Though you are both gone
From this Earth;
There's a gift you gave me
At my birth.

It fills a place
In my heart.
I felt it there
From the start.

You passed to me
Your wisdom, kindness, honesty.
And the passion
For writing poetry.
I cannot tell you
Just what that means.

The flutter of a Butterfly
Will always be
A beautiful sight
And the symbol of your memory
In my soul and in my mind.

In my heart
I will always feel you there,
Because a Grandmother's Love
Is the everlasting gift you shared.

Thank you for your examples & legacy.
Thank you for inspiring me.
Thank you both for sharing your life
Through written words and poetry.
And thank you both for your
Grandmother's Love you left with me.

🦋💜🦋
©KSS 1/22/2021

Sing out long and loud
Feel the joy around
Spring is on the way
Dawning of the day

Dawning of the year
Daffies nearly here
Thrusting through the ground
No longer earthbound

Bluebells and snowdrops too
With crocuses coming through
From bulbs hidden in the soil
Life is on the boil

The rhythm of life is changing
Always re-arranging
Looking to the summer
For winter made us glummer.

Looking forward with hope
Rose tinted telescope
I can hardly wait
For now I just anticipate.

Paul Butters

© PB 21\1\2021.

Beloved
How can I enchant You
not by fancy hairdos,
red lipstick and kohl lined eyes

Only by a heart perfumed
with love, service and devotion

Only by soft, sweet words and songs
falling like white roses at Your feet

Only by thoughts illumined
and sanctified with
Your constant presence

O Glorious Love
the temple door is decorated
with mango leaves
and marigold blossoms

Inside your bride waits for You

A constellation of orchid blooms
with violet flame wings
and star white hearts
descended on my
bedroom altar this evening

This was part of a birthday gift
from my beloved hubby
the orchid is a symbol of perfection,
natural elegance, love and luck

Every time I gazed at the
auspicious, stunning flower
I lit up with smiles
it was so beautiful
and Swami's portrait
at the center of my sanctum,
indeed at the center of the universe,
also flashed a dazzling smile

What shall we call this beauty Swami?
Sitara....
Sitara you are so fortunate to have
the Darshan of
Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

I smiled in The Woodlands
fresh, sweet as the
scent of pine wafting
through forest boughs

A sense of rejuvenation
and yes! jubilation!
danced with the amber shadows
verdant panorama

Gratefully, I rested my head
against a soothing tree trunk and...
listened to its heartbeat

We walk towards light
of the Winter sun
blades of grass shiver
in their green skins
Pine laughs and shakes
his bristol whiskers
dapper red cardinals
chortle "cheer, cheer, cheer,
pretty, pretty, pretty"

Our hearts begin to warm

this year was never
yours
it was all about
you
your choice
yourself
you yielding
towards any
yeses
yays
yums
yucks
but most importantly
this is all about
you
so just let's turn everything around
with new hellos
turn those yawns
to happy smiles
paint them yellow
let's yell
our young selves
with yearning

xo

Reminiscing...
How fast the fleet-footed
mercurial, quicksilver years
flash bye
I wave to you
seated on my Ganesha bench
How many lifetimes?
this kiss I will always treasure
for you have taught me
many things dearest
but most of all
to be kind and honest
O sweet love
we fly away to other worlds
all too soon

There is prana in the woodlands
sparks of divine energy
glisten between each breath
I feel His original breath
surging through me
vital, electric, Cosmic
The spark that
started everything
I smile blissfully resting
on His sunlit chest
He ties the flower of His love
wild roses and baby's breath
to my wind blown fairy tendrils