Poet's Corner

Circle of Life

by Michael Russell

Friends are hard to lose,

I still think of many

with fond memories. 

Last night I was talking,

Taking about chasing squirrels

Thinking about how this job seems to get passed down from old dog to new.

Canuck got tired of Maggie nipping at her ears and told Maggie

Go in the back yard and chase my squirrels,

So she did.

Once Canuck was sure that Maggie knew how to chase squirrels,

Canuck passed on.

Funny, she never past chase ball down.

Maggie, told Sarah to quite nipping at my ears. Go in the back yard and chase squirrels.

Once Sarah had this down pat,

Maggie passed on.

Now Bo, is no longer nipping at Sarah's ears He has gotten pretty good at chasing squirrels. Still Sarah makes sure that Bo knows that I am Sarah's).

Life goes on,

You remember your best friends

For what you gave them and

What they gave you.

There is always a tear and a smile with the memory.

My Mother's Words

by Gianetta Ellis

She was sitting all alone along Lake's edge,

And I wished not to disturb, or so I pledged,

But, I walked up anyway amongst tall Sedge.

 “Listen closely”, she said, “Can you hear the quiet?

Yes, there’s a singing bird and a humming cricket,

But the quiet of which I speak from self submit.

Breathe deeply and be aware you are breathing now; 

Watch your belly rise and fall acknowledging how

The healing enables your mind to disavow.

Go into yourself, yet be not the self untrue -

Become, this moment, part of all that surrounds you,

As you already are, but as yet not pursued.

Feel your body sway in warm, westerly breeze -

Pliant, yet strong, stand tall with grace and ease

Holding ancient knowledge as the towering trees.

The same knowledge that lies within us will emerge

If we would only allow the faint light to surge

As it might when we are still and with nature merged.

And in this divine emergence, great insight fills -

For the greatest strides do not to us come until

We finally learn how to be perfectly still!”

I must admit that, then, I did not understand.

Her words were so beautiful, but a bit too grand

For my twelve year old self to relate to firsthand.

And in this divine emergence, great insight fills-

For the greatest strides do not to us come until

We finally learn how to be perfectly still!

I