Pure white linen

Trimmed with lace

An heirloom borrowed

From an earlier day

A baby’s breath

Its soft caress

Felt gently upon our face

Red petals falling silently

Their edges, worn and dry

Gather together 

Slowly marking time 

A morning’s promise 

A cerulean sky

For a day 

Bathed in heavenly light 

Whose golden rays flicker 

Between bare branches 

Before the cold 

Of winter’s night

Each dawn brings change

As colors fade

And streaks of gray

Transform our lives

In silence she works

Sewing fauna with ease

Instinctively planning a home

For her new family

Carefully she connects

One strand at a time

Creating a safe refuge 

To stay warm and dry

She labors by day

With no time to rest

Beneath a flower moon

She seems to pray

For health and strength

As most mothers do

And perseverance

To carry her through

After days of building

Satisfied, she broods

Savoring this quiet time

That won’t exist soon

Nature, a beast 

In comparison to 

Such little flapping wings

Fighting the winds, currents

And blinding ocean mist

It struggles to stay aloft

In search of

A meal at sea

It dives but fails

In an effort to catch

An elusive silvery fish

Instead, it touches down 

Upon the wet sand 

And it looks at me

As though to ask

If I could spare 

A crumb to eat

Its wings so tired 

It walks my way

On the tiniest of feet

Closer it ventures so boldly 

And begins to loudly speak

Its chitter-chatter overpowers 

The sound of the pounding waves

It paces and impatiently awaits

A wanted response from me

I try my best to explain 

That I have nothing to offer

It quips loudly 

At my empty hand 

Then advances in a final 

Desperate demand

I utter my regrets repeatedly 

Until, sadly, it understands

It slowly retreats 

Then quietly

Takes to the sky once again

It dips and swoops

Flying blindly 

Teasing the relentless sea

In its final quest 

At days end 

To find a morsel

Before it sleeps

A vast expanse 

Of sparkling lights

They flicker and dance

Above us each night

A commanding performance 

After a quiet days rest

Their intricate patterns 

Celestially designed

Unveil an endless beauty

That surround them

On this darkest twilight

These familiar portraits

Suspended securely in space

Render a heavenly language 

To communicate

Details that guide 

Paths for us to navigate

Through treacherous seas

Or threatening roads

Their brilliant vibrations 

Help to lead us home

This universal heartbeat 

Conducts a chorus of light

As billions of stars

Take center stage 

Brilliantly each night

Silently they sing

A most spiritual song

Of peace everlasting

As they lead us home

Lost in brilliance

Sleepless and alive

Mesmerized by 

Twinkling lights

Dancing diamonds

Finely polished by 

The nights velvety black sky

Safe beneath their glow

I linger

Trusting their familiar patterns 

To embrace me

A welcome home

They continue to delight

Despite years travelled

I’m a child once again

As their stedfast scenes entertain

Whether shooting across the heavens 

In a silvery flash

Or quietly at rest

They fall before my awaiting eyes

As I gleefully attempt a capture

So elusive are they 

As they disappear from sight

Their promise to return

Brings me back 

To this unwavering expanse

A constant companion

A comforting contrast

To chaos and turmoil

Littering the ground

This utter serenity above

A most powerful retreat

A gentle friend

To calm and shelter me

At days end

Though times change

And life fades

Diamonds are forever

A heavenly refrain

A single seed

In search of a home 

To find its roots

A place to grow

Alone

In darkness

It waits

For life to begin

As it evolves

Nurtured by time

Its strength

A will to survive

Eventually rendering

Fruit to bear

A life fulfilled

As time prevails 

As seasons pass

Impossible to curtail

The passage of time

But moments reside

Sewn firmly

Within our minds

Where time stands still

And generations 

Remain in bloom

Coincide and resume

Lush landscapes 

Resilient roots 

A family tree 

That began 

As a seed

That lives on

A field of memories

Planted securely

Within our mind

A quiet peace 

The only sound heard

Crisp crackling leaves

A welcome home 

Signaled beneath my feet

This weathered path

An old friend

Strong and steadfast 

Supporting towering trees

Cradle willowy nests

For chirping birds 

The first to break 

The serene silence

Upon this reposeful trek

Beyond the cities noise

A tranquil oasis 

Of perfumed dew

Atop mounds of 

Yawning petals

Eager for a drink

Meandering this maze

So much beauty

On display

Shadows nestled between 

Evergreens

As a powdery blue sky 

Peeks through 

This landscape

A moving stream of 

Vibrant colors 

More, a painting

Waiting to be viewed

Just steps away

Each day beneath

The golden rays of dawn

Each day freshly sculpted scenery

Emerge before our eyes

An ever-changing landscape

As nature's paintbrush 

Colors the sky

A palette of varying shades

Sets the days mood

From brilliant blues

So many hues

An enchanting canvas

Impossible to recreate

An early morning sunrise 

Framed by golden rays 

Offer a perfect backdrop for 

A splattering of 

A rainbow's dye 

Carried away by cooperative clouds 

Slowly meandering by

Evenings, offer a finale

As the sun slowly fades

Replaced by heavenly bodies 

Shrouded in midnight blues and grays

A blanket

Of brilliant twinkling stars 

That shine within the glow 

Of the majestic moon

Whose presence 

Has never changed

A solace at the close of day

Looking down the sloping hills

A most perfect vantage point 

Draws me to this wondrous spectacle 

A nightly show

Between golden rays and umber hues

A splatter of brilliant blues

A perfect crescendo

That lies beyond the crashing waves

That seem to salute farewell

In unison 

As traffic lulls and people stop to glance

We cannot look away

All submit to this quiet slumber

Transfixed by an energy force

That invites us to this special place 

That lies beyond the horizon

Picturesque this line so straight

One has no choice but to imagine

An alluring palace

Where the sun sleeps

Under blankets of golden shadows

The scene is set

This magical array

That takes place precisely

At this time each day

As this fiery ball 

So brilliant and strong

Slips down submits

To the horizon

This majestic lifeline 

Calls upon us to say goodnight

We bid farewell knowing 

It will return tomorrow

This promise that sustains

Warmth and daylight

Fulfills our needs

Rests beyond the dark blue sea

So constant 

Close yet, far away

So very necessary

Embers a burning flame

A force of life that never dies

As we say our goodbyes

Ocean waves crashing

Cascading and rearranging

Patterns in the sand

As I watch mesmerized

At the beauty of its precision

How its flow has no end

How such a powerful force

Can gently ease my soul

The sound so peaceful

Pounding harshly

As it rolls

I’m hypnotized

Revitalized by the beauty unfolding

Before my eyes

The salty mist caresses my skin

Natures gentle kiss

As the icy trickle

Tickles my toes

Once again

Refreshed renewed restored

Grateful that this one thing

Has managed to remain the same

Majestic, powerful and strong

With a constant reassurance

A welcome home

Calling my name

As it has

So many times before