Gray sky flies overhead
Winter’s cold arrives
Autumn now asleep
Chilling nature’s hard drive
Spirit fills every tree
Spring postpones her speech
Peace lands with each flake
Covering whitest beach
Silence rejoins landscape
Yet, very much alive
Transfusion hidden
Feeding grace to survive
Arctic freeze now coming
Double seal each hatch
Ship awaits next storm
Traversing icy patch
Night’s dreams seeking comfort
Winter’s frost deploys
Hope’s blanket of snow
Snuggling beneath warmth’s joy
Mystery ahead
Shadows can’t hide
Each spirit drinks deeply
Endless dreams collide
Pathway of echoes
These woods speak out
Tomorrow surrenders
Darkened voices sprout
Moonlight’s reflections
Mirrors of light
Backwoods’ invitation
Shared from nature’s birthright
Night’s melody plays
Whispers gift-wrapped
Each note of harmony
Composed to adapt
Mystery now found
Morn’s grateful dawn
Spirits return to sleep
Dreams wait to be drawn
Ice cream bell ringing?
Memory bank mistaken—
Trolley car coming
Engineer at work
Oops . . . building blocks falling down—
Right back to square one
Swallowing loose tooth
What about the Tooth Fairy?
Dreams filled with magic
Darkness hides
Morning’s reception
Silence riddles chilly air
Mellow breeze
Wind chimes serenade
Peace soothing this resting soul
Candle glows
Dancing shadows play
Frolicking, flickering flame
Hot coffee
Early, steady mate
Comforting, every drop
Good ol’ friend
Morning hums with fun
Feeling the caffeine-fueled boost
Dawn’s twilight
Distant horizon
Breaking through hardheaded clouds
Music plays
Tunes stir memories
Jukebox sings with sunrise joy
Life’s pages
Another chapter
Feeling all cozy and warm
Dreams invite
Delightful journey
Buzzing, unmistaken joy
Snooze button
Calling, “Please hit me”
Let’s start all over . . . again!
Originally published December, 2020.
Waking at midnight
Blessed with moon-free sky
Peering into galaxy’s midst
Endless stars twinkle “hi”
Waking with silence
Moonlight dropping in
Feeling heavens’ distant light
Harmony’s smiling grin
Waking in darkness
Storm’s thunder crashes
Rolling over quiet thoughts
Lightning’s outburst flashes
Waking to calmness
Creek gently rolls by
Flowing with tranquil spirit
Landscape waving “goodbye”
Dreaming no longer
Each hour filled with rest
Composing nightly rhythm
Set for tomorrow’s quest
Nothing happens unless first we dream.
Life is like an onion; you peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep.
Carl Sandburg (1878-1967) was an American writer and journalist. Many of his works centered around poetry (he preferred “free verse’) and writing biographies. One of his most well-received biographies was about American President Abraham Lincoln. He received three Pulitzer Prizes (two for poetry and one for his Lincoln biography). Sandburg was born in Galesburg, Illinois.
Never-ending vistas
Discovering each keepsake
Nature’s promised grace
Harmony’s singing at daybreak
Majestic mountain peaks
Reaching to heavens above
Fields’ ripening grain
Easy to witness Creator’s love
Highway’s distant crossroads
Welcoming each blessed guest
Town’s main street alive
Hospitality at its best
Heart searches for its peace
Dreaming . . . now Montana bound
Precious adventures
Journey complete . . . Montana found
As of July 1, Colleen and I are beginning our travels from our home in central Ohio to Montana. The Big Sky Country is my native state, and we are eager to see family and friends. We will return in about 15 days.
Morning’s gentle voice
Invitation welcomes all
New day rising
Creator’s spirit comes to call
Next steps contemplate
Opportunity at hand
Always present
Creator’s breath covers this land
Mind absent of thoughts
Tranquility extends grace
Empty page waits
Creator’s own words embrace
Time seems to stand still
Sky’s expanse frozen in blue
Quiet breeze stirs
Creator’s peace channels breakthrough
Darkness encroaches
Patient light chases away
Innocence dreams
Creator’s perpetual way
Another morning rises
Hourglass filled with time
Adventures waiting
Spirit’s gentle touch leaves nighttime
Another wakening heart
Hourglass filled with time
Emotions sailing
Distant dreams surface to bell’s chime
Another page opens up
Hourglass filled with time
Happiness smiling
Nature’s radiance sure to climb
Another wilderness road
Hourglass filled with time
Transitions breathing
Tasting sweetest life, in its prime
Tomorrow naps in shadows
Hourglass filled with time
Hopefulness praising
Unending day, please no bedtime
Early morning walk, going back in time
Autumn’s breath creates thoughts, filling with rhyme
Trekking along canal’s ancient pathway
Thoughts caress past moments, plenty to say
Gentle breeze, sending leaves twirling on down
Mind arrives at different time and town
Dreaming . . .
More simple times, without high tech living
Days invite, delightful and forgiving
Riding bareback along this old canal
Looking for trees to climb with school-age pals
Fishing one final time, nearby pond waits
When icy winter comes, change to ice skates
Creepy, storm-filled nights, reading classic prose
Edgar Allen Poe’s words, scary shadows
Looking for literature’s lighter themes
Whitman, Hawthorne, Melville adding to dreams
Quiet evenings filled with family time
Gathered around for radio’s primetime
Crisp, fall afternoon, gridiron titans clash
College football rivals looking to smash
Romance blossoms, courtship takes center stage
Life filling with sweetness, each turning page
Back to reality . . .
Journey runs into closed gate at Rager Road
Turning around, grateful for time borrowed
Looking forward to walking here real soon
Fondest memories, let them sing a tune
Originally published October, 2020.
Big Sky Buckeye 