Heartbeat of the Day

By Laura Spencer

Posted 8.13.21

Gaze into a sunset sky.
Eyes satisfied.
Look down.
Two feet thudding, 
Dripping a trail of lake water across
A warm wooden dock.
They reach dry grass.
Green blades stand between cold, wiggling toes.

Memories tread themselves
To the well-worn steps
Of a brown cabin in Pennsylvania.

Creek-

Door opens 
A scent of summer days gone by.
Wet towels hanging and 
Water tubes laying
In vacant bedrooms.
Fresh summer breeze
Whispers through open windows
Gently billowing the yellow curtains.


Familiarity.
Sweet simplicity.
No space for words. 

Silent smile.

Brush the tangled hair.
Replace the drenched towel and wet suit
With warm clothes again.
Race across the cool, hard floor
and
Down the rough steps once more.
Land on warm dry grass 
again.

Feet dance their way to
Fire crackling
Children laugh in the distance.

You are one of them.

Listen eagerly.
Strings and dear voices
Awaken sweet songs
Over the Sunset Mountain,
They sing,
Of a Home far away.
Melodies still ring loud and clear. 
As you open the invitation

To step into the heartbeat of the day
When you were once a child.

Here I Am

By Laura Spencer Posted 8.21.20

Here I am
Down between the crags of rock
Where the water softly ripples to the shore
Where broad dark pines kiss the sky
Where gold is etched on the horizon of the setting sun

Something is riding on this wind
Can you hear the wind?
Who conducts its sweet cacophony?
Hear its subtle happening
Here in this stillness of twilight

When peace rides swiftly like the coming stars
And the sun turns out the lights to fall asleep
While darkness veils itself across 
That watery glistening deep
So here I am

Why do we strain our neck for the light above?
Have we tired looking down at cracks of dried up soil?
Why this finding ourselves in this losing ourselves 
Caught up in this wild beauty beyond ourselves?
Could this be a gift or some gentle whisper?

For every silent stand upon the ocean shoreline
For every tremble at the canyon’s edge
For every arm span and head thrown back at the reach of mountain peaks
For every wide-eyed marvel at the summer static in night-time air
For the thrill of any greatness surpassing our own fragility- 
Is there something deeper here than meets the eye?
Should we put into the equation of all this wonder, “Why?”

So here I am
Here I am lost in this beauty
With one taste of something sweet that makes me hunger
One note from a chorus I’m aching to sing
That sets my heart seeking, hoping, and believing

Down past the war of words and endless strife of another day
Down past the worries and fears of tomorrows
Down between the crags of rocks
Where the water softly ripples to the shore
Here I am.