The Sound of Laughter

When my mother's mother passed away I wasn't ready to let her go. Even though I knew she was gone, there was a part of me that refused to accept it. In a daze I wrote this poem. My grandmother taught me many things. The most important, was to live my life without any regrets. She inspired me to speak my truth and to do whatever it was that my gut and my heart told me to do. I didn't want to end up looking back on my life wishing I had said or done anything differently. I didn't want to be an old woman who told the story the way I wished it had happened with the things I wished I had said or done. I still miss her. Most of all, I miss the sound of her laughter.

When Grandmother laughs

her earth shakes

Her hills and mountains

undulate

And a river of sound

flows from her mouth

Eh heh

Heh heh

Eh heh

Heh heh

The pools of water

in her eyes

Tidal wave leap

stream to her thighs

as she gasps to catch her breath

Hiccup

Hiccup

Hiccup

When Grandmother laughs

We all join in

shaking quaking

grinning skin

Howling gasping

coughing breath

No matter how much time goes by

It always feels like yesterday

Family gathered

while smiling I waited

Perched on the edge of a chair

My breath bated

Wondering hoping

Who will be the first

to make Grandmother laugh

A Wish

I look out my window

the curtains rest against the back of my hand

The glass cold and clear

then cloudy as I breathe

I let my tired head

slump towards the icy cool pane

and wish

I look into the sky

a glistening sea

And find a brilliant fiery star

floating throught the air

swimming in the breeze

I close my eyes

I wish again

I am a believer

of magic and love

But feel like a fool

for wishing I was holding

you

This poem is about 20 years old. I don't remember who it was inspired by, but I remember the cold window pane on my forehead. I remember the yearning and admitting to myself that I was a corny romantic.

Crush

Crush. Infatuation. An intense usually transitory fondness or admiration. I love being captivated and fascinated! Usually the fondness or admiration deteriorates as I get to know someone. It can take minutes or years. In this case, it took a few weeks for intelligence to be revealed as cunning and for sincerity to be revealed as manipulation. Only rarely does the crush - the enchantment - fade away leaving a true and passionate love in its place.

Smooth and strong

words

falling from your mouth

tenderness dropping into my ears

like a warm rain

falling from chosen clouds

decorating the sky

A smile

like the beautiful sun

warming my heart

and making my body moist

I will adore you

gaze upon you like a beautiful

unpredicatable cloud

But like the sky

I cannot touch you

Like the clouds

I cannot hold you

Only admire and wait

for a drop of rain to touch my tongue

or a ray of sun to warm my face