Begin With Self-Compassion

I will look within…

Yes. I will go within. Where my best self lives where

my haven of affirmation lies nestled among lush waters and

breezy palm trees that sag with abundance from date-filled

sweetness. High above the grandness of canyons and

shadows of red rock mountain vistas where evening

nights wrap my worries in warm pashminas and

luscious tea that glistens in the backdrop of

dazzling desert colors.

Imagine a World

Christmas and the holiday season is traditionally seen as a time of “peace on earth…goodwill…” Can we truly imagine a season right now where there is peace in all our lands, peace in all our streets, peace in all our hearts? Look around our world: there is war in Ukraine, war in the Middle East, war in the African fields of Sudan, Nigeria, the Congo and yes, unrest in the streets of many American cities. Yet, let us imagine a world of peace for our children who will inherit this land when we are gone.

Let it come, let it heal.

End Of Year Reflection

This year brought joyful changes

disguised in many ways

who would’ve thought I’d be at home

to spend free time and days

Retirement finally came for me

I certainly can’t complain

’cause working hard some years in life

can be a doggone shame

No clocks, no waking up at dawn

my schedule is open wide

can read a book or take a cruise

making memories filled with pride

If nothing but an hour

I take time to be still

enjoying precious moments

gives me the greatest thrill

I celebrate time with family

have lunch dates with a friend

I savor life and all its bliss

for it’s fleeting like the wind.

Have a Merry Christmas

GRATITUDE

Like a stunning shawl wrapped around me

gratitude warms my heart with sweet chats,

luscious meals and quiet meditations. Yes,

thanksgiving enthralls me like golden skies,

coral shadows, raspberry colored hedges

that seduce the air like banners of afternoon poetry.

Life’s Leaves are a’ Fallin

Scattered here

scattered there

all around the ground

fallin’ amidst our days

restless senseless nights

life’s leaves are a fallin’

down down down

reddish as city violence

green like corporate corruption

down down down

brown as Uvalde pain

orange as prison jumpsuits

tragic as Camp Mystic rain

down down down

life’s leaves are a fallin’

we never know the turns they take

when circumstances come a callin’