Before dawn when the light leaks out of the sky

I find myself in the stillness again and again

Sometimes when I write poetry and return to it years later, I change it a bit. I add words here and there, I change the structure of a few lines. For me, my poems are always evolving year over year - a reflection of the shifts in my own life. 

The following four poems may be familiar to some of you, but if you encountered their earlier versions you may find something new in them now. 

Much of my work centers on the very simple daily experiences that are common to us all - waking up. Stepping outside on a cold day. Making a cup of tea or standing outside under the stars. We all inhabit this world, and go about our own ordinary lives in similar(and yet different) ways. 

This collection of poems is essentially a series of reflections on centering our existence in the ordinary with gratitude.

Before Dawn

early morning wind
presses the snow against 
the door while the
darkest part of night leaks
out of the sky

sleepy eyes in the quiet dark
struggling to focus on the light
seeping under the door in a
wakeful way

finally the tumbling of children 
across my feet pull me into
another winter morning.

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Keep scrolling for three more ordinary poems (+ a little gift from me to you) and when you’ve finished reading I’d love it if you shared a few of the ordinary moments you’ve collected in your own life this week.

Star Trail Night

the gentle glow slowly
disappearing,
stars appearing apprehensively
from their twilit hiding spots

the ghostly fog of my warm breath
sliding into the darkness as I 
shifted from foot to foot.

this was a star trail night,
the moon no longer visible
but for a tiny sliver of a
waning crescent
the clouds long since gone
a stunning visage left behind
light against dark. dark against
light

something stirred inside me
arms outstretched 
to embrace the sky


Slow Days

There are dishes in the sink (again) 
and a few piles of toys to take
back upstairs. 
There are books to return to 
the library and 
shoes getting laced on the wrong feet
by stubborn hands.

There are skinned knees (and hands)
needing a kiss before walking 
the rest of the way home from
the playground
and babies tucked under thick
blankets hiding from the cold
October wind.

There are my own tired hands (always)
wiping down counters after a
late lunch while tears disrupt
the sounds of laughter in 
the playroom - another human
moment of learning to get along
with each other, somehow. 

There is laundry hanging on the line (still)
forgotten yesterday, but for now there’s 
warm tea in a mug and tiny fingers
curled into my hair, the silence 
of a finally napping toddler
and there’s always wisteria 
growing along the side of 
old brick houses

This Day, This Life

This life is a collection 
of ordinary moments, 
strewn about
the mind like laundry spilled
over the floor.

This garden we fill with seeds,
pushing radishes and peas
into fresh brown earth,
another season of life
twining around stakes,
ripe with fresh vegetables.

These books we replace
on the brimming shelves, 
trying to fit in a few more.

These tomatoes we slice and throw
into salad bowls,
This table with cloth straightened
and vase of flowers off center

This postcard addressed to
a far away brother
and the clouds flowing across
the top of the horizon.

This morning's cup of
steaming tea
and the dogs that are begging
for a walk and attention.
These days that roll on
in the same slightly different
manner of the ones before.

May you enjoy collecting your own ordinary moments, and treasure them for the beauty of being alive that they are.

And to thank you for your continued support, I’ve made a couple phone wallpapers that you can you download and use as the background on your mobile devices. I made these with selections from my writing that bring me a lot of peace and I love having these little reminders light up the screen every time I open my phone. You should be able to just tap and hold the images below to download.

Thank you for your presence here.