One Note at a Time

On a warm spring breeze,
Birds chirp their greeting song,
Children play kick ball
On the green grassy knoll,
People laugh while embarking
on their Sunday afternoon stroll,
Tulips peak out from their flowerbeds and,
City lights sparkle in the night;
He strums the strings of her heart,
One small note at a time –
Erasing sadness encased,
Breaching a hedge of grief
Whereupon drapes her heart;

When he passes by her window
Waving to her one more time,
She aims to shed not one more tear,
And tries to wear an unending smile;
Yet, while the world sleeps
And she is on her own,
No use pretending,
She’s far away from home,
Far from the solace of his arms;

Lonesomeness consumes her heart,
Desiring to hold him one more time,
The tenderness of his gracious love and words;

He strums the strings of her heart,
One small note at a time –

City lights sparkle in the night.

Where Did You Go?

When the night is dark,

And the moon is absent from the sky,

And a choir of crickets sings their own lullaby,

Where do you go?

When my arms remain empty

And the wind gently whispers my name,

And I gaze upon the stars,

Where do you go?

When my heart aches to feel your breath

And the warmth of your soul,

And the silence is heavy,

Where do you go?

When I’m no longer here

To feel completely alone;

Where did you go?

A Child’s Play

I watch you play upon the stairs,

Lost in your childhood games,

Built by your imagination,

With freedom and no restraint.

Today you are a sailor,

The captain of your ship,

Sailing on the ocean sea,

Procuring a long summer trip.

You sing a song

That you have loved,

Words of an old lullaby,

You sing a song on the stairs today,

Singing loud—you’re not shy.

The stairs are now a jungle,

A land that you explore,

With a monkey and a zebra,

A tiger and a vicious wild boar.

You pretend you’re on a skyscraper

High up in the sky,

Playing like you’re really there,

And wishing you could fly.

Once again, you’re hungry,

Therefore, you stop and eat your lunch,

You’ll be a chef in your own shop,

There’s not much time to stop.

The stairs are now a cherry tree

In your own loved backyard,

With grass and flowers, and bumble bees,

Except in this tree, you cannot scrape your knees.

The stairs yet again, a mountain top

Reaching high into the sky,

But all too soon, it’s evening time

And now, no more time to climb.

(painting by: Kathleen Stevens)

Word for the day

The night is nigh with parting day,

Winds blow slowly over land,

As I stroll homeward on my familiar way,

The sunset dips behind any man-

Far from the maddening crowds and stressful life,

The pleasing anxious night is nigh,

Leaving arms of warmth this blissful day,

A kindred spirit shall be my mate,

Let me see him at daylight’s break,

And while the sun sets on my lawn,

And as the creek rushes near my stance,

His love will erase all my fear,

Gentle hands will stroke my hair,

Heart of strength presses me near-

The more he gave, the less I spoke,

A slumberous sound and loving dreams,

I welcome night and the silent breeze,

The night is nigh, and I am pleased.

Photo Shots/2015

I captured over 400 photography shots this past week-end!! Will be sharing in upcoming blogs – stay tuned…

(photo by: Kathleen Stevens/2015)

An Old Woman

Beneath the shade of an old oak tree,

there sat an old woman

completely free,

humming and singing

an unfamiliar song,

with sounds so sweet

and words not long.

Her white sun-kissed hair

blowing like a running mare

on the tails of the wind,

and her tan leathery skin,

draped with a dress

vibrant in colors

and apparently unpressed.

A spell she cast on me

as I sat near,

how lovely, how serene,

with smells of sweet flowers

awakening in the spring.

A warmth filled my soul

as I closed my eyes,

how peaceful was the

never-ending blue sky.

I could stay there for hours,

no time was addressed,

I had no where to be

and,

I needed the rest.

(written by: Kathleen Stevens)
(art work by: Kathleen Stevens, acrylic wash on copper)

The Wedding Dance

Painted by: Kathleen Stevens, oil on canvas, 42″x52″
‘The Wedding Dance’
(may we never stop dancing)

Angels

Angels in the winds

High above the waters

In a land not forsaken

By God’s own gracious hand.

I count the glowing windows

As I pass them in the night

Rows of little beacons

Showing me there is life.

Moments of comfort,

I am at peace

In the silence of the darkness

As angels watch over me.

(written by: Kathleen Stevens)

Dress of Gold

The wind of life blows through me,
At times- it whispers,
At times- it wails;
Allow my soul to be a reed,
And sing a song that never fails.
Wordless singing is clearly true,
Either wailing wind
Or skies of blue;
Give me joyous musings,
If you please,
While in the distant church bells ring.
Birds dispersing magnolia seeds
Along tree-covered silent streets,
And, as sunset wraps herself in dress of gold,
Emotions fade like falling stars,
Streaming past heavens wide and far,
Swiftly subtracting wounding words,
Allow my soul to sing a song.

An Old Woman (someone’s favorite!)

Beneath the shade of an old oak tree,

there sat an old woman

completely free,

humming and singing

an unfamiliar song,

with sounds so sweet

and words not long.

Her white sun-kissed hair

blowing like a running mare

on the tails of the wind,

and her tan leathery skin,

draped with a dress

vibrant in colors

and apparently unpressed.

A spell she cast on me

as I sat near,

how lovely, how serene,

with smells of sweet flowers

awakening in the spring.

A warmth filled my soul

as I closed my eyes,

how peaceful was the

never-ending blue sky.

I could stay there for hours,

no time was addressed,

I had no where to be

and,

I needed the rest.

