End of a Perfect Yesterday

 Oh such words were written,
laughs laughed, discussions discussed.
And after a warm watery relaxing ending
I rode home in a satisfied sunset.

Peace and stillness

They come in many forms.
Peace and stillness
steamy water
and the laughter of a friend.
It was a good weekend.

Coffee Shops and Bridges

(poem a day challenge April 2014- prompt on 4/3 a message)

Rebuilding bridges
takes bricks, and time
and one message asking for
one latte and bringing along
many apologies.
Lined up to order
waiting for rich roast
and words.

I want to rush in to you and
throw myself at the feet of
friends feeling left out, hurt or
taken advantage.

Instead we polite awkward ones
sit and sip and I
try to explain what went wrong.
How I lost myself in the confusion of
trying too hard
and risking too much
over steamed milk and
soft words.

Hoping to cover the expanse
of distance and misunderstanding
with repairs and new chances
suspended wires and trestles
made of coffee grounds
and bricks of brown sugar.

-lshannon

surprising source

Sanity and sustaining strength
flowing from grand gifts
and new friends
Family to care for us
at each  bend in the stream
until we arrive to gorgeous dark
and dreamy skies.

Playing

We all learn from playing
and meeting
and talking
and then playing some more.
Some of our teachers are bigger, older, wiser.
Some are smaller, younger and they remind us to be silly.
Best path is to be open to all of it.

Roots

Thank goodness for deep roots.
Across countries and oceans,
miles and years, friends and their friends.
I am so supported, and my drive and desire
is to support others as soon as I am able.
One leaf and branch and planter at a time.

Who did you meet?

2011 was not a year of lots of new people- it was actually a year of losses. After the earthquake on 3/11 many long time friends left and the holes are still visible. Plus a really good friend's schedule is so different now that we hang out 3-4 time a month- down from something like 2-4 times a week. Some new people came into our lives via THS- and I met Neal and the people at A-JIS in a more substantive way. But it was not a big year of new faces.

One thing that was powerful was the connections that remained after my visit to my 25th HS reunion in 2010. Because of facebook- I bump into folks online and comment and read comments from friends and classmates from a lifetime ago. I have read that this has gone on all over the planet, reuniting , and reweaving childhood memories in current times.

Because of the quake and the changes I felt deeply this year there are some special people I want to deepen my relationships with. Care and water new growing friendships, reach out to supporters and let them know I don't take them for granted. Wonderful people who have supported me in ways that I can never full repay. #reverb11

Utterly Collapsible

There are things shifting and changing inside.
Perspective is funny that way.
I had a great visit with a creative vision yesterday.
Lovely give and take, and she let me steer the location which always means so much to me.
We adventured and relaxed. And I felt old worries collapse and new ideas surface and become more clear.
Also, we ate cake.

I Get By with a Little Help From My Friends

Appreciate What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Author: Victoria Klein)- #reverb10

I have much to be grateful for in 2010 though it was a year of real struggle and continues to be harder than I ever imagined. But the one thing I have come to appreciate most is the support of my husband and friends. I have had to reach out for help many many times over the last year and people have unfailingly been there to help. They have been kind, understanding and unwavering. My husband especially.

It has never been easy for me to accept that I cannot do everything perfectly, that I need help. But this year has been a huge learning curve on that front as on so many others. It was scary to ask for support especially so frequently- but there have been people there along the way who just loved, helped, and surprised me with their warmth and lack of judgement. My hope in 2011 is to not let them down and to repay them for their faith even when I did not always make the right decsions and did not always understand what I was getting into.

I try to express gratitude for all of their help by helping others whenever I can AND by promising and working myself to support and repay each and everyone of them.