100 Days of Poetry: Days 71-75

Spring Break Staycation

Sheer joy, a rarity for a teenage girl
Praying for the happiness to last
Rain just steady enough to soothe, with periods of
Intermittent sunshine
Nutrition optional, treats in abundance
Granddaughter in charge
Bonding over games
Refreshing release from routine
Endless smiles
A new hairstyle every day
Kristina soaks up vacation, basks in family

Counting Blessings

Laughter with friends over amaretto bread pudding, 80s memories and catnip
Belly laughter from a two-year old
Prophets here and now
A happy teenage daughter
Children who love family
The elegance of a black quartz countertop
Plaid pajamas
Hair that curled just right for once
Feeling a little younger than my years
But loving the perspective those years give me
Hope that relationships can mend
Joy of shared faith
Peace at home
Cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven, not too sickly sweet
The anticipation of sleep

Papa

The best part about being a grandma
(In addition to hugs
And baby belly laughs
And hiking with a child always primed for delight)
Has to be watching my husband transform into "Papa"
As they play bubbles
And cars
And catch
As she draws on his fingers
Brings him piles of books
Looks up at him with complete trust

This is a role he was born to play
And through her eyes
I fall in love all over again

Avery's Limerick

Spent the day with my spunky granddaughter
She needed some fun so I brought her
To the museum we went
Three blissful hours we spent
She kept marching back to the water

Beginning the Work

Driving home alone
Grateful for solitude
Audiobook dulls conscious thought
Mind processing in the background
Sadness, relief, worry, hope?
Awaiting clarity and willing to let it come in time
Feelings swirling for years begin, perhaps, to find shape
But sculptures take time to emerge
Finding their own form within the stone
I have to step back
Resist the urge to carve and mold
Do I weep?
I almost feel like weeping
Mourning the loss of something undefined
Some pattern I have built my life around
A pattern I will miss only because it leaves a hole to fill
Anticipating
Welcoming
Fearing
Vulnerability