Weeping Willow

 

Tears of Joy
Why does the weeping willow weep?
Maybe it is just asleep?
Casting its long, thin branches to the ground,
The wind blows its wispy tendrils around,
It stands by the river in a picturesque scene,
With a natural whimsy, if you know what I mean,
Instead of reaching for the sky, like other trees,
It is bending down as if on its knees,
Touching its branch tips into the water rushing by,
If it is weeping, I don’t feel it is a sorrowful cry,
I feel it is weeping for joy – that weeping willow tree,
It all depends on how we perceive it to be,
A cry of cheer,
A joyful tear,
That weeping willow tree, on its knees, perhaps is saying a prayer,
A prayer of thanksgiving for the peacefulness there,
For the rain,
For the water to sustain,
Happy and yet weeping,
God’s promises He is keeping,
To nourish and flourish that weeping willow tree,
Just as He does for you and for me.

Tammy Harvey
Written: 1/20/2022

Jeremiah 29:11

Papa's Girl

 

A Girl and her Papa

Freckled nose, rosy cheeks, face kissed by the sun,

Blonde braids, trailing her, as she couldn’t help but run,

To keep up with her papa was her only true desire,

Following him like a puppy dog, she would never tire,

Her smile brought him so much joy; her giggles were the best,

Her mind was always curious; questions putting him to the test,

Why papa? Where papa? What are we going to do next?

He was so wonderfully patient and to him, she didn’t perplex,

His wisdom was her wishing well,

And someday she would tell,

Her own children of the marvels her papa knew,

About the love between them, and how it grew and grew,

When she begged him for a piggy-back ride,

Although he was busy, she was never brushed aside,

Toting her around the orchard like a pony would have done,

She asked him to pick apples with her; the adventure had begun,

Then, she watched him peel an apple without ever breaking the peel,

He handed her a slice from the blade of his knife, and she gave out a delightful squeal,

The wooden plank rope swing that hung from the old oak tree,

Was next on her list of “things to do today for papa and me”,

He gave her a ginormous push that sent her high up in the air,

He might have been a little behind on his chores, but really, he didn’t care,

Time well spent is time well spent,

Because before you know it, it has come and went!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  01/06/2022

Poems Galore, Pouring Once More

It's been a few months since I sat down to write... packing, holidays, unpacking. New home. I'm settled in now and ready to replenish the blog with poems galore...

Pouring, Once more

I am in my new office, behind the same desk,
All feels new, while quite a familiar quest,
To write more poetry, to get the creativity flowing,
To be inspired to write, without even knowing,
What the subject or my focus will be,
I guess we all will just have to wait and see,
I am feeling abundantly blessed right now,
I have a new house and I’m shouting “wow”,
I am turning a new corner to life on my own,
I have weathered new experiences and feel I have grown,
I am looking forward to a future that is increasingly brighter,
The load that I carry is becoming lighter and lighter,
My words are like honey on a comb of yellow hue,
My sentences come together from a simplistic point of view,
And the rhymes are occurring in usual fashion,
I’d like to say that poetry is my passion,
Poetry is my heart pouring out from a watering can,
There is nothing so refreshing as water to a journeyman,
Thanks for taking this journey with me,
Time will only tell what will be.

Tammy Harvey
1/05/2022

Overthinking

 

Letting Myself Be Happy

I don’t know why when something good happens to me,
I am skeptical. It’s too good to be true. I’m undeserving. How can this be?
Overthinking is a problem I have. Creating a problem that’s not even there,
I don’t consider myself pessimistic, yet I am quite aware,
That the weather in life is not typically fair,
When things in life are all going too well,
I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop, and only time will tell,
In the interim, why can’t I just find joy in the present?
Being happy for current situations: Being present,
Not anticipating the worst-case scenario,
Not obsessing over the what-if’s and what I don’t know,
Nine times out of ten, the worry is all for naught,
But in a web of delusional thoughts I am caught,
I am lecturing myself to change this ugly habit,
But cognitive thinking is a rascally rabbit,
Negative thoughts run fast and are hard to control,
Positive thoughts and happiness are my ultimate goal,
I don’t want to be skeptical of all things good,
I want to be happy, as I should.

Tammy Harvey
Written: 9/17/2021

Got Change?

Got Change?

Change is hard, this I know,
But its purpose is to help us grow,
A predictable routine and being set in our ways,
Is the comfort zone we all thrive for, most days,
However, change can be good; it is not always bad,
Change can make us happy, or it can make us sad,
But without change, nothing can progress,
With the passing of time, change can be a success,
Change is an alteration, a modification,
A step in the right direction,
If we accept the change and make it our own,
We can assuredly say that we have grown,
Coming out of a cocoon that is safe and secure,
Emerging as a butterfly, if we endure,
A butterfly with wings that can soar and glide,
A new beginning that starts from the inside,
Inside our hearts we can embrace change,
It may be scary, and it may feel strange,
But change can be good, if we give it a try,
So spread your wings, you beautiful butterfly!

Tammy Harvey
Written: 10/26/2021

Today

 

Today
A picture-perfect fall afternoon,
The sun will be setting very soon,
The horizon has hues of orange and pink,
I stare out the window at my kitchen sink,
Today I sold my house of 30 years,
I’m looking in my rearview mirror, but without tears,
Out the front windshield is the impending sunrise,
It’s my future, my senior years; there is no compromise,
Blue skies, mixed with gray, good days and bad,
I am so grateful and blessed for what I have had,
It’s like saying goodbye to an old friend,
While knowing you will see them again,
Much like the circle of life, a young couple will move in,
And grow their family, putting the cycle into motion again,
The “Harvey” inscribed at the end of the driveway has all but worn away,
It’s time for me to go now, and this with confidence I can say,
As acorns are falling on my driveway and gently rolling down the hill,
I will remember this day; I know I always will,
I can’t look out my windshield without noticing the rearview too,
It’s a nice balance of old memories to mix with the new.
Tammy Harvey
10/15/2021

Home Sweet Home

 A House or a Home?

A house is a structure of walls, a roof and a front door,
A home is that too, plus so much more,
In a house, there is usually plumbing, electricity, and running water,
In a home, there are people, pets, hobbies and laughter,
A house is a house whether lived in or vacant,
But a home is occupied, filled with love, that is blatant,
“Home Sweet Home” is a common saying,
Not “House Sweet House”, which is the point I am conveying,
When I lived with my husband and sons, it felt like a home,
Now, it feels more like a house, since I’m all alone,
I will miss this house, since it contains 30 years of remembrances,
But I need to develop my new normal, without hindrances,
A new start means developing a new space to call “home”,
Filling it with love from my family, even though I’m alone,
So, yes, I’m buying a brand-new house,
And, yes, I no longer have a spouse,
But I won’t give up, no I won’t quit,
A “home” is what I’m calling it,
To have a house is really fine,
But to have a home is so divine!

Tammy Harvey
Written: 10/7/2021