Life is balance –
laughter and tears
bravery and fears
holding on and letting go
saying yes and saying no
sunshine and shadows
what you think and what you know
good times and bad
happy and sad
rights and wrongs
poems and songs
together and alone
what you’ve sown and what you’ve grown
rainy days and clear skies
telling truth and telling lies
friends and foes
sorrows and woes
hot and cold
timid and bold
births and deaths
One thing I’ll say – nothing will stay.
I don’t go often, but when I do –
it’s my island in the chaos of life.
I’m taken care of rather than taking care.
I’m pampered and well treated,
and sometime even fed.
My island is the beauty shop where they
try to control my unruly hair.
Thanks for taking such good care of me.
Spellbound by aquamarine beauty –
I long to be rocked in your embrace,
let you soothe me…
immerse me in your perfection –
Alas, I have nothing to offer
aside from my nakedness.
Poetry…
it describes the indescribable
gives voice to the voiceless
adds beauty to the beautiful
speaks the unspeakable and
loves the unlovable
Poetry is…
what you want it to be
what you need it to be
when you need it to be and
how you need it to be
Poetry…
soothes you
troubles you
amuses you
provokes you
moves you
paints a picture and
displays a poet’s heart
Poetry-
can be read again and again
gifting something different
each and every time.
About my dog Frank…
A dog who came into my life and changed it for the better, no make that the best.
A dog whose life I saved because I wouldn’t give up on him.
He was outside when I arrived home from work in early April almost 14 years ago – the vet thought he was about 5 or 6 weeks old. He was darling – a blond beagle mix who arrived with manners and permanent eye liner. He had my heart from the first time I laid eyes on him.
I got an inkling of how amazing he was when I went to leave for work the next morning. You know how puppies follow you to your car when you need to leave for work, and you have to try so hard to get away? Well, with Frank, all I had to do was tell him, “no” when he went to leave the porch. Yes, it was that easy. And, he’d be waiting on the porch when I got back home. Bill said we couldn’t keep every critter that wandered up, and I told him we’d have to take care of him until we could find him a home. And, so he was fed, watered, and given a bed on the front porch. After a few days, when I’d come in the house, he’d throw his head back and croon – that’s how he got his name – after Frank Sinatra!
A couple of weeks went by, and Bill said that maybe we should think about keeping this puppy. I looked at Frank, and said, “You’re in!”
He’s been nothing but joy, love, and a best friend ever since.
Every time I come home from work, he meets me at the front door with one of his toys – a gift for coming back. He howls (sings) at certain songs, or when I play the piano, and once at an outdoor concert when a car alarm sounded. He prances like the happiest dog in the world when we walk outside.
I was once inspired to write a book using Frank’s voice to tell the story called “The Tail of Frank the Dog.”
Time quickly passed as it so unwittingly does, days into months and months into years. Then about 2 years ago, Frank had a seizure. It scared us to death, and we took him to the vet. They explained that sometimes dog have seizures, ran some tests, and pronounced all to be well. Two or so years went by, and he had another. They became more frequent, occurring every couple of months. And, this fall, he had a seizure while he was sleeping, so back to the vet we went. They discovered they he was hypoglycemic. After further blood tests, to make sure that this wasn’t a fluke, he was diagnosed with insulinoma. This is a rare occurrence in a dog, but not nearly rare enough… It means that he has a tumor on his pancreas – it won’t go away and it won’t get better, and yes it cancerous. So, he is now on medication to prevent seizures and to help the insulin problem. Frank is on borrowed time as I suppose we all are… but it’s really going to hurt to lose him. I’ll take care of him and give him his medication as long as his quality of life isn’t too diminished – then I’ll make the difficult choice of letting him go cross the rainbow bridge.
I’m so glad for all the time, abundant joy, and unwavering love he brought into my life…
Winter river dark and deep
Tell some secrets- some you keep.
Days are short- nights are long,
Yet you sing the same sweet song.
Your course is set- your course is true
Your course is set, but not by you.
Winter river dark and deep
Miles to go- you never sleep.
Leaden skies push all color from earth-
no longer is there room for such intensity-
occasional dark green now seems vibrant.
Earth appears lifeless, yet is merely slumbering –
dreaming of vernal equinox when once again she
startles us with inconceivable beauty and vitality-
With color from delicate to dazzling, flowers from fragile
to fabulous, and greens of every hue. Spring – a season
to lift spirits with its zeal for life.
A few years ago I decided the group of people I’m most disappointed in is the group I used to look up to – adults. As a child and young almost adult, I always looked to the more adults around me for answers I didn’t have. Adults who exemplified what is wise, good, kind, and fair. Adults that teach those who look up to them to appreciate the day-to-day, the ordinary for it’s those small miracles that mustn’t be taken for granted. Adults who teach young people to notice all the wonder that surrounds them each and everyday. Adults that remind them not to wait for just the big things in life to celebrate since so much will be missed if you do. Adults that remind them not to say anything if you don’t have something good to say. Maybe I was lucky to be surrounded by intelligent, caring adults who taught me the world is the gift I now know it to be – but, all too often I now see something entirely different. Adults seem to: worry only about what benefits them, be overprotective and overbearing – they don’t teach children how to solve their own problems, adults blame others who are different from themselves – whether in looks or beliefs, adults make hurtful comments, and bad decisions. I’m ready for adults to grow up – face problems, treat one another with respect, celebrate what’s right with the world – work together to fix some of what’s wrong with the world. I’m tired of meaningless phrases being repeated like they are some true life changing insight. We are none of us better than another; not for our beliefs, our political tendencies, the amount of money in our bank accounts, or our intelligence. Further, to my way of thinking our good is exposed by how we treat everyone – especially those who can do nothing for us. We have no room or time for name calling, finger pointing, or derision. I know I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that we’ll never find them if we don’t work together, talk together, and endeavor to cooperate, compromise, and use compassion when dealing with one another and the earth. My heart is large, filled with longing to do good in the world, find the favorable in others, and it’s filled with love for others. Everyday I try to be the adult that I admired and needed when I was young. The time for us to begin is now. Who’s with me?
robinsreflectionsandramblings 