Words.............

   WORDS, SIMPLE WORDS---HOW I LOVE THEM.
THE WAY THEY FEEL IN THE MOUTH BEFORE THEY CROSS THE LIPS TO BE HEARD BY THE INTENDED RECEIVER.
AND THE WRITTEN WORD......ORIGINATING IN THE HEART AND MIND, FLOWING FROM ARM TO HAND TO PEN;  CULMINATING IN THE GENTLY ROLLING LINES AND LOOPS TO ULTIMATELY CAPTURE THOUGHTS THAT CAN REVEAL THE INNER MOST ESSENCE OF A PERSON.
........AND THE WAY THEY SOUND.
COULD A BUBBLE BE  REPRESENTED BY ANY MORE FITTING LETTERS, OR THE IMAGE CONGERED BY THE WORD 'SCENT' BE ANY OTHER THAN THAT OF A SWEET SMELL WAFTING THROUGH THE AIR YOU BREATH ?
WHEN THE EXCLAMATION "SHIT!" IS HEARD, IT IS EASILY  IMAGINED WHAT MAY NOW BE ATTACHED TO THE CRIERS FOOT !?!

    I GREW UP IN A HOME WITH A GREAT RESPECT FOR WORDS AND THEIR USE. WITH  AN EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT MOTHER THAT GREW UP IN A DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND A FATHER THAT TAUGHT HIGH SCHOOL---WORDS AND THEIR USAGE WERE NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.
IT COULD BE SAID THAT MOM WAS THE EXPERT ON COMMUNICATION  USING WORDS AND POP'S FORTE WAS IN NOT USING THEM, HAVING LEARNED THROUGHOUT HIS REMARKABLE LIFE THAT A WELL APPLIED SILENCE CAN SPEAK VOLUMES.   (BOTH EXPERTS IN THE ART OF A WELL DIRECTED EXPLATIVE !)
OVER THE PAST 35 YEARS, MY  WORD SKILLS  HAVE BEEN EXQUISTLY HONED BY A LOVING, SELF-TAUGHT WORDSMITH WHO SAW ENOUGH IN ME AS AN 18 YEAR OLD WOMAN-CHILD TO MARRY ME AND WATCH ME GROW UP THE REST OF THE WAY AS WE STARTED AND GREW OUR YOUNG FAMILY. (THERE IS NO GREATER LEARNING EXPERIENCE THAN TO BE IN THE MIDST OF A 'HEATED DISCUSSION', ABOUT TO MAKE A POIGNANT REMARK,  AND HAVE YOUR GRAMMER CORRECTED!)

THE FOLLOWING WAS BEGUN YEARS AGO. ORIGINALY AS AN EXPRESSION OF INDESCRIBABLE PAIN AND FRUSTRATION. TODAY I  SHARE IT WITH YOU AS A DECLARATION OF PEACE, RECONCILIATION AND JOY.  JOY IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT,  IF I NEVER LEARN ANOTHER THING IN THIS LIFE I HAVE BEEN GIVEN, I KNOW THAT THESE THINGS ARE TRUE.

SOMEKIND OF SOME DAYS,

THEYR'E NOT HARD TO KNOW-

I CAN FEEL MY HEART RACING

WITH NO PLACE TO GO.

CHILDHOOD DREAMS 

 HAVE ALL PASSED, LIKE THEIR TOYS

WITHOUT ANY FANFARE 

OR WHIMPER OF NOISE.

I PONDER THE BATTLES OF LIFE

THAT HAVE COME-

SOME JUST ENDURED,

OTHER ONES WON.....

HAVE THE MOUNTAINS TO CLIMB BEEN HIGH ENOUGH ?

THE RIVERS TO CROSS TRULY DEEP ?

THE TREASURES I'VE FOUND REALLY  TREASURES AT ALL ?

THE TRUES TRUE ENOUGH TO KEEP ?

I KNOW THAT THERE'S MAGIC

IN LAUGHTER AND TEARS

AND THE WISEST OF ALL

MAY NOT HAVE THE MOST YEARS.

LILACS & BUBBLES

AND MOONLIGHT ON SNOW,

NOT MEANT TO BE EATEN

BUT FOOD FOR THE SOUL.

I KNOW LOVE CAN HURT

AND THAT HURT CAN FELL GOOD,

AND THERE'S NOT ALWAYS PEACE

WHEN YOU DO AS YOU SHOULD.

I'VE KNOWN GRAND APPLAUSE,

ANGUISH AND STRIFE;

THE EARTHLY HEAVEN AND HELL

IN THE WORDS  "MOTHER" & "WIFE".

THEN, SOMEKIND OF SOME DAYS,

THE SUMMIT IS CLEAR,

NO IMMINENT DANGER...

NO SHADOWS..... NO FEAR.

THE SUNSHINE FEELS WARM

ON MY FACE AND MY HAND

BUT THE WEIGHT OF MY LIFE

MAKES IT TOO HARD TO STAND.

AS LIFE'S BRUISING BATTLES 

FADE IN THE HEAT,

I'M BATHED IN COOL COMFORT;

SATED, REPLETE.

MAY THE TREASURES OF THIS DAY BE YOURS.

G.H.M.