I look at eyes differently now. Now that I have a camera in my hands. Want to know how someone feels? Look at 'em in their eyes. Their feelings are undeniable. Joy Sadness Anger Curiosity Happiness Anxiety All are captured in their eyes. With a camera I can capture that feeling As if it were an entry In their personal journal I did notr find this out Until a trip in 2009 or so To Chicago When I took a selfie Yep ... of my eye Just one And I "saw" myself And my emotion Just wish I had discovered this Years back as a teenage photographer I would have loved to capture my Mom's eyes Before she was gone Capture her emotion Her joy, happiness, sadness
Capture someones eyes And hold onto that photograph Hold onto them.
A rope And a stick Is all it takes Turning a lonely tree Into a childhood dream Can you hear the laughter? The giggles? “Push me higher than I’ve ever been, Grandpa” she hollers I get to hang out with my four-year-old granddaughter Five days a week She lives on that swing As she swings We talk … … and talk As I push her sky high Up to the clouds That surprises me Unexpected and actually could be the best thing About that swing Connecting with my grand daughter
Before I know it, the afternoon has ended Dinnertime Now this is childhood As it should be Time stops With a swing
I remember the swings of my youth A centerpiece of my childhood Swings are magical
But she is gone for now My grand daughter Only for two weeks though Out of state to visit her dad But the swing sits quiet For now My heart is not quite as full Oh, how I miss her
Someone last week said that this photo seems lonely. They are right. Yes, it does That tree is lonely Awaiting the laughter to return Her laughter And her childhood to continue
“Coffee Sir?” A voice comes out of no where As I sit at my favorite spot At a table in the back meadow out in the middle of my forest No one around Except for Mr. Toad Always there to serve That morning coffee
I sit out here For reasons I do not know First thing in the morning A good way to start my day The sun just coming through the pine trees Sometimes a clear sky Lately every day is clear But the marine layer of fog will soon come Along with that mood Talk about mood ... … sometimes a mood hangs over my head My soul I speak words inside my head With an attempt to describe that mood … other times I speak just words of frustration Complaining if I were honest Rationalizing if I were not.
“Bothered Sir?” And then Once I calm down enough and be still I hear, or feel, those words Mr. Toad again? Nope that is a story for my grand children This is real Not the first time either I answer Knowing that he will indeed listen Tells me he will listen for as long as I keep coming
He holds out more than a cup of Joe, “Proper Joe” In his hand is water To refresh me Quench my thirst On these dry and dark days
He offers me living water Water that sustains me
So my days start with “Morning Coffee” And living water.
I remember those days I feel the wind In my face Blowing my wavy hair straight back Arms outstretched Like an airplane Making engine noises too Now that is life Freedom
I was that way as a kid Able to hang back from the crowd From the attention From my brothers No expectations I was in the perfect space Freedom
Climb trees when I wanted Dig tunnels when me and Mike felt the need Ride bikes with Paul All day On that old gravel farming road across the Palouse Because we had not done it in awhile Freedom
So today I skip Still I am 64 years old Will feel the wind in my face Outstretch my arms Like an airplane Maybe even make an engine sound Imagining my hair blowing straight back And I take off Freedom
Scared? I once was No where to turn Deep in a forest Yelling but no one listening No one hears
I came here once Opened that door To one who would listen Just listen I needed rest I was in fear, of everything I had to trust that this was the place Come in, won’t you? He asked me
I answered, yes I found rest My enemies could not breach that door My soul is restored, finally
And now … Now I know of that battle I go inside that room now To listen, hold a hand Of that one person who needs rest In the still waters behind that door
Like someone did for me
Can you help that one person? Who has a heart that aches Does not know where to turn Who need just one thing Someone to listen to them Sit beside them Comfort them Be that person, won’t you? Help that person In crisis
