The Trio

An icy gust shadows him around the corner grazing his earlobe, cold chills ripple down his spine. But his Italian wool threads not only portray prosperity, but they also combat the frosty temperature while he slides onto black leather behind the wheel. Success sits in his suit pocket, having propelled him to the top rung of the corporate ladder. He accelerates in the Night Blue Porsche. A satisfied smile forms because he knows his arrival is highly anticipated.

Down the street, she walks in her own bubble, and it’s as though she controls that gust, tamping it down to a gentle breeze. Her silver heels click on the sidewalk as she moves effortlessly. With cell on speaker, passersby become privileged to thrilling updates, and then she adds, “Have you heard the latest?” But gentle breeze be gone, she buttons up
her long, wine-red coat, tightening the belt as the roaring wind wraps around her like a python. When the hailed driver meets the curb, she smugly skims over the back seat, phone chat undisturbed.

And across the way, huddled against a weathered building, he daydreams of warmth, the wind chill forcing its way through his tattered jacket – he fantasizes about lying beneath layers of fleece and wool, comfort permeating from his shaggy long brown hair to his olive-green socks full of holes. But no complaints slip through his chattering teeth. Homelessness may be his current address; however, sadness will never be his default emotion. Instead, his eyes watch as his mind formulates hope.

© Lauren Scott, baydreamerwrites – All rights reserved.
Photo: Pixabay
A repost/revision.

Other Worlds

Wealth comes in many
fabulous shapes…

Hardbacks, paperbacks,
they sit on the shelves,
waiting patiently
for their pages to be turned,
the simple, blissful touch,
but some rest with elation
knowing their stories
and poetic thoughts
have been liberated,
pages dog-eared for
another reading,
the words having
touched a chord.
Seams of the bookcase
stretch like stitches
in too-tight jeans.
The bookcase itself
bulges like a belly satisfied
from a hearty meal.
I feel excitement of a child
wandering through a toy store
when I peruse new
for the shelves…
Is it fair to own so many
captivating adventures
and poetic musings?
Quiet moments await
for me to immerse
into those other worlds…

© Lauren Scott, baydreamerwrites – All rights reserved.
Photos: just a few from the bulging bookcase.

An Act of Kindness and Renewed Faith in Humanity

It was that time again to stock up the pantry and fridge, so I meandered through the grocery store, strolling up one aisle and down the next until everything on my list was checked off. When I was standing in line with a full cart for just a few minutes, I noticed the man behind me holding only two items in his hands. “Would you like to go ahead of me?” I offered.

“Oh, no thank you. I’m fine.” He replied.

“No, really. I don’t mind waiting.” I insisted, so he humbly accepted. While he paid for his items, I read a new text from my husband that just pinged. When I looked up, the man was finishing the transaction.

“Thanks again for your kindness,” he said to me, while gently tossing a $50 bill that I watched float through the air as in slow motion, landing on my loaf of bread! “Oh, my gosh! I can’t accept that!” I was shocked to see the money in the first place, but then realizing it was a $50 bill had me flabbergasted!

“Please, take it. Your kindness has renewed my faith in humanity.” He gently enforced and literally sprinted out of the store, vanishing in seconds. I stood there with Darlene, the checker staring back at me, the biggest smile brightening her face, both of us amazed at the man’s equaled kindness and generosity. She told me to accept the gift, so my first thought was to pass it onto her. Darlene was friendly and so kind, making each customer feel like the most important person in the world, exuding true customer service. And yet, she was not allowed to accept cash gifts. So, I reluctantly slipped the fifty into my purse, waves of shock still rippling through me as I exited the store.

There is no barometer in measuring the value of kindness, but it is apparent that kindness comes in all forms, and I can’t wait to pay it forward to reaffirm this generous man’s faith in humanity.

© Lauren Scott, baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.
Images: Pixabay

The End-All

Happy New Year! Wishing you all a healthy and joyful 2023
filled with an abundance of creativity, and I hope you enjoy
my first poetic offering for the new year…

The End-All

This poem isn’t meant to signify the end-all.
It really shouldn’t, nor does it intend
to lug around such a label…too much liability.

Instead, it dreams of opening like soft petals
of a springtime bloom reveling in the first kiss of sunshine.

It wishes to open like the door of a little quaint cottage
adorned in pastel blues and delicate yellows,
welcoming you inside

as if to offer a cup of tea and a plate of shortbread
so you might feel relaxed and rejuvenated,
but most of all, so you would feel accepted.

© Lauren Scott, baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.

❤️


Ringing in 2023!!!

The holiday break has been wonderful spending time with family, and I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, as well. As we’re about to ring in and clink to a new year, I’m sharing some wisdom from an older post…thoughts to ponder as we decide what changes to make for the next twelve months. Are we going to do things the same way and expect different, better outcomes? Or are we going to make necessary changes so that the outcomes reveal the hopes we hold?

