All I Take

All I Take

All I take
I carry as bits of light, 
scattered within me, 
to hold at home,
memories, morsels of deliciousness: 

bird song dancing through the air
palm leaves feathering the breeze
water glittering to the blue sky
surf massaging the rocky earth
shells swimming to the shore
sun crawling from horizon to horizon
stars repeating age-old stories
moon reeling in waves like a fisherman
sea calming to a waveless pool

when we jumped in
letting go of
all we brought
inviting each moment
as a peaceful meditation

I wrote this poem in San Agustinillo Mexico earlier this year. As we move into fall and I anticipate what’s on the other side: winter, my mind and my heart escape to the warm sands and sea of Oaxaca.

Remembering how to laugh

Wind blowing through the palm trees, San Agustinillo, Mexico

Remembering how to laugh 

One day it happened. 
I didn’t know it was going to. 
In fact, I had no idea how much it was needed. 
But, it did. 
Like a flash, on a camera or of lightening. 
I quit trying to control every little thing.
I simply let go of all that I was holding so tightly. 
I allowed the wind of joy to blow into my soul. 
And I remembered how to laugh. 

This poem is also part of a collection I put together called All the Shapes of Joy.

Nightlight

A bird in song, Santa Clarita, California

Nightlight

Once I was
a sweet song bird

joyful as the jingle
of a kid’s bike bell

gentle as a breeze
on my mother’s shoulders

strong as the strands
on a spider’s web

Then I dimmed
as if the night
light in the hall

the bell whispered
the breeze stilled
the silk softened
and I sat down
to rest

This poem is also part of a collection I put together called All the Shapes of Joy.