Category: my blessed life

NaPoWriMo 2022 Day 29

On By WinstonIn Enlightenment, homelessness, my blessed life, NaPoWriMo, Personal, Personal Responsibility, Poetry, Society, Values, VolunteeringLeave a comment

I have a friend named Gene who has been working for years to make the world a better place. Slowly, steadily and most importantly, deliberately. He has worked for youth employment programs, outreach programs, community health networks, school breakfast programs, non-profit housing… the list goes on. All of it with the intent to make life better for other people. He is one of my heroes, and this poem is for him.

A Better World

How many lives do we each touch,

As through this life we pass?

Perhaps a bit more focus there,

Than on things we amass.

It’s what we’ve done as we pass through,

That says just who we are.

The choice we make to harm or help,

Dark cloud or shining star.

All ethics and morality,

Are just a guide it’s true.

What matters is what’s in your heart,

Intent must come from you.

Now do you seek to lift someone,

Or only cause them pain?

If you would seek the former great,

If not please think again.

For in the end the life you’ve lived,

Is judged by those you touch.

So hold your anger, spread your love,

Your kindness does so much.

Not one of us can change the world,

There’s none of us that strong.

But every kindness great or small,

Still counteracts some wrong.

If each of us but try to make,

Things better for someone.

The world will change for that is how,

The greatest works are done.

Not one of us but all of us,

Have strength to shift the stars

If we all try a kinder path,

Might shift this world of ours.

Cheers, Winston

NaPoWriMo 2022 Day 26

On By WinstonIn Loving Life, my blessed life, NaPoWriMo, Poetry, spring2 Comments

Okay, okay…. I know it’s “another” Spring poem. The season inspires me like no other. It truly is my favourite. So yes… I do tend to write about it a bit too often. Then again, these are my poems, so I guess that’s okay. Enjoy!

Spring 3.0

Now spring is here, the crocus blooms,

Promise a brighter day.

And herald all the flowers that,

Will fill the month of May.

The green buds swell upon the trees,

While grass begins to grow.

The complex dance of life speeds up,

Where winter forced it slow.

The air is filled with joyful songs,

Of birds but fresh returned.

While all the creatures now embrace,

The sun for which they’ve yearned.

It’s true the sky is overcast,

And there’s a chance of rain.

But maybe what’s no joy to us,

Renews the land again.

They say that April rains will bring,

May flowers that we love.

So try to see each shower as,

A gift from up above.

Now as you watch all nature wake,

Let that renew you too.

And bring that joyous energy,

To everything you do.

Cheers, Winston

NaPoWriMo 2022 Day 25

On By WinstonIn A Father's Wish, family, Love, my blessed life, my daughter, NaPoWriMo, Personal, PoetryLeave a comment

I’ve written poems about my wife, and about my dogs, but I don’t think I’ve ever written one about my daughter. This one is for her.

A Father’s Wish

I wish you joy to temper pain,

Some sun your clouds to chase.

I wish you love to lift you up,

To gently touch your face.

I wish you peace when weariness,

Tells you you can’t go on.

I wish you friends to carry you,

When all your strength is gone.

I wish you luck for everyone,

I know needs luck at times.

I wish you hope to not give up,

In spite of all life’s crimes.

But most of all I wish you sight,

To see the one I see.

And courage that you may become,

Who’ere you’re meant to be.

I pray that every wish you wish,

Is someday coming true.

Because your joy is my one wish,

My daughter I love you.

Cheers, Winston

NaPoWriMo 2022 Day 22

On By WinstonIn Love, Loving Life, my blessed life, NaPoWriMo, Personal, PoetryLeave a comment

I love to sing. I think, and most people would agree, I’m not very good at it. In fact, very not good might be more accurate. I am very fortunate indeed then that the one person who most often hears it actually enjoys it! Against all probability, Lynn likes when I sing. What are the odds of finding the one person in all the world who likes my singing? And who has bad enough taste in men to fall in love with me. I am truly a blessed man!

