Dogwoods bloom white along the side of the street
signaling early scenes of spring to come
Sun shines clear on a bright blue day
No glasses to shield the light
Penetrate my open eyes
Grant me a vision of purpose
A beat-up Ford station wagon
with wood paneling from the 1980’s
speeds by as a flash of childhood memories arise
Detox Avenue is no slice of pie in the sky
Red apples spill their juice
to cleanse my blood
and sing their song of life through my liver
Dancing alone on a bridge in the woods
as thoughts of her heart serenade my mind
Each step is a prayer spoken along with a mantra
designed to reduce the distance between
Glistening water gently flows
over rocks made smooth by time
as my soul undergoes a trial by fire
Birds chirp from their perch in the trees
Clue me in on the symphony’s secret
Teach me the calm that arrives after storms
Dreams of friends that I haven’t seen in years
Dreams of loved ones that could not be saved
rage with an anger I try to understand
Dreams of a past that must be forgiven
Dreams of a future that offers a path forward
Strangers pass by on an afternoon walk
Some smile
Some wave
Some turn away
Some happy
Some healthy
Some broken on their cross
in this world that can be so cruel
Two squirrels chase each other
through the leaves and pine straw
Nature has a way of flashing its smile
at the perfect moment
Some suffering is only temporary
Some synchronicity is free of all charge
Some soldiers reunited with their family today
Some shoulders will prove to carry the weight