to and from

wrapping paper

the letter we wrote

remembers bright eyes

…

it’s not the gift

but the meaning

behind the gift

that makes the

connection between

those who receive

and those who give

fill it up

ice cream cones

left as a stack

to be filled later

…

all the way

to the tippy top

then move onto

the next cup

that will peak

our interests

that needs to be filled

right-side up

just after

the fireworks fade

smoke appears

…

we may notice

and come to find

that there is only

one correct and or

appropriate way

to look at something

to truly see something

just now

daily bike ride

the sun never stops

for travelers

…

are we giving

the most attention

to the least important things

and are we focusing

the least amount on

the most important things?

is a question to ask ourselves

without words

a bit of water

a bit of wind

rhododendron shower

…

we will look

for other signs

to tell us

what is going on

in the room

online or simply

out in public

blend in

wristbands glow

the concert ends

with waving hangs

…

to fit in

is one thing

to blindly follow

is another

so make sure

to understand

which one is us

forgot about it

walking up

the side of the road

before night falls

…

when we return

to find something

that has changed

a little or a lot

is an exercise

in perception

and focus

leave it

flowing down

the red maple leaf

hits the drain

…

and come back

to the work

as that time away

may just be

the time it takes

for us to gain new

perspective

room for

a slice of

strawberry cheesecake

after the sunsets

…

improvements

and changes

to some

and for others

the first thing

that comes to mind

is dessert

roots

gasoline fumes

leaving behind the

freshly mowed grass

…

of it all

will tell us

not only

the origins

of something

but why it either

lives on or dies off

childhood

spilled milk

the moment before

a fountain of tears

…

first comes trust

then comes individual growth

then comes relationships

then comes community

and so on and so forth

with every stage

brings a sense of awareness

pay to play

parking meter

waiting for

the snow to melt

…

how long

does it take

for us to forget

how much we

spent for a product

or a service

no matter the result?

turn the tv off

standing in line

waiting for the opening

of the noodle shop

…

and go outside

for an adventure

in your own backyard

for who knows

who you’ll see

what you’ll do

where you’ll go

steps taken

mossy staircase

sees sunshine

and few visitors

…

may lead us

closer to where

we want to go

as movement

towards a goal

shows how much

progress we’ve made

signs

at ease

the sunset arrives

after the rain

…

if we trust

and go with

our gut

the world can

become our

playground

to explore

sitting still

waiting room

a dance of carts and people

in the afternoon

…

it takes patience

for situations

where we find

ourselves waiting for

something to happen

after the build up

of a story

default settings

a green smile

after sweeping up

the fallen leaves

…

think about it

as we ask ourselves

what we feel

and show to others

on an average

typical day

could be worth noticing

search

growing tall

the lemon tree

feels winters breath

…

for the answer

and we will find

many routes to take

and of those choices

we will need to decide

which we should focus on now

and which to travel down later

up to us

shimmering red

the oven sings as

the cake bakes

…

to decide

if we should

release a product

even if we think

there’s more work to be done

at the end of the day

we have to make the call

chew on this

fallen leaves

left unswept

until the wind comes

…

while we take

a walk

for time away

from the task

at hand

can make

a big difference