She heard the cry of her soul
With gory limbs akimbo
Asking for some help
From her, just to remember

She took that journey inward
Seeking God right in the zone
She was filled with more beauty
Than she had ever known

She wants the crown of roses
Stripped of all its thorns
Instead of constant sorrow
That she always mourns

Between her load of laundry
A walking meditation
Weeding out thoughts of terror
To quell her trepidation

An arsenal of anger
She can't stop stoking higher
Enslavement to her malcontent
Keeps fueling the fire

Relentless blame, resentments
Color every word she speaks
She won't staunch the flow of blood
Coursing through her rosy cheeks

Be still and know just how to go
When invited to the Feast
She remembered where she'd been
In her heart pure Love and Peace

Remember Mariano and Jose
Driving us down from Laguna Negra
Listening from the backseat as they sang
Renaye, Bern and Terry, so merrily

At the top of their voices we drove down
Feeling the dance of it, hearing them toss
Their unrehearsed duet, swelling sweetly
Mariano and Jose, Synergy

Chuckling and singing
We stopped for the boy scouts
Marching full-tilt
With straight lines of gusto

They couldn’t hear us and
No one looked back
While they barreled ahead and
So did we, merrily, merrily

After I left Los Rabanos
The grapes were still not ripe
The cranes atop the churches spire
Had not yet taken flight

Soon they'll fly to Africa
I will not see them climb
A feather loose, an empty nest
How do they know it's time?

The gladiolas barely bloomed
Sweet lavender a blur
And now that scent stays on my mind
The feelings that they stir

The RioDuero calls to me
Her rock cliffs echo still
Of peace and laughter plentiful
I did not get my fill

At work I find my focus gone
To casa de verana
And what I should be doing now-
Put off until mañana

I like it when you call me Baby
And when you're playing your guitar
I like you comin' down to kiss me
When those brown eyes say who you are

I like your voice's sweet inflection
When you speak straight from the heart
And the way you pay attention
I miss when we're apart

I love your silliness and openness
And your spontaneity
Your honest commentary
When you met my family

That Peter Pan mentality
And how you let me cut your hair
Your love of Rock 'n Roll
When you haven't got a care

I like it that you rescued Buddy
And care for him the best you can
You see that he's a lucky dog
You say that you're a lucky man

Don't think I have you idealized
Seeing only black and white
The wonder is I see you
In just the perfect light...

As for me, I feel happy
With you there's no doom or gloom
I feel that things get brighter
When you walk into the room

It's ninety degrees in the shade back home
And September brings no relief I fear
From sweating and fretting, oh, no, let's go-
We'll be riding on the Rocky Mountaineer

Expecting the best, we heard the "All aboard!"
To the sound of bagpipes whining
Longing to see mountains, trees and streams
But it's for sighting of bears that I'm pining

The meals keep coming-no one stays hungry
With our hostess, Holliday, we haven't a care
By the end of the day we spied osprey, geese and ducks but
When pulling into Kamloops, no one had spotted a bear

A walkabout, then sleeping so deeply
Whisked back on board by our competent crew
I remembered my dream of a bear in a stream
With her cubs-how I wish it comes true

The Monashee Mountains are so peaceful
We spy snow-capped peaks from afar
The leaves on the trees changing gold and red
But rolling into Tumtum still no bear

Soon we crossed the Columbia River
Salmon tantalizing eagles for a bite
While passing through the town of Revelstoke
A family of bears-all plastic-came in sight

"Look out!" came a call from the front of the train
A signal to us who pulled up the rear
We "Red Line" passengers ready with cameras
A false alarm-no bear or moose is near

The Selkirk Mountains promise some glaciers
And Stonycreek Bridge is followed by lunch
The Kicking Horse River showed spirit it's true
But no bears will show up is my hunch

And so surely to see that elusive bear of my dreams
I'll just have to return come next year
Til then I will dream salmon-filled mountain streams
And the all-aboard call of the Rocky Mountaineer

I've had enough
Tired of mediating with your worst self
Hoping to meet a fleeting best self
I'm sick of providing insurance
To your denied reality
Weary of walking on eggshells
Agonizing over spirited outbursts
Accepting overdue apologies
For being called stupid, a terrible wife
One occasional day of closeness shattered
By 10 days of strife
Negating my sweet Renegade
My music, my hair, my whole life!
Does putting me down keep you up?
Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde take turns with me
My dilemma, knowing WHO you'll           be.

I’d never met Mr. Campbell
Or heard of Mr. Stone,
But now I’ve ceased to ramble,
They’ve provided me a home.
A place for old and older,
Not poor or broke nor rich.
For meek and mild and bolder,
It runs without a hitch.

A bus to take us shopping
Or cruising to the mall,
And even island hopping
There’s something for us all.
Pat Pepper keeps us busy,
Not anchored to a chair
Al Widener’s in a tizzy
If we’re not happy there.

The staff is neat and clever
At Bradshaw’s restaurant
I plan to stay forever,
‘Cause it’s my favorite haunt.
No need to roam or gamble
For we are not alone,
God bless you Mr. Campbell
God keep you Mr. Stone