THIS WEEK'S QUOTE PROMPT:

My biggest excuse to others and myself was that I had writer's block, as if it was some kind of illness. Mary Garden

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

The next prompt at The Magnified Muse was scheduled for 12/21/10. But with ten days left until Christmas, and much yet to do, The Magnified Muse and A Muse Fuse will be on a Holiday Hiatus until January. The next quote prompt here at The Magnified Muse will be on January 4, 2011. However you spend the upcoming holidays, may the warmth of your season engulf you. Best wishes for a Happy New Year!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

#37 - If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans. James Herriot

LOYALTY

Playing games at recess
meant choosing sides for teams.
The best were always taken first.
The rest were left with dreams.

It doesn’t get much easier
when school is far behind.
Deciding on the course to choose
is how we are defined.

The road we pick to travel on
determines where we go.
We either rise like springtime blooms,
or die beneath the snow.

If wisdom fails in other ways,
there’s one thing I believe.
The pattern forming loyalty
is one I’ll gladly weave.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

#36 - I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. Jimmy Dean

MINE TO COMMAND

If I could command the wind
and enforce it to be still,
perhaps this life would be easy,
more calming and less of a thrill.

If I could command emotions
removing what makes us cry,
relationships would be smoother,
but would limit the reasons to try.

If I could command the outcome
of quieting storms to a lull,
the future would hold no surprises.
The highway of life would be dull.

So I don’t want command of tomorrow
or to walk in a set, rigid line.
The bumps in the road can be dealt with
when the good and the bad are entwined.

Monday, December 6, 2010

SPECIAL NOTE: Delayed Post

Many apologies, all. Unplanned out-of-town meeting tomorrow. Our next quote poetry prompt will post on Wednesday, December 8th. See you then!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

#35 - He enjoys much who is thankful for little. Thomas Secker

MY SIMPLE PRAYER

This day of thanks is more than food
or football through the night.
It brings a candle’s fiery glow
with overwhelming light.

No other day within the year
has absolute control
to reach within my darkest place
and brighten up my soul.

And so, as I begin to plan
for every, honored guest,
I come to You, on bended knee,
this time with no request.

I simply want to give my thanks
for blessings You impart:
the love of family, friends and home,
that overflows my heart.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

#34 - When your friends begin to flatter you on how young you look, it's a sure sign you're getting old. Mark Twain

THROUGH OLDER EYES

With my younger days behind me,
I am well passed middle age.
On the journey to tomorrow,
I am closer to the stage
where the newness of the springtime
has evolved into this truth:
Though the winter chill engulfs me,
I prefer it to my youth.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

#33 - My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and refreshed by music when sick and weary. Martin Luther

THE MUSIC HEALS

A gentle strain from life’s refrain
illuminates the dark.
And music speaks to embers weak,
rekindling the spark
in my mundane, sometimes insane,
existence here on earth.
A blackened day brought deep dismay
and scorned the moment’s mirth.
And yet, the song that hums along
to reach within my heart,
knows how to reach across the breach
to fix what fell apart.
The music swells in empty wells,
my apathy destroyed.
I join the dance of song’s romance,
renewed in honest joy.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

#32 - The poetry of earth is never dead. John Keats

OF CONSTANT BEAUTY

The glory of nature overwhelms me.
Mountains rise through the skies
flecked with the vibrant hues of autumn,
colors warm, bold and inviting.
And peaking between them,
a line of steadfast green,
the pine tree's response
to the ongoing changes around it.

The seasons never die.
They merely go into hiding.

After the forest sheds it cloak,
it withdraws into itself,
to rest and renew,
until the time comes again to
bring forth new buds and new colors.

Waiting for every transformation
rewards and comforts those who watch.
Nature's evolution reminds us that beauty
is not limited only to what can be seen,
but to what thrives in the silence within.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

#31 - Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during the moment. Carl Sandburg

POETIC GENESIS

The words my pen has need to write
appear at dawn or deepest night.
A brain refreshed by tranquil rest
may overcome the harshest test.
But also true, the words to keep
emerge from night’s most fitful sleep.
Immersed in laughter, words recall
the space in time that had it all.
Yet unhealed wounds remind of pain
that ache for losses to regain.
A broken mirror cuts the soul,
its shards of glass impede the goal.
As tempests brew within my storms,
they swirl until the poem forms.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

#30 - The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play. Arnold J. Toynbee

BETWEEN THAT ROCK AND HARD PLACE

A whole, new world fell in my lap.
A place where I could work on
the things I love doing.
A dream come true, obviously.

