To Mom from Dad

           Perfect  

Closer to perfection--
    each breath a whispered plea
    or just a conversation with
    the angels or with me?

I don't pretend to understand
    how you could ever be
    closer to perfection than
    what you are to me.

Your ears no longer hear each sound
    with clarity it's true.
On sunny days your dimming eyes
    now have a cloudy view.

As you move toward that perfect place
    and I stay here for now,
I place my hand upon my heart
    and make to you this vow.

As perfect as you are to me,
    I know you long for more--
Move closer to perfection, love
    and let your spirit soar.

The Door

The sound and
    the silence--
both equally fraught
    with a moment of terror,
a breath being caught
    somewhere between
the heart and the mind
    not knowing if joy
or despair I would find.

Announcement

Given a gift and
    promised to hold
close to the heart
    not shared...
       shouted...
            told.
A hiccup of laughter,
    a soft smile showing,
Thoughts interrupted by
    the sweet joy--
        the knowing.

Once Upon a Time

Sadness filled the kingdom.
   Toys sat--
Books went unread.
   The princess, who felt quite unwell,
had taken to her bed.
   The jesters and the royal court
did all that they could do.
   They offered treats and games and such--
She whispered, "No thank you."

The doctors of the kingdom
   were summoned to her side.
They said,
  "We're sorry, Princess,
but you'll have to open wide,
   and take this yucky medicine--
It seems the only way.
  For you to feel much better,
you must do what we say."

The princess held her nose
   and with a very royal frown,
she took the nasty-tasting stuff.
   She swallowed it all down.
It took some princess courage
   and a royal doc or two--
But soon she felt much better,
   and this is how they knew.

The other royal siblings
   came to her room one day,
and asked her quite politely
   if she'd like to come and play.

The princess answered cheerfully--
  her voice was clear and pure.
        The smile,
that had been gone awhile,
         returned
      and she said,

        "Shoor."




 

Unconditional

Stretching,
    Changing,
        Rearranging,
Move over,
    Hold on tight.
Sharing,
    Caring,
        Overbearing,
Wrongly claiming right.
 
Putting up
    and pulling up--
through both
    the joy and pain.
Sunshine in a smile shared--
    Wintry days and rain.

Always open
    heart and arms--
Closing not one door--
    Accepting each and every part,
And giving so much more.
 

The Healer

With fanfare great--
    royal decree,
they let me know
    they'd chosen me.
They swept me off
    my feet and then--
As swiftly knocked me
    down again.

No longer did I want
    to write.
I crumbled, fell,
    turned out the light
on all the creativity--
    let darkness take
that part of me.

The outskirt man
    stepped in one day.
Said he felt he had
    to say that words
I'd written long ago
    had touched him and
I had to know.

    No public
proclamation made--
    no photos,
prize or accolade.  

    Unexpected--
        quiet--
            calm--

A spark of light,
    a healing balm.



 

Imperfect

Love is often felt
in spite
of flubs,
mistakes--
and flaws.
Love is what's expected
but
Like
is just
because.