I don’t think of myself as a poet
A writer, perhaps
A recorder if my reality
One who writes to be consoled
To be understood
To understand
To explore
To share
To celebrate
To make known
I’ve always written
And I always will
Writing is part of my identity
And if what I write moves someone
Or brings them joy
If it has meaning for them
And makes them feel less alone
I feel blessed to be part of their world
June 29th 2022
I should be sad
But I feel uplifted
I should be scared
But I feel hopeful
I should be upset
But I feel grateful
I should be perplexed
But I understand
And the only reason for this is my Faith in God
And the outpouring of support from my friends
I feel buoyed by their love
I feel like I’m flying in the rare atmosphere of their care and compassion
And I’m basking in the sunshine of their affection
I should be sad
But I’m not
June 16th, 2022
It’s like a Cashmere blanket
In purple and orange hues
Soft and luxurious
Silky to the touch
I put it around myself
And feel cocooned in love
I feel cared for
This is the love from my friends
Who are here to support me through challenging times
The caring words of my friends
Their soothing and thoughtful messages
Are like fragrant rose petals falling from above
Perfuming the air
They are like a spring breeze on my fevered brow
Like a river of life giving water
Like a fire that warms me up in the dead of night
My friends
My treasures in this world
My friends
We’ll together reach the shore
June 2022
After my diagnosis with early stage breast cancer
A samurai
Proud and strong
On a background of mustard and grey
The sweater I knitted for Albert, oh so many years ago
In those times
I had the patience to follow a knitting guide
Row by row, colour by colour
Sometimes only knitting one row or two
I don’t remember how long it took me
To finish this project
But it probably took months
And when it was ready
Albert wore it gratefully
It now sits in our closet
A relic of the past
But when I think of all the time and effort
That went into making this gift of love
I feel proud
June 6th, 2022
In my Youtube feed
Comedy and tragedy reside side by side
In a world full of sorrow and struggle
Comedians try to make us laugh
And forget our worries for a while
Should I laugh?
Should I sigh?
Should I cry?
Can I be aware of the challenges and laugh at the same time?
Laughter and joy are necessary at all times
The reason we laugh is not because we are
Oblivious of the urgent problems around us
Laughter is a balm
June 5th, 2022
There is pain in the world
There is hurt in the world
There is injustice as plain as daylight to see
There is corruption in the world
There is thirst for power
There is dishonesty
And amid this darkness
What is one to do?
Focus on the light!
Focus on doing what is right
Bring a little joy into someone’s day
Be of service, be honest
Feeling overwhelmed with darkness has no result
Focus on the light
Focus on the light
Lend a hand to someone else
Assuage someone else’s pain
In our world, darkness and light co-exist
Focus on the light
Darkness will one day be gone
June 2nd, 2022
lida's musings 