Part of a Quickie Society

Image Credit: Stepan Kulyk

Are we a part of a microwaveable society

where everything should be fast,

faster, or the fastest?

Are we impatient because we have become conditioned

to that which holds the shortcuts

for some process that shouldn’t be abbreviated?

Do we link ourselves to rushing,

to reach a result,

brief, rapid, a quickie

paddling to a swift stroke

but missing the boat to enjoy,

learn, and grow from the journey?

Have we rushed to get somewhere fast

only to discover we are the only ones lost

because we crash landed at a high rate of speed,

stressed out, just to be first?

Depending on what your fast is for,

if competition sets your pace

focus and staying power is the pronounced key to your tour.

©Kym Gordon Moore, 2022

Image Credit: Sound Media

Funny Bone

Kym Gordon Moore

Love Doesn’t Die

Image Credit: Pixabay

Before the season finale of NCIS (starring Mark Harmon), tragedy struck again among the cast members. There was an epitaph that was read during a portion of the episode which resonated in the emotional atmosphere for which the tragedy embodied. This poem, by Merrit Malloy, is one to ruminate about when we want to leave a message for those we love. Enjoy!

Epitaph
By Merrit Malloy

When I die
Give what’s left of me away
To children
And old men that wait to die.

And if you need to cry,
Cry for your brother
Walking the street beside you.
And when you need me,
Put your arms
Around anyone
And give them
What you need to give to me.

I want to leave you something,
Something better
Than words
Or sounds.

Look for me
In the people I’ve known
Or loved,
And if you cannot give me away,
At least let me live on in your eyes
And not your mind.

You can love me most
By letting
Hands touch hands,
By letting bodies touch bodies,
And by letting go
Of children
That need to be free.

Love doesn’t die,
People do.
So, when all that’s left of me
Is love,
Give me away.

Love is never-ending. The more you give it away, it never dies, only flourishes.

🌻 Advice from a Sunflower

Image Credit: Linnaea Mallette

🌻 Advice From a Sunflower 🌻

Be Bright

Be Kind

Sunny and Positive

Spread Seeds of Happiness

Rise, Shine and Hold Your Head High!

There are those days when we need a zap of energy. For me, today is one of those days. That zap of energy can come from some of the most unlikely places as we all know. So today, here’s a little inspiration from the spirit of a sunflower. If a sunflower is nowhere around, then any ole flower will do! 💐

For Today, Ours for Free

It’s interesting how you tend to keep little things for years, and then forget you had them only to rediscover them decades later sandwiched between other things that you also forgot about. Well, I am always coming across such cases, but fortunately, some of the little things I find, have such a heartwarming meaning.

❤

I have a little pocket-book, (an actual little book you can put in your pocket or purse) that perhaps came from the checkout aisle while I was shopping in the grocery store during the late 80s. As I thumbed through this little book called “Life’s Treasures,” I flipped to this poem that is a great start to the day and week. It’s titled, “Ours for Free” by Grace E. Easley. Enjoy!

Ours For Free

So many things in life are far

beyond our meager means,

a long hoped for vacation,

just for a change of scenes.

A penthouse with a terrace

that boasts a lovely view,

a cottage by the sea side,

…just dreams for me and you.

<>     <>     <>

And yet there is so much within

this world we can afford,

we all should welcome each new day,

and no one should be bored.

For while it’s true we might not get

to see a foreign land,

or sail across the ocean,

there’s something just as grand.

<>     <>     <>

And every bit as beautiful,

within each passing day,

that only costs us something,

…if we let it slip away.

Very much within our reach,

and meant for us to share,

once-in-a-lifetime moments,

encountered everywhere.

<>     <>     <>

A tender smile, a gentle touch,

night wind through the trees,

sunrise, sunset, autumn leaves,

what can compare with these?

Flowers by a roadside,

a treasured memory,

I think the very best in life,

is what God gives for free.

Image Credit: James Wheeler

A Turtle-lizing Sight!

