Poem: Rebirthed.

He's calling me.
Warming my very blood.
Beating this heart back to life.
Filling my lungs with his breath.
With me,
within me.
So hot and full,
alive,
am I.

It's crazy this need,
heady this want.
For his voice
I'd gladly be dashed
upon the rocks.
For him,
I'd take a moment in his arms
and let my soul be damned.
All for the Beloved.
Anything for the One.

Love has shattered,
it has opened,
dissolved me,
in this fiery grace.

The world,
once mundane, now rebirthed
and extraordinary.
My lines so clear
now blurred.
And what was me,
and what was truth,
are not what they once were.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA.

A short, brown-haired woman came before her grandmother, shy and smiling as she looked to the ground. Melanie, as she was called, hid something behind her back as she kissed the soft cheek of her grandmother.

"Grandma, I love you. Happy Birthday!" Melanie said.

"Why thank you, Melly," Grandma beamed and gave her a big hug.

"I have something for you because it's your special day." Melanie revealed a small bag of presents for her grandma.

She first pulled out rose -- long-stemmed, blood red, and lovely. Soon the air was filled with its sweet fragrance.

"A rose for you because you are beautiful," the brown-eyed woman said.

The grandmother took the rose and inhaled. She remembered the many roses she'd been given and great love she had known through the years. She thanked Melanie who quickly pulled out another item.

It was a box of chocolates.

"A box of chocolates for you, because no matter the highs and lows of our day, one must always remember to stop and savor the sweetness of life," she said.

"Thank you, I shall remember that as I enjoy them," Grandma said already imagining enjoying them later.

Next Melanie revealed a small compass, the kind any hiker might carry as he navigated the hills and valleys of life.

"A compass for any dark nights in your heart. It will always lead you home to us, and always keep you true to your path," Melanie said.

The grandmother smiled and took the compass. Many twists and turns had filled her life. She'd had many adventures and seen many places. There had been great joys like falling in love, having her sons, her first grandchild. There had been sorrows of loss, disappointment, and great grief, but she had always found shelter in her family.

"Thank you, Melly, for this token of home," she said her eyes soft and filled with loving memories.

Then Melanie pulled the final present from the bag. It was a simple piece of paper and there was a poem on it which she read through happy tears.

One night I heard on the wind
a voice so kind and sweet
of love it whispered to me.

"Always remember you are this --
Beautiful and brave.
Always remember I am here
to hold you on even the hardest day.
For you are love, my angel girl.
That is all you are.
Never are you alone.
I'm here in every breeze.
I light your path in every star.
I'll hold you in my heart."

And I cried for joy.
I smiled in thanks.
For this unearned blessing
this love and grace.
For this angel that chose
to walk with me on this earth.
Never again could I
fail to see life's worth.

"I will sing of you."
I whispered back to the wind.
And in my greatest joys,
my greatest sorrows,
in every word I write,
my every dream,
lives the love you gave to me.

===============================================

Grandma,

Thank you so much for being the blessing you are in my life.
I love you beyond words.

Happy Birthday!!!!!!

In Rememberance

Snickers King


My best friend, Denice, has given me many great gifts over the time I have known her, but one of the sweetest has been the opportunity to enjoy her pets. This week her beloved dog, Snickers, passed away. My heart broke as I read of his passing. I'm sure she is clinging to her family right now as she grieves. My heart is very much with her.

Denice and I are both single and would have a quiet, lonely homes without our pets. Though not everyone can understand it, for her and I they are like our children. They share love with us. They comfort us. They make us laugh. They frustrate us. They are the delight that gets us through difficult days. The dependence we have our pets and theirs on us is a relationship that adds a lot of meaning to our lives.

Snickers, like many dogs, was a source of unconditional love. He shared his joy and love with everyone he met. He could lift your heart on the hardest day as he shimmied and danced, asking to be pet. He was a true gift to Denice over a lot of difficult times and I know she will miss him beyond what any words could capture. I, too, will miss his smiling face when I visit her.

Animals can sometimes love us in unconditional and open-hearted ways that humans haven't mastered. They are an immense blessing during their time with us -- which is never long enough. For those of us who have felt like outsiders, who felt scorned and rejected, a pet's love maybe the only example of acceptance we have to cling to some days. They live utterly in the now and remind us to stop, appreciate life, and allow ourselves to be loved.

Denice has written about her grief on her blog, and it wouldn't surprise me if she channels her energies into a painting. I hope you will drop by and leave her a comment and condolences. You can view her post by clicking here.