Her smile was like gold, Her lines were often bold, Her stories of wisdom told, In books that are now sold. She has left the earth,

Red cardinal dancing On white snow, How regal you appear With your cloak of red, How it cheers my heart

Life is not fair at times... But of course things Change quickly down the line, We are born into a No guarantee world.

Memories of my childhood Visit more and more Each day, As ghosts of past relatives Cast their shadows,

Birds flying here and there, landing on branches to chirp and bare, their heart. A private club among the trees with their own private code.

This is the America I know: A sea of white, black, red, yellow And brown faces, Strong minds and voices Raised to the sun,

Squirrels with bushy orange tails leap about the deck. Crickets hum, confused that it’s not dark yet. The caw of a blue jay

There is my shadow, A dark outline of this body And yet, it also holds, The hidden imperfections Of my existence.

Life is but a dream, our fantasies, spill, like liquid tears that pool and vaporize into the air.

The white snow lay gently on the ground in a swirl pattern. The sky, a slab of smooth grey stone.

Walking down the dirt path, Sounds drift on the air, Birds chirping, leaves Rustling, dogs barking. Interconnection of life

As we shared stories, The warm hum of voices heard, A cup of love spilled.

Sitting on the lake shore, Which made my heart soar, The water rippled at times, Swirled into beautiful lines, Clouds reflected in it’s mirror,

The white snow, thin Like sand, over The fields, blowing Across the road. My car rambles

Misty fog floating through bare trees. Cold waves of wind coarse through the woods whistling as they go