The American dream, to me, means having the opportunity to achieve.
Show people how to have success and then you can push their expectations up.
Lenny Wilkens (1937-2025) was an American professional basketball player. Following his playing career, he became a highly successful coach in the NBA (National Basketball Association). He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach.
Night’s gentle peace
Moonlight’s silhouette
Dreams dancing step by step
Playing harmony’s cornet
Night’s final act
Cloudless sky above
Memories at full tide
Editing script, filled with love
Night’s breathless tone
Voices gather round
Echoes escaping past
Transforming passion abounds
Night’s flaming light
Home’s welcome fireplace
Bright warmth breathes eternal
Kindling spirits to embrace
Night’s lasting charm
Upgrades at sunrise
Contentment rewritten
Savoring morning’s franchise
Hope lies in dreams, in imagination, and in the courage of those who dare to make dreams into reality.
I feel that the greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more.
Jonas Salk (1914-1995) was an American medical researcher. He developed one of the first successful vaccinations for polio.
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.
Big Sky Buckeye 