life for her and me

little white flakes have arrived

in a fury with a restless wind,

a Winter’s day of bluster, t’was

green and warm just yesterday

it came so quickly with such cold

of hand in an unwelcoming pace

with a frigid grip on my heart, my soul,

a sadden gray upon my face

i sit here in my quiet cove listening

to the howl outside my window pane

as it bends the tree with an ominous

slurry of an angry wind and icy rain

my heart is broken, a subtle anguish

engulfs my every pore and my lungs labor

to breathe as my soul threatens of its

departure, a loneliness battles within

the nature of my being is in tumult

knowing my ‘love’ is being challenged

not by the frigid Winter’s touch but

by a more insidious vermin in her blood

if i could lay my hand upon her breast

and take away the pangs of distress

i would gladly wear the thorns of her pain

so that her smile will be welcome

come the next Spring rain

oh spirit of the Universe, let this be so

and i will praise you loudly everywhere

i go, every step i take, every waking

moment with an ‘alleluia’ and dance on

Nature’s dress for all to see, all to know  

intertwining hearts and souls

‘las estrellas’, above my reach,

traverse the expanse of sky

as i lie here with incessant tears flowing

from my eyes, a darkness wanting

to take away our vibrancy of life

i lament, the heart, not of mine

but of hers, whose rhythm is restless

amidst a rose and orange sun whilst

resting upon a calming sea

   

the dusk now gives way, settling

afar, into the twilight of the night

as it waves adieu in a somber silence,

to sadden news and an unforgiving day

she’s always maintained a stoic strength

not unlike ten well-disciplined equine 

riding up mountainous trails as she now

walks with a backpack strapped, burden filled

in this journey is an added laden of uncertainty

she now bears upon her shoulders of an angst,

a cancerous growth, that has reared with contempt

in her blood and decries the very health of her soul

we will lean upon each other in this journey on,

despite this added weight, as we walk through life’s

path of jagged thorns, shards of shattered glass,

shall climb over the challenging large stones

love is; the tempered steel of the blade that

carved our walking stick, the leather of our soles

on our mountain shoes, the life cells of our two

hearts, the fabric of our intertwining souls 

flower

a Flower blooms in Spring,

the Sun’s fingers tickle its petals

and the rain drops bathe it

as the Stars and Moon care for

it in the quiet of Night

its calm and brilliance draw other Flora

to gather around it, brushing up against it

as breezes blow, nudging them to coddle

so the Autumn storm cannot besiege it 

with a jealousy and envy for its ebullience,

as Fall and Winter bring virulence and fear

when the Day awakens changing from its

night’s attire, there’s fauna child like play

in and out of Trees and Turtle Doves coo in an

orange and yellow Morning hue casting a

sprinkle of gold, the glistening beads of dew

resting on its petals, on leaves of her Friends, too

oh Flower,  t’is  true, when my eyes capture

the colors of your dress, it puts a smile upon my

face in spite the storm that tried to furl your leaves,

tried to scare me too, but being here amidst your

friends assuage the angst, mitigates the pain

in my Heart, my Soul, when i sit here next to You

Love is;

when my eyelids open and the world

appears to have remained within my embrace,

when my breath unveils a gasp of freshness

inhaling the verve of a new day,

when my ears can hear the joyous sounds

of songbirds just outside the window pane,

when the whistling of the wind calls the

voices of the trees swaying to and fro,

when i rise and my legs can move to walk

and my arms can swing, hands can grasp,

when the waft of lilac entices while a warmth

of shelter encases my mind, my body, my soul,

when i look around and see my little girls

of canine descent curled in their space, their abode,

when i see the joy of my heart laying next to me,
the light of my soul whose spirit is one with mine,

when we've walked through life’s travails gently

holding each other’s hand through loss of love ones

and knowing that love, our love, prevails    

what color is the wind

what color is the wind,

when blowing through the forest,

the flora, the fauna, the trees? 

what color is the wind,

wisping across the ocean,

over rivers and over streams?

what color is the wind,

soaring above with clouds 

and riding the azure sky?

what color is the wind,

i breathe as it flows through

my lungs, my veins, my heart?

what color is the wind,

that gives verve to our souls?

is it not the color of everything,

the color of all ?

finding to be

in my search, i found my eyes,

how they can look and see 

the color of what beauty is

in my  search, i learned to breathe,

to smell and touch and sense

the intrinsic fiber of life

in my search, i found a path

where flora and fauna gather

filling me with Nature’s embrace

in my search, i learned from

the owl, the eagle and the wolf

to observe while listening to the wind

in my search, i witnessed

a stone and a tree and how both sit

quietly and still, becoming one 

in my search, i learned not to

seek but to embrace all that is

for that is what it is to be

welcoming Autumn

bright red petals of roses,

yellows blue and purple

flowers, the vibrant green

of leaves, so quietly they change

from their ebullience into their

more Autumn hues of orange,

brown, black and russet   

warm winds cool, blowing the

cotton whites now misty and gray

as Robins and Hummingbirds

cease their play, pack to journey
south-bound where the sun still

heats and breezes still are warm

the blue-jays  and crows remain,

they caw in competition as they

sneak and steal the nuts and seed

from chipmunks and squirrels

not of starvation but to store,

preparing the arrival of ‘old man’

