let there be light

he woke up early

she was still sleeping

the room was completely dark

he tried to go back to sleep

but his mind was racing

dark thoughts filled his head

they refused to go away

eventually dawn came

he went outside as the sun rose

he only saw long dark shadows

the bright sunlight was too much for him

he preferred a darkened room inside

she woke up happy and smiling

she detected his fake happiness despite the long kiss

vowing to rescue him from the dark side

she made breakfast as cool jazz music played

he hid under the covers a while longer

she dragged the covers off and hugged him

pulling him into the light for breakfast

he complained that the toast was burned

she knew he was only looking at a few dark spots

they had breakfast in silence

they both knew this was not sustainable

she told him they were at a crossroads

he took a shower with his eyes closed tight

got dressed with his eyes squinting

reluctantly venturing outside to join her on the patio in full sun

hiding his pain behind thick dark sunglasses

its time to come over to the light side she proclaimed

leave the dark side behind

he surrendered saying tell me what to do

just sit in the chair and relax she replied

she tied him tightly to the chair with soft rope

his eyes were tightly closed

say hello to Mr Sun she whispered as she took off his shades

he slowly opened his eyes and squinted

the sky was deep blue with fluffy white clouds

the grass was emerald green

bright vibrant flowers hugged the edge of the lawn

he pulled lightly on his restraints

slowly he became accustomed to the bright light

he stopped looking for shadows

she untied him and they embraced

her kiss filled his body with bright light

no more darkness in his thoughts

they spent the entire day outside in the bright light

a bike ride along the river bank

laying in a meadow

smooching in the afternoon sun

he felt warm and invigorated

they ate dinner outside in the late evening

he became anxious at sunset

afraid of the dark

she put on all the lights in the house

soon it was bedtime

he was anxious about sleeping

the darkness might reinvade his mind

she gave him a shot of whiskey as they retired

he closed is eyes and awaited the dark demons to attack

they never arrived

his dreams were full of bright lights

no more dark thoughts

Water wind and light

the low morning sun

reflects on the bay

millions of tiny ripples

explode on the surface

flashing silver

mesmerizing

tantalizing

hypnotizing

the wind drops

calm patches appear

sparkles evaporate

the sun waits patiently

for the next breath of wind

to sprinkle dancing stardust

into the eyes of those

who dare to witness

this simple blend of magic

water wind and light

Morning Mantra

Its your time to rise up

Leave the darkness behind

Forget your bad dreams

Watch the sunrise

Smile

Fill your heart with light

Recharge your kindness batteries

Smile

Soak up the silence

Breathe deep

Blink slowly

Let the world creep in

At your own pace

Live your morning dream

Smile

Do something creative

Make outrageously ambitious plans

Drink tea

Eat breakfast

smile

Start conquering

Repeat daily

look for your daytime stars

As a child I believed that stars only shone in the sky at night

Magically appearing after the sun went down

Shining bright all through the night until dawn

Then all rushing around to the dark side of the earth

To shine through the night for other people

It was quite a plausible hypothesis for a seven year old

I clung onto it for as long as I could

Eventually having to accept the science

Acknowledging that stars are in the sky all the time

I just could not see them when the sun shone bright

Its the same with so many other things in life

Around you constantly but you just do not notice them

From the air you breathe to the warmth you feel

The good things people do for you every day

Farmers who tirelessly grow the food you eat

Workers who strive to bring you electricity and water

Train drivers who safely take you to your destination

Doctors and nurses who tirelessly care for you when injured or sick

Friends who are constantly looking out for you 

You could be taking them all for granted

Seeing things only when you want to see them

Only remembering them when taken away from you

Take some time today to look around you

Look beyond what you think you should be seeing

If you look hard enough

You will see your stars in daylight

The ballerinas exit stage left

the marsh is wearing its spring green colors

early morning sunlight falls on the bay

shimmering ripples explode in unison

flickering over the surface in the cool breeze

millions of tiny ballerinas enter stage left

all clad in silver to reflect the sunlight

dancing over the water for the sheer joy

of being alive on this beautiful spring day

its an amazing spectacle

the marsh is mesmerized

a passing cloud rudely interrupts the dance

the ballerinas exit stage left

marsh dwellers whisper in unison

encore encore encore

the sun brushes the cloud aside

the ballerinas enter stage left

magical dancing continues until the sun gets up high

the ballerinas exit stage left

silent applause erupts over the marsh

bravo bravo bravo

we all patiently await tomorrow’s performance

Carry it well

On this beautiful day

The sun came up

Orange rays of light painted the clouds

Birds lined up to watch

A light breeze gifted playful ripples on the bay

The low sun lit up the ripples with flashes of white light

The fairies were dancing on the water again

Relaxing music filled our home

We prepared our minds and bodies for a day of challenges 

Tapping into the positive energy of the sunrise

Giving thanks for being healthy in both body and mind

Wondering why the same world can be so different for others

Thinking back to my time as a first responder

Remembering the day we rescued a 19 year old girl from a heroin overdose

Her heroin addict roommate had raised the alarm

She had stopped breathing when we arrived

We brought her back to life with drugs and oxygen

She had just been released from rehab

Her world was cheap hotels and selling her body for drugs

She probably overdosed again

One day the sun will rise after she had taken her last breath

Gentle music will be filling our home when the hotel housemaid discovers her dead

The fairies will dance on the bay during her autopsy

Birds will sing while her parents grieve at her funeral

We all share the same light from the sun

I choose to see the beauty it brings

Unfortunately some are unable to see what I see

Either through bad fortune or bad decisions

They see a world full of struggle and despair 

The non-judgmental sun comes up every morning 

He brings you your light

Carry it well