Simply Sleep

To gather strength at days end 

signals a laying down 

of worries, joys and hopes. 

  All temporary  ~

for rest and sleep take 

a different energy that 

covers me like a warm blanket. Streets grow quiet, 

The building settles with faint creaks, and simple sleep is welcomed.

“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.”

~Homer, The Odyssey

Belief Has No Schedule

Schedules are not pretty 

lines, boxes, 

spread sheets and graphs. 

They are handy, 

but don’t fit into real life. 

Two events that occur at 

the same time on the same day - 

how do I choose? 

Will someone be offended

when I cancel one of the duplicates?

When it comes to 

seizure activity for any reason, 

schedules dissolve instantly

Epilepsy hasn’t read the memo 

about ‘a most convenient time’

So we plan, we avoid risks, 

we take our meds, 

we shape our lives and 

never stop believing 

in our own strength.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, 

but to schedule your priorities.”

~ Stephen Covey, author

(1932 ~ 2012)

Out on a Limb

Out on a limb 

I swing and sway 

whether wind is

north or south, 

east or west.

I learn to balance, 

or just hang on 

with faith that 

my strength will 

keep me safe.

When retirement comes, 

and wild winds change, 

I’m given a choice ~

to stay out on the limb,

or choose another tree.

“A human being is a deciding being.”

~ Viktor E. Frankl, M.D.

(1905 - 1997)

Strength

When clouds bubble up 

from behind the roof tops,  

I wonder if somewhere 

there is a thunderstorm or 

if they are just sitting 

quietly gathering strength. 

From the distance land to sky 

I can only wonder. 

When I work the muscles of my body, 

I feel the soft strength that is me. 

Guy wires that move my frame 

as though I were a puppet and 

I, the puppeteer. I can only wonder 

what will allow me to gather strength.

“It feels good pulling on these muscles, 

it feels better than worrying about who is watching.”

Alain Bremond-Torrent, author

Tested

August, 2018

Sprouts

from seeds

filled with life

grow as we grow 

in sun or storm 

on prairie 

or mountain side 

our strength tested 

found wanting 

or willing to grow

“…surrender to your experience and 

the softness that keeps you strong.”

~ Jadine Lydia, The Thing about Resilience

@jadinelydia - original poem

Shifting

shifting sands 

moving foot to foot

for balance’s sake

shifting winds 

sudden or slow emotions 

dates on the calendar 

shifting tides 

undercurrents 

no warning 

shifting perspectives

a subtle re-order

for strength in a moment.

“The map of what we call reality is an every-shifting mosaic of ideas.”

~ Marcelo Gleiser, physicist

A Moments Hope

I am eager to find hope

in each moment. 

Hope: such an illusive idea, 

so easy to give up, 

let go of or drift away from. 

Some say hope is  

for the young, not for 

such as me that has 

seen 78 years go by. 

But I disagree. 

Hope is for the moment, 

not for the young or the old 

or the many in-betweeners 

that fill that great gap. Today I hoped 

for good weather because I had 

a long walk to take. My hope was dashed 

by the wind and cold snow. 

But did I give up? 

No. I hoped for 

strength in my legs and that 

I was dressed warmly enough, 

that the crossing lights would work, 

that drivers would pay attention as I stepped out

and that I would recognize life all around me.

What do you hope for today?

“Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.”

~ Christopher Reeve

Strengthened

Thankful for my soul ~

The sweet fruit of myself 

that carries me through life

Only asking to be surrounded 

by all that the eye and ear 

perceive as beautiful.

Only asking for the strength 

that comes from creating art, 

playing with children, 

or reading stories filled with imaginings.

To fill my soul with all these things 

softens the drudgery of each day

“Inside us there is something that has no name, 

that something is what we are.”

~ José Saramago, Blindness

Paper Thin Balance

 

inner strength is merely hidden, 

sleeping with feet up, 

while the busyness of the day 

rides rough shod over 

your mind and spirit; 

your body merely dragging 

its way through each moment 

barely making it to the time of night 

when it too can sleep.

How can one not be grateful 

for this amazing balancing act?

“Without balance, a life is no longer worth the effort.”

~ Olen Steinhauer,  The Tourist

Inspired by: A Cure is Needed for the Present, Sometimes by Fiona Bolger