Unexpected Gifts

Unexpected Gifts

Occasionally

The universe surprises you,

Undeservedly bestowing

Unexpected gifts.

As we plough through

The muddy messy roads of our existence,

Alongside the well worn ruts,

A pretty flower beckons.

We pluck this gift,

It brightens our life,

Put in our path to remind us,

Beauty and kindness lurk around corners.

If we walk eyes downcast

The gifts go unnoticed,

Unappreciated,

Wasted.

Sunsets and flowers in the muck,

Friendships and kindnesses amidst the cruelty

Unexpected gifts to enjoy,

As we walk our solitary paths.

The Promise of the Flower Bud

The Promise of the Flower Bud

Tightly closed,
The flower bud
Hints at promise
Of beauty within.

Slowly, the dull green
concedes to flashes of color
Shyly revealing,
The brightness within.

Like a quick smile
that comes and goes
When sunshine and warmth
cherish and nurture it.

As the petals unfold,
they reveal
gradually
the beauty within.

Drawn to the Flame

Drawn to the Flame

Summer moths
out of our cocoon.
Circling
the enticing
Deadly flame.

Dancing seductively
Beckoning us,
Perhaps singeing
Perhaps immolating,
Yet we are drawn closer.

Instincts forgotten
The lure too great.
Pulling us in,
Perhaps crippling
Perhaps to our destruction.

Yet the flame
Also illuminates
the crushing darkness
In our souls.
Are we wise enough to see ?

Senses

SENSES

Were I to never
Feel the soft cool velvet of a rose petal
Thrill to the stirring of melodious notes
Be seared by the icy fire of a brilliant gemstone
Be inspired by an intellect awakening conversation
Savor the pungency of spices
As they flavor the mundane
With myriad sensations !

What then is this existence
But these senses telling me
I am alive !

The Tangled Dense Forest

THE TANGLED DENSE FOREST

I am running through

A tangled dense forest,

Where no light penetrates,

Through an impervious canopy.

In confused motion,

I stumble into

A verdant clearing,

Where butterflies flutter

In iridescent chaos !

They alight

Softly caressing me

With gossamer wings

Of tenderness and comprehension,

As I settle beside,

A clear sparkling stream

Of clarity

That washes away

Cobwebs of atrophy.

Leaving me,

Rejuvenated and inspired

To challenge the demons,

That I have run so far from,

In the tangled dense forest.

Thawing Sorrow

Thawing Sorrow

Melancholy drips
From the frozen icicles
Of sorrow.

Every drop
Making them smaller
With the thaw.

Then they are gone
Leaving in their wake
Bittersweet memories.

Memories without hurt,
And a thirst,
For new beginnings.

A Magic Moment

A MAGIC MOMENT

The frozen flickering candle

Benignly illuminates,

A late night confluence

Of hearts and minds.

Reflected in the juice of the grape,

Friends celebrate,

The existence

And meaning,

Of their friendship.

A Holiday In Transience

A HOLIDAY IN TRANSIENCE

A Christmas tree blinks helplessly,

Ornaments trying to keep its courage up.

Friends bow branches,

And borrow stories from other days.

Memories drift,

Wisps of clouds

Driven by nostalgic breezes.

Burdened by melancholy

And gaiety,

The tree stands,

An unflickering candle

In the whirlwind of lifetimes.

Lulled by the bitter sweetness

We are transfixed

On the ageless cross

Of separation.

Resonance

RESONANCE

Reeds quiver in the wind

In marshes, in instruments.

Having found the resonating notes

They celebrate it.

Schools of sounds

Float,

Dreamlike,

In unison.

Enriching,

Nourishing,

Nurturing,

The souls they strike chords in.