Three Word Wednesday - Open your eyes

Three Word Wednesday - Open your eyes

Prompts: Enchanting, adjective: delightfully charming or attractive.

Fanatical, adjective: filled with excessive and single-minded zeal, obsessively concerned with something.

Giddy, adjective: having a sensation of whirling and a tendency to fall or stagger; dizzy, disorienting and alarming, but exciting, excitable and frivolous; verb: make (someone) feel excited to the point of disorientation.

She was enchanting and fun

He was fanatical and dull

Crunching numbers every day

She was giddy with life

Seizing it in both hands

He watched her from a far

Wondering what she had

To be so happy about

She was poor

She worked too long

As a waitress and a cook

Yet her smile never wavered

He decided he needed her

So he could take her joy

And make it his

For his life was miserable

And oh so tedious

Surely such a treasure should be his?

He spruced himself up

Put on fake smiles and manners

But she saw through him

And refused him

Yet she continued to smile

One day when he came to the diner

She wasn’t there

The other waitress sullen

And deadly  dull

Told him she’d married her true love

He vowed to change that day

And find joy within and without

That’s when he opened his eyes

To the woman who had

For ten long years

Smiled at him

Every morning at the coffee shop

On her way to work

She was the one

He decided 

His own true love

He'd found his happiness

Won

                                                       ©Sheilagh Lee May 18, 2016

Three Word Wednesday- Matter

Three Word Wednesday- Matter

Babble, verb: talk rapidly and continuously in a foolish, excited, or incomprehensible way, reveal something secret or confidential by talking impulsively or carelessly, make the continuous murmuring sound of water flowing over stones; noun: the sound of people talking quickly and in a way that is difficult or impossible to understand, foolish, excited, or confused talk.

Cherish, verb: protect and care for (someone) lovingly, hold (something) dear, keep (a hope or ambition) in one's mind.

Damned, adjective: (in Christian belief) condemned by God to suffer eternal punishment in hell, used for emphasis, especially to express anger or frustration, used to emphasize the surprising nature of something (damnedest).

I babble when I meet new people

I’ll be damned if I know why

Or maybe I do

I’m nervous and shy

I speak of the weather

Sometimes I say too much

About family or me

But I remember to listen

Intently to what they have to say

For I cherish the company

The stories they bring

The worlds they open up to me

Just paying attention

Can make their day

And mine

Brighter, happier

Feeling like we both matter.

                                                           ©Sheilagh Lee May 11, 2016

Happy Mother's Day Mom

Mom it doesn't seem so long ago

I had to say goodbye

Although as the years have gone bye

I still find my self thinking of you

I miss your loving smile

And your warm embrace

The changing expressions on your face

I miss your encouragement

Your steadfast love 
And you always being there
I pick up the phone
And want to call you
To tell you 
Good news and bad

Somehow it doesn’t seem fair

That you are not there

To see your grandchildren

Succeed and grow into adults

To see me finally succeed
In writing  and publishing my books

But I know you’re there in heaven

Though it’s been many long years
Without you

That you watch over us 
And look in a time or two

And still whisper encouragement 

That we know is from you.

I want to wish you 
Peace and joy and say

Thanks Mom for being you
Thanks for your patience
And love
Even when you struggled yourself
And being there all the days

I had with you 
Because they were the best, 
All good because you made it so    

Because you loved your children

And showed us each and every day

How lucky we were to have you 

And show us the way to be the people 
We are today.

Thanks Mom 
I'll always love you.
Happy Mother's Day
©Sheilagh Lee May 8, 2016

Three Word Wednesday - Daughter Mine

Prompts: Tantrum, noun: an uncontrolled outburst of anger and frustration, typically in a young child.

Tear, verb: make a hole or split in (something) by pulling it or piercing it with a sharp implement, come apart; rip; noun: a hole or split in something caused by it having been pulled apart forcefully, a spell of great success or excellence in performance, a brief spell of erratic behavior; a binge or spree.

Tender, adjective: showing gentleness and concern or sympathy, (of food) easy to cut or chew; not tough, (of a plant) easily injured by severe weather and therefore needing protection, (of a part of the body) sensitive to pain, young, immature, and vulnerable, requiring tact or careful handling.

Daughter Mine

When she was very young

My daughter used to go on a tear

When she didn't get her way

She was spoiled 

People said

They didn't seem to understand

She just would become overwhelmed

Throw tantrums and lose her way

She couldn't remember 

What she wanted anymore

It was embarrassing for her parents

We couldn't take her anywhere 

For long, or tears would erupt 

We'd let her chill out 

Tenderly giving her time

To calm and then she'd be okay

Eventually she outgrew them 

By the time she went to school

She was never meek, never mild

She was however polite

A little headstrong 

But advanced beyond her peers

Taking special advanced classes

She excelled and blossomed

She's all grown up now 

She's found her way

She is a children's librarian

With extra patience on her side

The children love her

Quiet strength and wonderful programs

That make them laugh and smile

She's a wonder 
And I'm so proud of 

That beautiful brilliant

Sweet loving daughter

Of mine

 ©Sheilagh Lee April 27, 2016

Three Word Wednesday- Peacemaker

Pacify, verb: quell the anger, agitation, or excitement of, bring peace to (a country or warring factions), especially by the use or threatened use of military force.

