Grief ~

Grief has tucked herself away 
inside a pillowcase of tears 
she sits alone
amidst the sorrow 
of a hundred days and nights 
that pass as shadowed memories
in an empty space.

No laughing voices 
warm the air 
cold winter 
never has a spring 
when death comes stalking 
with a frozen face!

(I am heading out tomorrow for my friend's funeral.
  see you all next week, take care and be well.) 

My Love ~

You are the echo 
of my heart 
the rhythm 
beating in my soul 
from morning's magic 
to the evening's glow _

My thoughts 
are shades 
of you in verse _

Without your love 
my blood 
would harden 
in my veins 
and cease to flow 
the echo in my heart 
would turn 
to stone _

(I am always so thankful for my wonderful 
  husband as he is always here for me in the good times 
  and bad times ... I am especially grateful for him today 
  as I received news of a dear friend of mine passing away.) 

The Seasons ~

I understand the seasons, now 
I know their shades are varied 
moods and knowing savor 
each in turn _
The lightning, sudden 
frightening blots of brightness 
Let it come, for this is beauty 
deepest mood that complements 
the peaceful days _
Then let it pass, let winds 
blow soft and brush my cheeks 
with moistened lips 
for this is beauty, deepest calm 
that complements the stormy days _
Let each shade color me_
In turn, the red, the blue 
the purple days 
for I would know 
the shades of each 
yet be the color of the whole _

(photo is of a lake I visit often and close by.) 

Champagne ~

Champagne 
moonlight 
a terrace 
close beside the sea _
Champagne 
music 
strong arms 
encircling you to me _
Champagne 
bubbling 
roses 
in a vase _
Champagne 
dancing 
waltz my love
through nights and days _

(photo was taken on our recent trip to Cancun
 it was truly a romantic getaway!) 

Infinity ~

I yearned to find infinity 
   and seeking it, passed through 
the gates of reverence and love
    into life with you.

And now in the starlit bowers within 
    as you give yourself to me 
it is you that I gather into my arms 
    I hold infinity. 

Being Alone ~

Being alone 
is not being lonely,
it's a long walk 
on a wide beach 
where the only sound 
is a bird's cry,
the wind racing a blue sky 
and surf riding the shore.

Loneliness 
is being alone 
with a room full of people 
who don't care
when despair is a tear 
on a frozen cheek 
in a bright room.

Shared Secrets ~

The best things to remember 
are the pleasant fun things we've done together 
the times of shared soft laughter 
with no rhyme or reason for excitement 
and for which all their importance 
could easily have been forgotten 
only a moment later.

Quietly smiling memories 
are timid, half-hidden wildflowers 
never to be picked and displayed 
belonging to the knowing observer 
for a tenuous laughing moment.

Do you remember how we laughed pleasantly 
at the lavender- purple house we saw 
as we were driving along 
and the woman who gave us a Washington peach 
because she was so proud of her state
and the little store in Oregon 
where we had fun buying Japanese food items 
and the woman at the roadside stand 
who added a lagniappe of purple plums 
to the basket of fruit we purchased? 

We can speak to each other the code words 
of a delightful esoterica 
and no one else can possibly understand 
the hidden meaning in the smiles 
we happily exchange.

-----------------------------------------------------------
(I am heading to Cancun, Mexico, with my wonderful husband 
  on Wednesday morning, so I shall say 'bye' to all of you but 
  only for a short time as I will be back to visit you next week 
  on my return. 
  Must go pack now as this was all a big surprise and I just found out 
  about the trip, he truly is a wonderful husband!) 

Lonely Road ~

It isn't always accomplishment that counts

sometimes it is just the going on in the face of defeat

to those who go on!

The man or woman who never achieves 

yet never ceases

hoping, striving, dreaming!

Those who work and wait - for "Ships That Never Come In!" 

has their earnestness here started something 

that shall flower into reality somewhere beyond?