Then why is my spirit so heavy?
What went wrong?

Me.

The threads of my passion unraveled,
by my own hand.
I set fire to my needs,
sitting idly by while flames
consumed the remnants.

The very, fine line
between doing and not doing
has been erased.

I can’t go back and undo the damage.
I can only go forward.
I must regain hold of my purpose,
without sacrificing that which holds
my purpose together.

Recognizing the need to re-evaluate
is, perhaps, half the battle.
Following the best course of action
to achieve the goal
is the battle of greater consequence,
and the harder one to win.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

RESCHEDULED QUOTE PROMPT: 10/21/10

Due to a scheduling conflict, today's quote prompt post for The Magnified Muse will be delayed until October 21. Thank you for your patience. See you here on Thursday!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

#29 - How much has to be explored and discarded before reaching the naked flesh of feeling. Claude Debussy

CONQUERING NEW WORLDS

Discoveries abound
in the secret longing for relationships.

Like the whispering, gentleness
of a new morn burgeoning on the horizon,
so, too, does the power of love
overcome the darkness of night.

Excruciating pain exists in the newness
of pairing two souls into one.
The rawness of open wounds,
exposed again to the art of loving,
reveal unhealed sores inflicted
by disappointment and rejection.

Fear forever stands in the way,
daring the heart to remove itself
from the isolation it craves.
And yet, the allure of life’s passions
beckons the broken spirit to
once, again, indulge itself in the
wondrous array of flavors
that love brings to the palate.

Holding back is not an option.
Reaching forward,
releasing those fears held hostage
in the prison of emotion,
frees the denial hidden in solitude.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

#28 - Depression is the inability to construct a future. Rollo May

DESPAIR’S DISCONTENT

Despair has a way of taking control
when potential used to reign.
The balance of promise and fortitude
dissolves through inflexible pain.

Emotional darkness entombs any hope.
The need to relinquish is great.
Tomorrow surrenders, its promise undone,
promoting an unhealthy fate.

Misplaced assurance does not offer peace
with a refuge not dismal or bleak.
Despair overpowers by filling the void,
as its cruelty preys on the weak.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

#27 - Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. Winston Churchill

MEASURING THE OUTCOME

I focus on numbers every day.
Who comes to my websites and then walks away
without leaving anything good to say
(or bad, for that matter). I just want to know.

Am I a failure if words are unread?
If no one has bothered to hear what I’ve said,
would my creative spirit be better off dead
(or if not dead, dying). I just want to know.

Am I a success if stay to the task
with no adoration in which I can bask?
A question I’m not quite that foolish to ask.
I don’t know want the answer. I don’t want to know.

But up to the surface, a truth will arise
without expectations on which to surmise.
A writer keeps writing, without compromise.
And that is the answer I already know.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

WE’RE MOVING TO TUESDAYS

The Magnified Muse poetry quote prompts will move to Tuesdays, beginning September 28, 2010. We expect the weekly prompt to be posted by 10:00 a.m. EST. In the event of a delay, the updated posting information will be published here as soon as possible. So mark your calendars accordingly, and have your pencils, pens or computers all ready to write on Tuesday mornings!!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

#26 - Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

A SEUSSICAL STANCE

Politically speaking,
I’m more left than right.
But it’s more than a party
that gives me my light.

I’d rather be thinking
the things in my head
than to base my opinions
on what pundits said.

If I speak my own mind
on a number of issues,
I can’t be offended
or run for my tissues

when others will argue
my points are absurd.
I am grateful for having
the chance to be heard.

So what it comes down to
is perfectly clear:
If my wisdom is lacking,
then be of good cheer.

I don’t make decisions
that make the world spin.
I don’t preach too loudly
on the state we are in.