Colors

Look deep within me, where colors rest;

Silent loveliness of maiden white lilies,

Pink velvet roses

glide across my cheek,

The blue bird sings a blissful tune,

Young desires of games in adventure still forthright,

Wild red flames persist to cultivate my longings,

Faith’s triumphs bringing unsullied tomorrows,

I carry yellow warmth of a seasoned heart,

A teller of new courage, my muse, my poet;

I gaze transversely the valley green,

What need is there for such eloquence

When our eyes behold God’s finest daybreak?

The blue and crimson sky alongside morning’s dew drops,

She raises her golden arms to earth’s realms,

Her brown earthy incense filling my nostrils,

Leaves on trees beholding shades of green,

Gilded silence of the glistening snow-covered mountain peaks,

Turquoise lakes sparkling in tranquility,

Colors deep within me…

A Child Treasured

The old man slowly arises

From his profound sleep,

Groggy head, blurred vision,

The love of his life, lying at his side,

A solitary tear escaping his pale blue eyes,

A remembrance of their dance engulfing his mind.

They received a son with hair of gold,

A child they treasured, bejeweled in murals upon their walls,

Days of laughter and years in richness,

Sweet smiles and countless kisses.

A man he became as he did grow,

Strong and sturdy, with a heart of dreams.

The day did arrive he resolved his attention

On far away kingdoms with hopes of wealth,

He sailed his ship on waves of grand

A madness he chased while he grew old –

never to return;

His father misses him, his mother cries.

He Strums the Strings of My Heart

On a warm spring breeze,

Birds chirp their greeting song,

Children play kick ball

On the green grassy knoll,

People laugh while embarking

on their Sunday afternoon stroll,

Tulips peak out from their flowerbeds and,

City lights sparkle in the night;
He strums the strings of my heart,

One small note at a time –

Erasing sadness encased,

Breaching a hedge of grief

Whereupon drapes my heart;
When you pass by my window

Wave to me one more time,

I aim to shed not one more tear,

And seek to wear an unending smile;

Yet, while the famlies sleep

And I am on my own,

No use pretending,

I’m far away from home,

Far from the solace of your arms;
Lonesomeness consumes my heart,

Suffering thirsting to unburden itself,

Desiring to pass through the

Tender gracious heart of another;
He strums the strings of my heart,

One small note at a time –

City lights sparkle in the night.

For Only Tonight

For only tonight

Let me hold you near,

Kiss your eyelids,

Erase your fears.

For only tonight

Let me feel your arms

Holding me tight

Engaged in your charms.

For only tonight

Let my dreams come true,

Our lips will touch,

Our souls will too.

For only tonight,

Let our flesh be one

Immersed in our passion

Till morning’s sun.

For only tonight

Exist completely mine,

Bodies entwined

Adrift in time.

Remember

Remember –

When we went to that lovely German town,

We walked the cobble stone streets,

And gazed into the store windows,

And shopped in the boutiques –

The town looked like a painting by Rockwell,

Remember –

The German food,

And all the laughter,

And the silent nights,

Remember?

My Soul to Hold

My lover,

Take my soul—once more,

Forget me not, as daisies trodden on

Which on the hill is found.

I am a weary way-worn traveler,

Onward bound to my native shore,

Desperate seas I roam alone,

Waves of clouds I chase away,

Island mist upon my face,

Let us meet—once more.

Grasp love’s newest breath,

Say you love me true,

Warm and freely I give to you,

My soul to hold—

Once more.

A Sad Song

She sits alone,

Her skeleton

Pressed, molded,

Wrought by an empty heart.

She sings

A forlorn song,

Purse empty,

Neighbors drift afar,

Afraid to be there,

They point and stare,

Material junk

Seals their hearts.

She wears

A heart heaving

With aches and prayers,

A binding truth and love

She strives to share

But others’ fear

Converts to glare,

And not one steps near.

Happy 4th of July

Happy Happy 4th of July!!!
May you have a fireworks of a day!!

Night is Nigh

The night is nigh with parting day,

Winds blow slowly over land,

As I plod homeward on my weary way,

And sunset dips behind the man,

Far from the maddening crowds and stressful life,

The pleasing anxious night is nigh,

Leaving arms of warmth this blissful day,

A kindred spirit shall be my mate,

Let me see him at daylight’s break,

And while the sun sets on my lawn,

And as the brook babbles near my ear,

My love will erase all my fear,

Gentle hands stroke my hair,

Heart of strength press me close,

The more he gave, the less I spoke,

A slumberous sound and loving dreams,

I welcome night and the silent breeze,

The night is nigh, and I am pleased.

An Old Woman

Beneath the shade of an old oak tree,

there sat an old woman

completely free,

humming and singing

an unfamiliar song,

with sounds so sweet

and words not long.

Her white sun-kissed hair

blowing like a running mare

on the tails of the wind,

and her tan leathery skin,

draped with a dress

vibrant in colors

and apparently unpressed.

A spell she cast on me

as I sat near,

how lovely, how serene,

with smells of sweet flowers

awakening in the spring.

A warmth filled my soul

as I closed my eyes,

how peaceful was the

never-ending blue sky.

I could stay there for hours,

no time was addressed,

I had no where to be

and,

I needed the rest.

Spirits in the Night

There’s a story on the island

of spirits in the night,

a special place where they go to dance

on the sand in the midnight moonlight.

You can hear them singing

and laughing

as they hide in the fog,

they play hide-n-seek and

ride the surf’s roll.

You won’t see their faces—

but they see your soul,

they watch you and hear you

as the island winds blow.

Their seaweed hair wet,

limbs swaying in the mist,

the moonlight gone,

as the sand turns cold,

they return each night,

it’s their favorite place,

well—that’s what I’m told.