To the man who goes on 

when it seems to him 

that he just cannot carry his load

to the woman who smiles 

in the face of defeat 

at the end of the lonely road

these are the heroes 

I give you tonight 

they may fail, but they never say yield

"May hope be the angel"

who smiles in their eyes 

when they close them 

on earth's battlefield!

Treasured ~

You are the quietness 
poised on the pool 
before the first breeze wakes 
or ever a bird stirs or morning breaks _

Tethered by trials 
your body comforts 
imparting 
surpassing power to bless _

When my worlds fume 
and strain to fall apart 
I find their wholeness _ and my own 
within your heart _ 

These Things of the Earth ~

Lake mirrored cloud free sky, trout rise 
willow shade caressing lavender flags
a swallow's swoop to mud-dabbed nest _

Slapping wind full of spilled thunder 
midnight lightning startling the dark 
a moth battling the rain-specked window pane _

River voice chanting below flooded banks 
dawn light painting the water bronze and gold 
a cottontail scratching her ear in dewy grass _

These simple, ordinary, everyday 
miraculous things of the earth _
-------------------------------------------------------
(photo is of my niece and I ... taken on a trip to Nova Scotia ...
 in a place of true serenity and beauty.) 

A Dedication ~

In dawn's wakening smile 
in bright new promise of morning 
I have seen your eyes 

In music of mid-day 
in sweet soaring vibrancy of earthsongs 
I have heard your voice 

In evening's warm caress 
in sheltering closeness of sunset 
I have felt your touch 

All things beautiful in my world 
have breathed the magic 
the mystery, the miracle of you 

I have loved you this day! 

The Awakening ~

How could I know when morning broke 
and golden skies shone through the blue 
that I should find ere setting sun 
the heart of you?

How could I know that one short day 
could hold a rapture so divine 
revealing ere its course was run 
your heart was mine!

Desire ~

I want to run as fast as
    I can and leave the ground 
and jump into your mind
   and wildly but methodically explore 
the vast entirety of you. The past 
   the endless crossroads of the present 
the future will take care of itself
   if we are hand in hand _

------------------------------------------------------------
(Wishing all of you special blogger friends a lovely 
Holiday season full of love, peace and much joy!
Life has been very hectic here lately but beginning to calm down.
Jake is doing much better and 'on the mend'
I shall be paying a visit to all of you very soon!)

Words ~

Little weaving chains of words
that sing a deathless song 
echoing like clanking swords 
that protest against wrong _

A friendly sympathetic grace 
to ease a heart that's sore 
a place for words _ and time and space 
yet silences may roar _

Words left unsaid _ (that should have been)
may wound a tender heart 
'tis then we need the magician's pen 
or some rare Godlike art _
___________________________________________________

(It seems like I have been away from blogging for a long time 
and I have been. I have been very busy taking care of Jake 
since my last post. And, then we went on a 2 week vacation early in October 
and left Jake in good hands, or so I thought.
That turned out not to be the case.
We took him in for an appt with his surgeon on Oct 18th and had the most 
distressing news. An x-ray revealed Jake had much swelling of his knee 
that had the surgery and he had a new fracture.
My job has been to completely restrict his activity and lots of ice-packs.
Another x-ray will be done on Nov 13th, I am praying for healing 
as if not another surgery will have to be done.

Also, my dearest Aunt Rose passed away a day after we returned from 
vacation, my heart is broken! 
She lived to the age of 98 and went peacefully in her sleep.

I am sorry I have not been around to visit any of you lovely Blog friends 
but I just cannot manage it at this time, I am completely focused on Jake 
and his healing.) 

Hoping life is wonderful for all of you.
I do not know when I shall post again.
Please keep Jake in your good thoughts and prayers.

