We sat there caressing our coffee cups
Looking into each other's souls
Forgetting everybody, everything, everyone...

He says I don’t love you anymore
And suddenly….
I find myself …
Starring at shattered pieces of
What used to be us…
On the cold stone floor
A feeling of loss…
Engulfs me
Fears of loneliness…
drowns me
And I watch myself …
helplessly…
Fall apart

Going thru your clothes
I find a note ...a love note
from your lover
said "I miss you "
I stared at it
My hurt turned into tears
drenching the note
soggy and lifeless...
I tore it into a million pieces...
You came home that night
I greeted you at the door with a kiss
Like always...
We sat there had dinner, talked about the day, watched TV
Like always...
A million questions flooded my head
But words would not come..
I just kept quiet and let it hurt inside
Days went by...I said nothing...
I let it all be..
You see I hate change...
Like always...

Faint light filters through the curtain lace
On a dusky cold winter morn
As steamy cups of coffee sit upon the beech wood tray
We sit there in silence
Lots to talk about but nothing to say
The coffee grows cold
With polite smiles frozen on our faces
Talk about the weather
Talk about the children
Talk about Sunday mass
Talk about everything else but us...

She gives, she gives and then she gives some more...
We take, we take and then we take some more..
Till she's all spent
And there's nothing left to give

Innocence of a child
Pure...untouched...free..
Like ****** raindrops
Falling from the sky...

She pushed her soft cheeks against mine
Put her chubby little hands in mine
Still as a picture
Knowing what was needed....
Not a word was uttered between us
We sat there and weathered the storm...

Our world is falling…
Apart…
It is up to us
To put it back together
With…
Humanity …
Kindness …
And…
Love

Sunshines thru a canopy of maple leaves yellow, orange and red
Spreading a golden glow
Upon my bench underneath
I bathe in the glorious moment
I find myself in .....

As a daughter …
As a wife….
As a mother…
You give yourself selflessly
To make sure everyone is ok…
To make sure everyone is seen…
But in all of this chaos
Who will make sure…
You are not lost…
That you are seen too…

Dark clouds gather overhead
A drop of rain bounces off my raven head
I look for shelter but find none
Suddenly I feel something  
Over my head - your jacket
And I find my shelter..
right by your side

Sometimes I feel
Not enough
Always trying...
To be what others
want me to be
In the process...
Every time I lose a little of me...

Your fragrance
Like a field of wild roses
Descends upon me
I shut my eyes...
Just to feel you near

Daisies floating in a sea of green
Trees whispering sweet nothings
A walk in paradise....

Sunshine falls softly upon my toes
Now resting casually upon the window sill
My toes wriggle, shiver with joy...
As they break free from my stilettos

As day spreads its soft golden wings far beyond
Light catches the edges of the sloping roof tops
Birth of a new day ....

He says ….
It’s not you it’s me..
Squeezing a crocodile tear..
From one eye..
And suddenly I see the light..
Feel so free..
I could fly….

Leaves red, orange, gold..
Adorn my street
A carpet heaven made

His small, soft, chubby hands
clutches onto mine - large, rough, calloused
But he doesn't care
He loves his mom and it feels wonderful...
Just holding hands...

Amidst so much chaos
Nature wraps me in her arms
Quietens me down
A little sparrow hops and sings me a song
A daisy emerges from the dirt filled ground
And life carries on......

I look up at the grey skies..
Yellow, hazy, smoke filled..
It looks back at me..
Asks me..
If not now then when ?
Mother Earth is dying…
Are we going to save it..
Or die with it..
With our selfishness and disinterest…
It’s here
We can smell it in air..
Feel it in our lungs..
Wake up !!
What are we waiting for !!

Raindrops against my window pane
arouses within me a need to open the window...
and let the rain in ...

Sun shines between the cracks
Of ominous grey clouds
Casting yellow rays of light
Upon the old grey house
Making it shine like gold!!

Snow falls softly…
On the hard frozen ground
So quiet, so peaceful, so calm outside..
A world so gentle…
So far apart
From the hate, unrest, war…
All man made…

A sea of green ...
Sways in the breeze
As an orchestra of sparrows...
Cheers it on....
Spring is here...life begins

Sitting there on that bench with you
Listening to the breeze
Holding hands...
Catching sunrises and sunsets
With you my partner in Life

She was there
She was always there
But no one really saw her
Like furniture she stood
Unacknowledged, Unloved , Unnoticed,
Always used...

Crisp morning air
Rustle of leaves
Moments pure..
Moments pristine..

As I step out of the gym into the fresh air
A whiff of cookies baking
strolls into my nose
I take a deep breath
Oh bliss, pure bliss...

A breeze waltzes by
Lifts, disturbs the leaves
Once lying still
Now dancing and rejoicing
Muffling the sound of traffic
From the highway near by..

I look out of my window
On the tree outside
I see an orange leaf shining thru..
A sea of green..
The next day…
I see a few more peeping thru
Then yesterday
I saw the tree covered with
A million orange leaves !!
A revolution !!
Suddenly it’s here
A beautiful sight
Finally!!!

Silence is broken
By the chirps of a sparrow
Perched upon my balcony
Much needed company
In these lonely covid times....

I give you a glimpse of my soul
You give me a glimpse of yours
And suddenly we are connected
By an invisible thread of knowing and sharing..
Something beautiful..
That we share with nobody else...

Pop Pop what's that I hear
Pop Pop pop pop pop
An elderly man in front of me falls to the ground
I fall to the floor
crouched against the checking counter
I see thru a crack
A young man in a cashier's uniform  
Pushes a few people to the ground
No more than 16 years old
He rushes towards the gunman
Charges into him
Pop Pop pop pop pop
For a second his body
Dances in the air
Lifeless he falls to the ground
His last dance
This young brave hero
So young
So much potential
Gone in a second
Gone too soon...

Selling me dreams neatly stacked
Just like your new books never read
They stay on the shelf
Looking very pretty
Stacked up neatly...
Just like your promises
Never to be realized
Never to be read...

A song wafts in…
from the window next door..
into mine…
In a language from a foreign land..
words I cannot understand..
Bringing tears to my eyes…
Touching me so…
Connecting me to my neighbour next door…
Who I don’t know…

Today for the 1st time
I remembered…
Who I was…
Before you…

When we were young
Your handsome face
and dark hair...
Impressed me
Made me blush
Crimson red!!
Now we are older
Grey hair and wrinkles
A tad overweight
The love still remains
Your kindness and humor
Your big big heart
The person you are
Still impresses me
Still makes me blush
Crimson red inside!!

Why are we ?
So hasty to complain
Yet so slow to Praise…