Poetry

My free flow of thought typically comes as prose, rather than poetry.  But I desire to see the world as a poet.  So, periodically, I attempt to jot down some poems. I don't love them, but if I don't try, I'll never grow.  

Pain is a reminder
An alarm
A siren screaming out it's warning
You are not invincible
You are in danger
You are fragile
Pain is a connector
Not only can you see it in others
But you can feel the grief, the loss, the fear
Moving from pity to compassion to empathy
Feeling the plunging from hope to despair
Understanding the loneliness of suffering
Tasting the loss of independence
Imagining the resilience of healing the spirit
Pain is humbling
The body is miraculous
Healing is supernatural

Flow
Water finds it's way
past rocks and branches
into eddies and rapids
lying still
evaporating
falling from clouds
It doesn't worry about what's next
It doesn't strive
It doesn't fight against
nature
Air finds it's way
though valleys
up mountains
obstacles are opportunities
leaves, weeds, grass
making the invisible 
seen
traveling to lungs
into blood and cells
always happy to
make an exchange
giving and taking
whatever is needed
to promote life.
The Spirit finds it's way
obeying directives
when it's asked to hide
when it's invited to speak
when it's denied so long
it's forgotten
But it doesn't change
It waits for connection
pathways of the heart
where it can speak
it's native tongue
promoting life, love and truth.

Gratitude is like electricity
it pulses through my body
waves of pure energy.
It's like a breeze
I notice when it brushes my skin
I crave it when the heat is stifling
It brings relief
from stagnancy, discomfort, monotony
It is fuel
for creativity
It is a key
unlocking and releasing
opening the heart space
It is a release valve
creating the space for resentment 
to escape
allowing the grip of self pity
to unclench it's fist
the power if gratitude
feels like an atomic bomb
capable of detonating and spreading
far and wide
shocking people with it's power
leaving everyone in it's wake
forever changed