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

Yes or No, Maybe

 Decisions, Decisions

Yes or no. Maybe. I don’t know,
Decisions are hard: go or don’t go?
A single decision can reroute the course you are on,
The opportunity that once was, now could be gone,
So, use all of your big decisions as steppingstones,
One leads to another, and another, some with tears and groans,
Some with joy and laughter,
It is not always a “happily ever after”,
There may be more questions than answers,
But fear is like a slow-growing cancer,
Don’t be afraid to make the hard decisions,
And of course, there may be revisions,
Pray about it and God can give His insight,
After searching your heart and soul, you’ll know what is right,
When you have peace with the decision you have made,
The journey may be long and hot, but you will have rest in the shade!

Tammy Harvey
Written: 10/3/2021

Grow Old with Me

 

Waxing or Waning Youth?

You know your youth is waning,

When your muscles you are straining,

To do a simple task, that was easy in the past,

For instance, just getting up off the floor very fast!

Loose your balance when you try to put on pants?

Take much longer to do routine tasks?

Small print on the pill bottle makes you squint?

Don’t feel bad; that’s not my intent,

Getting old is what we all must face,

But my gray hair I would never erase,

I earned every one of those shiny silver locks,

It comes with experience, and like the cleverness of a fox,

Older and wiser comes with waning youth,

Waxing youth is when you are cutting your first tooth,

Young and innocent, naïve and learning,

Why must we always possess a youthful yearning?

A desire to be young again is not part of my plot,

I am a grandmother now, and I like it a lot!

Can I do all the things I used to do? No,

But I do feel I continue to grow,

I grow in my heart, in my mind and in spirit,

I still have a bucket list, and I want to fulfill it,

A life of contentment is all we truly need, you’ll see,

"Grow old along with me; The best is yet to be!"

Tammy Harvey

Written:  9/17/2021

Freedom of Speech

 

Too Late

When something is irreversible, it’s irreversible,

No takebacks, no excuses, and likely it’s inexcusable,

When the toothpaste leaves the tube, it doesn’t go back,

When the words leave our mouths, they are impossible to retract,

Which is why it is important to think before we speak,

It doesn’t mean we are weak or even meek,

Words are not purposeful when used as weapons,

Thoughts also fall into this category of deceptions,

We fool ourselves if we think words don’t have power,

While freedom of speech is the topic of the hour,

Our speech should be for building up, not tearing down,

Encouraging, not degrading; Hopeful and sweet, not bitter and sour,

Speaking truth is also an absolute necessity,

Truth, though sometimes hurtful, can be spoken respectfully,

Deceit and lies will dishonor and provoke,

And remember, we can’t unscramble the scrambled egg yolk,

When something is irreversible, it’s irreversible,

So, let’s make our words kind and purposeful,

“Whatever is true,

whatever is honorable, whatever is just,

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,

whatever is commendable,

 if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”- Phillipians 4:8,

If we think first, before our mouths speak, it won’t be too late!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  9/4/2021

Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

 Thankful, Grateful, Blessed Are We

Thanksgiving is not usually a holiday that gets much attention,
Halloween fun has passed, and we are looking forward to Christmas Vacation!
Families get together for Thanksgiving- yes, they do,
For turkey and dressing, and football too,
But are we filled with joy for the bounty we have?
Are we truly thankful? Do our hearts need a healing salve?
Thanksgiving holiday? …4-Day weekend, sublime,
How do we intend to spend this precious time?
We need to be thankful to the One above,
We should be grateful for His promises and eternal love,
His blessings are rich, and his mercy is never ending,
His sacrifice was personal from the beginning,
He is the King of Glory; His grace is all sufficient,
Not only is He omnipresent, but He is omnipotent,
A holiday of Thanks is well worth a celebration,
Because of the God who reigns, we give exaltation,
Thankful, grateful, blessed are we,
Lord, we live to worship thee!
Tammy Harvey
Written: 9/4/2021

This poem was inspired by a 1990 song by Don Moen called "Give Thanks (with a Grateful Heart)".

Good-bye, Hello

 

Limbo

Ever been caught in limbo?
It’s the midpoint between what is and what will be,
Waiting on the inevitable to happen, don’t you see?
It is a wrapping up of one end, while the other end is on the horizon,
It is transition at its finest. It takes patience and the surprise is…
You don’t have to stop living during the transition,
That is hard to do, I say as an admission:
I am waiting on my new house to be built nearby,
I am leaving my 30 years in this house with a sad “good-bye”,
It’s the end of a book with so many chapters to remember,
But the beginning of a new book that starts in December,
This new book is one whose pages are all still blank,
And so, I’m in limbo, to be perfectly frank,
The waiting is bittersweet as the excitement increases,
Chapter 1 will be called: “Picking up the Pieces”,
My life as a widow is starting to sink in,
I never expected this is the way it would end,
Yes, the first book’s ending was a total shock,
But I open the next book with resilience, and God as my rock.

Tammy Harvey
Written: 9/3/2021