As they look forward,

I look back and see the ways

they, once so very shy, have grown

~

Grown in impatience

and weary condescension

evidenced by their groaning.

Hours in the sun

would be more enjoyable

without all that blazing heat!

~

Blazing heat, pouring

rain – both are better if we’re

inside looking out.

Let’s change our focus

from daily complaints

to what feeds our souls.

~

Compassionate acts,

performed without agenda;

truly a feast worth sharing.

Because lichen can thrive

in hostile environments

doesn’t mean everyone can.

~

 Like us, lichens need

clean, fresh air to survive and

we’re threatening even that.

 They keep trying to

put lipstick on their pig

but the greed shows through.

~

That’s because the pig

always smudges the lipstick

suckling the public teat.

In this modern age,

it seems every call to arms

should foster skepticism.

~

Instead, in these times

it’s the call to have a heart

that evokes skepticism.

What happens when the White House

decides who can talk

and what they can say?

~

The message remains

consistent and the party

continues on unchanging.

Hours in the rain

to hear the same old story:

think they learned anything new?

~

Accommodations

weren’t made. They were left out in

the rain. Nothing’s new.

 Be on the look-out

for acts of kindness. They are

more numerous than we think.

~

More numerous, yes,

but lacking in the drama

to command the news cycle.

Why must parenting

require endless patience

or, at least, a tone deaf ear?

~

Why ask your mother?

Think back on your growing-up

years. Isn’t the answer clear?