ReneeSande
writer
Prose & Poetry
Pull of the Heart
I don’t think I’ve ever felt so bitter towards fall for stealing summer away. The chill in the air has me on edge; it reminds me that I can’t force someone’s heart anymore than I can lasso the sun and keep the earth from tilting. But it doesn’t keep the foolish me from wanting to scream at the earth, “How does it feel to just give up the fight and leave so much warmth, light and promise behind?” We were just really beginning to see each other, feel the other in ourselves. The way you looked at me that night - you remember the look - like seeing a piece of your soul in someone else’s eyes; at least that’s what I saw. Or when you’d tell me, out of the blue, that I was beautiful. I know you feel the miles between us are too great, that it’s a life on hold, the constant waiting just to feel the other’s breath. However, with the push, often comes a greater pull, undeniable, even from a distance, like water to the moon.
Grateful Wild Heart
The winding path draws me in So down I go! Leaves brushing my cheeks Feather soft, tickling my arms & making me smile. Moss-covered rocks Like little emerald, earthen pillows Beneath my feet As I run Towards a place I can only imagine, as purely magical. And the sunshine Is falling falling falling Onto my shoulders And filling me up.
My Furry Guru
Running beside me Your ears flapping in the breeze Feeling free as the birds that careen to and fro, all around us, Seeming to rejoice in our choosing to release. The river races with us As it will until nothing is left It calls out to her Eventually - always - wins her over By the promises she knows it will always keep. Drawn like a bird to its nest She can already feel the smooth pebbles where her feet will come to rest And the cool, soothing of the wet embracing her buoying her like an old friend. I find a place to sit and sink into it, bit by bit Slowly giving in to just being here Watching her Feeling every millisecond of this moment. Not looking forward or back Not thinking of to-do lists today, must-dos later should-dos someday Releasing the need to do better, be better, faster, stronger In a life, when stripped down only goes one speed. asks only one thing always - patiently - waits for us to take heed. And I see it in her every day Following her instinct, her heart, her spirit For she knows no other way. Her eyes thank me for understanding her. Wise, those eyes For they also seem to say “You’re finally beginning to understand yourself.”
Our Moon
The moon flooded the night As if in search of us Calling us to its ambrosial glow Daring us to eclipse its spectral beauty With our own. Wild & sweetly surreal The perfect night was ours My head in your hands Your heart against mine Like we were chosen To realize all that we should be What could be ours Beyond the night.
Oregon
In my hand is a memory Of days by the ocean. I close my eyes and breathe in deep That intoxicating feeling of calm and exhilaration coming alive in me at just the thought Taking me back - To a beautiful sea of blue-grey stones at my feet The wind coming in like a lion and just as suddenly retreating like a lamb Playfully stealing my breath then giving it back, as if to say, “Life is a gift; breathe it in deep while you can.” I smell the heady brine of the deep colliding with the fresh verdancy of spring Raw, wild and pungent earth awakening. I look up to see rosy cheeks and noses beneath dancing eyes, atop cherub mouths Rays of sunshine on this beautiful blue-grey day. Happiness spills out of me theirs inextricably mine I witness divine innocence as they live every minute in the present. Pulled in by their joy, I take a step then stop briefly to pick up a stone Its perfectly smooth exterior belying the storms that it’s weathered It’s depth of color a testament to its journey. Holding on tight I say a little prayer grounding me comforting me. Then I tuck it into my pocket and continue Feeling its weight lifting me.
Shell Cottage
Sweet Shell Cottage. Your love-worn walls and rough-hewn edges tell a story - Of carefree days spent by the ocean of sandcastles and inspired notions Flickers of firelight and memories nestled deep in the soul Divine devotion. Of contented nights sharing, laughing gazing at the blanket of stars above comforting us, tucking us into our own little corner of the universe where we would feel so weightless as if gravity didn’t exist and we could float right up to meet them. Of a resting place where time is measured, not in the race of keeping up but in the pages of a book the lingering around the dinner table the span of a fox sparrow’s song and the pitter-patter of the rain drip drops. Of a refuge - from days speeding by, where flowers are left un-revered and noise crowds your head but leaves a void that longs to be filled- Here. At Shell Cottage.
Midnight Blue
Midnight blue Is me missing you. In a sky full of stars only you light my heart. But while I love you so I will let you go. And watch the sun rise over the hill.