Wake Up Call

I wrote this after seeing the moon when I was out early one morning. I used to be surprised to see the moon in the morning. Now, I look for it.

Wake Up Call

Good morning, Moon.
What's keeping
you out
this
time of day?
Some celestial
celebration?
Is the earth
making
too much noise?
Has the stress
of daily existence
given you
insomnia?
Or, do you
show yourself
at this odd time
to remind us
you are there
even when
we don't
see you?

I Keep You with Me-Looking at Grief with Verse

 I write poetry and also volunteer with a grief support group. I often write poetry about grief. A friend suggested that I collect the grief poems into a book so I did. 

Click Here to Read the Chapbook 

Unleash your Athlete

Feb. 1 is National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Win for KC, an organization connected with the Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation, is a national leader in empowering girls and women through sports and fitness. Last year, I had the pleasure of writing a poem for WIN regarding this mission. It was published in the organization's "Live Active" curriculum booklet.

Unleash your Athlete
Girls and women, heed the call.
You are athletes, one and all.
Some may play and some may win,
But all have strength that lies within.
Determination and confidence are a must
And so is the ability to adjust.
Unleash your athlete and when you do,
You’ll find that empowerment comes from you. 

Grieving 101

We learn how to grieve and learn from our grief.

Grieving 101

Grieving 101 is the class
no one wants to take.
Unfortunately for all of us,
this class is a requirement,
not an elective.
The homework is hard.
It has to be to help you
learn to live without
someone who has been
an essential part of your life.
The instructor is difficult,
presenting new challenges daily
while dredging up memories and emotions.
The workload is time-consuming
and, early on, it may be
totally engrossing.
Despite the difficulty,
the class teaches
more than you expect and
makes you grow in ways
you never imagined.
You also come to understand
that this class is the prerequisite
to Grieving 102.

Morning

Inspired by a morning walk.

Morning

I walk toward the sunrise.
The sky is clear and blue.
Slowly, light begins to show.
A golden glow
that promises to grow
in brightness and in warmth.
I turn and see
the clouds behind me.
No longer dark and threatening.
Instead, they are reflecting
the hint of a new day.

Oplatek

This is a new holiday poem about a Polish tradition that my family practiced on Christmas Eve.

Oplatek

A wafer
not blessed
but made
by the nuns.
Embossed with
the nativity.
Distributed among
those gathered
on Christmas Eve.
Greetings are exchanged,
accented by the crack
as pieces of wafer
are traded.
To the child,
the tradition is
a competition.
The challenge-
collect as many
pieces as possible.
But the adults know
the true gift
of the ritual
is time spent
with loved ones,
even if it is only
a few seconds.

Eclipsed

 Eclipsed

At first, the moon

was a dazzling white.

Then earth began

to cast its shadow.

Blackness edged

over the top.
It obscured just a piece

and then it stopped.

What remained visible

had a golden glow.

Changed by the darkness

but still beautiful.