You talk about the tides
And your love for the sea.
As I listen in silence,
My mind is wondering
                      Are you ready to dive into
The Ocean that secretly resides
In the depths of my heartstrings?

Because my love isn't shallow,
It's a wave that runs deep.
Yet, I delicately dance
                      Around the shores of you
Because I see that you
Could be the Ocean too.

And inside this current
                       Of hope flowing is a
Wonderful, beautiful, terrifying thing.

So I'm waiting and watching to see
Who will take the first plunge -
                        Will it be you or will it be me?

Or maybe this time
                         Your wave of love inside
            Won't be afraid
                         To crash into mine.
             Together, forming
                         One massive riptide.

©KSS 9/2018

The wonders of Springtime
Whisk me away.
The glisten of raindrops
So freshly they lay.
The chirping of birds,
Sweet songs do they sing.
With echoes of laughter
They joyfully ring.
A newness of life
As sprouts start to bloom.
A colorful sight!
Ridding Winter's dark gloom.
The magic of flowers
Stretching up toward the sky.
Green grass all around them,
The aromas sublime.
The buzzing of bees
Hum happy and free.
In fields of wildflowers,
What a sight to be seen!
The wonders of Springtime
Fill me with bliss!
Naught a happier sight
To be seen than this!

©KSS 4/2015

Smiles and flowers live in those moments
Where love will last forever.
Memories made of enchanting things
Are held by us together.
Beautiful thoughts like lakeside shores,
Flood me everyday.
Springtime is a thought that passes,
But love resides always.
Only happiness exists these days
When thinking back to sweet times.
Like lyrics in a melody,
It sounds quite like paradise.
Honey suckles fill the air
In that field of love.
Clouds start to gather
While rain pours down
On us from up above.
Laughter is all the remains now
When thinking of the past.
The only thing that resides there now,
Is a love that will forever last.
©KSS 2012

We're all a little mad
In this world of spinning dreams.
Where teardrops turn to waterfalls,
And fate's determined by the sea.
We're all a little crazy
In this field of life and love.
With winding roads and rabbit holes,
And things you wouldn't dare speak of.
We're all a bit insane
Each dealt a different hand to play.
Though we shuffle the deck of cards,
The Queen of Hearts will still remain.
We're all a bit bizarre
In this place of mystery.
For time ticks faster, faster still,
A kaleidoscope like history.
We're all a little weird
Like Cheshire grinning ear to ear.
But in this Wonderland of Life,
Grand adventures find us here.
©KSS 8/2015

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

Women were made to roar.
So don't tell us to calm down.
We'll shake and howl,
And then stand proud
As we fix each other's crowns.

Women were made to speak.
So don't silence us when we scream.
We'll stomp and rave,
And then release
The lioness within- Strong & Brave.

Women were made to lead.
So don't pretend we won't.
We'll rise and march,
And carry on fiercely,
Every sister rooted in her strength.

Women were made to bleed.
So don't act like we are weak.
We'll shed our skin,
And be renewed,
Ready to roar again.
©KSS 4/2020

When I was young
I sat beneath
A Willow Tree,
Who with the wind
Carried this message
To me:

She said, "Little child,
Filled with light
And with love,
Many fears in your life,
You'll have to overcome."

With big hazel eyes,
I looked up and asked,
"Which rode do I take?
The short or the fast?"

She smiled at me then,
And with only a laugh
Said, "Your heart will know
Which path to take
For on it you see-
You will grow."

In the warm breeze
My blonde hair blew.
Confused and scared,
I started to flee
on a long road
For which I wasn't prepared.

Before I could leave
The old Willow Tree
Said, "Wait! Just one more advice:
Never let go of your dreams!
Even through pain, fear, and strife."

So here now I stand,
With all that I am;
Believing and dreaming in life.
Courageous and strong
I still carry on through
Pain, fears, and strife!
©KSS 7/2013

Caterpillar cocoon
Swirling like a monsoon.
Spinning delicate threads
Wrong turn, they'll rip to shreds.

Caterpillar cocoon
Changes coming soon.
Winding round and round
Metamorphosis bound.

Caterpillar cocoon
Fragile like a balloon.
Hoping it won't pop
Before the change can stop.

Caterpillar cocoon
In the light of the moon.
Praying change within
Brings beauty in the end.

Caterpillar cocoon
Changes coming soon.
Metamorphosis bound
Look now, beauty's all around.
©KSS 8/2013

Woman or Dragon?
Some could claim one in the same.
When a fire-breathing Being is met with the winds of a Goddess,
And the flames of passion are fueled with raging love and fury.
When the beat of the heart and the blood of the womb
Ignites the rhythms of Dance and Flight and Life.
When the soar in the Soul is as mighty as the roar of madness,
And then the wings take control.
When the skin and the scales become tough as nails
Because walking through fire is all that's ever been known.
When resilience is more than folklore,
And grace rests upon weary shoulders.
When the embers remain after the flame consumes
And gentleness remains there too?
Only then can one begin to understand the meaning of both-
Dragon and Woman.
©KSS 6/2019

In the morning I rise
With a sun lit sky.
I turn my face to the east,
Oh holy Compass.
I take a moment to sit
In still silence.
As I listen within
For sacred knowledge.
This avenue of affirmations & prayer
Love and gratitude
Lead me there.
I take my sweet time
Learning the rhyme.
This message Divinity sent
Holy, holy, holy
Am I, and We, all One.
©KSS 3/2018

Hope.
A word that floats in the back of my mind
As emotions ebb and flow.

