An envelope filled with tulips
Painted as an image of life
On canvas with brush
And all I see
Is an empty canvas

I remember the days
I could do
Anything I pleased
I had so much energy
And life
And youth
And now
It’s all gone
And I find myself
Inside
An Old Body

Some days
When I sit in the silence
And wonder what life is about
I stop
And reconnect
With who I am
And who
I want to be
All is never lost
When we know who we are
And where we are going
Sometimes
The path is clear
And direct
And
Sometimes
We feel lost
And unsure
Of who we may be
In the future
So
As long as you hold onto
Who you are
You
Can do
Anything

What is a woman
What can she be
A tidy package
Of love and glee
She cares about others
Makes others her own
She’s kind and considerate
And very well known
Whether with child or without
She does her part
She knows who she is
Right from the start
A woman is whole
From beginning to end
She reaches out to others
To make them her friend
So on this day that is special
For women world wide
Please stand there beside her
Always be by her side

Snow
Sparkling white
In a world
Too busy to notice

Out my window
A wonderland
Of clean
Whiteness
Not yet marred
By the
Business
Of life

I sit inside
Looking out at a world
That is
Always changing
Once green
It is now
Covered in a blanket
Of sparkling white
Goodness
Clarity
Cleanliness
Purity
Innocence

I am a product
Of my own creation
My mind decides
Where it wants to go
And
I follow it

If I could only decide
Who I want to be
And
Where I want to go
It might
Make life more interesting
And instead
I allow
My mind
To guide
My life
Path

There are times in our lives
When a feeling passes over us
And we wonder
What is True Love?

A feeling that begins
In the deepest recesses
Of our heart
That extends
Into our knowing
That this person
This one
This thing
Will be forever
Indelibly
Engraved
In
Our memories
And our
Heart
It means
That nothing
Is too much
To give
And nothing
Is too small
To take
It puts other
Before ourselves
And
It means
Putting someone
Something
Above
Ahead
Of  who
We think we are
True
Unconditional love
Means
No boundaries
It’s all encompassing
And all consuming
When we truly love ourselves
Then
All is harmony
In our lives
Love
An never ending
Place
Of giving
More than we get
It means
Charity begins at home
And we want to
Be in that everlasting
Bliss
Of being
When we are enveloped in love
Time stands still
And everything has meaning
That means
Nothing
When love enters our lives
We feel protected
Like nothing can ever hurt us
For we are enveloped
In caring
In knowing
That we are more
True love
Means
Talking and sharing dreams
And thoughts and experiences
True love
Takes us on a journey
Of enlightenment
And
Lighting
The dark corners
Of our lives
It means
Emptying every crevice
And filling it
With
Love

There’s a word that’s come
Into my head
Have to learn the meaning
Have to put it to bed
It takes over my thoughts
Has me concerned
Don’t know what to make of it
Don’t know if I’ve learned
I’m certainly concerned
That I’ll use it wrong
Maybe put it on paper
Make it into a song
It’s mindful, considerate
And caring too
Use it wrong and I’ll find that I’m
Inside  a zoo
So thinking so carefully
Eager with fear
Not sure what to do
And feeling quite queer
So….

I’ll repeat the dear word
Again and again
Solicitous, Solicitous
And now I am sane

Christmas day
Has come and gone
The wait was hard
And the wait was long
We tidied up
And set things in order
We packaged presents
With ribbon border
This year we had to
Keep away
Isolate at home
Or we would pay
So sit, I did
At an empty door
Looked at the lights
And my cookie store
And came back to
A harsh reality
Christmas isn’t about presents
It’s about mortality

Have you ever said, to yourself, I’m so tired
And then wondered
What you are tired of
I’ve had sleep, so it’s not a body tired
I like what I’m doing in life, so it’s not an I’m tired of life
So
What is tired
And who
Is tired
And who is expressing
I am SO tired
And then
There is no answer inside
Just
Someone
Snoring

