If I could go back in time I would fix my wrongs, I would sing new songs And mend all hate And open the gate

Red cardinal dancing On white snow, How regal you appear With your cloak of red, How it cheers my heart

Photos are all I have At times, Of smiling familiar faces, My family spread out. I would travel often

I remember your smile, your laugh,… you gave so freely. It’s hard that you are gone. I sigh and walk along the bay.

Rolling painted deserts of the west. Shrub bushes dot sloping hillsides. Relentless sun heats up

It is what it is Despite my wishes for it, Otherwise. You are who you are Despite my expectations,

Brown hawk with spotted tail, soaring on the wind, balancing like a sail. Your piercing cry

The misty, night rain, Soaking bare trees, Bringing nourishment. I stand at the window, A steady beat echoes

My spirit communes with the four directions: To the north are in-laws, our aging mother, her last

Life is not fair at times... But of course things Change quickly down the line, We are born into a No guarantee world.

On this New Year’s Eve Direction lost Drifting like blowing snow To and fro. A freeze comes

As I age this last quarter of my life, I am fading into the background. As I let go of roles,

There is my shadow, A dark outline of this body And yet, it also holds, The hidden imperfections Of my existence.

The many places I have been And countless faces I have seen, The many tales to be told, Into the universe, they unfold. It’s all a passing show,