Winter’s cold nights cold days

houses now dressed in a fancy of rustic,

colors from pumpkins and silhouettes

of black witches on brooms, spiders

in webs, that hang from gutters and

eaves as white pillowcase ghosts

swing to and fro while the piercing

eyes of goblins, their incisor teeth grin,

to welcome the myths of Fall 

my shadow cast

a towering challenge stands before me

on this path to home in my traverse 

with every step towards it a shadow 

casts larger and larger

the days before me have dwindled

in number while behind me they've grown

with every step and my pace now slow

while moving closer toward this mountain 

the shadow i cast behind me is becoming

smaller as i stroll onward when earlier

my shadow embraced many a wildflower

as they sprouted vibrantly on my path

i am near the base of this promontory 
as it stands before me with its shadow 
hovering over me and all where i have been 

the sun can only wink, now, from behind it

moments have come that capture my breath.

wanting to turn around, run back away

from this worrisome angst but life's gravity,

inevitably, draws me closer and closer

droplets tickle my skin, they fall from a rainbow 

while a calming cool breeze whistles a melody

in my ears of an elegy longing for lasting years 

and the love that has dissipated into this mist

step by step my heart and soul avail

to what is to come, where i may go

i ask only that my eyes be given pleasure

of beauty, that of blooming flowers

while cool breezes lay their kisses upon

my cheek, the love that embraces me

on this path, let not unclench my heart

and i leave behind my shadow cast 

until

not until my later years, now, have i

truly looked into the eyes of love

did not see it in my innocence,

still pure and in youthful attire

not having felt its warmth of heart,

its soulful value

not until i saw tears of another,

seeing their open hands reaching out

unkempt and empty,

pacing back and forth, talking to a darkness

only their eyes can see and knowing

no one feels them, unseen, no one cares

have now observed the lowly last flower bent over,

leaves brown and drooping, hanging by its sides,

and its bonnet with fallen petals hangs downward

in lamenting with the others already lying down

upon the Earth’s chest as Summer’s sun moves

farther away and a cooler air replaces warm

as the day grows shorter causing Mother Nature to

put on a coat of browns and orange, yellows and russets

until i saw an eagle feed its eaglets in the nest,

a mother wolf lay with its pups at dusk to rest,

tall trees sway in the music of the wind

whispering to each other the day's events

and the running streams flow into rivers and the

rivers into oceans while the stars wink at the waves

and the vane moon looks at its reflection, the

seagulls and the egrets fly across its face to find a

settling place until another dawn arises and my

heart swoon by the love of a new day

tell me

tell me

how the gentle wind touches your skin

how the gold of sun rays pierce your eyes

when you hear and watch the fish gently slap
the water around the river's bend

ahh, and there's the waft of morning dew

tell me

how your heart flutters when feeling love;

your breath becomes rapid in excitement,

soft bead sweat shimmies from your hands,

how peace and calm envelops you

at the sight of stars and moon at night

tell me

the soothing of violin strings upon your ears

whilst reading words of Shelley and Shakespeare
and how they resonate into your soul

or as i sing to you a song formed

of love verses, i've written

tell me

that your love for me is true

the reflection of my heart, too

like new verdant leaves of Spring

with their brilliance in their color hue

my heart speaks~~~ there’s no truer love

than me for you

just enough

i wish you to have just enough morsels

to eat and have some left to share

with others who are hungry

just enough water to quench your

thirst then share with those who 
also thirst

just enough to warm your hands and feet
and still able to feel the cold as others do

just enough shelter to rest your head and

room for those with less, letting them lay 
their head upon a pillow next to yours

just enough anguish to understand sorrow,

just enough pain to appreciate its absence

just enough love to last until tomorrow

behold living

my body recently experienced physical pain

constant throbbing, deep and incessant.,

i breathe in, exhale slowly and it separates

me distantly from  it

now it has subsided, the cause ameliorated

i tarry in my focus and think of those

whose pain never subside and so much greater

than mine, so i breathe for them

souls being connected in a universal spirit

shall be then, but for a moment, the assuage

of this feeling, usurped by a calm and rest,

shared by the link of our souls

i shall amble about amidst life, today

i shall not forget the pain for it will be the cause

of me savoring the tiniest of things, littlest of moments,

cherish all  around me while breezes sing

in my ears and mine eyes behold, living

onto this new day

onto and unto this new day

when first comes my morning’s breath

i shall smile and laugh upon the tangles

and tugs in the face of death

i hear the melodies of my waking friends

the cardinal’s whistle, the melodious wrens

they’ll lift my body from recumbent dreams

to amble out onto Nature’s streams

a 'sol' of warmth,  a breath of soft wind

shall start my waking day, the night on end

naked feet will be tickled by grass and dew

and my spirit brimming with life’s anew

bring all the pain and angst you can muster

for i’ll still dance amidst a daffodil cluster

the song of a robin and a finch

shall lift my spirit in a pinch

come, share with me, embrace the day

for all too soon this will give way

to the moon and stars in night’s abode

but that too is dream filled, so, i am told

a flower's tears

like the flower in Spring

petals in their brilliant colors

display. the leaves are a vibrant 

green and loam at its rooted feet is

dark, from moist of morning’s dew

in Spring she used to be like this

when she’d look my way and would

on occasion seem to be fawning making 

me feel like that flower of Spring

but Autumn comes, some call it Fall,

and colors change to crimson and

russet, although still brilliant in the

aesthetic way yet changing their colors,

a different beauty in their display

she sees me now in my Autumn attire, 

knowing Spring still is her favorite color,

she looks no longer at me the way she used
to but now at another flower whose colors 

