Fickle

Emotions are fickle and ever changing,
Logic and reasoning are more reliable.
To rule your life by the heart,
will lead to confusion and pain.
Decisions based on logic can be painful,
but the pain can be analyzed and accepted.

A Grain of Sand

Far above the ocean floor a wave has carried me

Tossing, churning, traveling, toward the place I long to be

 

Each wave carries me closer to the warm summer shore

Where adventure and dreams wait for me; in the water I will live no more

 

In a drop of salty spray I am tossed upon the sand,

Expectantly, anxiously, waiting for my new life to begin

 

Another wave rushes toward the shore, pushing me again

Thrown past rocks and pebbles, my aquatic adventure ends

 

Nestled on the beach, basking in the summer sun,

The water can no longer reach me here, lighter I become

 

I dream of adventure, of traveling across the sand

Perhaps in the shoe of a child or stuck to someone’s hand

Or maybe a young couple, strolling on the beach

Will lift me from the surface, letting me stick to their feet

 

Life out of the water, brings joy to a grain of sand

Washing up on a sunlit beach, my summer vacation at hand

Last Wishes

When I perish from this earth
Here is my last request
Do not stick me in a box
For all eternities rest

I want to float on oceans
I want to travel the distant sea
Cremate me very quickly then
And let my body be

My ashes shall travel further
Than my body ever did
Don’t put me in the ground
For my body to become a sieve

Don’t let worms eat me
Or developers remove me
Let my final resting place
Be settled by the ocean’s pace

Free of the earth’s restraints
My remains can nourish wide
Fishes, whales and dolphins
Can give my ashes a ride

From the sea we came
And to the sea we return
Let me finish life’s circle
Without a body interned

Mountain Rain

Rain gently falls on the
Mountain top, softly
Lightly lands, not ceasing,
Never soaking

Drops draw together
Finding their way over
Grassland and stones, pushing
Pebbles before

It moves effortlessly down
The mountain, becoming
A stream, a creek, then a river
Swollen and full

To the distant ocean,
The gentle Mountain rain
Collectively, persistently
Finds its way home

In the Sea

If I’d been born a whale
No happier could I be
Swimming, splashing, spy hopping
Roaming the open sea

If I’d been born a jelly fish
No happier could I be
Floating, bobbing, trailing
Drifting from sea to sea

If I’d been born a lobster
No happier could I be
Crawling along the ocean floor
Living in the sea

If I’d been born a seahorse
No happier could I be
Swimming among the rocks and plants
At the bottom of the sea

But I was born a human and
No happier could I be
Because I can swim in the ocean
And see what’s in the sea

A Book is in the Works!

I finally decided on a topic for my non-fiction book. It will be about teaching children to write poetry as a parent and child project. I am still working on a title…perhaps something like “Finding the Poet in Your Child”. It will not be a long book, only 9 chapters; but it will be full of ideas on helping the parent and child create poetry together.

Dingy at Sea

The fog can be a lonely place
When you’re a dingy out at sea
With only the sounds to guide you
No light, no landmarks, no breeze.

Separated from land,
When you’re a dingy out at sea
You are a vessel without a mooring,
A daunting thing to be

College Again

As my son enters his second semester at college, I wonder if I should take some more classes? Considering how many times I have hit the wrong keys, perhaps a typing class would be a good idea!

JOB Interview Tips

Tips on what NOT to do in an interview:

• Don’t come a half an hour early. 5 minutes early is more than enough.
• Don’t bring your own cup of Starbucks coffee to the interview. It’s not professional.
• Don’t touch your face or twirl your hair during the interview.
• Write a short thank you note right away. Be short and sweet, but specific.
• Send an e-card Thank You with your professional profile links.
• If the interviewer asks you to take a skill test after, take it when they ask you to.
• Talk about your success stories with other employers. Consider creating and updating a LinkedIn.com web page – post your resume there for future employers to see. Keep the LinkedIn page professional.
• Don’t arrive with wet hair, dirty clothes or beat up shoes.
• Don’t have disgusting breath. Brush your teeth or chew gum BEFORE the interview.
• Don’t chew gum or eat during an interview.
• Don’t say “I still haven’t figured out what I want to do yet.”
• Do your homework and be prepared to anwer questions about the job and company your are applying to.
• When asked what websites and publications you read, be creative and be HONEST.
• Don’t ask what the hours are. Instead ask “What’s a typical day like here?”
• Don’t send a cover letter e-mail that’s more than one paragraph long.
• Don’t attach your old resume to an e-mail and title it “Resume 2008″.  You should be updating your resume every six months with new job skills and experience. If you have not learned any new skills in six month, take a class and learn something new about your field.
• While at a career fair, don’t talk bad about other candidates.
• If you’re interviewing for a specific job, talk about how your skills fit THAT job…not some other job you hope to get someday.
• Spend at least 30 minutes looking around the company website BEFORE the interview. A common question asked by the interviewer is: “What are your impressions of the site?”
• Plan to ask at least 3 questions after the interview such as can you describe a typical day here? How many years has your best employee worked here? or, What additional skills are you looking for in other job seekers?
• The interviewer cares about filling their current open position.Don’t ask if moving within the company is easy or how quickly will you be promoted.

Family Update

Well, my son has graduated from High School and is now on his way to being a man. Where does the time go? I am grateful for each stage of his growth, but I will miss him terribly when he leaves home. I pray God will keep him safe where ever he decides to go!