Rage, noun: violent, uncontrollable anger, an instance of aggressive behavior or violent anger caused by a stressful or frustrating situation, (the rage) a widespread temporary enthusiasm or fashion, intense feeling, especially prophetic, poetic, or martial enthusiasm or ardor; verb: feel or express violent uncontrollable anger, continue with great force or intensity, (of an illness) spread very rapidly or uncontrollably, (of an emotion) have or reach a high degree of intensity.

Scarce, adjective: (especially of food, money, or some other resource) insufficient for the demand, occurring in small numbers or quantities; rare; adverb: scarcely.

Peacemaker

I like to pacify

Conflicts I like to avoid

For I like the peaceful waves

But once in awhile

Though scarce it’s true

A rage builds in me

And things spill out

Verbal diarrhea of all the things

That people have done to wrong me

A wave of anger

Swiftly gone

Peace comes over me

For a few moments

Until regret is there

I apologize

Peace reigns. 

©Sheilagh Lee April 20, 2016

Three Word Wednesday- Soldier on

Three Word Wednesday- Soldier

Melancholy, noun: a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause; adjective: having a feeling of melancholy; sad and pensive, causing or expressing sadness; depressing.

Nimble, quick and light in movement or action; agile, (of the mind) quick to comprehend.

Opaque, not able to be seen through; not transparent, (especially of language) hard or impossible to understand; unfathomable; noun: an opaque thing or substance.

Soldier

Bouts of melancholy

Come to me

From time to time

I ponder life’s

Most powerful question

Why?

Some questions should remain

Unanswered, however needed

Like why is the sky blue?

I could answer scientifically

Or make up some answer nimbly

About something being opaque

But the answer should be

Because it is

Some answers are unattainable

And we need to agree

There is no answer

Before we move on

To acceptance of what

We cannot change

What will be

Will be

We soldier on.

Dad

The sun is shining

And I imagine 

You peeking

Through the clouds

Looking down at your children

And smiling

At how we’ve turned out

I know you watch over us

And keep us safe

Just like you did in life

We miss you though

                      

Your lopsided sweet smile
Your funny tee shirts

Your history lessons

Your love of Scotland 

and Ireland

All you taught us

Happy birthday Dad

 ©Sheilagh Lee April 12, 2016

April is the cruelest month

April is the cruelest month

April, the taste of spring on the lips

A fresh warm breeze with the smell

Of new growth and flowers

Rain that soaks the skin

And ground pooling in the ruts

Lightning flashes the sky

And then in natures cruel trick

The weather turns cold

And feathery white, crystal

Flakes like cobwebs of lace

Drift down, coating the ground

Covering natures latest attempt at spring

A chill permeates the air

Driving people indoors

To warmth and cozy fires

Until spring has sprung again

And the snow is no more

                                                     ©Sheilagh Lee April 11, 2016

Three Word Wednesday - Vicious Circle

Three Word Wednesday - Vicious Circle

Impolite, adjective: not having or showing good manners; rude.

Knotted, verb: fasten with a knot, make (something, especially hair) tangled, cause (a muscle) to become tense and hard, (of the stomach) tighten as a result of nervousness or tension.

Livid, adjective: furiously angry, dark bluish gray in color.

The child asks 

A simple question

The father yells

You're impolite

The father's eyes knotted

Livid with anger

Arms reach out 

Slap,slap slap

The child shrinks

Into it's herself

Trapped 

A neverending cycle

Of women taught

To be meek

Quiet and subservient

To men

                                                             ©Sheilagh Lee April 6, 2016

Three Word Wednesday - Vacation

Elated, adjective: in high spirits; exultant or proud.

Flicker, verb: (of light or a source of light) shine unsteadily; vary rapidly in brightness, of a flame) burn fitfully, alternately flaring up and dying down, (of a feeling or emotion) be experienced or show itself briefly and faintly, especially in someone's eyes, make small, quick movements; flutter rapidly, (of someone's eyes) move quickly in a particular direction in order to look at something; noun: an unsteady movement of a flame or light that causes rapid variations in brightness, a tiny movement, a brief feeling or indication of emotion.

Halting, adjective: slow and hesitant, especially through lack of confidence; faltering.

A flicker of awareness

Elated to find

The world of nature 

Can be a halting 

Haunting and lovely

Visiting another place

Unfamiliar and so different

A wonderful place 

To escape the pressures

Of everyday life

With loved ones

Thankful 

For nature's favour given

Renewal begins

©Sheilagh Lee March 30, 2016

( The first two pictures are of Lake Louise, the third Banff, the next the badlands in Drumheller where the Tyrrell Museum is,  a dinosaur relic  from the museum, penguins from the Calgary Zoo and the Bow River in downtown Calgary, the Calgary skyline,  and downtown Calgary.)