I touch eyes and touch hearts
And feel warm embraces
Feel my soul open
As my heart races
I feel love and compassion
And gentleness of spirit
I reach out, help others
And without speaking, they hear it
I straighten my back
And open my core
And my love for others
As God’s children soars
And I know that all
Is well with my soul
And the pain and rejection
Have not taken their toll
It’s quite simple you see
I learned it when
I opened my heart
And loved again

The concert ended
The crowd moved out
The show was over
But I had doubts
Whether I could make
The long trip home
Long, because I was alone
I walked in circles
In downtown
Stole glimpses of treasures
To lift my frown
Floodlit fountains
Candle light
Night time galas
Hidden delights
Couples and friends
In happy times
Cyclists and tourists
Youth in their prime
And I walked alone
Single once more
And I dreaded the thought
Of the waiting door
That would lead to
An empty house
I tried my best the fear
To douse
And then I faced it
And I plunged ahead
And went straight home
To an empty bed

Sometimes…
We lose our minds
And imagine a world
Of brilliant sunshine
We invent a story
The hours to fill
And then it hits home
As it always will
So don’t be confused
Don’t lose your way
Just take the time
To hear your heart say:
It’s always better
To accept what is
And the things that you have
Not the things that you miss
That’s when
You wake up
And the turmoil
Has ceased
And you stretch
And relax
In the empty sheets

I saw a garden
Mangled
By neglect and theft
The gardener
Absent
And the most
Beautiful bed
The jewel
And crowning glory
Withered
And destroyed
And I thought...
Our lives
Are like that
Ruined
In carelessness
Or by intent
And when
The damage
Is done
There is only lament
For a stolen rose

The lovers touched
Their bodies trembling
The kiss of nectar
The heat descending
The embrace of love
And lust’s desire
The warmth of soul
The burning fire
The tender sweetness
And the passion
Forgotten feelings
Back in fashion
Seconds of peace
All pain healing
All darkness banned
And lightness feeling
Precious moments
Of joy and bliss
Ignited with a touch
And a single kiss

The sun shines
And nature rhymes
The coming of the season
With songs of birds
And little girls
For no other reason
Than to dance and sing
And drink it in
The wonder of creation

Alive again
The world springs forth
With life and verdant greenness
The people smile
The children play
The whole world loses
meanness
Long gone the winter
Of cold and grey
Now comes life in all its glory
That grows and pushes from the ground
To write a brand new story

Freed from a weight
I could not carry
That bore me down
And wore me out
I float above
The clouds of worry
Step from the wreckage
Of fear and doubt
Before me lies
A golden future
Of choice and freedom
And inner growth
Accepting that
My life is worthy
Of time and energy
And now both
The past mistakes
And all the good things
Fall behind
In retrospect
Peace descends
Excitement rises
For all the good
I now expect

O thou, my lovely boy, who in thy power
Dost hold Time’s fickle glass his fickle hour;
Who hast by waning grown, and therein show’st
Thy lovers withering, as thy sweet self grow’st.
If Nature, sovereign mistress over wrack,
As thou goest onwards, still will pluck thee back,
She keeps thee to this purpose, that her skill
May Time disgrace, and wretched minutes ****.
Yet fear her, O thou minion of her pleasure!
She may detain, but not still keep her treasure.
    Her audit, though delayed, answered must be,
    And her quietus is to render thee.

If your eyes are the windows,
To your soul, let your lips,
Be the door to your heart,
So let me walk in,
Live in your home,
Let me see through your windows,
Let me use your doors,
Let me be in your mind,
Sleep in your room,
I'll make the down payment,
You'll seal the pact, say yes,
We may some day,
Buy a cottage or two,
A bit of me, a bit of you,
Our house might fall down,
But our windows will stay intact,
Worth everything, so much,
Yet priceless.