I Sing

I sing a song of endless joy,

I sing a song of pain.

I sing a simple nonsense tune,

Then something else again.

I sing the sun into the sky,

The moon has it’s songs too.

I have a song for everything,

Shall I sing one for you?

Just tell me what you want to hear,

I’ve got a tune for it.

I’ll sing you anything you like,

Forgot, or famous hit.

For singing brings me such great joy,

My soul, my song sets free.

Now lend your ear a moment please,

Hear my song, sing with me.

I sing a song of endless joy,

I sing a song of pain.

I’ll sing until my end of days,

‘Til only songs remain.

Cheers, Winston

NaPoWriMo 2022 Day 19

On By WinstonIn Friendship, Love, Loving Life, my angel, my blessed life, NaPoWriMo, Personal, Poetry, RelationshipsLeave a comment

I was talking with my wife Lynn this morning and thinking how blessed I am to have her in my life. We each have our fair share of issues, but we are aware of them and we are working at dealing with them. Neither of us is perfect, but we are perfect for each other.

Perfect Imperfection

We are not perfect people true,

Are flawed as we can be.

But all your broken pieces fit,

In all the cracks in me.

God knows that I’ve got my defects,

Of that I’m well aware.

It’s not about perfection though,

But working with what’s there.

You know you are not perfect love,

Your flaws are all you see.

Though you can’t see your perfection,

You are perfect for me.

Without the flaws that marks us though,

We’d not be who we are.

If we were anyone but us,

Could we have come this far?

I’ll pick up all your broken bits,

With your help I’ll be fine.

There’s no one else I’d do this with,

‘O perfect Angel mine.

Cheers, Winston

NaPoWriMo 2022 Day 18

On By WinstonIn Enlightenment, Loving Life, my blessed life, NaPoWriMo, Pop Culture, Society, ValuesLeave a comment

Sometimes it feels like everything today is about being darker, grittier, more cynical and sarcastic. Instead of that tried and disproven approach, maybe try this.

Be The Light

A smile, a word, a life is saved,

Is pulled back from the brink.

The power of a kindness is,

Much greater than you think.

The server at your coffee shop,

Though you don’t know their name,

Your smile and a few kind words,

Lift them up just the same.

No doubt you have a friend or two,

At work, you’re there all day.

So try to be more positive,

And weigh the words you say.

For words they have a power that,

There’s few who comprehend.

But this I know, the words we sow,

Are energy we send.

The message in my words is this,

If more joy you would find.

Then be a light in this dark world,

And most of all be kind.

Cheers, Winston

NaPoWriMo 2022 Day 7

On By WinstonIn Embrace the Wild, Loving Life, my blessed life, NaPoWriMo, Nature, Personal, Poetry, springLeave a comment

I know I already did a Spring poem, but it is my favourite season, and I am at work trying to squeeze today’s poem in between actual work stuff. So another poem about spring. Also, it is raining today and I’m not normally a fan, but by looking at it as a process of renewal, I am much more tolerant of being cold and wet.


Come Celebrate


Come celebrate the rising sun,
Now greet this brand new day.
There is breeze goes sighing by.
To bring spring scents your way.


Come celebrate the low grey clouds,
The rain where you now stand.
To wash away the winter’s dross,
Reveal greener land.


Come celebrate all growing things,
It is that time of year.
When life returns to root and bloom,
Replacing winter drear.


Come celebrate the evening chill,
The blaze is large and hot.
Come celebrate the spring with me,
Give thanks for all we’ve got.


Come celebrate this life we share,
How blessed we truly are.
Let spring renew the souls in us,
For we have come so far.


Come celebrate, come celebrate,
This greatest time of year.
It’s spring I love and always have,
Come celebrate my dear.