Love from 
~ Margie 

Remembrance ~

We must find a way 
to remember 
summer in winter 
the ocean in the desert 
the breath of mountains 
behind four walls 
the tiniest good fortune 
in the midst of tears _
 ~~~~ooo~~~~ooo~~~~ooo~~~~

(my sweet, gentle, Golden Jake had knee surgery on Wednesday 
 he is having a difficult time and healing is going to be a hard and long process
 I will be a full-time nurse to Jake over the next 2 months and I will not be posting  over that time ... I shall be back to regular posting around the middle of October ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ be well, dear blogging friends ~ xo )

Rose and Jake are the best of friends 

Rose was very sad when we picked him up after surgery ~

Rose Window ~

You, who gave me life 
And the joyous childhood 
I did not know was rare 
I would tell you now 
What it has taken a lifetime to learn _
How priceless were those years 
How Radiant!
And the radiance stemmed from you 
I have seen cathedral windows whose colors 
Were like the feeling I have 
Remembering _

Not from your words but from your lives 
We learned that the things you valued 
Were eternal _
I would, if I could 
Build a cathedral for you 
Out of thankfulness 
And in it I would put a glorious rose window 
The color of love _
------------------------------------------------

(Written in deep gratitude for my amazing parents)
 I miss them and remember them
 at the rising sun and its going down
 and wish with all my heart I could have them back 
 if only for one hour ...

"Say not in grief he is no more but live in thankfulness that he was"
-Hebrew Proverb 

The Couple in the Photo ~

They seem so unposed 
so easy in their love 
Note:
his protective arm 
her contented smile 
It's as though they couldn't imagine 
being anywhere but 
together 
Beautiful, don't you think 
that after all this time 
those two happy people
       are still
       us _

First Love ~

When, in our youth, the world was fresh as dew 
as fresh as though that day it had been made _
Enchantment entered it and as it grew 
we ran to meet it gladly, unafraid _
It came as softly as the soft dusk fell 
this first awareness of some strange, new thing _ 
We did not understand its lovely spell 
we only knew _ though winter _ it was Spring!
Though not quite sure what wonder had transpired 
Our's was a shining world, that much was clear _
We drank it in and we were never tired 
we were alive within a singing sphere!
O young first-love, how could you understand
you held the universe within your hand _
~~~ooo~~~ooo~~~ooo~~~ooo~~~ooo~~~

(I have to admit a 'first Love' that has turned into
an 'everlasting love' is the 'best love'!) 

Tomorrow's Key ~

Today gave to my waking world 

a gold and crimson dawn 

so splashed with splendor that the sight 

I scare could look upon _

In the dewy morningtide 

I heard a thrush's cry

of utter joy and saw him wing 

across the western sky _

Before my eager, quickened sight 

a flower-form unfurled 

and lent its matchless beauty 

to a green and amber world  _

My grateful heart beheld a way 

to lift a load of care 

that in a silent loneliness 

a friend had - had  to bear _

Twilight gently blanketed 

the weary world in rest 

and stooped to kiss the little one 

that slumbered at my breast  _

Today I learned to love each hour 

nor asked tomorrow planned 

and lo _ at last _ I drift toward sleep 

its key within my hand _

Lyrics Three for Nighttime ~

1 ~
Tonight 
a gentle-mannered breeze 
brushes the dark-still little world 
that waits around me 
singing so softly 
of pleasant, restful dreams 
and almost promising 
teasingly 
a laughing, lovely day 
tomorrow _

2 ~
How softly has the night 
enfolded tree and shrub and home
with snug, protective darkness 
with quiet, soothing darkness 
and put to rest 
all tensions of the daylight 
thus quietly to pour 
the balm of nature's healing 
release and peace, thus stealing 
from a weary self
now lost in dreams _ 

3 ~
Good night, sweet dreams , the day's at end 
let pillowed rest all troubles mend 
all weariness now flown away 
be made anew through dreams at play 
sleep softly, gently through the night 
sleep restfully 'til morning's light 
sleep curled and cuddled, safe and sound 
Good night all _ may sweet dreams abound _