PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

In my mind thoughts do constant swirl,

Leaves that rustle playfully twirl,

I vex the future looking meek,

But now through veil the light it peaks.

Women now, once a baby held,

My confidence in her excelled,

Today my heart is very proud,

She takes her place in world unbound.

In quiet moments of her doubt,

Uncertain shadows loom and clout,

A fire within her gently glows,

A strength unseen, yet fiercely shows.

Her spirit, like a mountain high,

Unyielding, steadfast 'neath the sky,

She faces storms with grace and might,

A beacon in the darkest night.

Whispers of doubt may taunt and tease,

Her heart beats on with courage, ease,

In her soul, a warrior stands,

With dreams held tightly in her hands.

So, rise, dear niece, and take your place,

For in your heart, there's endless space,

To conquer fears, to reach new heights,

You're such a star, shining bright.

Remember this, and always know,

Your strength is boundless, let it show,

In every step, in every stride,

You are so strong, with love your guide.

 When we see our world crumbling…our emotions are in a blender.

We’re a mixture of heartbroken…depressed…sad and mad…

but then…

we discover little bits of love in the rubble

and begin to piece our life together again.

Yesterday I found some bits of love that brought a smile to my face…

surrounded by friends and family…in a place where horses race. 

Once a year we get together…we take up a lot of space…

It’s a mini family reunion…in a place where horses race.

Many of our family members were there…

some who we don’t often see…

as were friends who over the years have become our family.

Most of us came from Florida…

the east coast, west coast…and beyond… 

One person came from England and one from Belgium…

making that long flight across the pond.

We hugged…we talked…we laughed…

sharing the kind of memories you can’t replace…

picking up those little bits of love…

in a place where horses race.

I met a man, wearing a shirt exactly like mine… 

He and his wife were down from Chicago escaping the cold…

We even joined in a chorus of Happy Birthday

to a man who turned 90 years old.

Yes in times when we’re surrounded by hatred and prejudice and war

It’s nice to be reminded…what we were created for…

Like spending time with our family and friends….

making memories time cannot erase…

Like sharing little bits of love

in a place where horses race.

 As our family gathered around our table this Christmas

sharing laughter, love and cheer…

I thought about all the times we’ve sat around this table

for over 30 years.

For years this table was just the right size for our little family

when we’d come together for meals, birthdays and holidays

it fit us comfortably.

Over time as our family tree grew…

(which now, looking back seems so brief)

this table expanded to fit us…

all we had to do was add a leaf.

And when our family grew too big 

and there was no more room for this table to grow…

we set up a card table close by to handle the overflow.

For many years this is how we celebrated…it was a beautiful sight to see….

and we were perfectly happy being a two-table family.

But with three of our family members now moved and unable to get away…

we were back to sitting around one table this Christmas holiday.

And even though we Face-Timed the whole evening…

played our games…had lots of fun…

I confess to one wistful moment in the beginning

when I realized we’ve gone from two tables…back to one.

Life moves on…it changes as each year into another blends.

Which means we’re constantly redefining the boundaries 

and how far our family extends.

But speaking as a parent and grandparent 

to all our family members…wherever you may roam

there will always be a table…or two…waiting…

every time you come back home.

May we all be blessed to have the kind of family

It matters not how big…or small…

where the happiness or the sadness of one

is the happiness or the sadness of all

There are many signs I have grown older…that make me wonder…how

in the blink of an eye…

All the time I’ve been alive…all the years that have slipped by.

When I look into a mirror…sometimes…I feel chagrin…

What hair I have left has turned to gray…and there are wrinkles on my skin.

Sometimes my body aches…from my head down to my toes…

Are my ears supposed to be this big?

And don’t get me started on my nose!

But I don’t need a mirror to see how quickly time has flown.

All I have to do is look at my children…and grandchildren  

and see how much they’ve grown.

As I see the men and women they’ve become…

and are becoming

Across my face a smile spreads…

That smooths out every wrinkle and softens every gray hair on my head.

A smile that extends out to my ears…and changes the shape of my nose…

that soothes any ache I might be feeling…from my head down to my toes.

I know I’m growing older…of this I have no doubt….

but growing older has never been something I worry too much about….

Because, no matter how many years have passed….

No matter how many swings the pendulum of time has swung….

My children and my grandchildren have always found a way

to make me feel young.

