The Sunshine Girl

One, two, three, four, five...

Counted out the little girl,

Her face alit, shining,

Radiant - like a pristine pearl.

The five petals, she gently stroked,

With fingers nimble and delicate,

The reds of the petals blending,

With nails coloured a similar shade.

Suddenly, the lovely face clouded,

"Such a pretty flower, separated from the tree,"

And just as sudden, with a smile,

"Perhaps it's here, just for me?"

The shoeflower, she picked up from the earth,

And tucked it in, in her plait,

Her sunshine smile warming the heart,

On a cold, chilly winter day.

The Silver Oak

A dew washed morning,
The last whiffs of Winter, still unyielding,
Even as Spring readies itself,
To cast around its Midas touch,
And paint the sprawling hillside lush,
A reckless riot of colours.
Dainty sunshine, playfully dancing,
On dew drops cradled by the grass,
Pageants of butterflies, on scaffolds of flowers,
And adorning the fresco, like a masterstroke,
Its virgin buds raring, to burst into blossom,
Is the regal, sublime Silver Oak.

All I Want

All I want, is a smile,
To play on your lips,
Not just when I'm around,
But even, when I'm not,
And if the tears, feel hard to stop,
Place your hand, over your heart,
And know that I've been,
There all the while,
And even through the tears, you'll see,
Finding its way to your lips,
Is a tiny little...smile.

Toothless Smiles

You snuggle into my arms,
And flash at me, that impish grin,
I feel my heart flutter within;
Your tiny nose crinkles up, A
And I catch that twinkle in your eyes,
My heart, it now soars to the skies;
Your gurgles and your oohs and ahhs,
And that oh, so charming, toothless smile,
Reassure me everyday,
That life is beautiful and worthwhile.

I bury my head in your lap,
Lovingly, you stroke my hair,
I forget all worry and care;
And so it has been all this life,
My burdens that you shouldered, forever with grace,
I see them now, in the lines on your face;
In the silver of your hair, in the gray of your eyes,
And in that angelic toothless smile,
I see all the love I need,
To run yet another mile.

The Emperor's Dance

I feel on top of the world, the words echoing in my mind,
“You dance like a dream…” “Grace personified…”
My heart swells with pride;
I’m oblivious to the overcast sky, and to the gathering clouds,
Still full of myself, recalling the applause,
A rumble in the skies jolts me to the present,
It is then, that I sense the excitement,
In the heady fragrance in the breeze, and the murmur of the trees,
In the chirping of the birds, as they return to their abodes,
All around me, I sense anticipation,
As if, the Universe is in preparation,
Of what………….I wonder?

And then I witness his grand entry,
Head held high, gait befitting his royalty,
Resplendent in robes of blue and green,
The murmur, the chirping, they all die down,
And the first drops from heaven fall to the ground;
I see him starting to tap his feet,
The plumes now beginning to shiver,
As the drops now come down quicker,
He does a perfect pirouette, as I stare wide-eyed,
And spreads out the plumes, I’m mesmerized;
He sways, he dances, moves perfectly timed,
To the rhythm of the falling rain,
The chirping, the murmur, they begin again,
They build up, and now reach a crescendo,
I stand rooted, drenched from head to toe,
The lights, the drums from the Heavens above,
And on the Earth, a stage so pristine,
In the dancer, a grace, a divinity unseen,
The courtesans, now without restrain, they sing,
For today, the dancer is none other than the King,
Today, he dances, One with the Universe,
A celestial marvel, divine and glorious,
“You dance like a dream”, so meaningless the words seem,
“Grace personified”, so misplaced was my pride;
Blessed am I, to behold you, O Supreme Dancer,
I bow before you, O King, O Emperor.

It is time...

Confined to the hospital bed,
I breathe fear, anger, dread,
Eyes brimming with unsolicited tears,
Mind reliving a turbulent year,
The road has been rough, the journey tough,
Few peaks...and countless troughs.

Heart shutting away the sounds of a bell,
Chiming in the ancient temple,
The endless prayers, the incessant chants,
The priest's words, the crowds rants,
Now, a strain of melodious songs,
A corner of the heart, now slowly longs,
To open up, let in His radiant light,
To hold His hand, trust Him to guide.

Once again, I hear the bells chime,
And somehow, I just know it's time,
To let The Light dispel the fears,
To let The Hand wipe away my tears,
Breathe hope, let go, and look ahead,
Forget the pain, the anger, the dread...

With tears once again - this time, of gratitude,
I thank Him - for getting me safely to the hospital bed.

Lend Wings to My Dreams

I look up at the skies,
With longing in my eyes,
Searching...
Ahh! There...I see my friends,
And I dream once again,
Of conquering the heavens,
Behind these bars, my wings ache,
For the flight that they long to take,
I pray to Him for a kind soul,
To come my way and open the door,
Set me free from these iron beams,
And lend wings to my dreams.