Carol A. Hand
The joyous chatter of chickadees
draws my gaze and I smile
watching their play
hopping and flitting from the downed limbs
left by the last wind storm
to the still leafy cottonwood branches above
I suspect the birds will be gone
if I leave to get a camera
but I figure it’s worth a try
*
*
Alas, I was right
My camera catches a different scene
reminding me of the seemingly impossible
challenges of these times
I am not sure if the scene
is best captured in color or black and white
*
*
I remember the dreams
of the neighbor who once lived there
to help low income elders
shared when I helped her cut brush
Her dreams held hostage by a parasitic bank
and at best put on hold through foreclosure
There are times like today
as the first real snow is falling
*
*
that offer me a few moments to wonder
“When does adversity spark resilience?”
“And when does it crush the spirit of hope instead?”
Perhaps it requires making the decision anew
to hold onto our dreams anyway
each time we are faced
with a seemingly impossible challenge?
Sometimes it feels like a lesson
that will take more than one lifetime to learn
I hear you.
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thank you for revealing, Carol
what deeply is embedded
in those shapes, colors
& monochrome 🙂
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Very heartfelt, Carol, to see an abandoned home when there are so many homeless people among us, and, even more, to learn of the former homeowner’s shattered dreams. Oh, cruel world!
Resilience, I believe, sparks when the stakes are high.
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Very thoughtful and thought provoking. I’m grateful for your perspectives; I see something new…always.
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When money colors everything, we’re left with the starkness of black and white. The moral of the story is if you don’t want to spoil how you see the picture, don’t let money color everything (at least, that’s one way of looking at it).
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Thoughtful words that need pondering… Well done, Carol.
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❤️
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Thank you, dear Candice. Sending my best wishes to you. 💜
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Wonderful, Carol!
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Beautiful. Those playful birds make me think of resilience. A dream has been ruined, an earnest effort has been abandoned. In that same site where this painful story unfolded, birds have appeared with their lively chatters, to inspire us once more.
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Very fine poem. The bankers and uninspired try to steal the light, but it’s still there, sometimes not much, but like that small chickadee, the more you seek it out the more there will be. It’s good to ponder lessons that will take many lifetimes to figure out – it assures there is no experts telling us the way. 🙂 Thanks for the post Carol. Take care Friend! Bob
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Wisdom. 🙂
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Love the texture of the black and white photos. Some say it’s the only true form of photography, Carol.
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And why are some lessons so hard to hold on to?
Hi Carol, it looks like you are swiftly moving through the seasons. Hope you are well…Happy Thanksgiving just a little early 😉
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Your words always a salve for the wounds of the stressful world Carol. I hope all is well with you. Peace
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