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Words on a Tree -arlene s bice

Words that sparkle, shine

gleaming in the dark

lit by candles

or

tiny white lights

words that endorse

encourage a sad face

emboldened

by a hug

or

pats on the back

words from sheet music

making you sing

notes shooting out

or

imbedded under skin

words printed, lasting

read over and over

in wee books

or

in letters kept forever.

1. The Poet Talk Podcasts of Lisa Tomey including ours. I enjoy hearing from other poets and Lisa does a fabulous job of interviewing.
2. Leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner, yum.
3. Turkey soup simmering still lingering in the air.
4. E cards for Christmas that people can enjoy & discard.
5. Christmas cards wrapped in ribbons and saved that I received many years ago and still cannot toss, many with handwritten notes in them.
6. My writing groups (small) meeting live again, with caution and socially distanced.
7. My study group also meeting live, also socially distanced.
8. The joy of these meetings even with keeping distance and no touching.
9.  Reconnecting by telephone with longtime friends that I don’t see in person     

 from year to year.   Six Sentence Stories from Girlie on the Edge blog that keeps the creative   juices flowing and puts me in touch with new writers with cool mini stories.

1. The Poet Talk Podcasts of Lisa Tomey including ours. I enjoy hearing from other poets and Lisa does a fabulous job of interviewing.
2. Leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner, yum.
3. Turkey soup simmering still lingering in the air.
4. E cards for Christmas that people can enjoy & discard.
5. Christmas cards wrapped in ribbons and saved that I received many years ago and still cannot toss, many with handwritten notes in them.
6. My writing groups (small) meeting live again, with caution and socially distanced.
7. My study group also meeting live, also socially distanced.
8. The joy of these meetings even with keeping distance and no touching.
9.  Reconnecting by telephone with longtime friends that I don’t see in person     

 from year to year.   Six Sentence Stories from Girlie on the Edge blog that keeps the creative   juices flowing and puts me in touch with new writers with cool mini stories.

1. The Poet Talk Podcasts of Lisa Tomey including ours. I enjoy hearing from other poets and Lisa does a fabulous job of interviewing.
2. Leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner, yum.
3. Turkey soup simmering still lingering in the air.
4. E cards for Christmas that people can enjoy & discard.
5. Christmas cards wrapped in ribbons and saved that I received many years ago and still cannot toss, many with handwritten notes in them.
6. My writing groups (small) meeting live again, with caution and socially distanced.
7. My study group also meeting live, also socially distanced.
8. The joy of these meetings even with keeping distance and no touching.
9.  Reconnecting by telephone with longtime friends that I don’t see in person     

 from year to year.   Six Sentence Stories from Girlie on the Edge blog that keeps the creative   juices flowing and puts me in touch with new writers with cool mini stories.

What if —Arlene Benden Enos

If tomorrow never comes

Will I be content with the life I lived

If tomorrow never comes

Will I have told my family how much I love them

If tomorrow never comes

Will I have forgiven those who harmed me

If tomorrow never comes

Will I understand all that has happened

If tomorrow never comes

Will I know my time here was worthwhile

If tomorrow never comes

Will I care how much money I had

If tomorrow never comes

Will I have many regrets

If tomorrow never comes

Will my children truly know the real me

If tomorrow never comes

Will I have made a difference

If tomorrow never comes

Will I remember this life and not make the same mistakes

I wonder

People talk about the good old days and groan about growing older. But I remember those days of juggling multiple jobs to stay afloat financially. Trying to keep the kids straight while trying to give them a good life in bad times was stressful.

Those days left me no time for classes or studying or doing anything what I wanted to do. Life was all about pleasing, supporting someone else; responsibilities, heavy weights on my shoulders not always with happy results. No more walking the beam; I’ll take the aging with the benefits of easier living, less responsibility and lots of time to indulge my passions.

1. Ancestor Edward Fuller for being brave enough to sail on the Mayflower.
2. The Native Americans who helped the Pilgrims survive that first winter.
3. Family Search who has connected me to my ancestor on the Mayflower!
4. Stuffing, candied sweet potatoes, homemade cranberry relish, and turkey.
5. Holidays where we pause to remember with gratitude.
6. Photographs that record everything including family that departed too early.
7. Photographs of family/ancestors where I can see an earlier me.
8. A warm bed on a cold night.
9. Fred Motley, director of Pandemic Blues show at the Kirby Theatre in Roxboro.
10. The cast, crew, writers and all who made Pandemic Blues production possible.

It was the dark of night on a road turned dark at sunset, each motel, restaurant, store, and gas station we passed was also dark, making Christmas Eve 1978 look not so good. My sons were with their father for the holiday; Bill’s daughters were with their mother.

Without children in the house why bother with Christmas so we decided to drive west from New Jersey so I could see the snow covered Rocky Mountains for the first time. All day on the road, passing cars piled high with brightly-wrapped presents, brought us here, west of the Mississippi River, where we were beginning to have second thoughts.

Down to less than a quarter tank of gas we spotted the brilliant light of a 7/11 convenience store like an oasis, or maybe a shining star approaching Columbia, Missouri. With hot coffee in hand, we read a sign leaning against the gas pumps at the station alongside that said, “honor-bound, pay your money in the box” we just knew a motel with a vacancy would come up next.

What If?

Maggie Chalifoux

What if

     hearts were kind

     full and generous

     with love compassion

     memories were golden

What if

     earth gave everything

     nourishing our needs

     food air water wine

     never-ending

What if

     countries were knit

     from such hearts

     hands reaching out

     to touch with lovingkindness

What if

     we trusted God’s promises

     to love protect provide

     we faced our fears

     blamed no one

What if

     our skies were purple

     our moons were two

     we lived in another galaxy

     would we be free to love

1. Art and artists whose work changes dull boring walls into personal art gallerys that make everyday a joy.
2. Lab technicians that are working hard to perfect a vaccine to finish off the coronavirus.
3. Music on my computer that feeds my creative thoughts.
4. Leaders who are brave enough to face public anger and cancel events anyway, in trying to keep people healthy.
5. www.gutenberg.org  who offers thousands of free ebooks with no strings attached.
6. Yoga, yoga, yoga.
7. Caregivers and all volunteers, many who give up having a holiday so others may have one.
8. Friends, friends, friends, they are the jewels of my life, both near and far.
9. Italian foods and Italian-descent writers who write about it.
10. The many people who have touched my life in good and unhappy ways that have changed my life path. They were all teachers.