leaf piles beckon
every age–
nature knows
what the soul needs;
what we forgot
golden sun washes faces
as crisp winds
leave kisses
on cheeks
and apples
harvest light bathes
living room floorboards
like butter
while cinnamon
curls the air
candles dance
and firesides begin
conversations
of crackling coziness
days too quickly dim
as fall envelops us in her
vibrant sweater of warmth,
and home,
and
each other.
_Liza McNamara, Sr. Editor
by George Davis
Born a baby like me,
but grew into a man.
Became a planter –
sowing life into the Earth,
carefully pruning and
nurturing
providing the perfect balance
of love and care to ensure
a fruitful harvest.
With no formal instruction,
Dad became the world’s greatest Project Manager –
turning sugar-stained popsicle sticks
into log cabins for a full family of toothpicks.
An engineer –
he turned bunk beds into double decker buses,
that carried us to anywhere in the Universe.
It even came equipped with a custom horn
(that looked just like the pillows we slept on)
that we used to alert the natives when we arrived.
A trained physician –
Dr. Dad had the remedy
for everything!
He cured boredom,
stomach aches,
and runny noses.
Even when we came down with
frequent cases of the I-don’t-wanna-go-to-school’s,
he’d find a way to get us excited.
Believe it or not,
he was even a Captain.
Not just Captain of the Household,
but also the spaceship that we
built out of cardboard.
To this day, I’m still not sure where
he got a spaceship license from –
but, hey, he’s Dad!
He’s a magician,
motivational speaker,
and monster-in-the-closet slayer.
Superhero.
Friend.
Father.
Job(s) well done.
by George Davis
In life, trials and tribulations are as inevitable as the rain. And much like the rain or any other unfavorable weather condition, the obstacles in life can be just as uncontrollable. Clouds form in the sky and a big smile begins to shrink. Thunder crashes and that smaller smile gets even smaller. Lightning flashes and any evidence of happiness that existed washes away with the first drop of rain.
Regardless of preparation – the size of the umbrella, the durability of the rain coat, the water resistance of the boots – some people choose to solely focus on the rain. And while they may remain dry, they allow themselves to drown in despair and depression. The one thing they tend to forget is that regardless of the visible, seemingly miserable conditions that they’re standing in, the sun is still shining.
The clouds, like most emotions, trials, and/or tribulations, are temporary. Whether they’re visible only in passing or they stay around for a few days casting dark shadows over us, they don’t possess the power to outlast the sun. The sun will always shine. Rain, sleet, hail, or snow, the sun will shine. It is as permanent as love.
When obstacles arrive (and they WILL arrive), know that they have an expiration date. Like the rain and the clouds, they pass. In the midst of the storm, look beyond the clouds. Find peace and comfort knowing that the sun is still shining.
by Brian MacDougall
I.
A nearly blank canvas of mostly forgotten memories
II.
Images slowly surface,
assembling in places that make sense.
III.
Gaps take on critical importance.
Their significance remains dormant,
wisely awaiting interpretive guidance.
IV.
Momentum grinds the tumblers of
lucid definition as dream architecture begins to unfold.
Influenced by all that came before,
bottlenecked into inevitability.
V.
Craftsmanship pours forth
like automatic writing.
The rich, intricate lineage
of uniquely altered sequences
interlocking and firm.
VI.
Rapid-eye movement threading
into the broad tapestry
proceed intuitively for their
fair share contribution.
Evolution of a recollection
rounding the bend.
VII.
Momentary frustration
as once obvious positions of
impressions, now second-guessed.
Rewriting one’s history pauses to acknowledge
it all might have been chance opportunity.
Destiny, perhaps a pipe dream,
toward fulfilling expectation.
VIII.
Rank and file vignettes
switch back and forth
sifting through eleventh hour possibilities.
Blank spots unravel
and give in to the resolve
of problem solving.
The panorama ironed out
by the sheerest of wills.
IX.
Hypnotism dissolves into awe
and the veil lifts,
a landscape of extreme organization.
Retrospection plays midwife
to smiles of recognition.
Once dead end efforts
now prize monuments and keystones.
All fall into place a scrapbook
of answers and life having lived.
