Sense of Self

When did this happen?
How did this occur?
Such a gift to sit
And talk
And get to know
The person you
Have grown to be.
So good to know
That though years
Have passed
Your heart
Remains the same.
When did this happen?
How did this occur?
The boy is gone,
But you remain here.

Wish For Impact

Today, I am
Inspired by a friend
Who said,
She does not wish
To be amazing.
Instead,
She wants to
Inspire others
To be great
And to leave
The world
A better place
Than when
She got here.
Today, I have
Decided, too.
I do not wish
To be amazing.
I wish only
To make
An impact.

Lift

I have
A new outlook
And
Many dreams
Of this
Great day
And what's
Ahead.
I have to believe
That the past
Is the past.
That what I have
Is now.
That I can choose
My reactions.

Slump

I am wondering how long
This slump will be
Slumping.
It is quite annoying
To know it is
Happening.
So let me be making
This one simple
Change.
Reframe my attitude
Reshape my
Days.

What Can Never Be

Just the thought of you
So far away from me
Never a prayer to be
For what's not happening.
I miss the closeness we share
I miss what I want to be there
That which can never be
When everything's changing.
I wish we are what we are not
Reading your words pains my heart
I know it's true. I can't go back.
Never rearranging.

Gray Day

Some days
It is just
Hard to see
A silver lining.
Some days
There is no
Reason for the
Feelings I have
I just
Feel them.
Despite
The brightness
Of the day -
Despite
The goodness
Surrounding me -
Sometimes
All I see
Is gray.

What Matters

Precious faces
I have not seen
In so many days,
In so many years.
Precious time
Looked back upon -
So much grace,
So much here.
Precious memories.
No regrets
In this place
So much held dear.

Observation About Observing

It's so important
To be in the moment
And not just
A casual observer
Of time passing by.

Cover

Destruction
Comes
Too close
For comfort.
So I pray
For protection
For peace
For calm
For recovery.
Today
And
Every day.

Showcase

Don't just dance
Tonight, but give
And express
Everything inside.
Tell the story
You came to tell.
I believe you.
Fight and live well.
Go there, that's right.
Don't care too much
But just enough.
Lose yourself -
Be yourself -
Onstage tonight.

Take Deep Breaths

Take deep breaths
And write this out
And don't be scared
Because...
I can't control it
Anyway
So why should I be
Afraid?
Put my faith in
This and believe
It all will be
Okay.

Yes, I Remember

Sometimes
There are
No
Words
To say
How much
You are
Missed.
How much
We wish
Things
Could have
Been
Just
A little
Different.
Sometimes
There is
No way
To convey
How grateful
We are
That you
Were and are
Just
Who we need
To remember
Peace
In our hearts
And
To remember
To play
When the
Storm
Is
Over.

Fighter

This is what
Happens when
People deny
You:
Don't let
Them get
You
Down.
Know deep
Down in
Yourself
That you
Are enough
And stand
In that
Power.
Stand in
That truth.
Even if they
Don't ever
Realize it
Don't let
One person's
Opinion
Change your
Opinion
Of
Yourself.

Character Traits

Memories of grace
And focus.
Drive
And intensity.
Strength
And fierceness.
Today,
These qualities
Are more evident
Than ever.
Keep your head up
No
Matter
What.

Emily

Happy birthday to
A special soul
With humor and wit
And so much more.
I hope your day is
Fabulous -
That you could not
Ask for more
Than this.
Looking back
On times so fondly
Of lighting matches
And of bonding.
Please know that you
Are loved today
Enjoy yourself
And celebrate.

Haley's & Michael's Way

Just because
Something
Is spoken
Softly
The first time
Does not mean
It cannot be
Shouted.
Does not mean
It should not be
Shouted.
Because we are
All one people
But we are unique
And we all have
Different
Ways of
Expressing
The truth inside
Of us.
For some
It is just
A quiet breath.
And for others,
It builds to a
Crescendo
Until it
Cannot
Be denied.
Neither is wrong.
In fact,
Both are right.

Birthday Thoughts

Here without her
But she is never
Far from
The thoughts
Of those who
Love and treasure
Her.

Safe

This is what I dread:
A sweeping wind,
A destroyer of everything
I could ever call mine.
This is what I dream of
When I remember:
A terrible sense of
Being out of control,
Losing the ground beneath me
A siren so loud inside me.
So now, somehow,
These two have merged.
They are connected inside me:
This fear of losing
And
My dreams.
In these moments,
When I am afraid
Of the sounds and
The loss
And of being
Out of control,
I remember.
I know that even though
Circumstances may look
Or be
Scary and loud,
And even though
I cannot control them,
Someone else is in control.
Someone else I can always trust.
Someone who tells the wind
Where to go.
Someone who knows
The fear I carry
Over the people I
Almost lost.
He knows.
And He is in control.
And with Him
I am always
Safe.

Tell Me Something I Don't Know

Tell me something I don't know.
I mean it.
Tell me something I have not
Yet considered.
Tell me something about life.
Tell me something about love.
Tell me something about you.
Open my mind to new kinds of truths.
Tell me something you did,
Something you are,
Something you wish to be...
Just
Tell me.

Primetime Live

So proud I don't know what to say
Of this young man on this fine day
Sing and dance and act and play
Happiness is here to stay
Watching him grow up.

Tea Time

Dance and tea
On the horizon
So excited
For this day.
Let us see
What this
Day holds
And celebrate
Away.

Productivity

Rushing around
Getting things done
Is refreshing
And satisfying.
It makes me feel
Happy and accomplished
And full
To know that
Things can
Be changed
And accomplished
Because I decide.

Busy Day

Just keep going
Every minute.
Just keep starting
Over again.
Just know it
Will be okay.
Just keep knowing
There's nothing but today.

Standing With You

No way to
Move beyond this
Without moving
Through this
But know
You're not
Alone with this.
We are here.
While we cannot
Take the pain
For you,
Know that we
Are standing
With you
In your
Sadness.

Changing Landscape

Last night,
The world changed
When I was asleep.
I'm not sure
What happened,
But reading of peace.
Remembering
Those lost and
Hurt and still there.
And hoping
That soon we'll
Have peace everywhere.

Early-Morning Awe

Not even eight
O'clock in the morning
And here I am sorting
Through so much
Brilliance.
Not even time
To take it all in
Before I begin
To spread the word:
Take this chance.
Not even a question
Studying sessions
Feeling all these emotions
All over again.