POETIC MUSINGS

Latest millinery fashion from Whidbey Hospital

Oh my! My daughter, Cary, took this photo last September as I awaited staples in my head for a burst laceration resulting from a late evening plummet into the coffee table of my living room. I won’t, however, show the picture she took of my bloody, swollen scalp! Cary gave me an ultimatum…get one of those medical alert necklaces with an alarm, or text her once I was safely in bed. Talk about draconian!

This inspired me to write what I call “Night Time Tidbits,” poems and ditties that run the gamut of life’s humor and reflections. The laceration healed, but the poems are my daily reminder to stand up straight and watch where I’m going! Ha ha!

Each night as I go to bed, I send her a daily musing, and I think it would be fun to share a few with you!

MOUNTAINS AND CLOUDS

Mountains draw us to the sky, they pull us ever closer
They free us to be who we are, our own unique composer;
I climb the rocks and watch as the horizon is revealed,
And nature’s vast eternity no longer is concealed.

But what is so amazing if we ever stop to look,
This view of heaven is always there, and flowing like a brook;
It changes, yes, like each of us, look deeper, watch it grow,
Unveil the secret passages, the ones we want to know.

I spend a lot of time with clouds, because they are like me,
One moment dark and rolled up tight, the next one floating free,
And then an unexpected wind comes drifting from afar,
And fragments every sense of order, sets my soul ajar;

I love it, put the pieces where I think they all should go,
Attempt to rearrange the chaos, even out the flow,
But reaching true serenity takes patience at its best,
And when the clouds have settled back, my mind at last can rest.

Photos of mountains at Khopra Ridge, Annapurna Range, Nepal, and horizon at Maxwelton Beach, Whidbey Island.

DARKNESS CAN BE LIGHT

Strips of bright orange surrounded by yellow,
Fiery bursts, soon faded and mellow,
These few treasured moments beginning the day
Can carry me through as the sky holds its sway;

But now it gets dark, settling back to a norm
That to me is depressing regardless of form;
It may be a storm, or it may just be fog,
Why can’t I find beauty, a bright dialogue?

Look around, stop complaining, step into the forest,
Breathe deep woodland odors, get rid of your protest,
Accept where you are, and enjoy what you see,
Wrap your soul in the branches, let your spirit run free.

Photos: View out my bedroom window at Upper Langley Cohousing, and forest trail nearby.

NONSENSE JUST FOR YOU!

I wish I could think of some words I could say
to brighten your life at the end of the day;
How about Holy Moses and Crickledee Doo?
Would that make you feel happy and sat-isfy you?

Or won’t that be good for superior brains?
Perhaps you’d prefer hearing everyday trains:
Woo woo and highhodie, ding dong, close the door,
Jump under the covers unless you want more….

Oh, you say you want more, well, that makes me feel glad,
For my heart is bong-babbled and shiddledy-shad,
Honkeytonk harie-horie and diddledee-winks,
I could keep on for hours and remove all your kinks!

Photos: Vancouver, BC at Morton Park, and the Peterson boys, Rob, Tom and Chris, circa 1963

MACULAR, ANYONE?

Anyone for hallucination?
Just try macular degeneration
Guinea pigs are running free
Purple flowers on a tree,
Giant caverns just appear
Walk in them, they disappear,
If covered with a phony fence
Walk over them, they’re deep and dense.

Try to see the sunny side
Imagination large and wide,
So what if someone’s head is doubled,
Pick the one that looks less troubled;
Think how wonderful it poses
To walk in snow amidst the roses;
Make up fantasies alluring,
Your peace of mind will be enduring.

SUNSHINE, BLESSED SUNSHINE!

Sunshine in the morning makes me happy,
Sunshine all day long puts me in thrall
After weeks of fog and rain
I’ve endured much psychic pain,
Now I’m going to run outside and have a post-Thanksgiving Ball!

Feast your eyes on deep-set yellow patches,
Watch the forest dance and sway and sing
How the earth devours its rays
Mounds of sparkling grass ablaze,
Thank you, Nature, for this day, a snapshot of the coming spring!

I walk along the winding tree-lined paths,
Accept their warm and welcoming embrace,
Then lay upon my deck and scan the sky
And smell a wealth of odors sweet and dry,
I know this taste of heav’n will lift me up and keep me strong,
no matter what in the future I will face.

Photos: Langley Woodmen Cemetery

MEMORIAL POEM FOR ROD PARKE

I was deeply saddened by the loss of Rod, my opera buddy and special friend, on November 15, from a rare form of cancer. As well as being an opera critic, he organized and hosted a lively and unusual group, FLO, For Lovers of Opera, here on Whidbey, which brought joy to many many people. When told of his passing, I was instantly inspired to write these words for my dear friend…beloved, talented, giving, creative, and full of limitless optimism.

I seem to be obsessed with death, it’s everywhere around me,
It pushes out the joy of life that us’ually surrounds me;
But how can one recover from the loss of precious friends
Their smiling faces, wise remarks, and love that never ends?

What choice have I? To weep and cry and make an endless burden
Of what was once a bless-ed gift obscured by grief’s dark curtain?
Or work to find acceptance for the way that life has shifted,
To know it will be long and hard, until the pain has lifted;

‘Though not forgotten, many things will never be the same,
But just remember all the thrilling times that you can name;
Be positive, and face your grief, to talk will help to leaven
And bring your spirits up and give you ample proof of heaven.