Never Alone

Never Alone

The little girl gets lost in her books,
giving no thought to the way she looks.
She perches sideways or upside down in her chair,
her arms akimbo, her legs in the air.

Snug in her quiet, cozy spot,
she submerges herself in the twisting plot.
Her friends are the characters on the page. 
She watches them live and dream and grow and age.

She sees them struggle and make mistakes.
Other times, they get all the breaks.
Their lives fill hers and become her own.
They are always around. She is never alone.
                                                        

Retreat

Retreat

I'm overwhelmed

by my list of things to do.

Instead of doing more,

I need to escape,

relax, unwind, renew.

I need to find respite

in nature's soothing balm.

I need to stroll in the garden

and check on the mums.

Let the cool breeze make me calm.

I need to listen to seed pods rattle

and leaves rustle in the air.

I need to hear squirrels chatter

and blue jays shriek

as they issue each other a dare.

I need to feel the sun

warm on my skin.

I need fresh air to breathe,

 releasing the stress, 

stopping the spin.

I need to center my thoughts 

on the yellow begonias

and the flitting honey bees.

I need to sit and spend some time

in the shade of the maple trees.

I need to watch the clouds

drift by in the sky.

I need to clear my mind

and set free my spirit

before I give life's chores another try.