Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Once faced with your destination
What is left to prove?
Once you’ve walked down paths forsaken
What’s there left to lose?
Is there any power lying useless
In your hands?
Is there in this crowded landscape
Anyplace to land?

Why Do This?

I don’t do this for you.
I do it for myself.
This art -
This expression?
This is my freedom.
This momentary release -
This peace-giving thing
Is my thing.

Spoken And Written

Words come like breathing -
Like moving or anything
Natural
That flows from the soul.
There is power
And eternity
And a kind of strength
In the written word
That does not exist in the spoken word.
The spoken word speaks
And then it is forgotten.
The spoken word speaks
And is clouded by tone
Body language and facial expression.
The written word waits -
Simply -
To be interpreted by a soul.

Worldview

Life is much bigger than
We think.
Its journey is not just
From one day to another.
It is from one moment,
One event,
Or one person’s life
That we travel, and try
To make an impact.

Act Of Faith

How do I
Begin to express
The depth of
What have seen?
Is it right to even
Try to give such thing
Words?
Do we sit with it
Silently,
Content with what little
Has been done,
Or do we rise up
Boldly,
Knowing there is
More to do?

Momentary

What I need right now is
Perspective.
What I need right now is
Time.
What I need right now is
Peace.
What I need right now is
Understanding.
What I need right now is
Love.
What I need right now is
Acceptance -
Just simply to know that
I’m enough.

Night Terror Until Day Breaks

One day
We will all be free.
We will see the truth.
We will know what’s right.
We’ll be able to hang on
When the night seems endless
And the darkness gripping -
We will overcome this
One day.

Columbine 1999

Today
The building stands empty,
And the screams are silent.
The wounded are healing,
And those who lost are grieving.
New laws are passed,
And we fear copycats.
Innocence was murdered -
Dreams were shattered,
And across the country
We bowed our heads.
Are we better off?
Do we know anymore?
Have we forgotten?
I, for one,
Have not.

Violence

It comes in many forms.
It may show itself
In bruises
And hatred.
It may come forth as
Pain.
But it can be also
Called a stealer,
An intruder
Into peace.

Object Permanence

Though some things come
While others go,
I gain comfort with the fact
The friendships I have made
For now
Will be the kind
To last.

How Rachel Lived

I am moved,
But
Is it enough
To act?
One person’s
Kindness -
The way she
Moved through life
Doing such
Simple
Yet meaningful
Things for people.
I wonder if -
And I pray that
I can be brave enough
To do the same.

Commonplace

When I think
Of life
And what it could be,
I’m always distracted
By what it is.
I am a creature of habit,
And that includes
How I live.
I don’t like change
Even if it means
Embracing something
Better than I know.

What Amy Taught

There are times
When we come to realize
Our struggle is
Not so insurmountable
As we had once thought.
That if we face something
Difficult,
We can get through it
Because we have to.
There are times -
Thanks to someone whose life
Ended
Far too soon, and
Just when it was supposed to -
That I can now look
Into the face of pain
And see the beauty
Birthed from it.

Resurrected

A new day,
A new life,
But do we yet have
A new outlook?
Or do we just look
At today as
A day
Like any other?
Are we thriving
On tradition
Or on truth?
And can we see
The difference?

Beautiful For Ordinary

There are times -
Far too many -
When I fail to realize
Or remember
The significance
Of a moment.
Is it human nature,
Or is it just my own
That I mistake
Beautiful for ordinary,
And forget life-changing
Times?

On Being Afraid

I fear
Giving my questions
A voice -

Leaving them
Open
To ridicule,

Even if that ridicule
Is my own.

I fear
Putting them on paper

Because that gives
My ignorance
A sense of
Permanence

I don’t want it
To deserve.

I fear
Seeing my own truth
In black and white,

Penned by my own hand,
Outside of my head.

Late-Night Musings

When can I say
I’ve done enough?
When will the story
Be complete?
Will I continue
To live in denial
Or begin
To face my need?

Tying The Knot

Some say that love
Is at first sight,
Some say that love
Is blind.
I pray, for you,
Your wedding kiss
Will be the tie
That binds.

Wedding Words

Once upon a time
I made a friend in you.
We talked and shared
We laughed and cared
And with time we grew.
Now you've found love
And I couldn't be happier
As you move toward
This new life.
Just don't forget
How much you're loved
As you become a wife.