I simply remember
to see what I see,
and am grateful to those
who let such a thing be.

For what other country
would give us the right
to express ourselves fully,
to believe what we might?

This place where we live
has some bruises and bumps,
but it has more potential
than thought by some grumps.

Monday, September 20, 2010

RESCHEDULED QUOTE PROMPT: 9/21/10

Good morning, everyone.  A situation has arisen which makes it necessary for me to move today's poetry quote prompt to tomorrow, 9/21/10.  Thanks for your patience and understanding.  See you tomorrow morning!

Monday, September 13, 2010

#25 - My evil genius Procrastination has whispered me to tarry 'til a more convenient season. Mary Todd Lincoln

SOME OTHER TIME

I have a list of things to write, but still the page lays bare.
I surf the web, play with the dogs, and, sometimes, simply stare.
The page remains an empty place that words refuse to fill.
Creative juices cease to flow, replaced by lack of will.
So many other things to do that don’t exhaust the mind,
I quickly redirect my thoughts to acts that will not bind.
I focus my attention on whatever comes my way,
and put behind me, once again, what should be done today.

Monday, August 30, 2010

NEXT QUOTE PROMPT ON 9/13/10

Due to the Labor Day holiday on Monday, September 6th, The Magnified Muse weekly quote prompt will not return until Monday, September 13th. Enjoy your holiday weekend and be safe!

#24 - The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned. Maya Angelou

We spent the day looking
for a new place to live.
The heavy snows of winter, and
the summer grass that grows nonstop,
caused our minds to think of condos
or townhouses with no yard.
Dreaming of low maintenance,
we rode around for hours,
looking at this and looking at that.
And then, we came back to this house.

This house is perfect for us.
The size of the rooms,
the layout,
the neighborhood --
everything about it meets our needs.

And forgetting the grass,
forgetting the snow,
and forgetting everything we think we want,
this building has transformed itself
into more than four walls and a floor,
a front porch, a backyard, a roof over our heads.
In the three years we’ve lived here,
this house became something beautiful:
a place to share time with good friends,
a place to share play with our furry family,
a place to share life with each other
through the ups, the downs, the laughter and the tears.

Move? To where?
This simple building, this special place, is our home.

Monday, August 23, 2010

#23 - The faith that stands on authority is not faith. Ralph Waldo Emerson

RELIGION VERSUS FAITH

Religion is a community.
The outward affirmation
of spiritual devotion,
shared by some for the sake of being seen.

Faith is a communion.
The inward affirmation
of spiritual commitment,
shared with the only One who matters.

Given a choice,
I would rather have faith over religion.
Communing with my God
in the places He shines most brightly.
Having Him meet a need when least expected.
Believing He walks with me when I don’t seem Him.

Religion has its restrictions,
but faith has no limits or boundaries.
Neither does God.

Monday, August 16, 2010

#22 - Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears. Les Brown

BENEATH THE POND

Beneath the frozen pond
a dream lay dormant.
Just below the surface,
a thin layer of ice
separates it from me.
The fear of falling through
keeps me from claiming it as my own.

The pond water has melted.
The dream is well within my reach
just beneath the surface,
but I make no rescue attempt.
The fear of drowning
keeps me from claiming it as my own.

The seasons have revolved again.
My dream now sits on the bottom
of the pond, mired in the muck.
The senseless fear of defeat
before the battle even began
makes this dream impossible to reclaim.
Were it not for the phobia of self-doubt,
the dream could have taken me anywhere.

Monday, August 9, 2010

#21 - This world of ours, ever growing smaller, must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect. Dwight D. Eisenhower

With the A Muse Fuse Poem-A-Day Challenge behind us, it’s time to return to our weekly poetry quote prompts here at The Magnified Muse. We’re starting our new season off with a quote by President Dwight Eisenhower made in his farewell address to the American people on January 17, 1961. The sentiments he expressed 49 years ago seem even more relevant today. Follow wherever this prompt takes you, be inspired by it, and post your own poem under Comments.

WHERE IS IT WRITTEN?

The patriots died for this land to be free.
But where is it written that we can’t disagree
without hurting each other by violent displays,
and inflicting our damage in the ugliest ways?

