ache in my stomach
For which I've found no medicine.
Or maybe I'm just cracking open,
After all, like Leonard said,
That is how the light gets in.

Garden

There was a garden
Of wilting flowers,
Where I would go alone
And feel right at home,
And I felt understood
Without saying a word.

Maybe it was seeing them wilt,
And even if
Beautiful flowers do that,
Then it was ok
For me too.

Maybe it was seeing them go,
And even though
We all die alone,
Maybe among them, it felt
Like I wouldn't have to.

And time has its way,
With flowers, and people,
Among other things.
Time passed, and I
Kind of didn't notice
That I don't go there anymore.

I spend my time
With flowers in bloom now.

Truth is

Truth is weird,
But not in a bad way,
More like peculiar, curious,
As it comes in different shapes.

It can be a proven statement,
Like "earth is round",
Or "vaccines work",
And we'll still find people who'll try to dispute it.

It can be funny and cute,
Like koalas
Who sometimes need a branch
To sit on while being weighed.

It can be scary.
For example,
Global warming is real,
And we're not sure how things will go.

Truth, just like feelings,
Sometimes doesn't make immediate sense,
Like loving someone
After they've hurt us.

And truth can be sad.
She's not coming back.

The first time

I am inside.
I can feel the whole universe.
It is all here.
This must be the meaning of life.

I'm out.
I'm back in.

Big bang
Created the universe,
And I might have
Just created some life.

That was heaven.

Did you come too?

Stream up north

If you go far enough north,
You will find a stream
That cheerfully runs
Among tall, mossy trees.

And as it winds south,
It grows into a river
With its mighty currents,
And then into an ocean
With its giant waves.

And if you find yourself struggling
In the life's rough waters,
Just remember that stream.
And if you look closely,
You will find it within.

And the waters will calm,
And the troubles will pass,
And then you can travel
Far enough north
To that wonderful, playful,
Youthful stream.
And you can run with it,
Carefree,
Among tall, mossy trees.

Working through

These feelings,
They are heavy on the heart.
I keep them in shadows
Until it's dark.

I think of you each night,
Before I fall asleep.
I find no comfort
In the distance that we keep.

I know it's not all our fault,
And some things must end.
But I still feel alone,
And without you,
This place does not feel like home.

We tiptoed around the hurt,
Hoping that it would all just go,
Because none of it was ever meant to be
This close to you and me.

Things have gone cold,
And we've drifted apart.
Have we given up?
There's winter in our hearts.

I still look for glimmers of warmth,
And I still hope
That we will have loved each other
At our darkest.

It only takes a few
Kind, meaningful words.
Have we given up
This winter in our hearts?

I've carried my grief

I've carried my grief
Through torpor and frenzy,
The days I couldn't think
And the days I couldn't stop thinking.
As I denied and bargained,
It was there, reminding me
Of what has been lost.

I've carried my grief
Through dolor and mania,
The days I didn't want to move
And the days I couldn't stop moving.
As I blazed through anger
And slogged through depression,
It was there, in the chest,
Burning a hole.

I've carried my grief.
In the thick of it,
It felt like there is no relief.
And I might not be ready
To fully let go just yet,
But I think I can now let it rest,
And go for a walk.
And when I come back,
Maybe it won't be here.

Delight

As I sat on the grass,
Looking up at the sky,
Thinking about life,
I saw a wren
On a branch of a nearby tree
Looking at me curiously.

I smiled and asked
"Would you kindly
Sing for me?"
And she said
"Sure.
If you catch me."

I smiled
And thought for a second.
"I can surely try.
Too bad I can't fly."
And she said
"Yeah, it is quite a lot of fun."

So she flew,
And I ran,
Through fields and across creeks,
Through birches, maples, and pine trees,
Across meadows resting
Under gentle summer breeze.

As the sun began to set,
It was time to go back home.
"That was wonderful" I said.
"I should probably head back.
Maybe I'll get to hear you sing
Another time."

I smiled and waved.
And as I walked home,
She flew along with me
And sang most beautifully.

We got a chance to play.
And in the end,
I got to hear her sing
And made a brand new friend.
What a wonderful time.
What a beautiful thing.

I didn’t like autumn

I didn’t like autumn.
It felt like a diminuendo
After the summer,
And everything lost its pep.

And following in its steps
Would arrive winter,
with its cold winds and its snow,
which I liked even less.

So instead of enjoying
Autumn’s idyllic days,
I would spend them wishing
For summer to stop fading away.

And I don’t know if it’s other changes
Or I’m just getting old,
But autumn has won me over
With its amber and its gold.

With its stillness,
And its peace,
With the beauty
Of falling leaves.

So, now I love autumn
And believe one more thing to be true:
When it arrives,
I will love winter too.

There

Look there.
Smoke is billowing over trees there.
Blood’s running down in streams there.
Life’s spilling out onto the dirt there.
Give me a sign, I will be there.

Look there.
It’s always gloomy and cold there.
Flowers will never bloom there.
Sorrow and pain found home there.
Give me a sign, I will be there.

Look, there!
Sky is endless and blue there.
Birds sing songs of love there.
Everything’s filled with joy there.
Give me a sign, I will be there.

I will go
Following you, without ego.
Wherever you go, I will go.
Just give me a sign,
I will be there.
Anywhere.
Everywhere.

