PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

Sometimes we are concentrating so hard on our own story…and things we’re going through

we have a tendency to forget other people are in the midst of their story too.

An elderly woman walked into the bookstore…

She was bent over and steadied herself with a cane.

and though it took her a little longer to walk around the store…I didn’t hear her complain.

When I said hello…she smiled at me…stood up a little taller, gave me this whimsical look….

then, breathing in as deeply as she could said, “I just love the smell of books.”

With a smile that engulfed every wrinkle on her face  she looked directly into my eyes…

and said, “I’ll never forget my second grade teacher who told me

If you love books…it’s a love that will never die.”

For a moment all the vestiges of age on her face…and in her demeanor seemed to fade 

because in that moment she was not only in the bookstore 

she was back in second grade.

She said the first book she ever read on her own

was about a ballerina her 2nd grade teacher gave her by chance

and how that one book in the second grade led to a lifelong love of dance.

“I may not look it now,” She said, with a smile and a shrug

“but there was a time…not too long ago…I could really cut a rug.”

It was here her story took a turn…as if she was saying stay with me if you can….

she went right from second grade to dancing with her man.

She said that’s how she met her husband…how on the dance floor they would glide,

how they danced together every day…until the day he died.

Again her story moved to when they lived in Tampa…

that’s where they watched their children grow…

when her daughter tapped her on the shoulder and said,

“Mom, our table’s ready…it’s time for us to go.”

She smiled and I swear it was that second grader who gave me a whimsical look…

as she turned, took a deep breath and said, “Yes, I just love the smell of books.”

We all have a story waiting to be told…waiting for us to set it free…

and I’m glad this woman… 

on this day 

In the bookstore

decided to share a chapter or two…with me.

Let me begin by saying I did not vote for Donald Trump or any Republican

this last election…nor did I vote for him or them before…

Their lack of empathy, lack of compassion…their inhumanity and cruelty I abhor

I believe they’ve perfected…whether they come for East, West, North for South…

of spreading lies and disinformation…and talking out of both sides of their mouths.

They say they want to live in a country where everyone is free….yet they are so quick to condemn

people who look, or think, or feel, or worship differently from them.

I wonder if they even understand the meaning of the word free…

when they’re willing to ban books and teach their alternative…white-washed…version of history.

They talk about the constitution…but after defending the 2nd amendment 

their enthusiasm wanes…their words ring hollow…

as they are willing to ignore parts of our constitution and any laws they do not want to follow.

They are pulling people off the streets and deporting them…not as our founding fathers planned

but at the behest, the ignorance, the hatred and the prejudice of their party and one man.

They won’t admit they make mistakes…even when they’re caught…

for they think admitting mistakes is something cowards do.  They don’t know…it is not!

They say they are against a person’s right to choose…that we should’t be killing angels.

It is against their religion and their rules…

But they aren’t willing to help families once these angels are born…

and will only offer thoughts and prayers …

when those same angels are slaughtered on our streets and in our schools.

There is more…much more…their desecration of the land, all the aid and freedoms they revoke

their misunderstanding of God, diversity, equity, inclusion…how they demonize the word woke.

I guess what it comes down to, in my opinion, is they’ve let their anger and their hatred 

fill their hearts their souls their minds

and in the midst of all their anger and their hatred…they’ve lost the ability to be kind.

I know there are some of you out there who will never agree with me…

who will never change your minds no matter what atrocities you see…

But to all the others out there who voted for him and them

who understand they are destroying our country and the world each day a little more…

I have to ask…in your heart of hearts…is this what you voted for?

And if you still approve of what they’re doing…or stay silent 

when you are shocked, bewildered or appalled…

then to whatever God you pray to…

may that God help us all.

As teachers we loved taking our students on field trips

knowing once we set foot outside our classroom door

we might be able to show them something they’d never seen before.

I suppose that’s why today even though we’re retired when out the front door we slip…

we can’t wait to see what’s going to happen on our next field trip.

On today’s field trip we set out early…to the beach where we thought it would be fun

to see the full moon as she set and handed the day off to the sun.

When we arrived the moon had the sky all to herself…and for us it was a treat

watching her send a moonbeam across the water that landed at our feet.

Then, gradually, she headed toward the water…slowly saying her goodbyes

to the stars…the clouds…and us…as the sun began to rise.

Then came the moment we rose early to see…

the synergy between the moon and sun…

when…only for a moment…night and day are one.

It is a moment that…no matter how many times we see it…still takes our breath away….

when half the sky is night…and half the sky is day.

None of this takes place in silence…as the waves drummed their rhythm on the shore 

a multitude of birds were singing on the beach and in the air

a chorus we’ve heard a thousand times before.

