Baggage

Donuts

instantly the smell

I ran to the kitchen

~

I love you mom

she smiled

~

she showed me everyday

how much she loved me

~

she never once said

I love you

~

sometimes you need to hear it

~

my stillborn son

I touched her belly

whispered

I love you

~

I’ll never know

if he heard

~

Hope

because I can

survive in this cage

I know

you can too

~

fly

little spirit

fly

from this

beautiful cage

~

Thank You

hours

outside

playing

~

my daughter

protects me

radiating love

around my heart

~

you’ll never know

how you save me

~

Spurned

mourning

our silent baby

our hospital room

together

~

to say good-bye

I asked for a blessing

from a man of faith

~

no soothing

comfort

just guilt

for not practicing

~

you could be anybody

our church

doesn’t know you

~

I have engraved your name on the palms of my hands

~

insincerity

grudgingly

walking through

a ritual

~

forgive me father

I know not

what I do

~

Ode To Kitty Hawk

watching planes

come and go

~

it doesn’t have to be this way

~

big machines

gliding

off the earth

~

and you said we were impossible

~

we all have

a chance

a choice

~

flying flowers

flying propellers

~

I’ll try to understand

~

Introductions

christmas at home

the only time

my stillborn son

my father

mother, sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews

together

~

Dad

are you tired

of being called

grandpa ?

~

it’s always an honour

~

congratulations

you’ll be

a grandpa again

~

you’ll always be

together

~

Small Town Hockey

in canada

hockey was considered

an official religion

~

a player

was traditionally

tough, fast

hard-working

honest, fair

~

the respect

for yourself, your teammates, your opponents

taught important lessons

~

you learned

to win, to lose

with dignity

~

you learned to play

with emotional poise

integrity

~

you learned to play

as a team

believing, trusting

each other

~

sometimes

I don’t know what to believe

~

Finding Peace

when his wife died

my grandpa was fifty three

~

she left twelve children

ages five to twenty two

~

sorrow, sadness

engulfed their hearts

~

their love

shouldered long years

~

restless anxiety

transitioned

to calm peace

~

grandpa told my mom

I have an appointment

with jesus

at six o’clock in the morning

~

he told his daughter

I’m with the lord

~

two months later

he died peacefully

at eighty nine

~

I’m Listening

along the coast

of the rainforest

the ferns

are starting to stand

ready to disperse

their sound

~

Our Energy

I’m seeing

I’m communicating

in spirals

~

spinning

transforming

perspectives

~

renewing

our sense

of wonder

~