Words can not express
What life is all about
The ups and downs
The twists and turns
The knowns and unknowns
The love and the hatred
The accusations and the forgiveness
How can one see
What life is all about
While
They are
Living
It

I have a choice
As I face life’s challenges
Whether to hide
Or whether to live
The former may feel better in the moment
The latter means challenges
Am I up to that?
I gather my strength and my courage
And
I dive into life

Life is what happens
As we are living it
We think we are planning for the future
When, in fact
The future has prepared herself
For us
We find a soft blanket to fall on
While we struggle to climb the mountain
We sleep
As our soul journeys forward
We feed our bodies
When we should be feeding
Our souls
We climb
When we should be resting
And rest
When we should
Be wandering
Through life
Always just
A little off
And always
On the mark

Family is a state of mind
Family is an affair
Were meant  to keep together
And sometimes we stop and stare
At others who we wonder about
We want to look and learn
What is it that keeps families alive
Lets’ talk and let us yearn
For that which some take so for granted
And that which can be true
A family is people together
From them you take your cue
You work as one you talk as one
You do things all together
It is so simple to chug along
In all kind of sorts of weather
And when it gets too difficult
To keep  your mind in sane
You start all over and try to win
And do it all again
For family just means people together
Who are working together as one
family can be a mom and dad
And children playing under the sun
Family means support when we are down
It means cheering up when things aren’t right
It means talking and caring and coming around
When life is holding us tight
Our ancestry tells us the we are whole
Our lineage binds us together
It means we keep hold when things are not right
And even in sunny weather
We may think families have to be perfect
When in truth so much can go wrong
A broken family is very painful
And many have spoken in song
Families take courage and great strength and pride
It takes lots to make it go right
But when we all get together
We certainly are quite the site
Families can be so many things
We congregate, join, and compete
But when day is done and we’re on our own
Our family makes us complete

My heart is set on ice cream
But it’s spinach I will eat
For while I know I shouldn’t
Chocolate definitely would be my treat
I’m trying here with all my might
To eat foods that bring me up
It’s the ones with higher calories
On which I prefer to sup
My perseverance is waning
And patience is running low
The chocolate bar is calling
It’s the kale that brings a glow
I know I should be healthy
And eating foods that are right
But my choice right now is limited
So I eat whatever is in sight
I empty all my cupboards
I clean my frig as well
I want a svelter figure
And French fries make me swell
What will it take to keep me on
A regime that is right
My clothes no longer fit me
And my jacket sure is tight
So help me, support me, make me see
That healthy is where it’s at
To set my mind to knowing more
And stop all that back chat
I want to long for vegetables
I want to crave no more
I want to know that eating
Should be more than just a chore
I want to learn to listen
To what my body says to me
I want to exercise with joy
A thinner body to enjoy with glee
I want to let go of all those habits
That keep me from my goal
I want to eat and exercise
And feed my inner soul

A favorable combination of time and place
If we don’t take a chance then we’ll never reach grace
There are times in our lives when things go well
There are times in our lives when things are swell
They go the way we wish they would
We take a chance as well we should
And then sometimes things go away
No matter what we do they do not stay
And frustration sets in and we give up
We don’t know what to do with the big flare up
And we forget how much fun we used to have
And how people helped on our behalf
We give up all and hide inside
And wait for the coming of a helpful tide
Sometimes we wait sometimes we gain
An understanding we need to obtain
Opportunity knocks and we should respond
Take a chance on choosing what is beyond
Jump into the opportunity that comes to us
Allow and choose without a fuss
For when opportunity knocks we should be home
Consider it luck like a honey comb
And embrace the chance for life to guide
Our way to home in love abide