It is a moment that always feels magical, mysterious and heaven-sent

watching the night become the day…with musical accompaniment.

As we walked to our car…now bathed in sunlight…

We couldn’t help but wonder what adventure is around the next bend…

in a life that’s filled with field trips…we hope will never end.

Deborah is a quilter…she starts out with a plan…

finds her different colored fabric…then stitches them by hand.

I was admiring her handiwork the other day…when it occurred to me

How each life is like a quilt….

How every day we sew together pieces of the life that we have built.

How, even though we don’t physically use a needle and thread,

every day that we have grown…

into our patchwork quilt…a memory is sewn.

How every day our quilt grows larger and becomes more beautiful with each seam.

because sewn into the fabric we find our wishes, hopes and dreams.

As we touch each piece with our minds eye

we see our life as it’s unfolded through the years.

We see our family…we see our friends…

we see moments that brought us laughter…and moments that brought us to tears.

Unlike the quilts that Deborah creates…the ones she meticulously sews 

our life quilt has no ending as every day it grows

And though we may share fabric with other life quilts…

some may even share our name

our life quilt is unique as no two life quilts are the same.

Our quilt serves a dual purpose…Yes, it’s the quilt that keeps on giving…

every time we look at it…it’s a reminder of this beautiful life we’re living.

And when our life is over..our memory quilt we keep

because tucked under every quilt made while living…

is where the angels sleep.

As I was researching Frank Sinatra for a wedding I’m performing

a lady walked into the bookstore after I opened the other day.

She sat down in our comfy chair…and had quite a lot to say

What made this situation difficult…it was hard for me to see

when she was talking to herself…and when she was talking to me.

I had never seen this lady before…she came from out of the blue

and I could not tell how many different people she was talking to. 

I admit at first to feeling a little anxious…filled with a little frustration….

I wasn’t sure if I should listen in…or they were private conversations.

But since she was pretty close to me…I listened for a while

and when she looked in my direction…I looked back at her and smiled.

She’d return my smile…then quickly go back to what she was doing before

talking to different someones…who were not in the store.

I did not understand everything she said as her words kept flying by

I’m pretty sure she was upset…but I could not make out why.

She paused just long enough when a particular thought was through…

to look up at me and ask…what am I to do?

When I realized she was asking me…I wasn’t sure what to say…

I wasn’t sure I could say anything to help her through her day…

But with Frank Sinatra’s lyrics staring me in the face…

I took a deep breath…smiled at her and then..

I said…you should pick yourself up, dust yourself off…and start all over again.

All of her ramblings stopped…she smiled back at me instead….

then asked all the voices she was hearing…if they heard what this old man said.

And then she started laughing…and with her voices tagging along

she exited the store repeating the words to that old Frank Sinatra song.

I learned a valuable lesson….in a moments just like this

when it’s confrontation I want to avert….

A smile helps to ease the situation…and a little Frank Sinatra does’t hurt.

Yesterday I awoke excited…filled with anticipation…knowing the day was going to be fun 

because, in Florida, I was going to witness a partial eclipse of the sun.

I was working in the bookstore during the peak of the eclipse…

and, since it was something I truly wanted to see,

I announced while holding up my viewing glasses:

“Anyone who wants to see the eclipse..It’s time…just follow me.”

Which led to this spontaneous moment…one I hope I never forget…

as I passed around my glasses…sharing the eclipse with people I’ve never met.

The eclipse, as predicted…was an awesome sight to see

It was everything I could have imagined…or expected it to be!

In the group was a teenager who as she spoke her voice kept getting higher…

Who told us how she was born during an eclipse…”One with a ring of fire!”

And I found myself thanking the Universe for somehow helping me find a way

to witness this rare and beautiful moment…one I don’t see every day.

And, yes, it was an unforgettable moment…one of the most exciting I’ve seen yet…

but the day was also filled smaller rare and beautiful moments…I hope I never forget.

Moments that at first may seem ordinary but are filled with affection and power…

Like when Ollie, the child next door handed me a grasshopper…

and when I handed his sister a flower.

Like meeting a man from Minnesota who inherited his mom’s nautical books…

He was quick to boast…How his mom once taught how to read a sextant 

on a tall ship that sailed up and down the coast.

Like the grandma who bought a book for her grandson…”He loves dragons!” I heard her say.

Or the very pregnant woman who bought a book for her baby…

Who smiled as she told me…”She’s due to arrive any day.”

As is sat back that evening eating a moon pie (by the way the best way to enjoy an eclipse!)

I thought about the day filled with people of all shapes and sizes…of families and tall ships.

And once again I found myself thanking the universe for helping me find a way

to enjoy so many rare and beautiful moments…all in the span of one day.