Image Credit: Fabio_Arantes

I was truly entertained this morning as I looked out from my window and saw a group of turtles chilling out on a log that had fallen in the water after our recent storms. Through my binoculars I watched them remaining motionless for a while until one of them must have moved and as the log rolled over, in the water they went, submerged and motionless.

I decided to watch a moment to see if any would surface and sure enough, the biggest one climbed back up, and some of the smaller ones climbed back on top too. Then the log began to float away as the turtles sat motionless, heads pointing up, and enjoying the ride. This reminds me of when I tried to learn to ride a bike when I was little…if you fall off, brush yourself off and get back on is what my mother would tell me. I really needed that smile this morning.

As the log capsized

turtles submerged in water

but they climbed back on

Image Credit: Michelle Vipond

First They Came for Them, Then for Me

Image Credit: Dawn Hudson

Will you stand up or speak out on behalf of someone you see being unjustly persecuted, dehumanized, oppressed, or bullied?

Martin Niemöller, a German theologian and Lutheran pastor, is best known for his opposition to the Nazi regime. He wrote a poem that deals with themes of persecution, guilt, repentance, and responsibility. This poem is about the cowardice of German intellectuals and certain clergy (including, by his own admission, Niemöller himself) following the Nazis’ rise to power and subsequent incremental purging of their chosen targets, group after group.

The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, a charity established by the UK government quotes this version of his soul-stirring poem, First They Came:

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist

Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew

Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me.

By Martin Niemöller

Will you be willing to stand up for those who are marginalized, discriminated against, falsely accused, or being treated despicably? If you continue to turn a blind eye and deaf ear to those suffering from such conditions, you have to wonder if someone would be there for you if you were in that predicament.

Shadow Dancing

Shadows danced all around me
large banana tree fronds wild in the wind
still holding on to its vibrancy and liveliness
before the first frost hits to suck the life from its fold.

Well, we are beginning to get a real taste of the fall seasonal change now. Oh my gosh, the temperatures are so cool and crisp and put me in the mood to want to hibernate just a little. The relief from the scorching heat of summer is welcoming and with each seasonal change, we seem to want it to occur overnight, but it doesn’t. The seasons occur with purpose…at the appointed time…for life, even when death creates new life. Nature has its own course and we can’t rush it or slow it down. We just wait and roll with the change of seasons.

Poetry in a Plethora of Gazes

Plethora of Gazes

I see their eyes
watching, staring, glaring
examining, peering, scrutinizing, inspecting
dilated pupils
colorful irises
inquisitiveness sprinkled over the whites of their eyes.

Taking in the essence of my being
a photocopy of sight suspended in time
for a moment, a minute or an hour
to what do I owe an admiration so fair
or a curiosity so deep?
Is it disguised jealousy or envy?
Do they sense the peace in my spirit
or how I walk placidly in the midst of haste?

The window to the soul is the forte of the eyes
such dynamics when I pass them on busy streets
displaying telltale fragments of their life
good or bad, victorious or defeated
truth in the gazes, be it friend or foe
compelling testimonials of life evermore

the gaze of desires tucked away
revelations of intentions within the depths of their hearts
if only for a momentary glance
a story is quickly told through the windows to their soul.

© 2013 Wings of the Wind: A Cornucopia of Poetry

#NationalPoetryMonth

Poetry and Art in the Dance of A Jellyfish

I find jellyfish to be delicate, tranquil and mesmerizing marine creatures. They are unique and invoke a childlike curiosity in all of us. Although there are about 200 known species of these alien looking aquatic animals, they are considered to be one of the oldest surviving species among marine creatures. Their quiet beauty amazes me so.

Dance of a Jellyfish

Oh the placid dance of a jellyfish

resembling a maritime ballerina in transparent costumes

trailing tentacles like floating tissue paper

its pulsating bell festive as a Mardi Gras parasol

though gelatinous and fluid, it is not a fish

but a luminous, artistic invertebrate

be cautious of its venomous and painful sting

the fluorescent defense of this nautical swimmer.

© Kym Gordon Moore