Heaviness in the pit of my stomach
Tears coming to my eyes
I don’t know what it’s about
And I think I’m going to cry
Dirges of sentiment
That I encounter
Take away my ability
To scream
And I am one
With the Universe
And I cry
For all those
Who are in pain
And I wonder
If it will ever end
I cringe
At the sentiment
Felt
In
My being
And I want
Peace
And love
To be
At the center
And
All I feel
Is
PAIN

Will there ever be a time
When humanity accepts
That they are more
Than themselves
Will they ever know
The joy
Of love
And the Oneness
Of Being
Or will they constantly
Engage themselves
In hatred
And lies
And the need for Power
And will they turn their backs
On all that is
To instead
Have
Only
Themselves

It’s New Year’s Eve
I’m all alone
No one to visit
No one to phone
I wonder what I’ll do all night
While others party, get high  as a kite
I could watch TV
See the Apple come down
I could sing a song
I could sit and frown
Or I can just enjoy
The quiet that’s here
Smile and remember
The times of cheer
I’ll start the New Year
With some remembering
Of times of when
Things were much much better
And then I’ll plan
A thing or two
To start the year
With something new
Perhaps write a  story
Or read a book
Take some time
Something new to cook
And then I'll smile
And say to all
Happy New Year
And
Have a Ball!

The TV is on
What should I do
I want to watch programs
And I want to play too
It’s so easy to get caught
In the TV’s  hypnosis
When I should really be dealing
With life’s gnosis
TV was invented
To bring us some joy
But instead it’s turned into
An adult’s game toy
If I go out get some air
If I take a walk around
Then my health will improve
And I’ll lose a few pounds
And the TV still calls me
With it’s junk food and rest
I think that I’m now
Taking a real life test
What will I choose
What will I let go
The walk is real
The TV is faux

You’ve made progress in life
Now what do you do
You’ve hemmed and you’ve hawed
And wondered about life too
You don’t really know where you’ve come from
Or how far you will go
Life has a way of taking hold
Hold tight and don’t let go
We think we are in charge of life
Of what is going on
And even when we plan our day
Something can still go wrong
So we’re told to build our lives
On just letting go
Of believing in faith and a higher form
And energy that moves to and fro
How can we hold onto something
That we cannot hold or see
How can we just stop doing
And allow ourselves to be
For if we can in truth let go
And allow a higher form
Then what does that mean about who we are
As we steer though the storm
We have a body and mind and more
And higher self that guides the ship
And it’s ok to make mistakes
And allow ourselves to slip
If we just learn from our misfortunes
And make them for no more
Then God will guide our ship body
Through pleasant and through storm
Our job is just to stay on board
And not make too much fuss
Just play the game and do what’s best
And be an authentic us

A question that so many ask
Is where we soon will go
For we all know that when we're done
To death we all will grow
For leaving is inevitable
Is what we’re meant to do
We come to learn our lessons
And when done then we are through
This life is a gift of many breaths
And when our breathe is at our last
We look upon all we have done
We review our life past
And if good we’ve done then we can say
We have done all we’re meant
We have become much better
And we can look forward to ascent
And if instead we have hurt others
Not given thought to acts
We’ve thoughtlessly hurt others
And fallen through the cracks
Then we’ll go home realizing that
We could have done so much more
We could have made improvements
Right through to our soul core
This gift of life is given
So we can make things right
Discernment and responsibility
We should hold onto really tight
And become the very best
Of who we’re meant to be
To make things better to become
A better side of me
So if death you fear and want to hide
Then heed these words I say
Always practice being kind to all
In love you then will stay
For death is just a passing
A letting go of who we’ve been
And moving on to something better
Our soul we try to clean
And if our job upon this Earth
Was done with vim and vigour
Then your ascent after this life
For sure you can assure

A mother less child just barely born
Sits on the stoop with heart so torn
Nobody wants her and nobody cares
Not even worth crying while on those stairs
Will somebody come and take her in
Is anyone around to tickle her chin
But still no one comes and it’s getting cold
That little baby lies she’s not so bold
She’s all alone and needing her mother
She barely whimpers would be happy with another
Is there anyone there who really cares
Can someone come does someone dare
To love a child who has no home
to care for one who cannot roam
Will someone take her inside where it’s warm
Will someone keep her from all harm
Can anyone hear that silent child
That’s wanting  some love so undefiled

I’ve heard the old adage,
“is the glass half empty, or half full?”
In my world, I’m happy I have a glass!!

