Spooky

A movie star,

a pumpkin,

two firefighters 

and a fighting turtle,

a bunch of grapes

and much laughter,

Halloween with friends.

Night

The lamp on my nightstand

illuminates my pillow,

and the picture frames above my bed.

It fills the corners of a dark room,

hugging me with a soft glow.

And I read by it's light each night,

before flipping the switch,

a click punctuating the darkness...

and doze off to stories 

that piece together like puzzles

on the table of my 

subconscious.

Fill Me, Spirit

Take a breath,

close my eyes

allow the Spirit 

to fill a hungry heart.

The pressures 

of the day

stream down,

and I am calm.

I say a prayer,

quick and silent,

and allow the tears

to flow.

Melting

Time is dripping
like an ice cream cone
in a toddler's hand
in Nebraska summer's heat.

Untitled

Tears fall quickly,
silently,
down her tired face.

She holds her head up high,
and pretends she isn't
slipping away.

Tick, Tock, Tick

"Winter is coming,"

they remind me.

"Christmas'll be here

before you know it."

Thanks for reminding me,

I wasn't aware.

Time is slipping from my fingers,

falling like sand in an hourglass.

And life is moving forward,

taking me with it like a passenger on a train.

I hold on tentatively, 

excited to see what's over the hill

and so scared to leave the hill behind.

"Smile, Though your Heart is Aching..."

There is a smile
that interrupts my thoughts.

It creeps in slowly,
tugging at the corners of my mind.

It overtakes often,
sometimes momentarily,

other times furiously;
and it brightens my entire mood.

It took me awhile to realize,
that this smile didn't belong to you...

but it is my own,
a representation of happiness.

Changing Seasons

The leaves have started to fall,

coming down one at a time

from the tree out my window.

And time is ticking also,

moving forward as each leaf drops...

Where will I be when 

the last leaf has fallen?

Faces and Memories

The characters appear
at the least expected times,
pulling on my thoughts
like a tug of war,
between what I should be doing
and a character longing for the page.

I Am a Breath

I am not a word.

I am a soul,
made up of many words.

I am not an equation.

Two plus two
will not always equal four.

I am strong-willed,
but that does not mean
that I am not fragile.

I am a person,
breathed to life
by a creative God.

Grey

The color of the sky
has been missing lately,
washed out to a dull grey.

And I am a shade of the same hue,
moving through each day quickly,
furiously trying to hold on to everything.

But soon the sun will come out,
the sky will be blue again,
and I will be renewed.

Paper Hearts and Wedding Bells

It's the way he looks at her,
as she walks down the aisle;
the way joyful tears
flow from her eyes.

It's the way they hold hands,
when the ceremony is done;
the way laugh together
in the company of friends.

It's the way he takes her hand,
and together they dance;
the way she lays her head
on his shoulder.

That's the way they show love,
and spark my heart to hope;
the way they remind me
it's worth the wait.

Candy Dish

A blush colored dish
set atop a cabinet
in a house very distinct
in my memory
held illicit pre-dinner treats
wrapped in colorful foil
or candy coatings.

And my small fingers
learned to be quick and quiet,
while pinching the pointy lid,
to grab just one piece
while the coast was clear.

The cabinet has since moved,
but the dish remains atop it,
as I eat m&m's on this
chilly afternoon.

Moving Upstream

It's days like today,
laughter and dinner
with family and good food
that make my heart warm.

Days like today
that I'm going to miss the most,
when the new year comes
and I am sent away with it.

But it's days like today
that keep me going,
that I'll look back on
and remember who I am.

October

Nebraska in the fall
is more beautiful each year,
than I remember it being
in the past.

Maybe it's the changing world,
a world growing older every day.

Maybe it's perspective,
seeing each day with eyes that
are soon going to be circled
in new surroundings.

But more likely it's me,
growing wiser,
more appreciative...

Or maybe I'm over-thinking it all,
and autumn in Nebraska has always been
just as beautiful as it is now.

JD's

A storefront set on a brick road,
windows decorated to perfection.

As soon as the door is opened,
I am hit with the soothing smell
of brewing coffee.

The walls are decorated with history,
old pictures and knick-knacks,
labels and packaging.

And I walk down the aisle,
wood floor creaking under my feet,
to order a fresh cup of warmth.

At the table in the corner,
close to the door,
I uncover the voice that has been
hiding for too long.