And where is written that we must be the same;
and if we are different, we should bow as if shamed?
And what gives us freedom to taunt and abuse
another one’s freedom to express his own views?

There is violence in words, born of anger and fear.
And when someone’s not like us, we don’t want to hear
the opinions they have or what they may believe.
And this lack of respect is where hate is conceived.

And it only grows stronger, blinding all of our eyes
to the best we could offer for everyone’s lives.
But we can’t get beyond how we both disagree,
and the chance to move forward is a chance that won’t be.

I’m afraid for this country and how hatred abounds
when opposite viewpoints can’t find common ground.
Free speech doesn’t mean that our thoughts must conform.
So, where is it written that hate is the norm?

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

WEEKLY QUOTE PROMPTS RESUME ON AUGUST 9, 2010!!

We are nearing the end of the First Annual 26 Days in July Poem-A-Day Challenge over at A Muse Fuse.  When the Challenge is completed, we will take a short poetic pause on both prompt sites.  Over here, at The Magnified Muse, our weekly quotes will resume on August 9, 2010.  I've had a great time writing to the daily A Muse Fuse prompts, but I've missed the challenge of finding inspiration in our weekly quotes and can't wait to be back.  In the meantime, get ready to magnify your muse and see you in less than two weeks!

Monday, June 28, 2010

#20 - It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it. Hans Selye

SELF-INFLICTED STRESS

My stress is built by my own hands.
I create projects with self-imposed deadlines,
then panic when those deadlines approach
and the work remains undone.
I spent years meeting the demands of others.
Now, when my time is under my own control,
I should rejoice in the absence of pressure.
What relief there would be
in eliminating the constraints of time
by submitting to a silent taskmaster.

Monday, June 21, 2010

#19 - The truest characters of ignorance are vanity and pride and arrogance. Samuel Butler

SOLUTIONS

We are impotent to nature’s fury
and prisoners of disasters created by man.
But we are a greater people
when we strive for solutions
without arrogance getting in the way.

Monday, June 14, 2010

#18 - The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it. Jean Paul

REFLECTIONS ON THIS AGING THING

I wake up wondering how life will change
on the morning I reach another age.
Will my steps be slower?
Will my mind slip and falter?

I’m in between milestones.
I find myself looking back
at the day I turned fifty.
The changes I feared never took place then,
and don’t appear to be taking place now.

But the pages of my life
turn a little faster than they used to do.
I feel a sudden urgency to
live these precious days to the fullest,
for fear of missing out on something special.

I am lucky.
I am blessed.
And I am moving forward
from the first day of my new year
to experience the joy this day brings
and for the thrill of the future yet to come.

Monday, June 7, 2010

#17 - I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship. Louisa May Alcott

STORMS TO TORNADOES

Storms roll across my landscape every day,
but they only become tornadoes
when I make the conditions right.

Monday, May 31, 2010

#16 - A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in. Robert Orben

VACATION IN HAIKU

No pressure this week.
Nothing to do but connect
with the ones I love.
---------------------------------
Vacation, Day One,
inspired to do little else
but read a good book.
---------------------------------
A cloudy morning.
A calm, stillness in the air.
At peace with myself.
---------------------------------
A snoring basset,
tired from his traveling,
asleep at my feet.
---------------------------------
Lynda and her lab
take time out for relaxing,
curled up on the bed.
---------------------------------
A cup of coffee
beckons me from my nightstand
to let worries fade.
---------------------------------
The morning drifts by
like slow moving, lazy clouds,
lost within its dreams.
---------------------------------
The clear, woodland air,
the sweet sounds of the river,
renew the poet.
---------------------------------
A true laze about
has both a bed and a book
to lose oneself in.
---------------------------------
Lunch at the river.
People play at water’s edge.
A gift of pure joy.
---------------------------------
A morning shower
transforms to a sunny day.
A slice of heaven.
---------------------------------
Darkness has fallen.
Quiet through empty campground.
Fall to blissful sleep.
---------------------------------
The afternoon sun
peeks through the towering trees.
Warms body and soul.
---------------------------------
Sun gave way to clouds.
Motivation level low.
Lazy day ahead.
---------------------------------
Time with family,
unburdened by life's demands,
brings inner rewards.
---------------------------------
At the winery
tasted sixteen local wines.
Sublime decadence.
---------------------------------
Last vacation meal:
hot, steamed crabs with Old Bay.
Crustacean delights.
---------------------------------
The car is packed up.
Back to regular routines,
rested and ready.