When I was a child
I used to dream
Of ice cream and candy
Or so it would seem

I would wake up each morning
With thoughts in my mind
Of how to behave
To be loving and kind

And sometimes I couldn’t
And got into trouble
Was sent to my room
Only there it would double

Because quiet and calm
Aren’t the norm for a child
I had so much energy
I couldn’t be mild

And eventually I grew up
And became an adult
And had kids of my own
Tried for a different result

I allowed them to scream
And to have lots of fun
Quiet only came when
The whole day was done

And I learnt to allow
To not stifle a child
To accept without judgment
Allowing them to run wild

With love and firm limits
A child can learn
They are loved, they are cared for
Once doesn’t have to be stern

So if I’ve learnt anything
Things don’t have to be strange
Don’t have to be like our parents
Can have loving exchange

Brrr it’s cold
My feet can’t feel
I cover my ears
I’ve missed a meal
I can’t walk out
On ice I’ll fall
My car won’t start
And now it’s stalled
I miss my friends
Miss my old life now
I hear a noise
It’s the old snow plow
What do I do
When it gets cold
Can’t walk around
I’m not that bold
So I think I’ll try
To find my house
Will have to call out
To my very warm spouse
And ask for help
To get inside
The yellow snow
Will be my guide

Christmas is a time
For celebration
A time to enjoy
The family way
Eat foods that bring comfort
Sing songs that give joy
Remember to follow
A rhythm on course
For life has its times
Of up and down
So celebrate
Laugh and have joy
For that too
Shall pass
Enjoy it while it is available
Time has a way
Of speeding up
So
Take one moment at a time
And enjoy
For that too will be gone
And in its place
A newness
Of life
Christmas
A time to reflect
On
The joys of
Life

Karma

What is it that causes a person
To reach out beyond themselves
And think that they own everything
And not think of someone else
They move in on a country
With guns and armament
They bomb and over power
And create graves of monument
How can a person think of
Only their own empowerment
On the shoulders of the others
And create devourment
They close their eyes their ears their hearts
And no longer can hear other
Their sisters and their brothers
And even their own mothers
How can we break beyond the shell
Of personal entitlement
And try to get them to a place
Of pure enlightenment
For these kind of people
It won’t happen ‘till their death
Until they reach the underworld
And try with their last breathe
To ask for some forgiveness
For the hell they’ve precipitated
But karma tells them that instead
They pay for what they created

I am bereft
Torn apart inside
Unsure
Of what this sadness
Has to do
With me
I feel it
Authentic
Reality
Pain

I am awake
Even when I am asleep
For thoughts fill the mind
With trivialities
And the silence is
The true power of be ing
Let go of impurities of mind
And settle into
The silence
For it is there
That you will meet
Love

In the silence
I am at peace
Nothing can penetrate
The strength
Of pure
Love

I thought I knew love
And then
The Lover found me
And the heart
Was opened
And I knew
True
Unconditional
Love

I am now
At
Peace

He lies in bed
Eyes closed
A gentle purr upon his lips
A dreamy look
In his demeanor
A loving glance
In his rest
And I know
At once
That I’m
In love

Tears just behind the eyes
Threaten to fall
And obliterate
The happiness
That once was
All I can see
Is desperation
And unease
And sadness
And
I want more
I remember the sunshine
And the hope
And the laughter
And yet, it feels like it
Has fallen
Just behind my eyes
Behind
The tears

