been a-while

spring abridged;winter night

each layer of snow colder n' heavier

earth lay frozen and I frostbitten

icicles of gloom

lining my chest,eerie chill creeping

heart benumbed;slowly melting

basking in apricity,duly warmed up

awaiting spring

anew

The way the trees empty themselves of leaves,
let drop their ponderous fruit,
the way the turtle abandons the sun-warmed log,
the way even the late-blooming aster
succumbs to the power of frost -

this is not a new story.
Still, on this morning, the hollowness
of the season startles, filling
the rooms of your house, filling the world
with impossible light, improbable hope.

And so, what else can you do
but let yourself be broken
and emptied? What else is there
but waiting in the autumn sun?

Carolyn Locke, from Poetry of Presence An Anthology of Mindfulness Poems

"I have a name and it’s Jaylen Foster
I am two weeks old.
But the size of my big feet
Will foretell my future:
big things to come

I am the third generation of Fosters
What the world need now is love sweet love
It is the new normal, the beginning of a bad ending
Social distancing, mask trending, and facetime,

My new world..  Six feet apart, no options
Only restriction: for them or for me??
The truth for our futuristic endeavors is to
Wear a mask, or stay at home..

I saw the smile, on her face, her laughter is contagious  
The joy of being a grandmother, pretty Joy for Paula
Proud moments for my father and mother..
a new beginning for a grandfather: David

Love and happiness for a two weeks old me
And distance kisses for cousin: Annie
Annie said the meaning of my name is Joy

My grandmother's voice says nothing can surprise her.
My grandmothers’ voice, says wisdom,
My grandmother’s laughter is genuine,
When it comes to me.. Jaylen Foster
Keep the pictures coming?
Meant keeping Joy alive

This once was a mighty ship
Majesty of the high seas
With a people well equipped
To fill in when felt the need

Often times when waters rise
Worried minds, starboard to stern
Where innocence goes to die
Lessons lived not often learned

Comes the age of reckoning
Pirating the ship at bay
No need to sing, God save the queen
When she no longer has a say

Over time ill equipped
In a world that switched from sail to steam
Where power takes more than it gives
In the wake that it leaves

Mighty once this sinking ship
Pounded by todays angry waves
Is this any way to live
Floating on top your own grave

Magical
The first snow fall
Sparkling like diamonds
Even though it comes year after year
It seems magical

A newborn babies first cry
The look of Love in the parents eyes
It seems magical

The excited expectation glittering in a small child's eye on Christmas Morning that lights up a room more than the lighted tree
It feels Magical

The seasons changing from fall to winter
Spring to Summer
The preparations it brings
It seems magical
The blooming of flowers after a harsh winter
The fragrance they bring to the air
Makes me stop for a moment and stare
It seems magical

The first sunrise of each day
The rays of the sun
The moon at night to light our way
The starlight sky
So beautiful I could cry
The feeling that anything is possible
It seems magical to me, does it seem magical to you too?

I brought her to the water by the moon,
To share with her, the shade beside the sea,
I gave to her my eyes, that she might see,
and sang to her the most afflicted tune.

I prayed of her what she might ever do,
When faced with all the mightiest would fear,
She whispered, through a solitary tear,
A crystal verse to stay her last adieu.

When fires of gold have shed their morning light,
When embers fade and only ash remains,
When enemies of old are at the gates,

Do not embrace the darkness of that night,
Or think upon those ashes with disdain,
For all that might remain will share our fate.