Winter’s Joy

Lately I’m struggling a bit with inspiration. Could be the weather, could be the new meds. So I’m grabbing some December Prompts from my prompt jar just to see what happens.

Today’s Prompt: What Joy Means to Me

“Joy is what happens when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are” ~Marianne Williamson

Winter Joy

Winter mornings with cerulean skies
reflected on the snow and ice
creates a blue tinged aurora
while acres of diamonds
glint in the sunshine
my breath creates little puffs
of fog in the frigid air
and my face tingles
with snowflake kisses
Inside hot tea, biscuits and
a fire in the hearth lie waiting
to warm the cockles of my heart
I find a blissful joy in Winter
the sparkling beauty of nature
the coziness of home and hearth
Winter and Joy walk hand in hand
as Mother Nature sleeps
I slow down and recognize
how joyful life can be when
we stop and look around

Til next time ~Stop, look around, and be amazed ~JP

The Crimson Glade – a Crimson Creative Challenge

By the light of the moon
by the light of a star
she traveled all night
from near to far
searching for the crimson glade
she walked the night through
but she was not afraid
for when the sun broke through
with it’s dazzling light
before her eyes lay a magical sight
bright crimson ferns covered
the forest floor and a tiny pine
where there was none before

word count 67

This post inspired by Crimsons-creative-challenge #212

Til next time ~See the magic ~JP

An Ordinary Life – a Crimson Creative Challenge

An Ordinary Life

A tractor rests in the shade of the tree
green grass still edges the fallow field
while bright sun lights the sky
and warms the stone and earth
the undiscovered treasures
of an ordinary life
A moment to cherish the fading
warmth of the growing season
with all the harvesting done
and the plenty of Summer put by
a moment of thanks to remember
before Winter gilds the landscape
with bright diamonds of frost
the beckoning treasures
of an ordinary life

Word count 79

This post inspired by Crimson’s Creative Challenge 211

Til next time ~Watch with glittering eyes ~JP

Morning – a Stream of Consciousness Poem

Linda’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “morning.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

Morning

I sit in the early morning light
of a cloudless sky just before
the sun begins to rise
watching the peculiar gray
give way to lighter blue
I am struck with awe
nearly brought to my knees
by the overwhelming sense
of gratitude
and I whisper my prayer
to the morning light
“Thank you”

BIKFOK (butt in chair fingers on keyboard) – 17 min

Til next time ~Peace ~JP

Flashback Friday – My Wabi Sabi Heart

Welcome to another Friday Flashback as Fandango invites us to dig through our archives and share an older post. This short quadrille was originally posted November 18, 2019 for dVerse Poets.

image from Pixabay

My Wabi Sabi* Heart

my wabi sabi heart
is filled with cracks and holes
letting in the light
that colors up my soul
cerulean blues, volcanic reds
and yellows
kaleidoscope colors of my years
and I am grateful for every shade
bright white laughter
and glistening black tears

word count 44

*Wabi-Sabi is a Japanese word with many meanings relating to observance of the impermanence and imperfections of life. The definition I have always found most enjoyable came to me from a street vendor in Osaka, Japan “it is a way of living that focuses on the beauty within the imperfections of life and peaceful acceptance of the natural cycle of decay.”

Til next time ~Stay Cracked ~JP

Thoughtful Thursday – Humbled

The beach near Seal Point Kaikoura, NZ

The older I get, the quieter I become. Life has humbled me so deeply. It has taken me many years to realize how much time I’ve wasted on nonsense. I am only now beginning to find a place for my sparkly star-shaped self in a beige world of square pegs and round holes. To listen to the words of the wind in the trees.

“A perfect blossom in a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one and it would not be a wasted life.” ~ Katsumoto ~The Last Samurai

~Til next time ~The answer is blowing in the wind ~JP

Magic Brew – a Crimson’s Creative Challenge poem

BLACK MAGIC

It looked like a coffee shop, just like any other
but the moment that you walked inside
the menu might make you wonder

Black Magic was the daily brew
black or white, bold or smooth
with a little shot of “success” for you

“Try a Dirty Zombie” the chalkboard read
with chai, espresso and a shot of “focus”
it’ll surely wake the dead

I stood in line and waited patiently
for my “Black Velvet” latte
with an extra shot of “tranquility”

I left the shop singing a happy song
and I turned to take one last look
but alas, the magic coffee shop was gone

word count 105

This post inspired by Crimson’s Creative Challenge #209

Til next time ~May you coffee be strong ~JP