There are cliques everywhere
Some are in school
Others at work and life
Some people belong
They are part of it
Others are on the outside
Perhaps by their choice
Perhaps not
Some accept others
Some don’t
Some are exclusive
Some are intended
Some are not

Cliques

Others are on the outside
Perhaps by their choice
Perhaps not

Sometimes we may fail
We may even feel like a failure
We may fall down or not meet expectations
Ours or others
But if we try, including new things are we?
As long as we get up and try again
Failure

People judge others all the time
Holding them up to their standards
Whether they are appropriate or not
How can one truly know about another
Without being in their shoes
Failure

If we take a risk and try something
If we reach beyond our means
If we find our own way
Even if different and unique
If we define ourselves based on our choices
Are we a failure
It’s in the eye of the beholder
Especially ours
Failure

She always stood in the shadows
Quiet and invisible
Yet watching and listening
Looking at the sky, the people
Everything
Observing

Wherever she went she noticed things
Little details
Colors
Smells
She watched how people moved
How they talked
Observing

Sometimes something would strike her
Trigger an idea or a poem
Other times, she would store it away for another time
She almost lived in two worlds
One as a participant
The other, observing

When she sat in a cafe she usually sat alone
She preferred it that way
It was her time just for her
To watch, create, ponder
Write
Observing

What happens after the new normal
When we try to become just normal
When we try to put life back
Can we recreate some semblance of order
When is it the right time to even try
Or do we continue as we have been
Until the hidden enemy is at bay

What happens after the new normal
Is there yet another one
Do we continue to wait
For the rescue
Or does patience get the best of us
Does the world take on another new look
Does it become a quieter, more solitary time

What happens to the new normal
When it becomes just normal

Life is like a tree
It has many branches
Over time it grows
There are new avenues and nuances
The roots reach deeper into the soil
Seeking out precious nutrients and water
New leaves appear in the spring
Turning colors in the fall
Eventually falling to the ground
As winter approaches trees sit bare
As if almost asleep
Waiting again for a new season to start anew

Hot baked sun streaming down
Intense bright light all around
Penetrating everything
Wilting flowers fighting to stay alive
Lazy cats and dogs seeking shelter and shade
Streets and sidewalks hot to the touch
Laundry put out dries in a minute

It’s summertime once again

Bright blue skies
Sleeveless tops and dresses
Nothing feels comfortable
Beds too hot
No where to sit in comfort
Cold drinks tempting the mouth
Thoughts go to sandy beaches and ocean breezes

It’s summertime once again

Empty streets where I live
No signs of life except for a cat or two
Every now and then a bird flies by
Deathly quiet

Empty streets where I live
Going on for miles in any direction
People staying inside
To protect themselves and others

Empty streets where I live
All over the world now
In cities and towns
Humanity has been put on hold
Huge sacrifices being made
By everyone

Empty streets where I live
Never been done before
It’s a first for all of us in the world
Hopefully someday soon
They will start to fill again
When life slowly returns
To a new normal

Empty streets where I live