There is nothing quite as beautiful….

(If you’ve ever done it…then you know)

than planting a seed in your garden…

and being blessed to watch it grow….

And:

There is nothing quite as beautiful 

(Again…if you’ve ever done it…then you know)

than planting the seed of a family

and being blessed to watch it grow.

There’s nothing quite as beautiful 

(If you’ve ever done it…then you know)

Than lighting the first sticks of a campfire

and being blessed to watch that fire grow…

And:

And there is nothing quite as beautiful 

(Again If you’ve ever done it…then you know)

Than lighting the fire of love under your family

and being blessed to watch your family grow.

The wedding ceremony is over… 

to the world we’ve added a new husband and wife.

The cabin has returned to normal and everyone’s gone back to their life.

As I sit on the porch in the quiet..watching birds at the feeder…I’m enthralled

as the trees continue to change color and their leaves continue to fall…

I once believed when it came to humans…

across the oceans…across time…across history…

every person everywhere was part of the one and only human family tree.

A tree that’s constantly changing in its effort to grow strong and tall

Welcoming new buds in Spring…to replace the leaves they’ve lost in the fall.

But sitting here among a multitude of trees…

noticing the distinct branches, limbs and leaves…

I’m thinking of the world a little differently…altering what I once believed.

What if every human family is part of their own distinct family tree

whether they’re evergreen…or lose their leaves in the Fall….

and what if under all these different family trees…it’s the roots that connect us all.

Which means we all share what gives us life…allowing each and every family tree 

knowing we are all connected…to retain our individuality.

What if we’re meant to share between us…the sun, the rain, the drops of morning dew

our buds, our branches our leaves and our limbs as all trees were created to do.

Which brings me to the reason for this poem…to Trista…Damiens wife

Perhaps the most beautiful words you will ever hear…

or, if you’re reading this…will see

Are:

We love you…and we’re overjoyed to welcome you to our family tree.

As I sit on the porch in the quiet watching the birds feed and the colors of Autumn fall

I can already see how this new leaf makes our family tree a little brighter…

and I can’t help but be enthralled.

When I was young…the advice my parents gave me about love…

I thought was just a myth…

How I needed to find someone in life…to grow old together with.

Back then I thought the kind of love that leads to marriage 

the way all love began…

was the kind my parents had…between a woman and a man

And though, for me, this is the path…I discovered to be true…

when I grew up up I realized this path may not be the same…for you.

Since love can be elusive…this truth I’ve come to know…

If you’re lucky enough to find a partner you love… 

and who loves you back…never let them go.

I’ve learned there is nothing more precious in this world 

than to share love with another person in your life….

and it doesn’t matter if that person is your partner…

your husband…or your wife.

That a family…built on love…is a treasure to be had…

whether it starts with a father and a mother… 

with two mothers…

or two dads.

Because when it comes to who we choose as a life partner

and the family we build together…before they scatter….

The love we share with one another…

the love that holds us all together…

is all that really matters.

Because love…when freely given and received…

is a ballad to be sung

And as we grow a little older every day 

love has a way to keep us young.

So the advice I give my children now

is a little different than what…when I was younger…I was told…

I advise them to find someone whose love makes you feel young each day

as the two of you grow old.

 As I look at the latest portrait…taken yesterday of our family….

it occurs to me that we never take a picture

of our entire family tree.

How no two family portraits can ever be the same.

How we’ve all changed a little since the last photo

and how there’s always someone missing from the frame.

For instance Bryan, our son, and Bonnie, our friend, have both moved away.

and do not often show up in family portraits…

like the one we took yesterday.

Both Deborah’s and my parents have long since passed away

which means they’re also not in the family portrait we took yesterday.

With every portrait we take…it becomes clearer and clearer to me…

we are only taking close-ups of a portion of our tree.

But…rather than be sad…I find myself happy instead…

because each portrait opens the door to all the family photos

that are floating in my head.

Every photo ever taken of every branch of our family tree…

is floating in my memory…waiting there of me

to pick one or two photos and…sometimes with a tear

sometimes with a grin…

wait…as in this latest family portrait…my mind photoshops them in.

That is why when I look at this family portrait…

the message to me it sends…

Is just how far the roots of our family tree extend.

And why in every family portrait taken…

so many of my family members are easy for me to spot…

whether they are sitting there right next to me…

or floating in my thoughts.