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In Celebration of Home

Learning

rythm of place,

the passage of time here.

Ever-changing seasons roll by…

one year.

Mindful,

we have lived here,

sleeping, dreaming, waking

in a world of endless wonders,

our home.

Grateful

for sun rising

and setting in splendor,

waxing and waning of the moon,

bright stars.

Peaceful

domain of green woods,

play of light and shadow.

Whispers of breezes, songs of birds

soothe us.

Wisdom

from wild creatures

making their living here

in profusion of simple joys.

Serene.

Peace lives

under our roof.

Love lives within our walls.

Windows frame nature’s spectacle…

souls soar!

Our home…

solace from cares,

sphere of the mind and heart;

dreams and desires find fulfillment

within.

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Copyright© 2021 by Cheryl Batavia

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Although we had planned never to move again, we left our beloved home near the beach and moved inland to escape red tide. This poem celebrates one year in our new home as of February 17, 2021.

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How Long is Forever?

Dear One,

epitome

of patience and kindness,

will you stay with me forever?

Love me.

Promise

me forever…

tenderness and passion,

undying love and loyalty.

Love me.

How long

is forever?

Much longer than never…

an indeterminate journey...

Love me.

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Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

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Happy New Year,

Wonderful Fellow Bloggers!

Things have gotten a little crazy here!

I am taking a break

and will do my best to catch up on my emails.

See you in 2021. ❤ ❤ ❤

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Love Flourishes

Timeless memories,

shared hopes for our tomorrows,

we live in the now.

Our energy wanes.

Wit is replaced by wisdom.

Our love flourishes.

Love lights the twilight.

In winter’s chill, we are warmed

by each other’s gaze.

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Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

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Happy New Year!

❤ ❤ ❤

After six happy years together, we are making it official. We plan to be married in 2021 after the pandemic ends, probably late summer.

We wish you all the joys of the season and a peaceful and prosperous 2021. May love light your life and warm your heart! ❤ ❤ ❤

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Great Discoveries of Love

Like Galileo looking at stars and planets

through his telescope,

I see the light in your eyes.

Just as dinosaur bones are found

buried in rock strata,

we discover a love as old as time.

Like Gregor Mendel’s

cross-pollinated peas,

our love is expressed in varied colors.

Just as Leeuwenhoek found the miracle

of microscopic life in pond water,

we find life’s wonders in ordinary things.

As cosmonaut Valentina Tereskova

explored outer space,

we explore the inner spaces of our minds.

Like the “forty-niners”

mining for gold in California,

I find my treasures in your heart.

As Gandhi changed the world

through nonviolent means,

we live in peace.

As Florence Nightingale

made hospitals survivable,

we take care of each other.

Oil from wells in Titusville

brought new energy to the world,

Likewise, you energize me.

Like Jaques Cousteau,

diving deep into the oceans,

we explore the depths of feeling.

As Sir Edmund Hillary’s expedition

climbed to the peak of Everest,

we climb the heights of inspiration.

Even as Pompeii

was buried by Vesuvius,

we will soon be buried.

I hope, when we are discovered

under the ash and hardened lava,

I will still be holding your hand.

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Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

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I Can Give You Many Things

Flowers made of paper,

penny bubblegum rings,

a Monday morning caper,

the courtesy of kings.

Old newapaper clippings,

walking in the snow,

my last haircut snippings,

a collection of E. A. Poe.

If you want them, take them…

It’s very easy to see

you’re the only item

that’s ever mattered to me!

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Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

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High School Poem

“I can give You Many Things” is another one of my high school poems remembered out of the blue today. It also has a vintage melody that is only in my head and sounds like it could be straight out of 1900.

“The courtesy of kings,” is an old expression referring to being on time. I assure you, I was always late in high school! I might not have been able to keep that promise. E. A. Poe, of course, is the macabre American Poet, Edgar Allan Poe, a perennial favorite of high school students.

Another necessary disclosure: In 1965, you could buy bubble gum for a penny, but it came with a baseball card, not a ring. To get a prize, possibly a ring, you could buy Crackerjacks, a snack made of popcorn and redskin peanuts and coated with a sugary glaze. What can I say? I liked bubble gum and rings, not baseball cards. Maybe it was poetic license. 🙂

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Sweet Nothings

Sugar sprinkle stars

in dark chocolate skies; we

whisper sweet nothings.

Reprinted from Wonders

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Copyright© 2018 by Cheryl Batavia

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Every Precious Day

Sunny days, dark days…

We’re growing old together

every precious day.

You are intellect,

ethics, affection, passion,

thoughtfulness, and joy!

Magic of the moon,

Venus, Mars, and all the stars…

sunshine of your smile.

Wherever I go,

my thoughts are always with you…

Can’t wait to come home!

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Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

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Happy Birthday, Robert!

September 20, 2020

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I Heard Your Name

I walked through surf,

heart pounding,

blood rushing,

and I thought of you.

The sun warmed me,

cheered me,

and sparkled on the water,

and I saw your smile.

The sea held me,

rocked me, and

gently stroked my face,

and I felt your touch.

The breeze and

the seabirds and

the little waves spoke to me,

and I heard your name.

Reprinted from Wonders

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Copyright© 2018 by Cheryl Batavia

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Netting in Lemon Bay

For several hours that morning, in blazing sun,

our group waded in the knee-deep muck

of Lemon Bay, netting sea creatures

and collecting them in pails. Then we gathered

on shore with the naturalist to observe and

discuss the animals we had found:

juvenile flounder, shrimp, tiny crabs…

I left a bit early because I had a lunch date

with a man who lived nearby.

We had been communicating on Plenty of Fish

and were meeting for the first time.

Woops! There were no showers at the park!

I cleaned up the best I could with a wet towel.

Still sweaty on top and muddy on the bottom,

I went to meet my date at Chili’s.

We met in the parking lot with a hug

and a kiss on the cheek, not my usual handshake.

We talked for two hours over chicken fajitas.

Time flew by! I felt I had known him forever!

…That’s how I met my soul mate!

Reprinted from Life in Inspiring Places

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Copyright© 2019 by Cheryl Batavia

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Robert and I have been together for six very happy years since that meeting at Chili’s. I was sixty-five, and he was sixty-six when we met. My husband had been dead for over twelve years before I started dating, and I had nearly given up on ever finding a soul mate… someone with whom I have so much in common!

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Rain on the Roof

Dawn, rain on the roof,

magnificent thunder storm.

Cuddling with you.

Reprinted from Wonders

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Copyright© 2018 by Cheryl Batavia