Cheers, Winston

NaPoWriMo 2022 Day 5

On By WinstonIn Embrace the Wild, Loving Life, my blessed life, NaPoWriMo, Nature, Personal, Poetry, springLeave a comment

According to the song, Christmas is “the most wonderful time of the year”. Not for me. For me, nothing compares to the joy of spring. My “New Year” isn’t January 1st. Mine is the first green shoots poking through the winter thatch where the snow has melted off a patch of my garden. The New Year is the first flight of Canada geese I hear honking as they stream overhead. Now is my New Year, my “most wonderful time of the year”. Here is this year’s ode to it.

Ode To My New Year

Good morning to the singing birds,

And to the bright blue sky.

The shoots of green, the gentle breeze,

As it goes sighing by.

It is that time of year again,

Resilient life returns.

That time of year for which my soul,

Through bitter winter yearns.

Now flocks of geese are everywhere,

As further north they wing,

Their honking drowns the chirping songs,

Their smaller cousins sing.

There’s slush and ice and salty mud,

Melt-water everywhere.

But don’t despair, it clears the stage,

Next season to prepare.

Soon now the snows are fully gone,

Soon flowers will appear.

I swear that springtime truly is,

My favourite time of year.

Cheers, Winston

NaPoWriMo 2022 Day 4

On By WinstonIn Friendship, Love, Loving Life, my angel, my blessed life, NaPoWriMo, Personal, PoetryLeave a comment

I can’t write all these verses without including my wife Lynn. I wouldn’t be who I am and you definitely wouldn’t be reading these poems without her. She helps me be the best version of myself I can.

I Love You My Angel

There was a guy who wasn’t much,

Who never much would be.

He wasn’t quite invisible,

Just wasn’t much to see.

He’d lived so long alone that he,

Believed he would stay so.

When you can’t talk with anyone,

You’re hard to get to know.

But then one day, the strangest thing,

He met someone on line.

With little chance of meeting them,

He dared to try to shine.

The more they talked, the more he loved,

This Angel of the screen.

And though they talked for months and months,

They still remained unseen.

And as they talked, he realized,

To her he was someone.

No more some guy who wasn’t much,

That life for him was done.

A plan was made for them to meet,

In person, face to face.

To test the love they felt with a,

Non-digital embrace.

I was a guy who wasn’t much,

Gone twenty years or more.

Could not go back, would not go back,

To what I was before.

You saved me then, I thank you love,

My Angel all these years.

You lifted me, you raised me up,

You helped me face my fears.

So thank you love, my Angel sweet,

I’m someone thanks to you.

And every good thing in my life,

Is thanks to you it’s true.

Je t’aime mon ange. Plus que tu sais. Pour l’éternité, et plus encore! ❤

Winston

NaPoWriMo 2021 Day 30!

On By WinstonIn Love, Loving Life, my angel, my blessed life, NaPoWriMo, Personal, Poetry, RelationshipsLeave a comment

Here we are at the end of the marathon for another year. Of course, that may be a bit premature. I haven’t written the poem to go under this header yet. I’m pretty confident that something will come to me… but then again, maybe not. I still have time to fail today. But I’ve also succeeded for the last twenty-nine days. So often in life we focus on the one sour note in a flawless symphony and call the whole thing a failure. So even if I don’t write that last poem, I’m going to look at the other twenty-nine and call this project a success. It’s all about perspective and the story we tell ourselves.

Until next year… Be Kind To Yourselves And To Each Other

The Muse of All Muses

The deed is done, these lines define,

Another year complete.

With thirty of these ditties writ,

A victory so sweet.

Calliope and Erato,

Polyhymnia too.

To all these muses owe some thanks,

But mostly Lynn to you.

You are the one who lifts me up,

Brings out the best of me.

You are aware of all my flaws,

But they’re not all you see.

When inspiration’s fled from me,

Restore it with a word.

Then listen to each verse like it’s,

The best you’ve ever heard.

You are the sweetest, kindest soul,

That I could hope to know.

I’m blessed to have you in my life,

As through the years we go.

Now as I close this month of verse,

I want to make it clear.

I could not write these rhymes of mine,

Without your love my dear.

So thank you Lynn for all you do,

The blessing that you are.

The rock on which I build my life,

My muse. My guiding star.

Cheers, Winston