Monday, May 17, 2010

OUR OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED MAY 22, 2010 THROUGH MAY 30, 2010. OUR NEXT WEEKLY POETRY PROMPT QUOTE WILL BE POSTED ON MONDAY, MAY 31, 2010. HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY, EVERYONE, AND BE SAFE!!

#15 - To all, to each, a fair good-night, and pleasing dreams, and slumbers light. Walter Scott

FROM NIGHT TO DAY

The eventide approaches
and my weary eyelids fall,
unable to resist the sound
of bedtime’s wistful call.
I lay my tired body down
upon my cherished bed,
and sleep completely unaware
of what may lie ahead.
When daylight’s sun appears again,
with challenges to face,
I’ll meet them with a rested mind
and subtlety of grace.

Monday, May 10, 2010

#15 - Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship. Buddha

COMMENTARY

A well-ordered life
is not dependent on how others perceive us.
Expensive educations do not preclude
our children from being victims of violence
or perpetrators of heinous crimes.
There is no safety in privilege.
We are saddened by the immeasurable loss
of youth gone too soon.
Is it the excess of access,
or overlooking behavior that falls short of our status?
For all that privilege can accomplish,
one cannot minimize the reality that, now,
two sets of parents are mourning futures lost.

Monday, May 3, 2010

#14 - A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles. William Hazlitt

MY PLACE IN THIS LIFE

I look at the stars in the heavens
to remind me how small are my worries.
There is little that can reign me in
when I rightly recognize my place
in the universe.
I am but one small part of this world.
What appears to be unbearable to me
might be a blessing to others.
Let me always remember to smile,
to show others their concerns are mine,
and to be there, wherever I am needed.

Monday, April 26, 2010

#13 - Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get. Dale Carnegie

SUCCESS REDEFINED

In the inexperienced days of youth,
I dreamed of being a success.
Endless acclaim and untold dollars to do my bidding
would fill my life with endless joy.

But the years slipped away, as years will do.
Those dreams, unfulfilled, remained dormant.
No cover of People Magazine ever bore my image.
No associate of Oprah ever begged me for an appearance.

And yet, my achievements are many.
I try to treat everyone the way I’d like to be treated.
I give what I can to those in need though my coffers are low.
I have friends I care about deeply who respond in kind.
I have a family I cherish, a home in which to find refuge,
a love who stands beside me, enriching my spirit,
a God who walks with me, enriching my soul.

Financial prosperity might lessen the burdens.
Fame may have rewards, but carries its own stress.
Without the blessings of joy in the simplest of pleasures,
no one is truly successful.

Monday, April 19, 2010

#12 - Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words. Robert Frost

THE MOOD

Happy, sad, mellow.
The mood doesn’t really matter.
What matters is how the mood
relates to what it creates.

Monday, April 12, 2010

#11 - Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you. Marsha Norman

REFRESHED ASPIRATIONS

The budding of the trees,
and the scent of this renewing season
bring me out from my cocoon.
I arise from winter’s slumber
to face a myriad of possibilities,
of dreams yet to develop
and dreams about to bloom.
From visions formulated
through the opaque moments
of yesterday’s rest,
I am alive with today’s defined purpose
and wander aimlessly no more.

Friday, April 2, 2010

#10 - All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on. Henry Ellis

An early prompt this week. Easter weekend company will be here through Tuesday.

TO DOUSE THE INFERNO

The common approach to relationships
is to step away at the first sign of fire.
It's so much easier to move on
than discover what started the blaze.
We’ve seen our share of those flames.
We’ve felt the heat of contempt burn between us.
But years in the careful study of each other
taught us which angers need extinguishing
and which moments of contentment to ignite.

