Symbols in the Sand

A detour, soulful tugging,
I find myself impulsively
knelt again on the white sands
before the altar at an end
of the earth,
surf symphony
rising predictably
to greet me,
but I casually look about
for the signs He wanted me
to again come ’round…
between my toes
ancient mountains ground
to grains,
quartz granules,
sugar-soft,
appropriate backdrop
for the hieroglyph
written for me:
it freezes me.

So easily,
I succumb
to the enchantment
of silence,
save for those waves
and occasional sea birds
with personal messages calling.
(It always baffles me
how I can so often have
this parcel of paradise
to myself…)
I stay a long, unhurried while
just trying to feel
what this enigmatic swirl
of sea oat in the sand
is all about…
Something about curves
is always so sensuous,
aesthetically strokes
my soul…
I don’t need a translation;
in fact, I prefer
this sacredly-carved symbol.
I make it my own
and add it to my collection
of clues
leading me leisurely
home.
It is the journey
after all, and I have nowhere else
to go.

Poem and images ©LauraDenise

Brushes of Soul

what if i’m a drifter
not meant to float alone
but to feel
to the core
every spirit
i choose to know
in brief encounters
but bare
soul to soul
stripped to the glow

fearless
deep
strokes
of wounds
and hopes

what if my home
is collectively
each

what if I crave
the companionship
of such fleeting
impressions
that layer
like honey –
raw, sweet

sticking
in this amaranthine
slip

what if to be whole
insatiable must be
the need

let’s feed

each other
truths

when it comes
to how are you

let’s feel

let’s prove
nothing
to this world

let’s love
like we are
eternal

Poem and image ©LauraDenise

May I?

May I never lose my way
to getting lost,
may I never resist the urge
to leave it all,
may I never shelter my face
from the storm,
may I never let my arms fall
in the downpour,
may I never fully wash off
the grit of the sand,
and may I never be restrained
by clock or human hand.

May I never negotiate with my soul:
may I never let anyone close the window.

Poem and images ©LauraDenise

Confirmations

Some set off to find themselves;
some say wherever you go, there you are.
Some never choose paths to explore
but remain stagnant, wishing upon stars.

(But stars are evermoving,
taking those wishes with them,
beckoning the dreamer to follow
the paths constellationly charted.)

I set off with no objective,
but upon returning, the self-reflection
(thoughts actually in the clouds!)
made me realize about myself
that I am exactly who I thought I’ve already
found.

It’s the lightest I’ve ever felt
upon returning, for now, to the ground.

Wishes and Prayers

When I pray,
I always add the addendum,
“…if it is in accordance with Your plan,”
for more than what I plea for,
superseded, I wish for us to remain
always in His hands.

I trust whatever may happen,
although I may not understand,
will come with a needed lesson,
a necessary occurrence in the process
of the destiny in becoming once again

who I am.

I was reminded of this
when a partial wishie lent
further wisdom for reflection.

Sometimes the biggest wishes
should not be spent, eyes closed,
all at once, in one breath and direction

but patiently
spaced out in seeds,
part self-initiated action,
part angel-breath breezes.

Sometimes what we desire most
needs time to germinate to non-perfection
and be released in parts for better chances
of fruitful multiplication.

I am always careful
in what I wish and pray for:
I don’t want to get in the way
of what He has in store.

I try not to be too cautious
in taking action with soulful instinct,
for the surest way to get lost
is to pass up what He hands me.

I do close my eyes
to bring up a whisper
from my soul
that launches another
seed of hope…

Poem and image ©LauraDenise

Weekend Renewal

Autumn in the South:
no warm-hued foliage
yet to be found.
Faithful leaves adhere
to branches,
stubborn, taunting
the November ground.

Windows open though,
temperatures temperate,
and the fresh air I breathe in
could not be more perfect.

Saturday morning well spent
reading, writing, creating
with and at ease,
puppy napping beside me
so contentedly,

instrumental music
scooping up silence
in a loving dance,
floating in a reverie
of me-time peace,
I sip my tea
and let the cross-breeze
permeate through
my soul’s expanse…

Sunflowers in the Sand

Sunflowers in the sand

baffle my preconceived notions,

such a traditional earthy flower

sprouting alongside the ocean.

It draws me in,

such an unexpected sight,

yellow-bursting heads,

mini-suns against the muted,

so bold and bright.

So many thoughts

beyond the beauty

begin to orbit

in my mind.

I am reminded

of childhood,

encouraged to

color in the book

true to experienced life,

don’t make the sun blue,

stay within the lines,

learn early

to close your mind.

Sunflowers in the sand

seem to defy,

toss their heads proudly

yet their humility

roots a portrait

symbolic of choosing

one’s own path

and life.

People on the beach

pass by,

seem oblivious

to the mini-miracles

and massive messages

that entrance

and shape me

from the inside.

And that is the difference

between the photographer-poet

and the others:

we see beneath and beyond,

we hear the whispers.

We capture it in the lens

and ink-dipped pens

and present it back to you,

artfully gifting

a beautiful impression,

another perspective,

a deeper connection,

hoping you’ll pause

long enough for

reflection.

Sunflowers in the sand

should never be overlooked.

You would never find them

in a coloring book.

Poem and image ©LauraDenise

Neither Lost

Neither of us currently lost

in the deep wood,

but alone on your long walk,

let me be reminders to you

of the good,

let me be that bright twinkling

on the water

when the sun and ripples

seem to come together

to call you,

let me be the single blurry bloom

coming into view,

a heart-butterfly

to whisper-deliver a message

just for you,

let me be that subtle extra beauty

that brightens up your day

and life,

as you were for me

when I walked alone

by the sea

and you made me realize

that beauty

can be gifted

but can also

be seeded

inside.

Poem and images ©LauraDenise

Welcome to Paradise

Welcome to Paradise!

Leave all that you carry

and weightlessly sink

your toes and soul into

the warm, sandy silk,

let the palm leaves

sway you into dreams

where whatever you please,

you receive,

without any guilt.

Upon the tide,

set your secrets afloat;

no need

for a glass-bottle

bottomless boat,

for your messages

will be properly

delivered,

or kept safe

from discovery

always and forever.

Just whisper

to the sea

your desires;

they are in the best

non-hands adrift in

the benevolent waters.

Upon the shores,

the flow will bring

the subtle clues

to the answers you seek.

Open your heart

and be willing to receive;

listen for the voice

within

that rises to sing

when prompted by

the aquatic

symphony,

and when you have to leave,

regret not the return,

forget not the lyrics

you remembered

in your rebirth.

Authentic Light

Sometimes, an ember of sunshine

is all we need,

that bit of hopeful light

to safely keep

in a pocket,

in a palm,

in a locket,

in a song,

nourish it

until it again is strong

enough to fully illuminate

on its own,

for sometimes even the sun

gets weary

of using all of its energy

seemingly so futilely

and needs a brief eclipse

to recharge fully,

like a yellow wildflower

I gently hold

between fingers,

stem still intact

and whisper to it

that we can both

be a genuine star

in yet another non-

act.