Thanksgiving

 I am thankful for good health and the technology that keeps us connected.

Roll with the Time

The world is changing
I trust for the better
You’ve got to roll with the time
Lest you get stuck behind
With the old notions
That no longer apply
You can’t claim your love
And exclude God’s people
You can’t not shed a tear
When the oppressed decried
You can’t roll back progress
And call it your rights
You must roll with the time

You need a touch of compassion

A desire to right the wrongs

A wish for justice for all

So we will walk together

To a place called home

Daily Walk Collages - set 4

From spring to autumn
Changes occurred
Cycle of life amplified
I picked up knowledge
As we walked the trails
And learned a little more
Of the infinite mystery
Of the vast universe

Memory Lane

The carousel is my memory lane. It is as if I were in a dream and got to sit on a wooden horse to travel round and round on a merry-go-round – carefree, without worries.

The horses of all shapes and sizes

Go ‘round and ‘round as we hold tight

To the memories of the precious times

We spent with each other our lives entwined

The circle goes ‘round and ‘round with no end

As forever the love of our friendship stands

 

Surrounding the carousel are things that bring me joy.

If you ever take paths lined with trees and plants, perhaps you have discovered the fragrance of the honeysuckle before you saw the flowers. The white flowers, which turn into yellow, also have a sweet nectar. Honeysuckle is one of the berry-producing plants that warblers like. To see a beautiful prothonotary warbler who sings a melodious song, paired with the beautiful honeysuckle with a sweet aroma, is a joy for all. Harmony.

White butterflies bring luck and are believed to be bearers of dreams. The marigolds are known in Vietnamese as “Ten-Thousand-Year Life” flowers. The white butterfly on the marigolds must mean it will bring beautiful dreams to our long and lucky lives.

The hydrangea blooms from early spring to the end of autumn. They can have different colors, but the pink ones are my favorite because I think of them as Beating Hearts.

I hope the colors of the garden I visited bring you joy. Flower gardens almost stop time and slow your steps so that you are not in a hurry, so allow you to linger to enjoy their sights and scents. I believe if you are lost in a garden, you will have the inspiration to become a poet, a writer, or an artist.

Forests represent mysteries and growth. I love forests when I started to make daily walks in the forests during Covid19 time. I saw the change from the spring when tree branches are still bare, to the summer when trees are full of leaves, to the beginning of fall when leaves start to turn colors and drop to the ground. I have witnessed the growth of the forest, a mystery of the universe.

If the pink hydrangeas are beating hearts, and hearts beat love, then the Rays of Love are shot out from the hydrangeas to everyone everywhere.

Lilies are often used in traditional Asian weddings to represent love. Dragonflies represent happiness. Love and happiness are the pursuit of humankind. They are important to us, more than ever, during time of Covid19.

We are attracted to butterflies because they are beautiful, and they represent good things like hope and endurance. I was lucky to find the butterfly which did not fly away upon my approach, but stayed and spun itself on the coneflower. I recorded its movement on the static flower, which perhaps expresses hope amid changes while certain things like love stays constant.

Collage 55

The virus came and stayed
Our plan was upended
Tears flowed and amended
And we do not stand still
Watching you grow and learn
Despite the chaotic inducing world
Sends warmth to our hearts
Gives us hopes for the bright future
Till we see each other again
May the force that holds us together stay strong

Daily Walk Collages - set 3

A silver lining during Covid time is our daily walks. We bond, learn, and discover together. 

Grounded

I made many plans

I packed my summer full

I was ready with adventures

Be it at a familiar or unknown locale

 

I’d see the little ones

At our annual meeting place

Starting at the usual sofas

Where we sit and wait

For their plane to land

And pretend not to know

When the little feet approach

We’d hug and kiss

And giggle and share stories

Then off we’d enter

The magical kingdoms

Where we experience

The scariest rides

The prettiest princesses

The very best musicals

The most fun games

The finest restaurants

The coolest animations

We’d share the best vodka

Brought from the heart of Texas

Read pictured stories from the iPad

While snuggling in bed

Eat the tasty beef jerky

Made in Virginia

We’d be exhausted

By the time we say goodbye

But how exhilarating

The few days together would have been

 

I’d stand so close

To the bears of Katmai

That a long camera lens I won’t need

To capture their noses

 

I’d marvel at the beauty

Of famous Glacier in Montana

The weather had turned chilly

To welcome hot chocolate drinks on our hikes

 

Summer is now soon over

And Summer did not deliver

Invisible strings of matter

Have become the authority

To withhold activities

Once I thought were under my control

I am grounded

By a force that caused tears to shed

Plans to unravel

Hearts to break

Through it all

We found silver linings in our lives

At the same time

We’ll find a way to break the strings

Stop the tears

Make new plans

Mend our hearts