of Spring catch her eyes

i am that flower your eyes no longer, of me, see
a sentient being with love in my heart and when 
my Autumn colors now displayed, you look away

and so my petals droop, my leaves fall to my side, 
the heaviness of falling dew, are my tears for you

my soul speaks

my walk today traversed a hillside

through a field of wisteria embracing

a patch of yellow snapdragons and lily of

the valley white bells while busy yellow jackets

and bumble bees buzz, a pollinating dance 

conscious and slow with every step

cognizant of this moment listening to

the whispers of the day noticing its

breath as it swirls and sways a field

of wild-flowers like waves at sea

i listen to the voice of my soul speak

as i search to find my ‘within’

bringing my spirit to a brink

grasping my heart with a calming

asking to be witness to peace

the tales of my soul does tell of pain

hovering over sadness and disarray

while wishing the music of love to play

awaiting trials and tribulations to allay

knowing all this to be mundane that

the transcendent spirit will soon discard

severing the tethers and letting the vibrations

to play in sync and rhythm with the

Universe where together they, too,

shall dance

joy of life and sleep

that waft of lavender or soft musk,

the sparkle of the dew on grass in

the morning and the lust my heart

and soul doth feel the joy of waking

to life’s ebullient smile

warm golden yellow rises and white cottons

soar along the azure powdered face

shimmering off the mirror ocean blue,

a spectacle bringing life to the jumping

dolphin and spattering of fish while seagulls

call and the osprey talons fill

doth my day begins of Summer’s Spring

while cool wet sand invades the space

between my toes, the southwest winds

blow capturing underneath my eagle wings

so that i may fly amidst the day where

i shall play

from dawn to dusk my soul shall dance

give way to the spirit of the universe

of how things should be where chaos

intermingles with harmony as opposites

and the yin yang intertwines as one

a glitter of stars shall prick the black of night

and tease the moon to smile while the roaring

vocals from white nail rolling fingers of the sea

shall sooth my dreary eyes to close and i will

dream the dreams where my soul shall soon

reap their joy along with souls in universal sleep

pondering

this evening i sit alone and quiet

atop an old oak tree's rooted feet

listen to the wind brush the leaves

watch the cloud figurines soar above

as the sky turns orange and crimson

and the sun lies down to rest and sleep

at the feet of mother earth

i ponder the many steps i’ve taken

throughout the days of yore

of faces passing with frowns and smiles

hearts forsaken of love lost and the tears

shed, unremitting, in the lonely nights

missing those now absent in this life

here and now, gathering thoughts

along with memories, how rich my heart

has felt from those who have touched it

both at a distance from human empathy

to the fortunes of a warm embrace, maybe

a kiss here and there or just holding ever so

gently of my hand

i wonder if and when my breath shall cease

in partaking of this earthen bound, my soul

shall be gifted with pockets filled with love

where i can take to share with the souls of others

that maybe weren’t so lucky, filling theirs

with a love that was meant for all

a gentle heart shall rise again

“and the sunlight grasps the earth”…and a new day rises

with rays of hope, where “the moonbeams kiss the sea”…

and the calm and peaceful voices are heard loudly,

for the vitriol and hate has been silenced

the gentleness of an open hand shall touch us

once again and the softness in our hearts and souls

shall once again evince as the whisper of the wind says,

…‘you shall walk again amidst the gift of my

flora and fauna and with it, you shall feed the

hungry, clothe the cold, lend a shoulder to the

crippled and soothe the heart of a sad soul’

death has not been kind

death, has not been kind to me lately

its darkness has invaded my space,

all the chambers of my heart

and the once silken nebulae of my soul

death, its solemn has stolen my smile

taken the Sun away in those moments

when i needed light and warmth and

my breath without labor

death takes the song that once inspired verve

now struggles to find the tune

harmony has given way to dissonance

treble has found a home in the base clef

when once the Sun’s golden hand touched my eyes

and an aviary of life would lift my spirit

in the morning’s awakening loft, now a

dredge prevents my soul to rise

death is, incessant tears leaving folded paths

about my cheeks on unwanted wrinkles

of my face from unmitigated sadness, within,

filling the caverns and crevices in all of me

the eagle within now perched to rest

awaits the sunlight to replace 

the gray of death and it will once again
soar while the call of the wolf’s howl shall

praise the day and at night watch the moon
beams kiss the sea