I haven’t made resolutions, but I am in the middle of working on a new poetry collection that will be released in the spring. And a few more book ideas simmer on the horizon, too. There’s nothing like creative projects to keep our minds busy in that feel-good mode. So, I will welcome 2023 with open arms, excited for new possibilities. Below is that wisdom I mentionedit’s all about finding and keeping a balance…

BALANCE SHEET OF LIFE:

  • The most destructive habit………Worry
  • The greatest joy………………..Giving
  • The greatest loss….Loss of self-respect
  • The most satisfying work…..Helping Others
  • The ugliest personality trait…..Selfishness
  • The greatest “shot in the arm”…….Encouragement
  • The greatest problem to overcome……Fear
  • The most effective sleeping pill……..Peace of Mind
  • The most crippling failure disease……..Excuses
  • The most powerful force in life……….Love
  • The most dangerous act…..Gossip
  • The world’s most incredible computer….The Brain
  • The worst thing to be without…………Hope
  • The deadliest weapon………………………..The Tongue
  • The two most power-filled words………I Can!
  • The greatest asset………………….Faith
  • The most worthless emotion……….Self-pity
  • The most beautiful attire……………Smile
  • The most prized possession………………Integrity
  • The most powerful channel of communication…..Prayer
  • The most contagious spirit…………..Enthusiasm

LIFE ends when you stop DREAMING.

HOPE ends when you stop BELIEVING.

LOVE ends when you stop CARING.

“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
~ C.S. Lewis

Wishing you all a safe and fun celebration
and a very Happy New Year!

Comments are closed, but I look forward to seeing you all in 2023! I’ll return some time in January.

Sending New Year hugs,

Lauren ❤️🎉

© Lauren Scott, baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.
photo: pixabay

Merry Wishes with a Sprinkle of Sugar!

Christmas time is not only a season of Love, Giving, and Hope, it is a season of remembering…our minds return to the days when loved ones who have passed celebrated with us. And when I came across this old photo of our children from 1997, I couldn’t help the feeling of warm and fuzzy in my heart.

A season of noble fir fragrance, festive decorations that bring joy…

and cozy evenings with a flickering fire or dancing candlelight.

A season of traditional baking while adding a new sinfully, delicious recipe…

Toffee Bars:

1 c. salted butter, 1/2 c. sugar, 2 c. flour, 1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts (optional), 1/2 c. toffee chips

Directions: soften butter and mix with sugar and flour. Add toffee chips and nuts. Pat into a 9×13 ungreased pan. Be sure edges are straight. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. While hot, use a pastry brush to spread the glaze on: 1 c. powdered sugar, 3 T. milk, 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Let cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!

And the king of the house (Copper) will not be forgotten, sporting his new holiday hoodie to keep warm in his older years, while he wonders what Santa will bring him this year…

many merry shapes
frosted and sprinkled with love
from my heart to yours

❤️ ❤️ ❤️

This is my last post for the year, and I’ll be on Christmas break
as of tomorrow. So I wish you all a holiday season
filled with lots of love and sweetness!
Thank you for your wonderful visits to read my thoughts in verse and prose.
See you in the New Year! 🎄🎉🎉🎉🎄

© Lauren Scott, baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.

Darker than the Deepest Sea

As this year nears the end, I thought sharing this poem again (though slightly revised) would be timely as we slowly glide into a new beginning…

I view life like a package wrapped in celebratory paper.
The matching ribbons fascinate in their delicate,
entwined camaraderie, so fingers gently unravel,
heartbeat increases from excitement of what will
be found. We lift the lid, peek inside,
our inner child moves to the forefront of our minds.

But we must remember that unlike recyclable paper,
the gift of life cannot be tossed back into the universe.
There is no spare awaiting on the sidelines,
and we should be mindful that the contents require
tenderness with a set of instructions solely
for the recipient, each one of us individually,
as visible as a red rose in a garden of white daisies…

because we are beautifully unique.

Then once we have absorbed the guidelines,
following them with gratitude and tenacity,
the purpose of our gift will reveal itself
as naturally as moonlight on a night
darker than the deepest sea.

© Lauren Scott, baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.
I’ve used this rose before from our garden, but roses seem
to signify many things, and gratitude is one meaning for
this light pink shade.

A Detour

It doesn’t matter the position of sun or moon
or where my feet have landed…
whispers find me,
their tasks needing my attention
at that very moment.

Do whispers wiggle into your mind too
like an annoying song repeating on a loop?

I question if this busyness is urgent enough
to prevent us from breathing in

the fragrance of flowers or admiring
the pageantry of wildlife outside our windows…

Surely our minds,
piled high with clutter,

deserve a detour
for some sweet refuge

now and then…

© Lauren Scott, baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.