Grow Faster

As Sequoias

Get older

They grow faster

 

Becoming 

More impressive

With age

 

And I intend

To do

The same

 

Worth The Risk

When Giant Sequoias

Are threatened 

Their cones close

Curl up into themselves

To survive

 

To this

I can relate

 

But they don’t 

Stay closed

 

Despite the damage caused

Despite any lingering pain 

 

Despite the utter disappointment

Of learning again

That the world

Is not safe

 

When the danger passes

The cones reopen

 

Offer themselves up 

To the world

 

Knowing this

Is the way 

To something better

 

Deciding 

It’s all worth

The risk

Whatever Your Dream Is

Whatever your dream is

 

Whatever is nudging you 

To consider

A fresh new career
A breathtaking trip 

A move to an unfamiliar place

Whatever is calling you to

 

Try a new recipe
Take a day trip 
Pursue a hobby

 

Whatever it is

Even if 

It’s something as simple

 

As planting a poetry post
In front of your house
Simply because 

You like words 

Maybe it’s time

 

Maybe today is the day

To take a step
In the direction 
Of that dream

Change

Here’s to people

Who take big leaps of change

By choice

 

Who shake things up

Willingly

On a regular basis

 

Because it’s usually

Someone else’s changes

That make me change

 

Someone else’s decision

To leave a job

That changes the nature

Of my job

 

Someone else’s decision 

To relocate

That turns my social circle 

Inside out

 

I do not change

By choice

 

I cling 

To each stage of life

Tightly

 

I hold on for dear life

 

Always feeling lucky 

To have made it 

To that space

 

Rather than considering that

 

Anything I have in life

Might be due

At least in part

To my own 

Good decisions

 

Anywhere I am in life

Might be the result

Of luck 

But also effort

 

Might be meant as

A stepping stone 

Along the path

To another

Destination

Rather than

A place 

I should 

Consider home

 

Hard not to view

Every place 

I find myself

As a life boat

I was just lucky 

To come across

 

Everything I have

As something

That will soon 

Be taken from me

If I’m not careful

 

It’s not relaxing

This way of thinking

 

Always feeling 

Like I’m just one step ahead

Of a very steep fall

 

Typically reacting to change

Rather than initiating it

 

Rarely leaping

But finding myself

In free fall 

Whenever others in my life

Do

Raw

The world 

Is raw now

Everyone scared

Many sick

Everything urgent

 

Lacking curiosity

Missing compassion

Uncontained

Untethered

Unsafe

 

It’s so cold here

And could be less so

 

We could make it warmer

With intentional care and 

Thoughtful interaction

 

We could surprise raw

With the heat 

Of kindness

 

We could be better

 

Could make the world better

 

We could fix this together

One interaction 

At a time

 

Truly anytime

We choose