Leaves

A gust of cold wind

Shakes the trees

The brisk autumn air

Alive with color

Leaves fall in the wind

Millions of leaves fall

In a single forest

All at one time

How can a person

Watch them all

One at a time

And follow the path

Of each leaf

As it falls to the earth

It is impossible

To watch them all

And see the paths

On which they travel

But there is one

Who is able to see each
To watch carefully
To catch and guide them
Along the journey
And it is in Him
Who guides my path
That I trust

Self-Destruction

It’s so painful
watching her self-destruct.
And wanting to help
but not being able to.
Seeing her hurt
and then hurt again.
Wondering why
she doesn’t learn.
What is there to do
but watch and wait?
Someday she will learn

not to play with fire.
But until that day
all there is to do is watch
and wince with her.

A Bowl of Ice Cream

The biggest bowl of ice cream
The biggest chocolate bar
The most slices of pizza
The longest movie marathon
The best books
The funniest TV shows
The softest kitten
The loudest cat purr
The most cuddly teddy bear
The most expensive jewelry
The highest telephone bill
The cutest pictures
The deepest cut
The worst tears
The biggest hole in the wall
The loudest shouting
The hardest run
The most beautiful song
The longest poem
The most “I love you”s
Cannot come close to replacing
The company of a loved one

Today

I have a problem
With my comfort zone
And the lack of desire
To leave it
I do not wish
To be uncomfortable
And so I do not
Step over the threshold
I am weak and weary
I have succumbed
To laziness
I still desire
That all be healed
But I lack
The drive, the energy
(Dare I admit, interest)
To get up and act
I'm comfortable here
Maybe I'll get up
Tomorrow or the next
But if I don't move
How can I grow
And so how do I live
To live, I must live
Today

Imaginary Friends

Here I was thinking…

Fake people wouldn’t hurt me the same way
If they weren’t real, how could I get attached
How could they hurt me
And so then how could I hurt them

I should have known better
Of course I’ll get attached, real or imaginary
And even an imaginary friend can say no
Can go away and leave me to ache

So if you weren’t real, does that make you fake
Yes i suppose it does, after all
Didn’t you say you loved me, and then leave
So then you couldn’t have been true

And so now I’ve learned my lesson
But am I any better off for it
I would give my heart away again I think
To someone who tells me they love me

So now I’m thinking that maybe
Even though you’ve gone, it will be okay
After all, I still love you, real or not
And that’s enough for me

The Moment

There is a moment
A moment in life
Where something changes
Something is different
A shift in the atmosphere
And then suddenly
All at once
But only for one moment
We can see each other
See into our hearts
Into the depths of the soul
Of the person beside you
And in that moment
We understand
All the history and pain
The struggle and the victory
The past, present, and future
So much which has been hidden
Is suddenly revealed
For just that second
You understand why
And you feel the same
Then time moves on
And our secrets
Are hidden once again

To Protect Life

at his right hand
his brother
tired and weary
yet strong
ready to fight
to forge on
by his side
protecting their prize
he settles down
into his fight stance
catches his brother’s eye
nod of encouragement then
focuses on the danger
and then behind
his sister
weak and worn down
having fallen
over and over
she lies
on the ground 

half alive
so little strength left
hardly even to stand
but stand firm she will
holding her own
she will never give up
never give in
never accept defeat
neither will he
he will press onward
and face the enemy
to protect his brother
his sister
his family
never will he surrender
to do so would be
to lose his own life