Time to take a breath
And enjoy
All that life
Has provided
Slow down
I tell
My body
My heart
And my soul
Slow down
And smell the roses
and those are only words
for
i
can't
slow
down

For some weird reason people think
That money and fame equal love
They spend their lives acquiring
When sufficient could be enough
Their eyes look wide and far to find
What they think they could need
While forgetting to look inside themselves
With thanks and prayer , indeed
This intense and selfish desire won’t bring
What you are looking for
If you would look inside yourself
You’d find you need no more
We need so little to get along
We’re all we ’re looking for
It’s just that you’re looking in the wrong place
And always think you need more
And when you get those wonderful things
That you’ve been searching for
You find that feeling deep inside
Is tearing at your core
Enough is enough should be enough
We shouldn’t need any more
And yet we continue to gather ‘stuff’
And see life as a chore
If we could just sit in silence
Then we could learn the truth
That less means more and we’re enough
We have been since our youth
But someone somewhere gave us the message
That we are not enough
We formed a skin that’s thick and wide
And very very tough
And yet our true self is loving and warm
And soft pliable and truth
If we could just be enough for ourselves
We’d find the fountain of youth
The intense desire of greed is strong
And very overtaking
If will we possess and want to change
Then a new ‘we’ is in the making
Let go of objects, money, power and all
That you used to think you needed
And find your true authentic self
Your desires you’ve exceeded

We can call God by any name
Allah Hashem or Dieu
He comes to us in many forms
From birth until adieu
Some people think that God is just
A figment of imagination
They think that people made it up
To hold people in congregation
And yet the image of God has lived
Through many generation
There are some who believe and some who don’t
Some hold God in infatuation
There are some who pray and some who hide
The belief is in gradation
However you hold the thought of God
In heart or in damnation
He plays a role in many lives
We call him he or she
And yet in truth the God is neither
Just energy in which to be
Our belief in God will set the stage
For who and what we are
Doesn’t matter if we believe in ghosts
Or angels who live on a star
For God is the whole the completion of us
He teaches us right from wrong
He helps us to hold onto more
He guides us to belong
For without God what would we be
A stranger lost in space
He holds onto humanity
With love, compassion, and Grace
We think that God is far away
A place that we can’t see
When in fact he’s deep inside
Each one of us as we be
God guides us on our every step
As we go on through our life
He holds us to a higher form
From here to afterlife

Is there someone you like
Is there someone you trust
Is there someone you hold in affection?
Is there someone you admire
Is there someone who supports
Is there someone with whom you make a connection?
Then maybe it is a friend you have found
You know there are few from afar
To find such as this one that is truthful and clear
And can be held up to and beyond par
A friend is a person on who you can count
Even when the going gets tough
You know they’ll support you and guide you with love
And will never treat you too rough
For friends are the people we look for in life
They are hard to find and we need to hold on
For once we have found one be sure not to let go
Treat them well before they are gone
For a true fiend is one you want to respect
You want to hold them in esteem
You want to support them and show them your truth
You want them to be on your team
So look for a friend that is authentic and true
Look for a friend that is wise
Look for a friend that supports who you are
Look for the one that’s a prize
And let them know what they’re doing is right
Let them know that their lives are touching yours
Let them know that their presence can make a true difference
A true friend can be a real cure
For most of our ailments come from being alone
And having no one by our side
A true friend is one that understands your pain
And takes everything else in their stride

Why does sadness
Tear at the innermost
Feelings of my be ing
Why can’t I understand
What life is all about
And what I have to do
To make it real
What truly is life
And what does it have to do
With me
I don’t
Understand

We say NO to our children
And  often forget
What we have  said it for
NO is a word that is so overused
That naughtiness will come before
If we could only say what we really mean
Instead of the shouting we do
Then children would understand what we say
And not hold their breath and turn blue
No is a word we use way too often
We’ve forgotten what it truly means
We’re reminded when our children, the older they get
And become the terrible teens
Please use NO sparingly
Only when there’s a need
Remember to hold it at bay
For children will leave when they’re all grown up
Even when you want them to please stay
Try encouraging your children to independence
Being able to make choices alone
For when inner learning takes over the game
There will be nothing for them to atone

Is there anyone out there
Who cares
Who mourns
Who searches
Who wants to know
About life?

