A Sea of Santas

Last Saturday, we went to Union Square in San Francisco for some Christmas fun. What we didn’t expect to see is so many Santas! But it wasn’t random; SantaCon was in full force – a bar crawl in festive Christmas costumes. We also saw many elves and The Grinch and Cindy Lou Who! It was fun to see the sea of reds, whites, and greens. I was so tempted to ask a few ‘Santas’ if I could take a photo but chickened out. Watching children ice skate evoked wonderful memories of taking our son and daughter when they were little. Precious memories! After several hours of walking around the Square and lunch at The Cheesecake Factory in Macy’s on the eighth floor, we headed for The Embarcadero to take in the hustle and bustle in The Ferry Building. I couldn’t resist photos of the festivities in general, so here we go:

We had such a wonderful day to add to our holiday celebrations, then the trifecta of tragedies occurred over the course of the weekend. Our emotions were confused. They didn’t know whether to jump for joy from a great day in the city and for our safety, or to surrender to sorrow, feeling deep sadness for the loss, hate, and violence. Honestly, we felt a little of both. And our hearts ache for those who are grieving, especially during this time when the hope is for all to revel in joy. We help in ways that we can, and I hope you all do the same. Any gesture of kindness will make a difference. I wish I could take in all the people who are hurting, not to mention, all the animals that are suffering. I wish I could. And I wish love would prevail over hate…all hope can’t be lost, but it sure flounders at times…

On a lighter note, I pulled a couple poems from my post here to conclude:

This jingle jolly
season delights young hearts as
they bake cookies for
the white-bearded man in red
joy through the eyes of children

‘Tis the season to
be with family and friends
bringing joy to hearts
for their company is the
best gift of all to receive

❤️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks for stopping by. I have a couple more posts before ‘breaking for the holidays’ with my last on the 23rd.
I wish you happiness, love, good health, and safety.
From my heart to yours, Lauren ❤️

The ultimate gift for dog lovers and
pet parents in general. Click on the link
to order your copy. Thank you!

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com
Author and poet, Lauren Scott, enjoys small-town living in the Bay Area with her husband, Matt, of thirty-seven years. Their adult son and daughter live out of state, and with frequent visits and technology, the family of four remains close. Lauren has published four poetry collections, a memoir, and her first children’s book. Her latest poetry collection is a tribute to her family’s Chocolate Labrador who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in spring 2025. Lauren is a recent Pushcart Nominee and has been a guest on several podcasts. Her writing is featured on Spillwords Press where she was voted Author of the Month and garnered Publication of the Month awards. She is a contributing author in several anthologies, and her work is also shared on Gobblers and Masticadores. Her muse discovers inspiration from her family, spending time outdoors, reveling in simple things, and marveling at the mysteries of life.

D. G. Kaye gives Ever So Gently 5 stars!

What a nice surprise to find this lovely review this morning! Debby, thanks again, and I’m so glad you enjoyed my poetry collection and found many of the poems resonating. For those of you who haven’t met Debby, she has written several books that will make you smile, laugh out loud, and grab a tissue. So I encourage you to peruse around her cozy and beautiful site. In her most recent book, Debby writes about her journey through loss. I have read many of her books and loved them, and I will start this beautiful and emotional book soon.

The beginning of Debby’s 5 Star Review for Ever So Gently:

Lauren writes beautiful and heartfelt poetry. In this book she divides the book up into sections of various types of poetry – The Wisdom of Nature, – The Noise, The Laughter, The Chaos, The Loved Ones, and, – Lost in Thought. A lovely mix of story poems from nature to reflections on moment’s in life – reminiscing of poignant and tender moments, firsts, becoming a mom, reflections on life, losses, and her love for her family and pets. The imagery Scott portrays from her words are moving and many so relevant to today’s world

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for popping in today, and have a wonderful week ahead! 💖

We miss Copper this holiday season, but
we’ll find comfort in the photos of him by the tree
,
wearing a Santa hat, or snoozing by the fire.
If you’d like to order a copy, or know someone
who would find comfort in this special collection,
please click on the link. Thank you. xo

