12/5 - Window Light

Dust
floats in the window light,
caressed by the gentle morning;

it's too early.

But the warmth
of your skin
stirs my heart and my smile

the way the
air currents stir the
dust.

Good News

I asked friends for their good news today and my heart was lifted. Whether big or small, people had wonderful things to share about their lives or their days. Life is perspective. We find our happiness from ourselves and how we choose to see the world. Shit happens. Shitty, awful things happen in this world. But we have so much power in the choice we make about whether we let the muck, the dirt, and the darkness overtake us or not. Don't let go of your light, your compassion, your hope, your joy. Whether your light is blinding, a roaring blaze, a single ray, or a mere shimmer, choose it and believe in it. Let others help you kindle it. Because the world needs your light to help see through the dark.

This Little Light

Let your light shine,

And when the times come where you feel too weak to hold it,

I will lift yours alongside mine,

Until you can carry it again.

And when I begin to weary,

You, my friend, shall do the same for me.

For:

"One candle loses nothing by lighting another."

We all will make it through the darkness with compassion and love to guide our steps.

Deep Food for Profound Thought

It's funny how the light of life together
Now seems reflected in all things,
Scattering like autumn leaves
Through these days that are the pages of our lives.

It's funny - joyous, and wonderful -
So much so that it tickles the very soul
Until the laughter overflows from
Cheeks that ache from smiling.

I write almost nothing besides love poems,
Love thoughts, love reflections,
And you are writing love songs --
And I love to sing along.

10/9 Bright Skies

Bright skies are ahead of us, my dear!

Do you see them?

The rising sun is glowing,

Casting our future in a golden light.

Yes, at times the rain may still fall,

But even then we shall rejoice,

For we need the rain to grow

Just as we need the sunlight.

With your hand in mine

I fear no cloud, no wind, no thunder,

For you will be at my side

To see the sun come out again.

Shining

Light of my soul

You shine incessantly

And drive away the shadows

That lurk and try to grasp at

My heart.

You have taken my hand

And you hold it tight

And you have promised

To hold onto it always.

My gratitude can only be expressed

In shining for you

As you shine for me.

Phoenix

"I never thought that there was a point to it all. To anything. That our being here, our existing just didn't matter. That there was no why, no greater purpose. I grew up alone - without anyone there to tell me otherwise or prove me wrong. 

But then I met you. And I didn't want to believe you at first. Your determination to do more than just exist made me sick with anger. I pushed you away.

Then, when I was alone again and suddenly faced with not being alive the next day, I knew you were right. That I had this need, this will to live til the next day. And I knew that I hadn't wanted to believe you because I was scared. I was afraid to care at all, for anything, and risk losing any sense of precious happiness when it disappeared on me. 

But you came for me. And you were still here when I woke up. You're still here now. You're not going to disappear, are you?"

-------

When characters talk in your head. :)

The Dark

My overactive imagination gets the better of me in the dark, even at age 24.  Driving home on the pitch-black, semi-rural backroads that lead back to my little suburban town, I'm always imagining seeing things pop out of the dark.  Last week there was a guy walking along the road.  Luckily I saw him from far away with my high beams, but when I realized that I wasn't just seeing something I was hypothetically anxious about, my heart nearly stopped for a moment.

What is so scary about the dark?  Not knowing what's there? The lurking things that we make up in our heads?  Both, I'd say.  But we have to head into the dark sometimes, especially when we want to get all the way back home.  And while the scary things are certainly intimidating to imagine, more often than not they are just that - imaginary.  For those times when they are real, well, then it's smart to be navigating with those high beams, staying alert to keep to the path towards where you want to go.

8/15 - Afternoon Light

The afternoon light is soft,

Clear and true,

The way my entire being feels

Resting in your loving gaze.

My heart reaches for you

As my arms cannot,

So I will caress your cheek

Through the gentle touch of the afternoon light.

Happiness Is...

"... anyone and anything at all, that's loved by you."  - "Happiness Is" from You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown

I really think it's hard to not find happiness in any given day.  There is always some bit of light that can peek through; it's a matter of not closing our eyes to it -- allowing it to reach our gaze, even when it feels like we're under dark skies. And the best part is passing that little bit of light we discover on to others, through a word, a gesture, or even just a smile. We can all be a bit of someone else's daily happiness. What a happy thought. :)

Bits of my happiness today:
Rain
Sun
Blue sky
Clouds
Mountains
Cooking successfully
Ice cream
Easy drives
Holding hands
Singing
Surprise pianos

<3

An Edge of Light

Every so often when driving at night, I notice the edges of my headlights as I make my way (usually) home.  It fascinates a small part of me to see how the darkness melts away in the approach of that edge of light.  The black pools of shadow burn to nothing in the yellow glow.

It struck me tonight that this is a good metaphor for people.  We are all bits of light making our way towards futures that, while perhaps laid out on a paved road, exist as pools of darkness, of unknown possibilities.  Sometimes another bit of light comes along our path - it could be from any angle - and that person either shines their light on where we have been or where we are going, helping us along our way.  And, as much as others help melt away the darkness of our lives, we are also able to melt away the darkness around theirs.  In some cases, we can never know how much we light the way for someone in an hour of need.

This is why it is so important for us to believe in our own lights and keep them shining.  We are all so powerful and full of potential to help share goodness and light in our world, no matter what size that light may be.

Let yourself shine - even the edges of light drive the darkness away.

Gold

I didn't always like gold.  I found it garish in comparison to the gentle elegance of silver.

Yet now, I am so often filled with a golden light at the joy of loving you that I cannot help but adore the color.  

We change each other for the better, even in the smallest ways.

Joy

Sometimes I have to choose joy,
Choose to find the light in the day
The light in people around me--
The light in things I don't want to do.

But I am blessed with many days
Where the light finds me
Before I know I need to seek it--
Before I need to choose it,
It chooses me.