Book Leaves

Leaves colored with the sun
basking in the light,
perched on a branch high atop a tree.
Hues so vibrant,
it's as if each leaf has been
individually dipped in paint
and allowed to dry,
before falling haphazardly
to the ground...
only to be plucked up
by quick hands
and placed carefully
between thick pages
to dry.

Unexplained Tears

"Do you cry a lot?"
he asked me, his innocent eyes
truthfully awaiting my answer.

"You know, I guess I do,"
I responded, a smile on my face.

"But...but why?"

"Oh, well, sometimes I'm sad,
and other times I'm really happy."

"That makes sense,"
he smiled, content with my answer.

And I guess it does.

Renewal

Beauty in each day
new blessings and renewal,
my heart is on fire.

Autumn Change

The days are changing
from lush green to crisp brown
and the nights are getting longer.

And my heart feels the warmth
while my skin feels the chill
of this beautiful autumn season.

The winds are blowing
and the sky is graying;
things are changing.

Waterfall

Words used to fall
from my lips into
eloquent phrases
at an alarming rate.

It was as if a waterfall
was constantly running
in my mind, overflowing
onto the paper.

Now it is as if the
falls have dried up,
stuck behind a wall
of boulders.

And I must slowly push
each rock out of the way
to let the water run
again.

Unconscious Thought

A recurring dream
of a house built strong,
and a dress white as snow
a face she's never known.

She walks up the stairs,
a case that never ends,
step after step tiring her body,
causing hell on her inmost being.

And he's still there,
standing in a black tux
at the bottom, waiting,
watching her walk away.

Late Night Woes

I found myself thinking
late one night
about the things to come
in this little life.

And I characterize it as such
because in the grand scheme of things
my life is a blip
in the eternal of things.

And I thought to myself
"Where will I be?"
"How to say goodbye..."
"Will they remember me?"

But the Lord took His hand
and laid it on my heart
"Be still, little one,
I'm playing the cards."

Country Digging

I read back through my writing

digging deeper with each piece,

finding emotions,

dried up tears

and words I'd forgotten...

piling dirt to the side.

The hole gets bigger,

and I find your memory 

every few feet,

in the words that I 

furiously wrote,

and dig through now

with no care.

And I've learned from a few 

country girls, who sing their 

hearts out in each song,

that instead of kicking

my feelings in the hole I've dug,

I should bury your memory

...then watch the flowers 

grow.

Outcomes

I can't help it but
to think that getting away
will wipe the slate clean.

Maybe walking out
on all that I have found will help
me see things better.

And maybe I will
miss this all much more than I
ever thought I could.

Thoughtful Moment

A thought can brighten
my whole day

It can make the clouds
float away

...cause breathing to
be momentarily halted

A thought can blossom
a smile on my face

It can allow a hint of
laughter to escape

...cause the butterflies
in my stomach to stir

A thought can also
bring the tears

It can start a waterfall
of salty emotions

...cause the clouds
to roll on in

But a few negatives
will always be outweighed

by the happiness that blooms
when I think of you.

Cold Blood

The ice running through my veins
is hardly due to the weather.

I woke with a chill in a dark room,
hands grasping the pillow.

And if I hadn't known any better,
I'd blame it on a ghostly nightmare...

but your face hardly counts as
ghastly.

It's as if I'm a fugitive and you're
the police.

I keep running from your memory,
but you always find me.

Surfacing in my sleep is the newest
form of torture.

The ice running through my veins
is hardly due to the weather.

Victorious

I flipped through the thin pages quickly,

waiting for something to jump out and bite me.

I long for His words, something of comfort...

something to let me know I'm okay.

And just as always,

I stop and scan a few pages,

finding the exact words I need...

as if He planned it this way.

May the Lord answer you when you are

in distress;

may the name of the God of Jacob

protect you.

May he send you help from the sanctuary

and grant you support...

May he give you the desire of your heart

and make all your plans succeed.

We will shout for joy when you are

victorious

and will lift up our banners in the name 

of our God.

And suddenly, I sleep better.

*Verses taken from Psalm 20:1-5*

Refresh

Golden leaves floating
on a crisp autumn breeze that
takes my breath away.

Photo Display

Pictures on my nightstand
remind me of the blessings
I can't see everyday.

Coming Back

I haven't been writing as much lately,
because the words always take me... there.
And I'm not quite ready to go just yet.

So I've avoided my own words like a plague,
as if the syllables and sentences will
burn my throat, and leave me sore.

And they do, I'd be lying to say they didn't,
but that's no reason to avoid it.

For if I avoided everything that hurt,
I'd be missing out on a lot of living.