Beauty of Eyes

 

Beauty of Eyes

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.

Childhood

Childhood

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

Morning Coffee

 

Morning Coffee

“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.

Free to Skip

Free to Skip

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

Today I will skip

In Crisis

In Crisis

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