Steady Your Paddle

in the rolling of the day to day
trust you will remain okay
you will steady your paddle
instead of floating away
you will fight your battles
learn how to not unravel
discover your mantras
to quiet your inner critic
embrace each challenge
move with the rhythm of
the ever-changing reality
that is life

Chill

The chill in the air
welcomes in the new season
prior to the official date,
bundling under blankets, I drift
between sleep and the day,
slow mornings remind me of
end of Septembers by the lake
staring up at the sky
spotting shooting stars
and talking about
the meaning of life
while the warmth of
the fire dwindles away.

Learning Lessons

Dreams from the night before
linger in the background
for the remainder of the day.
We pray for what we cannot control
to have a positive outcome.
Sending wishes out into the universe
to be on our side, for everything
bad to turn out alright.
Luck teaches us lessons, we don't
always know we've been dealt
a bad hand when we're drowning
in the consequences of years
filled with poor decisions.
Leading with your heart
lends poorly to logistics.
Learning lessons only flourish
once you grow out of cycles
then proactively choose
to make different choices.

Nonlinear

I miss your smile these days.
I trace my steps through the summer season
searching through memories I thought I lost
only to reappear in instances where smells
remind me of my childhood.
I avoid driving by your house
in the winter, I hate seeing someone
who isn't you celebrating in the house
I called home in the warmer months.
Christmas lights glistening don't feel right
when the grass isn't green, all the times
my feet got dirty running barefoot up
your long driveway.