Inspiration from Marla West, additional line from Art Jones 

The Last Trip - May 24, 2024

We knew this would be our last trip,

But we were excited to go.

We planned in advance for months

And saved up plenty of dough.

We knew this would be our last trip.

Should it be to the gorgeous sea

Or to the majestic mountaintops,

Where the eagles fly, lonely and free?

We knew this would be our last trip,

We hoped for fantastic weather,

But it really didn’t matter

As long as we were together.

We knew this would be our last trip,

For our bodies were getting old

And our spirits now were cautious,

Where once they had been bold.

We knew this would be our last trip

So we packed our bags and flew

Away for our last trip together,

Just me, just love, just you.

 Not Forgotten   - May 18, 2024

I never knew her, this aunt of mine.

She lived long, long years before my time.

Born premature, she never got the chance

To learn to read, to walk, to dance.

Not quite six weeks old when she passed.

Those weeks, for her parents, must have gone fast.

No chance for her to sing, to go to school,

But Grandma gave her the precious name of Jewel.

She was buried in the graveyard, a child unknown,

With no money at all for a true headstone

But a friend carved a rock in a primitive way

With “Jewel 1926”;  it survives to this day.

She was never forgotten, though never truly known,

And she’s buried in that graveyard, forever all alone.

Baby Jewel’s short story has been passed down through the years,

And like a jewel, she’s treasured,  and remains near and dear.

 Humboldt County - May 14, 2024

I moved here for the weather

I moved here for the trees

I moved here for the beauty

And the cool sea breeze.

I got all that and extra:

Poison Oak, Banana slugs,

Blackberry vines forever,

And ubiquitous pillbugs,

The dense fog hanging over

That dulls the winter days,

And colors my emotions

A dark and dreary gray,

The shaking ground that scares me,

The heavy pouring rains,

But at least there is no traffic

And no need for tire chains.

So Humboldt, here is to you -

The bad and all the good,

You’ll be my home forever,

My beloved neighborhood.

 Aches and Pains   

May 14, 2024

The knees may be feeble,

The back may be weak,

The body may tremble

When the voice wants to speak.

The feet may be tender,

The ears may not hear,

The eyes may be blurry

And filled with wet tears.

The face may be wrinkled,

The hair may be gray,

But fondest reflections 

Will forever stay

And the words to describe them

Are clamb’ring to be sung,

And the heart and the mem’ries

Will always be young.

Yes, the years have piled up,

They may almost be done,

But the heart and the mem’ries

Will always be young.