I had just started
running through my well-thought-out
points when she looked at
me and asked, “What part of ‘yes’
don’t you understand?”
All my carefully chosen
words had no need to
be spoken and I confess
I felt a certain sense of loss.
JDG
With An Eye To The Sky
Can’t change the weather no matter how much
I insist,
so
I’ll turn to
what I
can
do –
I can
love and laugh
listen and learn –
Hmm… it turns out I CAN change the weather.
JDG
A Surprising Turn
Wanting to relax, to let go
of all that held me tightly
in its grip, I turned my attention
to my breath, counting as
I inhaled, then exhaled,
then inhaled again.
Suddenly,
I was surprised to find
my eyes fill with tears,
tears not of sadness or relief,
but simply tears of gratitude
for the mystery of breath itself.
With that sudden flow
of gratitude came an unexpected
letting go.
JDG
Sixteenth Summer
Twice she’s found snake skins,
long and intact, and twice she’s
picked them up and placed
them in her room. She, too, has
left behind old skins
as she grows into someone
new. With a sigh, I do this too.
JDG
Alright Already!
I know things have gone
too far when the messenger
light on the car says
“Tighten gas cap,” and even
when I comply, it
won’t let it go, but keeps on
blinking its distrust at me.
JDG
Difficult Truths
“You cannot fix what
you will not face,” as James
Baldwin said. Even
then there’s no guarantee, but
at least we’re one step closer.
JDG
Median Matters
Sometimes the middle
is the best place to be as
those Bachelor Buttons
know, having seen their fellow
flowers on the margins mowed.
JDG
This Day
On this day I long
to make poetry and peace.
Both start from within.
JDG
Roadside Tale
The reaper comes, grim as ever,
harvesting bright bits of color,
leaving sweeps of leveled green.
Though his triumph won’t last the summer,
for a time he reigns supreme.
JDG
It’s A Reach
Somewhere, maybe close,
someone cries, reaches out for
help or hides. Somewhere,
maybe close, someone giggles,
reaches out, invites
us to join the fun. To choose
one is not to say
no to the other. Our hearts
can hold sorrow and
delight in equal measure.
This truth, our minds can
come to know. Practice doesn’t
make life perfect, but
it can soften our edges,
strengthen and lengthen our reach.
JDG
aholdingplace 