Hope.
When everything feels so unknown;
When seasons come and go.

Hope.
A feeling in my belly,
Like the flutter of a butterfly.

Hope.
The promise for a new tomorrow.
The steadfast love between you and I.

Hope.
When there's nothing left to do,
But surrender.

Hope.
The piece of puzzle in life that will help us
Make it through this time together.

Hope.
More than just a word or flutter;
The only thing I can cling to now.

Hope.
A gentle and sweet reminder,
We'll make it through somehow.

Hope.
For today and for tomorrow,
And just for right now.

Hope.

©KSS 4/2020

Angels all around
Whispering sweetly to me.
Through the branches and the breeze,
Through this Magnolia Tree.
I stand and look up in awe,
The beauty and strength so serene.
My Angels still whispering,
With every bird and every bee.
The message so discreet,
To any human eye.
But loud and clear it's ringing,
Aligned in heartbeat with mine.
Subtle, yet so unknown.
Loud, but whispering gently:
Surrender. Surrender. Surrender.
Completely.
©KSS 3/2018

I reach to my heart
When depth of despair draws near
And the weight of the world
Rests on my weary shoulders.

I reach to my heart
When the lack of compassion and apathy prevails
Because tongues of men spit words
That couldn't be further from the truth.

I reach to my heart
When the brave and wise tend to
Other's needs alongside their own,
Because their hearts are made of
Pure Gold.

I reach to my heart
When the fear of the unknown
Becomes too much to bear.
When my mind won't stop chattering.

I reach for my heart
When it all feels like too much...

But the Peace Lily bloomed
Just to weep with us too,
And suddenly all of our burdens became one.

I reach for my heart
When there is no hope in sight
Yet- deep down I know I can feel
The Healing Light.
Because Love is all I've ever truly known.
©KSS 4/2020

No longer will I apologize
For the ragged edges of my Soul.

For I am
Wind. Fire. Earth. Water. Ether.
Elements which within I won't control.

Ravenous and beating wild,
Always enough;
My strong, yet tender heart.

For all these things
To be known as both
Moon and Sun

- For being Me -

I'm sorry aren't words
I'll whisper anymore.

©KSS 12/2017

Mother Earth
No sacrifice She makes
Is small
At the hands of many
Who do not honor
Her at all.

And yet each Spring
New life is born
Flowers bloom
And the animals play
Hope made new
From Winter's gloom.

But the hands of men
Need to understand
Her resilience
Will not last.
And that all humans
Have a responsibility
To preserve Her brilliance-
Steadfast.

Mother Earth
Her weight on our shoulders now
Yet She continues to give.
From Her roots & soils; harvest is plenty
Into our bellies
So that all may live.

May we set aside
Our pride and ego
And all our selfish industrial waste
Get back to nature; honoring Her lands
Great care we need to take
Of Mother Earth for all our days.

©KSS 2/18/2021

Whimsical as it may seem
I still find myself
Getting lost in a daydream.
I look up, and look around.
Beauty surrounds.
Life gets hard sometimes,
That will always be true.
But I have found
Joy in the mundane.
I've learned how to breathe
Through the pain and anxieties.
To live mindfully.
What does it mean to
Daydream now?
To find peace in
Doing nothing—
Except watching the
Clouds.
©KSS 8/2020

As I sit across from you, lost in conversation and coffee
I get an unexpected feeling.
But oh, how my soul knew.
In the middle of spring, and without any warning
Sunlight rushes through.

But outside it was raining.
I was pleasantly confused.

So days and weeks I float through.
And on an ordinary Wednesday,
Lost again in conversation and coffee.
I realized... the Sunlight I feel is you.
©KSS 4/2018

Like the Autumn breeze
We must learn to breathe-
softly, slowly, chill, serene.
For in our breath,
chattering mind will cease.
inhale, exhale, feel at peace.

Like the Autumn leaves
We must learn to fall-
Mother Earth embraces all.
For in our fall,
inner strength is built
ensuring always that we won't wilt.

Like the Autumn sun
We must learn to shine-
brightly, golden, so divine.
For in our shine,
lighting up the world
and those around to feel impearled.

Like the Autumn moon
We must learn to change-
Cycles never stay the same.
For in our change,
new growth is found.
within our hearts, may we astound.

Like the Autumn song
We must learn to sing-
Stillness into everything.
For in our song,
sweet melodies.
transformation; such a precious thing.
©KSS 9/2018

Do not treat me like an object.
I'm not a pleasure tool for your lust.
I am a human,
Warrior,
Goddess,
Woman,
Witch.
I do not care about your ******.

So listen as these words hiss off my lips:
I demand respect, and will accept nothing less.

Do not whistle at my back.
I am not here for your entertainment.
I will not turn to give your ego attention.
My patience has been spent.

And lest you er forget-
Without my kind you would not exist.
Alone you were not sufficient,
So God took out a rib.
©KSS 7/2018