We’re looking and we’re seeking
And we truly think we’ll find
The answer to  our questions
Our true self to be defined
We look in many places
And hope others will give us truth
When the answer to all our queries
Is actually in our  youth
Be kind be good don’t run away
Be friendly as you play
Look nice keep clean don’t speak to strangers
And find some time to pray
Please respect others don’t talk when  you eat
Say please and thank you for all
Don’t scrunch don’t shout finish what’s on your plate
Please stand up very tall
So much is asked of us when we are young
We try to do them all
We fidget we forget we balk and shout
And answer nature’s call
To be good is really simple
If we remember these three words
Do good be good be one
And practice these three verbs
For in doing we make changes
In being we understand
The most import lesson is be one
This is the one that God has planned
That we understand that we are all the same
No matter the colour or walk
That we treat each other as truly our own
If we learn to walk the talk
Finding our self means finding other
That’s all a part of the game
To find out that we are more than us
That we are truly all the same
So take your part in the game of life
Walk tall and show your face
For who you are is what we need
It’s all the good lords Grace

Do you have fear
I’m sure you do
What comes next is your game
If you run away
If hide you do
Then this habit is really lame
For learning to face up to your fear
Is what you need to learn
To think about this fear of yours
And then to take a turn
To do something different than you have in the past
To move right past the fear
To look it in the face and say
What is it we have here
Most fears have come from something past
Something that made us small
So if we can talk to the fear
We will start to understand all
Of course we need to be careful
Of things that make us hurt
But when that feeling present
Is really quite a squirt
Then we can step into our power
And shoo it right away
For when we go right past the fear
Then no longer will it stay
And in it’s place we’ll feel real strong
And now we can do more
Then tremble cry roll in a ball
We can get up from the floor
And know that we are more than that
The fear from which we run
When we stand up tall and face that fear
Then we know that we have won

Friendships are
What keep us going
In times
Of stress
And woe
Friends can hear our pain
And rejoice
In our
Happiness
They know when to approach us
And when
To let us alone
Friends can hear
When we need
To be held
And allow us the time
To lick our wounds
Friends
A gift
Indeed

Twinkling lights
On the balcony
Herald
The coming
Of
Christmas

Hearts
Filled with love
Herald
The coming of
Christ

Its true
That
Like most girls
Who fall in love
I have become
Gaga

What does that mean
That I
Eat, sleep, dream
Through the filter
Of that love
That the sun rises and sets
On his demeanor
That all I think about
His him
And that
I can’t live
Without
His Love

It’s really time to write a poem I should give it a try
For writing poems gives me a chance to really explain why
We need to share our inner thoughts we need to understand why
Our words can bring forth wisdom and our words can make us cry
Our wisdom place knows oh so much if only we can share
The things we’ve learnt the things we know give others if we care
We aren’t here to sit around we really should ask why
We aren’t alone on this planet Earth so we should really try
To reach out to others , to hold their hand, to give a little sigh
Put others before our own true self and not just pass them by
For all we know is just a part of an ever greater whole
We need to know why we are here, we need to play our role
We may think we are small and weak and not a player in the game
We may think we are different or we may think we’re the same
Whatever the course we should always remember that we’re not here alone
We’re part of an ever greater whole our talents we should own
Whatever part we play whatever we’re meant to do
Is a part of the whole life game to our own selves we’ll be true
Just find out what you’re good at, what you love to do, where you show strength
Keep at it with a follow through it’s important to go the length
For we have come with good and bad, we need to find what brought us here
The part we play the reason why will one day become clear