On Love

Dating

I've been going to
Movies,
Museums,
Concerts and shows,
On long walks
By myself.
I've been dating myself
Because I'll love you better
If I can love myself.

This love in your absence

This love
In your absence
Is the most beautiful weight
I've ever carried.

To Love

To love is to care,
To love is to be there.

To love is to listen,
To love is to learn,
To love is to change,
To love is to grow.

To love is to wait.

And sometimes,
To love is
To let go.

Unbothered

I've been unbothered.

A little trouble at work?
No problem.
Review,
Communicate better,
Put in a few extra hours.
Things are back on track.
Unbothered.

A little trouble with health?
Got it.
Rest more,
Eat better,
Keep up with the exercise.
Things are back to normal.
Unbothered.

My favorite music and arts
Are now bland,
A little bit better than boring.
Better than nothing.
Kind of like these lines.
It's fine.
Unbothered.

I ran into her.

I'm not sure
This whole
"I don't feel" thing
Is really working.
Crap.
Bothered!

What Happens To Love?

What happens to love
When lovers part?
Does it wilt and return back to Earth
Like a flower and its petals?
Does it fly away
Like a bird looking for warmer skies?
I'd like to think
That it's like the trees
That change but never leave,
That stand barren when it is cold,
And when time is right,
Bloom.

Note To Self

Sometimes I'm afraid
You are a little too hard on yourself.
Sometimes I'm afraid
You are feeling lonely,
Or a little bit sad.
And that is OK.
Just please remember -
You are so precious,
And you deserve
All the love in the world.

I love, so I wait

I love, so I wait.
Because anything great
Is worth time and effort.

And it's not passive waiting.
More like growing a tree -
We wait, but we still do important things.

We water its roots,
And we fertilize the ground.
And when needed, we give it a prune.

And it rewards us for all that effort
With shade and sweet fruit,
And perhaps a sense of pride and accomplishment.

So as I wait,
I do my version
Of the important things.

I've learned about homemaking,
About parenting and re-parenting,
About caring for another.

I've learned more about my own feelings,
About the power of listening,
And the importance of kept promises.

I've learned about vulnerability -
I hear that is an important quality,
And is rare in men.

Because anything great
Deserves time and effort.
And I love,
And I hope,
So I wait.

How do you heal a broken heart?

How do you heal a broken heart?
With gobs of ice-cream and chocolate!
Well, that's not all of it,
But it's a good start.

And with cookies, and cakes,
And all kinds of other treats.
Stuff it with sugar
Till the sorrows retreat.

But really,
How do you heal a broken heart?
First, please be patient,
And just sit with it in the dark

Of the phone not ringing,
Of the dreams upgiven,
Of the half-empty place
Where love once lived.

Give it all the compassion and kindness,
And a gentle shoulder to cry.
I promise it wants to feel better,
It's just these things take time.

And when it's ready to step into the light,
Help it find new hopes,
Discover new joys
And new dreams to set sights

Because all it really wants
Is something to look forward to,
To love,
And to feel loved too.

That and the treats.
How human of it.

Family

The House of Hearts

We will get married
And buy a house,
The place where our family starts,
The house of loving hearts.

Our place of warmth, comfort, and joy,
Our steadfast port in the storm,
Where you and I will have each other,
Our loving home.

And we'll have beautiful children,
Our precious lights, little stars.
And they can shine and play freely
In the house of wild hearts.

A place for them to be just as they are,
To feel loved, safe, and never alone,
Where we will all have each other,
Our loving home.

They will go to school
To learn science and arts,
And they'll learn care and kindness
In the house of gentle hearts.

They will grow up and start adult lives,
But we will never feel far apart,
As they will always have a place
In the house of warm, welcoming hearts.

You and I will grow older,
But we don't have to grow old.
We will make sure
That time is kind to our romance.
We'll still hold hands,
Hug, kiss, laugh, and dance,
And live happily ever after
In the place where it all starts,
Our forever home,
Our loving hearts.

For you

Would I steal the moon?
Or the pot of gold
At the end of the rainbow?
How about a unicorn
And a hippogriff?
They would make really cool pets!
Maybe a trip to Atlantis
And Agrabah?
There are carpets to ride
And memories to make!
How about some tea
With Belle and Mrs. Potts?
I'm sure we can arrange that.

For you,
Whom I love so much,
For you,
Anything!

A check-in

Gently, rest.
You give so much.
It must get tiring.
Here, I've made you some tea,
And here's a treat.

A little later, I'll rub your feet.
Don't think about the chores,
I'll take care of them.
And you can read your favorite book.

And when you're ready,
Tell me, what are your worries these day?
They can be heavy to bear.
You don't need to do it alone
If you are willing to share.

I won't ever pretend
To be able to walk a day in your shoes,
But I can promise
To always walk alongside you.

And what do you dream of?
What fills you heart?
What will make you the happiest?
Let's make those things happen.
We just need to plan and to start.

If there's one thing
I want to make sure to do,
It's to cherish your dreams
As much as I cherish you.

I want to know all of it.
But for now,
Just rest.
I'll go get the dinner started.

These loving hands

These loving hands have raised children;
They have soothed and nurtured.
These hands have cared for friends and family;
They have cooked, and cleaned, and held.
And now they take care of strangers
Who need their help.

And every line on them
Could have a poem of its own.
Bless these loving hands.
I’m grateful for these blessed hands.

Poetry