Friends PAD 4

 

Friends Indeed

 

At times,

Friendships

Are born from need

 

The hen

That gets pecked to bleeding

By other hens

 

The puzzle piece

That seems to belong

To another puzzle

 

The wounded

Requiring crutches,

Bandages or surgery

 

The towel

That’s been through the ringer

Who needs sunshine and fluffing up

 

The summer storm

Blowing through

Searching for calm

 

The raging river friend

who sucks you in

to all of their busyness

 

Then there are friends

Who only bring a smile

The ones you aspire to be

 

They’re all friends.

But the latter—lilac fragrance

on a spring breeze

 

 

 

open PAD 3

 

In celebration

We give praise and thanksgiving

For an open tomb

For Regina's birthday

 

Regina

 

Reaching out with a smile

Even going the extra mile

Grace flowing thru generations

Interceding for the nations

Now and always, a true friend

And on her kindness, we depend.

Express PAD 2

 Of Expressions and Hearing

 

A favorite time of the nature program,

for children and teachers alike—

sharing at the morning circle

the highlights of the week,

or maybe even lowlights.

 

We hear about awards,

baseball, wrestling, gymnastics.

We hear about accidents,

falling out of trees, scraped knees.

We hear about vacations and visits.

Play dates among friends.

Pet news of cats, dogs, rabbits,

horses and even one special turkey

that, like a dog, insists on being petted.

 

But I don’t always hear what’s going on.

My hearing aids aren’t doing the job.

Just one little reason of many little reasons

why this third year of the nature program

will be my last one.

It’s hard to express what I’m feeling—

Restlessness, frustration, sadness, 

wariness, relief, peace, excitement.

Yes! Excitement for a new life chapter.

seed PAD 1

 

Words:

particularly potent seeds

when planted

in the fertile ground

of young minds.

Who I Am, Poetic Bloomings

 Of Lava Lights and Jigsaw Puzzles

 

At times I feel

like a blob in a lava light,

constantly shifting and changing shapes,

bumping into glass walls

and other blobs.

 

At times I feel

like a 2,000-piece jigsaw puzzle,

no, not just one,

several dumped out into one big pile

and I’m still trying to sort myself out.

 

At times I feel

like a treasured child of God

and when I feel like a blob or a jigsaw puzzle,

He reassures me that He is the light

and He puts me together one piece at a time.

Spring, Poetic Asides

 

Spring 2026

 

Winter has been lazy

in southwest Colorado.

Snow appeared on mountain peaks,

but content to stay up there.

In lower elevations,

we haven’t even had to shovel drives.

What snow we had melted by noon.

 

Now, trees and bushes are greening up early.

The sun’s shining us into the 70s and 80s.

Spring flowers are making their debut.

But I expect at least one last winter blast

will cause robins, tulips and daffodils

to shiver where they stand.

But for now, I’ll welcome this early guest.