Nestled in the safety of a hollowed out red oak lived a colony of bees that thrived. Resources were plentiful. The workers danced about and zipped around with joy. They were happy and the queen was secure. However, it wouldn’t always be that way.

Workers play many different roles such as raising the brood, performing housekeeping duties, protecting the hive. The particular worker that we will fol...

Your singularity

Is an attractive quality.

Individuality

Among a sea

Of perfectionism.

Please, tend to think less

Of others’ opinions.

I must confess

They should not press

On your unique soul.

Confidence.

Reassurance.

Your presence

Is encouraging.

Shattered stigma.

New euphoria.

We all need

What you have to give....

Quiet. Slow. Anxious. Three words that others use to define me. Definitions that have trailed me the majority of my life. For so long I felt ashamed of these qualities. Different. Less than. Jealous. If only I could be outgoing as this person or quick to speak as that person. If I could be playful, spunky, spry. If others could simply see the value in my God given approach to the world.

Kindergar...

Mother can masquerade

And behave

Like she’s ok

Most days.

Father can hide

Behind his pride

And masculine drive

To try

Not to fall behind

In life.

They give a smile and kiss

While falling amiss

Into a deep abyss

Of misery.

Neither want to call it quits.

Neither want to admit defeat.

They seemed so perfect, but

Rotting flowers can still smell sweet....

He had been so charming at first, sweeping her off her feet and enveloping her in love. But now, he was no charming gentleman. He was The Hunter. And she was his prey. Not in a physical sense, but she frequently felt torn to pieces and her mind consumed by his sharp tongue and torturous pride.

The Hunter was a signal phrase to her empathetic friend when he was leaning heavy into the narcissim. He...

My mind is a garden,

my thoughts are the seeds.

I can grow flowers,

Or I can grow weeds.

My thoughts fly around,

Getting caught in the breeze

Of rushing through life

And wishing for ease.

There is much to do

With so little time.

How do I care for others

When I can barely care for mine?

I have to do this.

I need to do that.

But I can’t concentrate.

Where is my mind at?

This makes me angry.

That...

Gazing into the still calm water of the sea, I don’t recognize the person staring back. Too much pain and heartache have occurred in recent years that have brought wrinkles and grey hair to the once beautiful smoothe faced brunette. More so I don’t recognize the hard heart and crushed soul. In days past she would have been full of love and life freely giving her excess to all around. That isn’t so...

“I think I just met the happiest person in the world!” My mother on the other end of the conversation listened intently excited to hear something uplifting. We shared daily phone calls for most of my adult life and she was always eager to hear about the latest news. As of late it seemed like she was my sounding board for everything that caused stress in my life.

Today started like any other day. ...