Breathe in, breathe out,
it's natures way;
the tide-
it comes and goes.
Though you cannot
predict the time,
the wind-
it always blows.
While you may try
to force a bloom,
the spring
wakens the rose.
No matter what
is hurt or lost,
the time
constantly flows.

Nature's next move
is something that
we know
nothing about.
We control all things
in this life;
nature
goes on without.

Don't chase, value, love or need
Mass produced replacable things
We seek with hopes they'll make us whole
They'll fill your house but not your soul

Don't skip the ocean to buy souvenirs
Or that's all you'll have in 20 years
Memories, people, experiences, time
You can buy more decor but clocks can't rewind

A lifetime of tiptoes and quiet tones
Don’t rock the boat or put on a show
Head down, smile and nod
Agreeable, don’t seek applause

She’s perfectly polished but overly modest
She could move mountains but she’s endlessly cautious
Living in what-ifs and worries and whys
Curious of potential, afraid to try

She drifts and so she settles
Her life is safe but doesn't feel special
She keeps her distance, won't get too close
Except to her caution, she loves it the most

It has a time and place, it seems
But nothing is good if it’s to the extreme
Protection, or afraid to grow?
Caution, is it friend or foe?

It takes risk to get rewarded,
Caution is costly but safe,
So turn your tip-toes into marching
And let your still boat make some waves.

Trial, misfortune,
Bad days, bad luck,
Sometimes it seems,
We’re forever stuck.

No matter where we look,
There it is.
We can’t see past,  
So we settle in.

Our misfortune doesn’t vanish,
We can’t pretend it does,
But try to grow, not settle,
It’s possible because,
You aren’t stuck to your misfortune,
And it’s not stuck to you,
It might seem like forever,
But it is not glue.

We can move on,
We can let go,
We can break through,
Yes, we can grow.

There are so many things a heart is made of,
A job, a family, a city, a love.
And even if they flow like rivers and streams,
It’s okay to chase your changing dreams.

One day you climb the professional ladder,
And find that no one’s following after.
Or you begin to crave new scenery
Once you look around and don’t like what you see.

When find your heart crying out for more,
Please, never ignore.
If your life isn’t feeling like home sweet home,
It’s okay to roam.

A world without heartbreak,
Oh, what a dream!
Can you imagine no frowns?
Have a seat, I’ll set the scene.

We walk around on our clouds,
With our heads held high.
Nothing’s weighing us down,
We’re light, bright and energized.

We don’t experience loss,
No grief or goodbyes,
No endings, disappointment,
Broken hearts, no wondering why.

But, no end, it means no beginning.
No goodbye, it means no hello.
No grief, it means no unwavering love
Large enough to leave such a hole.

I used to run from heartbreak,
But now, it’s an honor to own.
A broken heart proves the magnitude
Of the love and joy I’ve known.

Let me be like the mountain
Who stands without shame
Who makes up the skyline
And soars above rain

Not questioning its shape
Its valleys or heights
Its curves or its angles
How it looks at first sight

Changing with the seasons
And changing with time
Not looking over its shoulder
To the next one in line

No critiquing, comparing
No single wish
Let me be like the mountain
Who simply is

“I can’t breathe,” a nation on fire
Signs held high and voices higher
Wearing a mask while walking the streets
“No justice, no peace.”

A pandemic that stopped our world in its tracks
We silently wished for our lives to bounce back
6 months later, west coast fires
Hurricanes,  RBG expires.

We keep marching on as our world falls apart
Protests for equality, for our nation, a heart
Demands that shouldn’t have to be made
As America disintegrates.

How can we be considered the best
When so many basic needs are unmet
We’re hoping our best interests are sought
While we watch the news with fingers crossed.

But nows not the time to sit and observe
Now is the time to be seen, felt and heard
Voices unheard become outraged
Right now is the time for change.

A few in power write the rules for us all
So write, speak, march, call
It’s easy to ignore a whisper,
a verbal sprout, a ****, a whimper
But they can’t ignore a collective shout
It’s time to be heard and for them to find out.

How dangerous, a woman
Who finally learns her worth
Her strength, a raging river
Cuts a path right through the earth.

How dangerous, a woman
Who’s tired of being hushed
Tired of waiting for permission
Just to speak, now she erupts.

She dances around the dismissals
Not your darling, not a damsel
Not in distress, she is daring
She is power, she’s an example.

No more white flag, silence, acceptance
Now it is her time to be heard, to chime in
To call out, to rise up, to fix, and to speak.
How dangerous, a woman
who refuses to sink.