Monday, March 29, 2010

#9 - Behold, my friends, the spring is come; the earth has gladly received the embraces of the sun, and we shall soon see the results of their love! Sitting Bull

HOPE REACHES INWARD

I look out from beyond winter’s fury
to a forsythia suddenly bursting with buds.
The chill that tore at my inner core
is replaced by a mild warmth
that enthralls me with the possibilities ahead.
Relief is on the way for these tired, cold bones.
Hope fills my soul as the scent of rebirth
reaches within me and generates my renewal.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

#8 - Silence is a source of great strength.

MOMENTS OF SILENCE

Much passes between us
in those moments when words are unspoken.
To hear the thoughts in your head,
to know the feelings in your heart,
is more revealing to me than a thousand words.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

#7 - Art, to me, is the interpretation of the impression which nature makes upon the eye and brain.

An artist paints what the eyes see with brushes.  A poet paints what the eyes see with words.  No two poets look at things the same way.  Look at what you see around you, then fill your canvas with your impressions.

WHEN I LOOK

When I look at you,
I see limitless caring,
unwavering support,
and love given freely.
When I look in you,
I see longings and desires
I live to bring to fruition.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

RE-PROMPT #6 - Hold fast to your dreams, for without them life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.

What should have only been an extended weekend away from my poetry postings evolved into almost two weeks as I was hit with the flu on my return home. As I continue to recover, I'm going to extend the time for Prompt #6 so that I can more fully explore the poetic possibilities within this quote. We will continue with our next Quote of the Day prompt on March 14, 2010.  Thanks for your patience!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

#6 - Hold fast to your dreams, for without them life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.

Forgive the early post this week.  I will be unavailable through Monday, 2/22/10.

SOARING

A dream cannot soar
if you clip the wings needed
for successful flight.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

#5 - At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.

LOVE DEFINED

From this poet’s eyes,
defining love is easy.
I just look at you.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

#4 - God is in the details.

THE ART OF SNOW

Outside my window
soft, white flakes steadily dance
from the sky at deliberate speed.
One builds upon the other.
Similar, but none are the same.
A scientific principle in action?
Nature merely doing what nature does?
Easier to believe in a simple explanation
than to analyze a complicated faith.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

#3 - Every parting gives a foretaste of death, every reunion a hint of the resurrection.

LOST AND FOUND

Years flow like a mighty river
cascading over a waterfall.
Cherished relationships often perish in its wake.
The loss sometimes takes years to absorb
and even longer to fully appreciate.
Yet when fate allows a reconnection,
the underlying cause for the breach is unclear.
More of the pleasant memories are awakened
than the reason for a broken alliance.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

#2 - Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.

RESPECTFUL CONTEMPLATION

The metamorphosis of gentle breezes into hurricane winds.
The transformation of a tiny spark into a fiery, destructive blaze.
The simple alteration of a leaf from green to gold to brown.
I am struck by the steadfastness of change
and contemplate, with renewed respect,
the power controlling our destiny.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

#1 - Love is Space and Time Measured by the Heart.

LOVE'S VOYAGE

As an infant, love came freely,
with no stipulations.
The unique and helpless baby
made it flow from an endless fountain.
It was given and returned easily,
with no threat of being taken away or withheld.
It was love in its purest form
by its simple demonstration.

As a teenager, love was more complicated.
Without constraints just a few years ago,
the awkwardness of adolescence made
it difficult to reciprocate or convey.
On the path between childhood and maturity,
it was taken for granted as a rightful possession,
but was seldom passed on
without impossible preconditions.

As a young adult, love grew even more complex.
Centered on the passion of a moment,
it wasn’t understood on a deeper level.
The growing process far from over,
the depth of what it meant was buried by
all-or-nothing expectations.
It exploded in flames when assumptions were burned
by the fire of disappointment.

Today, love encompasses everything.
It defines what I want and where I’m going.
It exists in the simple joy of waking each day,
in the smell of a freshly mowed lawn,
on a walk in the sand at the ocean’s edge,
in the faith and trust I put in our relationship.
It is who I am, who you are, and who we are.
We find comfort in its splendor
and are enraptured by the magic it performs.