Poem - Still Yours

So much time has passed

The years weren't always kind

But no matter what the cost

I'm still here; I'm still yours

We fought, and raged, and screamed

We loved, and laughed, and kissed

The storms came and the shadows went

But I'm still here; I'm still yours

Torn apart, pieced back together

Sunshine, rainbows; tornadoes and hurricanes

So many ups, and even more downs

But I'm still here; I'm still yours

We faced the world together

We fought and bled and cried

It's taking so long for the healing to start

But I'm still here; I'm still yours.

So much time has passed

Some wounds have turned to scars

Parts of me still bleed

But I'm still here; I'm still yours.

I'm always yours.

Poem - Turn Around

Turn around
I'm right there
I'm waiting
For you to see me

Turn around
With my arms wide
I'm waiting
For you to reach out


Turn around
Open your eyes
Reach out now
And find me

I'm still here
I'm still yours
And I'm waiting,
Still waiting for you


Turn around
I'm standing here
I'm waiting
For you to touch me

Turn around
With hands held open
I'm waiting
For you to find me


Turn around
Open your arms
Reach for me
You'll find me

I'm still here
I'm still yours
And I'm waiting
Still waiting for you.

Poem - More Than You Appear

I know you

I see you

You are more than you appear

The world holds you back

Says you can't

Says you'll fail

And you believed them

You stopped trying

You gave up.

But I know you

And I see you

You are more than you appear

You are strong

You are gifted

You are so much more than what they say

People judged you harshly

They said you couldn't

Said you're broken

And you accepted it

You claimed the lie

You hid yourself

But I hear you

And I know you

You are more than what they say

You are brave

You are whole

You are so much more than the world believes

Strangers tear you down

They say you're weak

Say you'll fail

And it became your mask

You hid from the world

Hid from yourself

But I see you

And I hear you

You are more than you appear

You are powerful

You are worthy

You are so much more than what you see.

Poem - Pen And Paper

I don't understand this urge to write,
But it's there just the same
With the same compelling drive
As the need to own my name

It's a calming soothing release
As it strikes my edginess
It pours out all my anguish
And relieves me of my stress

Pen across paper, ink flowing free
Words take form beneath my hand
It soothes the soul, and clears the mind
Like a stroll across the sand

Pen and paper, my release
My escape from the day to day
Everything I see will change
I recreate, I mold like clay

I write what I feel and see
Words are my life, my soul
They'll show you what's inside
Broken, incomplete, or whole

You'll see the real, honest me
If you take the time to look
My words reveal all of me
Like a smoothly written book.

Poem - Stay With Me

In honour of my parents' 37th anniversary earlier this month

Stay with me

I'll share my world with you

Alone, I'm out of step

Alone, my world's askew

So stay with me

Come watch the northern lights

Dance as the colours do

You make me feel so right

Stay with me

Fill my sky with stars

My life is so much better

If I'm where you are

So stay with me

Something's lost if you're away

You bring me joy and laughter

You bring the sun; please come and play

Poem - Everything Is Better

In honour of my parents' 37th anniversary earlier this month.


The way salt perfects a meal
Or the stars brighten the sky
The way honey sweetens tea
Or wings help birds to fly

Everything is better
With you by my side
Everything is better
when I've seen you smile
Everything is safer
When you have my back
Everything is better
You bring what I lack

The way I feel alive
Or the courage you bring out
The way you help me thrive
Or push through my every doubt.

Everything is better
With you in my arms
Everything is brighter
With the love found in your heart
Everything is safer
When you hold me tight
Everything is better
When I'm bathed in your light

Musing - Why I Reach For The Stars

"Why do I reach for the stars when I don't have wings to carry me that far?"
Roots Before Branches

Just to clarify, from the first time I heard Roots Before Branches, I loved the song. It reminds me to dream, that my dreams are worth chasing, that I can find a place where I belong. I feel empowered and hopeful every time I listen to it. But that one line has bugged me from the first. The singer poses a question; why do I reach for the stars, when I don't have wings to carry me that far?

In a song filled with hope, this one line doesn't seem to fit. I hear it and I feel like I'm longing for the impossible. I don't have wings to carry me to the stars. i don't have what I need to reach my dreams. So why do I try? I was left feeling almost guilty for striving for something I fear I don't have the skills to achieve. I felt like I was wasting time, mine and my families. I've spent months thinking about this question, trying to figure out why I can, and should, reach for the stars.

First, if I reach for the stars there's a chance I may fail to reach my goal. I may fall short. Yet, if I don't even try then my chance of failure becomes a certainty. "The only true failure is a failure to try." (unknown) I know that if I never take the first step, I will never walk the path I want to. If I don't write a single word, my story will never be told. So I try, because trying is the only chance I have. I reach for the stars because I will never dance among them if I don't step out and try.

Last week I mused about the journey and the destination, The Mountains Or The Stars. I mused about how it's the journey that changes you. This is a large part of why I reach for the stars. I may never be able to fly that far, but the attempt itself will change me. I will grow and strengthen myself by taking that first step and writing even just one word. And as I grow and gain strength, I may find that I do reach the stars. I may not have wings to carry myself that far now, but just watch me. I leap off that cliff and I'm carried on new wings. They are there when I need them, stronger than I realized, carrying me farther than I ever imagined.

The third reason is very simply. One of my favourite quotes is "Leap for the stars; if you miss you may still land on the moon." (unknown) So what if my wings don't carry me to the stars. I look around and I see the moon. I see beauty and love and achievement that I didn't think was possible a year ago. My path has changed a lot in the last year; I see a new goal. I'm not where I thought I would be. I am so far beyond what I expected of myself.  I'll reach for the stars because even if I don't end up dancing among them, I will end up in a place full of magic and beauty, a place where my dreams are reality.

So whatever your reasons are for reaching for the stars, don't let your lack of wings slow you. Don't fail to try. Take that first step on your path, write the first word of your story. You may develop the wings and strength you need to reach the stars, or you may find yourself on the moon. No matter what, so long as you reach and dream, you can find a way to make those dreams real.