for Stacy-Lynn

Child of light
darkness in heart
too sad, too bad
but laughter still lurks in the corners of the world
and you will find it
there
in the soft foam on the waves
in the voices of children
one at a time the spring throws laughing things at us
even in the darkest spaces
fathers understand
mothers let go
yellow petals fall
spring comes.

Always believe

Always believe in jumping in puddles
in dancing in the rain and laughing in the wind
Always beleive in truth
and in things that hurt, because things do hurt
and
Always believe in clean tissues
and roses
and things that go bump in the night, because they do.
Always believe someone loves you
and that snowmen know
and
Always believe there is an answer
and life is precious
and hiking into the unknown is helathy.

Midnight oil

In the darkness
the bathroom door has a hole
and to a 4-year-old
well that's a nightmare.
In the darkness
other 4-year-olds
have other problems
and that's a nightmare.
so
May all 4-year-olds
play in the yellow fallen leaves,
laugh in the sun
scrape their knees
and
forget their dreams.