Made With Love

Inhale, savor it, a taste that lingers

A melody of joy, and heartache too

Bright strokes from sunset’s paint laden fingers

Movements of muscles that know what to do

That small four letter word with so much weight

Escape to adventure, then home again

The pursuit of poets, both small and great

Holding power and gentleness within

Sharing both laughs and troubles, smiles in frames

Bonds forged in youth strengthened with passing years

Inspiration in bestowing of names

Resolute, steadfast, a shield against fears

A hug, a kiss, a bursting at the seams

Fountain of faithfulness that ever teems

***

Inhale, savor it, a taste that lingers

A steamy mug of hot tea, spiced chai

Or earthy flavor of green with ginger

Every first sip followed by a soft sigh

Simple objects of love, tastebuds’ delight

Some dark chocolate, a daily craving

Hint of sweet with a rich bitter bite

Enticing aroma of bread baking

That transports to kitchens of memories

Where skilled hands kneaded to fill needy mouths

Tastes that touch more than tongues, telling stories

Of past, present, and things we dream about

Nods to and notions of a future feast

When pains, tears, and sorrows have all been ceased

***

A melody of joy and heartache too

The preoccupation of all love songs

The ballads, the oldies, and pop hits new

Not enough to listen, must sing along

Ancient is the mystery of music

Sudden orchestral swells trigger goosebumps

A pang of the heart from that one lyric

These rhythmic beats that compel crowds to jump,

To dance, to bob their heads, to tap their feet

It invades our cells, gets stuck in our heads

Leaks out in humming, replays and repeats

I love these notes, dots on parallel threads

That weave first dances and favorite hymns

Shadows of angel songs that will not dim

***

Bright strokes from sunset’s paint laden fingers

Fading first to twilight, then blinks starry

A canopy above nature’s singers

Chirping birds, wind in the sails of a tree

The tiptoeing or hammering of rain

I yearn for fresh air and a caress of sunlight

The many marvels of this earth’s terrain

The wonder of a world frosted white

A glimpse of a sea and sky horizon

Such things stir up and render speechless

Wanderlust builds to walk, to hike, to run

To seek and soak in sights of lavishness

Reminders abound amidst the broken

Of beauty to come, a promise spoken

***

Movements of muscles that know what to do

In a fight fought with volleys and a ball

Serve to score, swing hard, and try to aim true

Too many wins and losses to recall

Clashes begun and halted by whistles

Bruised knees and floor burns are the battle wounds

Sting of sweat in the eyes, and sore muscles

Years of honing skills, none quite finely tuned

Familiar feel of synthetic leather

Ridges of panels connected at seams

One goal, six players working together

On courts of hard wood or sand, meet two teams

In a small scale pursuit of victory

Grand one awaits, and a true enemy

***

That small four letter word with so much weight

“Love” of course, but there is also “body”

Which I tried to long to manipulate

Into a shape it wasn’t meant to be

Regarded too highly or not enough

A need for balance, care, not control

Look beyond numbers even though its tough

Giving back the healthy curves I once stole

Stopping obsessions and comparisons

And instead love the matter that makes me

Though its weak and flawed, far from perfection

Still its knit together wonderfully

A gift, a temple, a marvel indeed

I’m not a floating soul, I’m embodied

***

Escape to adventure, then home again

Letters, words, and pages constructing doors

To all the places and eras I’ve been

Cracking covers, not knowing what’s in store

Books: guides and guardians of countless worlds

So vividly described, seeming so real

Voyaging story seas with sails unfurled

Characters mistook for material

By the magic of imagination

Power in the practice, love in learning

A story telling appreciation

Fresh inked paper scent, crisp pages turning

The best tales always following the mold

Made from the greatest epic ever told

***

The pursuit of poets both small and great

To stir with words by putting pen to page

And authors who aspire to orchestrate

A novel of novelty for their age

From spinning yarns to weaving tapestries

Worlds we built and characters we crafted

We pour ourselves into our dear stories

And wade through waters that we drafted

A flood from within as we reach above

Or sometimes lost in the furious flow

That delivers treasured labors of love

Our seeds of thought that we nurture to grow

A powerful drive we wield to create

Nothing new, but we aim to imitate

***

Holding power and gentleness within

An animal of instinct, and a pet

My rescue poodle, curly companion

With bright lively eyes and a nose that’s wet

A sonic boom bark and a wagging tail

“Alfie”, “Alfred”, “Alfino”, and “Fi-fi”

Stubborn obstinate, territorial

But other times a sweet snuggly buddy

Taking the naughty along with the nice

Worth it, it think, but feel free to disagree

For the joys of a dog are worth price

To watch them run and play without worry

Because they’re loved and cared for every day

Like we are even when we go astray

***

Sharing both laughs and troubles, smiles in frames

Friends share your sidewalks, striding side by side

Whether late nights of grieving or of games

Both adding another knot firmly tied

On the friendship bracelet between our hearts

Though we don’t share last names or blood lines

We are family, near and far apart

So many memories both yours and mine

The jokes we retell again and again

The secrets we’ve whispered and swore to guard

Never a need to knock, just come on in

A shoulder to lean on when life gets hard

A love that bears burdens, true devotion

Glimpse of unity, hope in redemption

***

Bonds forged in youth, strengthened with passing years

So it goes with the gift of sisterhood

From little girl, stunning woman appears

Blossoming as only a flower could

My little shadow wearing matching clothes

Stands taller now and knows much more than I

The one person on earth who truly knows

The history that makes us laugh or cry

Seen every goofy, clumsy, awkward phase

Had all out fights with words or fingernails

Embarrassed, sorry, yet wouldn’t erase

Witness to all the ugly, nasty fails

Yet best childhood memories feature you

And still be sisters when our world is new

***

Inspiration in bestowing of names

I am your desired one, who you longed for

The target at which your affection aims

My mother who I will always adore

Who picked me up from school, asked about my day

Sat in countless bleachers cheering me on

My bad plans, you knew, but helped anyway

Giving and giving, your love never gone

My biggest fan and my paparazzi

Making scrapbooks of cherished memories

Taking lovely pictures in spite of me

My avid reader who reads all of these

A mother’s love is a beautiful gift

It helps spread wings then selflessly uplifts

***

Resolute, steadfast, a shield against fears

The shelter made by a present father

Whose faith is at the wheel and wisely steers

Building on a rock that does not falter

Who leads by example the way to be

Showing how to be earnest and joyful

Hardworking and employing strategy

In life and in a card game of pinochle

Helping with math homework and chemistry

Dairy farmer, veteran, engineer

Taught me state capitals and how to ski

No question if he’s proud or loves me dear

Always ready to help, never alone,

Can count on dad whether a kid or grown

***

A hug, a kiss, a bursting at the seams

Never knew this kind of love until you

My dearest, better than my wildest dreams

Your love, my husband, is precious and true

It is committed and covenantal

I yearn to follow wherever you lead

You see my tears and call them beautiful

You loved and chose me but not out of need

Stewarding our good gift of unity

Hardships we promise to bear together

You’re bold, brilliant, and fight on bended knees

In love we sanctify one another

Rings the symbols we wear on our hands

We are symbols of a marriage more grand

***

Fountain of faithfulness that ever teems

You are far beyond my comprehension

Your radiance a light that ever gleams

All powerful and purest perfection

The author of humanity’s story

The creator and giver of good things

The source of an unwavering glory

Of which all nature in harmony sings

Your fingerprints cover Your handiwork

From galaxies to itty bitty me

A sacrifice made all others would shirk

A display of Your love for all to see

Hidden treasure found by those who seek You

Because You loved first, now I can love too