bubbles

bell chimes

the group chat

enters and leaves

…

the words

written on

a page or screen

may contain meaning

but the tone

of the message

conveys the feeling

high five

finish line

the confetti falls

over the snow

…

from a mentor

from a peer

from a parent

from a stranger

from a friend

from a spouse

and even ourselves

look it over

cold beginnings

a few stones

on the ice

…

from top to bottom

to side to side

the more time

we spend looking

at a list, piece of art

or frankly anything

the more we will find

look don't touch

fish bowl

the glass reveals

another kingdom

…

saying it

is one thing

actually doing

and abiding by it

is entirely different

when we can’t resist

our thoughts and temptations

back to back

realizing

the rain will

come again

…

so many

different factors

come into play

for us to be able

to achieve the same

feat or accomplishment

made this year and next year

reload, refill, restock

knitting kit

grandmother’s hands

reach for read thread

…

the cardboard box

the coffee cup

the closet cubes

are all just containers

for us to fill up

tape, sip, or zip

then empty again

takeaway

rusted bumper

where mud stains

paint a new canvas

…

all of the

fancy titles

nice things

and diamond rings

and we will find

what we are

truly made of

overnight

operation

cutting onions

for tomorrow’s curry

…

success

in the eyes

of our audience

of our peers

of our parents

of ourselves

is all subjective

personality test

crossing off

another item

from the list

…

to truly know

ourselves

takes time

for us to look

inwards and outwards

before we find and come

to any conclusions

callus

putting on

the helmet

one last ride

…

the journey

takes a toll

as our body

of work shows

what we have

accomplished

and failed at

state of mind

flowing down

the riverbed

winter daphnes

…

when we put

action and agency

into making an idea

into reality

time will feel

like it’s passing by

without us noticing

dip the hip

ski slopes

onto the next

marathon

…

the more

we watch

professionals

the more

we realize

their talent and technique

is something to behold

in the weeds

squirrels run

out in the backyard

looking for lost acrons

…

we will find

much to do

yet so little time

for the garden

is full of flowers

that need water

and our attention

aligned

shore song

the ebb and flow

catching seashells

…

the feeling

we feel

when it seems

as if the stars

are all aligned

is a feeling many chase

but few experience

cut the pie

slicing pizza

a piece of pineapple

surfs across cheese

…

then we will

be able to

visually see

how much

time or energy

we spend on

areas of our lives

organize

kitchen pantry

plastic containers hold

tomorrow’s dessert

…

categorize

put labels on

is a way

to make sense

of the world

around us and

how we interact with it

recent

glistening

the front lawn

after morning showers

…

is somewhere

and closer

to being new and now

than it is being old

and yet

today’s trends too

will be a thing of the past

walk with us

the wind

whistles between

the mountains

…

our path taken

is and always

will be a choice

we must make

to go down what we know

or to make a new one

for ourselves and others

substitutes

early morning

warm sushi rice bathes in

apple cider vinegar

…

or replacements

whatever we want

to call them

may make the difference

between a good or bad

cookbook recipe to even

a sports team winning or losing

mixed bag

movie theater

popcorn and tickets

roll after credits

…

from critics

to supporters

at the end

of the day

are part of

the same audience

of the art we create