Easy like Sunday Morning

The Joy of Cleaning Out a Drawer

Striking a blow for order.

Fighting on the side of

Felix Unger and Mr Clean.

A small victory

In the war on chaos.

My Garden got away from me.

While I was hiding under the covers,

It was climbing over

Blankets of weeds.

Tangles of stems shooting through

ground cover gone wild.

Blushing roses baring hips and petals.

Purple trumpet vine announcing

The procession of of August guests.

Rehab

I feel myself again;

Drugs flushed out

Brain reattached

Emotions on straight.

I could never be

Amy Winehouse

I'm too addicted to reality.

Zodiac Summer

Cancer's reign is over

Leo's turn to roar

Then on to Virgo

Up Up and Away

Letting the balloon

Drift away

On the summer breeze.

Letting the cancer go

Like a small speck

Against a vast open sky.

What You Wish For

The lazy freedom

Of sleeping in.

Lounging about,

Soaking up the sun

And enjoying a

Chilled beverage.

A book in bed

A cat at hand

A summer day-

I wish I could enjoy it!

Riches

"You poor girl"

Gary's hug and sigh

Reminds me

Though he can't fix it

He sympathizes.

It gives me the

Moment's Pity Party

I need

To remember

How rich I am.

Magical Montana

Sometime

We make decisions

By not being able to make them.

The mountains

Will have to stay in my dreams.

For now,

Getting up in the morning

Eating lunch

And catching a nap

Is all I have on my agenda.

Each moment

Has a magic of its own.

Let's Make A Deal

Bargaining chips

Are all in.

I need this one to make it

To the next level.

I need some good news...

And I hit the jackpot

Margins are good

On to the next hand.

My brother, Steve, took this lovely picture before surgery.

The gown had a tube in it so it could be heated or air conditioned!

I had to stay overnight because I reacted to one of the drugs.

But I'm home and recovering. Much better but sore.

Thanks for all your help.

I couldn't have done it without you!

That's What Friends Are For

Caught up

In the everyday

We forget

The wonder and beauty

Of friendship.

It's a special gift

When you know

You're loved.

I feel like such

A special person

To have so many

Wonderful people.

It reminds me

How precious life is.

Demystify

Take away

The scary myths

The boogieman stories

The childish fears

And it's only

A visit to the Doctor

And coming home

With less breast!

Say a Little Prayer

Prayer is sending your thoughts

Into the heavens

Unsure what they will find.

Connecting with other

Positive ions,

They bounce around

And form a cloud.

Weaving together

All the positive energy

Of hopes and wishes

Good deeds and promises

Love and faith

Creating a protective blanket

Against the scorching sun.

Fight or Flight

I tend to ask

A lot of questions

In preparation for battle.

But there comes a time

When you stand your ground

Dressed in the armor

Of your humanity

Look your adversary in the eye

And through that mirror

Accept the fear

As part of life,

And the battle is won.

Collective Soul

Like the cells

connecting our bodies

Are the cells

Connecting all souls.

The history of being human

Holding hands across

Time and space.

The collective conscientiousness

Of appreciating the

Poetry of a sunset

Or the beauty

In a smile.

Understanding we

Are all special

And an integral part

Of the Whole.

Talk About the Weather

Watching the storm

Roll across the windows

At the clinic,

We all commented

On the terrible beauty.

The shades and shadows

Of grey to black

Creating night

Out of day.

The wonder and power

Of nature

Continues to amaze.

Old Friends

We know each other so well.

You anticipate my needs

And know what I want

Even before I do.

You're so kind and thoughtful

I can see the concern in your eyes.

Whether you're buying me my

First pink,

Offering a sympathetic ear

Or letting me win at backgammon.

I'll try to be a good patient

And an even better friend

When I'm not so wrapped up

In the selfishness of cancer.

Who's in Charge

While my mind

Was busy devouring information,

Processing and pondering,

My stomach

Was doing its own thing.

Excreting acid and anxiety

My body made it's battle known.

I guess it showed me

Who's in charge.

Breast Cancer Puzzle

Dump out the box

Of puzzle pieces

Creating chaos

On the table top.

Turn them all

Right side up

So you can get

A good look at them.

Take out all the end pieces

And try to assemble

A frame of reference.

Look at shapes and colors

To see how

It all fits together.

Gather with family and friends

To help you complete

The puzzle.

Relax and enjoy the process

With a beautiful picture

When you're done.

Waiting

I know I should

Be in the moment

And enjoy each day

But I wish I could

Fast forward

And get to the

Happy ending

Where this is

Just another learning experience

Something to look back on.

Second Summer

After writing my blog

For a year,

I was afraid

I'd have nothing to write.

Entering my second summer

How many poems

Can you write

About cats and birds?

I'd already covered

War and peace.

But life has a way

Of making things interesting

There's always something

New to experience,

Some new lesson to learn,

Some way to make today

different from

Any other day.

It's the poet's job

To find the rhyme and reason.

I don't want this to be a "Caring Bridge"

But an open heart.

Sharing what's in my thoughts

And asking you to keep me in yours.

I have breast cancer.

I don't feel sick

Yet cells inside of me

War with each other

With me as the prize.

A small anomaly

On a mammogram

Questioned by an ultrasound

Confirmed by a biopsy.

A moment ago I was fine.

Now I'm not.

I guess I march forward

And join the ranks

Of women

Who "Courageously battle"

Our own bodies.

The Unknown

Fear is like a cancer

Spreading through

Your body

Multiplying and expanding

It's territory

Taking over the brain

And controlling everything

You do.

Music In the Parks

A warm sunny day

A cool Jazz night

At Como Pavilion.

Carrying my mind

Away from the mundane,

Lifting higher

With every note,

Like the heron

On the lake

Riding along

On a song.

Worrywart

When a worry hits

It's like a tidal wave

Washing away

All the beauty of the day

And leaving it cluttered

With debris.

5th of July

If we could remember

We are connected

Through more than words.

The Constitution

States our basic premise

But it's the picnics

In the park,

The stirring anthem

Before the ballgame,

The squeals of laughter

At the beach,

The collective sigh

At the end of fireworks

That really proves

Who we are.

Let's hope there are more

"Times of Peace."

Happy Fourth of July from Minneapolis "Peace Park"

More at the

Twin's twilight's

Last gleaming

Wind and Rain delay

Exciting storm

Beautiful rainbow and sunset

Fun friends

Awesome game

Yeah Twins!

First of July

Dreamscicle ice cream

Melting into July

A running start

At the Dog days.