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com
Author and poet, Lauren Scott, enjoys small-town living in the Bay Area with her husband, Matt, of thirty-seven years. Their adult son and daughter live out of state, and with frequent visits and technology, the family of four remains close. Lauren has published four poetry collections, a memoir, and her first children’s book. Her latest poetry collection is a tribute to her family’s Chocolate Labrador who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in spring 2025. Lauren is a recent Pushcart Nominee and has been a guest on several podcasts. Her writing is featured on Spillwords Press where she was voted Author of the Month and garnered Publication of the Month awards. She is a contributing author in several anthologies, and her work is also shared on Gobblers and Masticadores. Her muse discovers inspiration from her family, spending time outdoors, reveling in simple things, and marveling at the mysteries of life.

Keep Your Footing

Taken by my son in Colorado

Sometimes,
the road is

unrecognizable –
life turns slippery,
a little messy,
at times,

a bit menacing,
but whatever happens,
keep your footing.
The intuition

that springs
from your gut
will know
when you should
accelerate or break.
Trust is key,
most importantly,
believe in yourself.
The road will continue,
but the daunting will cease.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hope this poem provides consolation
to you who are struggling this holiday season.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for stopping by! ❤️

We miss Copper this holiday season, but
we’ll find comfort in the photos of him by the tree
,
wearing a Santa hat, or snoozing by the fire.
If you’d like to order a copy, or know someone
who would find comfort in this special collection,
please click on the link. Thank you. xo

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com
Author and poet, Lauren Scott, enjoys small-town living in the Bay Area with her husband, Matt, of thirty-seven years. Their adult son and daughter live out of state, and with frequent visits and technology, the family of four remains close. Lauren has published four poetry collections, a memoir, and her first children’s book. Her latest poetry collection is a tribute to her family’s Chocolate Labrador who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in spring 2025. Lauren is a recent Pushcart Nominee and has been a guest on several podcasts. Her writing is featured on Spillwords Press where she was voted Author of the Month and garnered Publication of the Month awards. She is a contributing author in several anthologies, and her work is also shared on Gobblers and Masticadores. Her muse discovers inspiration from her family, spending time outdoors, reveling in simple things, and marveling at the mysteries of life.

Worth breathing for…

Worth Breathing For

There is no better way to say it…
bubbles of joy ripple through each vein
like chilled Champagne.
No darkness falls upon me –
only the sun rests
in its glowing blush
and the inside of my eyelids
is brighter than ever.
Nothing –
no one, not even those
who feel entitled
can jangle my last nerve.
Not one speck of negativity
can supplant this bliss
rolling through my soul
like a consoling breeze
on a mission.
I’m cheering in the stadium
of my own Super Bowl!
When these jubilant feelings
stop by for a visit,
they’re treated like loved ones,
welcomed with open arms
not wanting to let go.
This elation feels like
falling in love for the first time –
worth breathing for…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope one of these extraordinary moments
finds you too, and I wish you a fabulous weekend!
💖

Click on my son’s image to order your copy! ❤️

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com
Author and poet, Lauren Scott, enjoys small-town living in the Bay Area with her husband, Matt, of thirty-seven years. Their adult son and daughter live out of state, and with frequent visits and technology, the family of four remains close. Lauren has published four poetry collections, a memoir, and her first children’s book. Her latest poetry collection is a tribute to her family’s Chocolate Labrador who crossed over the Rainbow Bridge in spring 2025. Lauren is a recent Pushcart Nominee and has been a guest on several podcasts. Her writing is featured on Spillwords Press where she was voted Author of the Month and garnered Publication of the Month awards. She is a contributing author in several anthologies, and her work is also shared on Gobblers and Masticadores. Her muse discovers inspiration from her family, spending time outdoors, reveling in simple things, and marveling at the mysteries of life.

By the Book

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Living by the book
doing what is right
you hold your goals high
clearly in sight.

Number one, check
rejoice with your love
the future looks rosy
yet barriers hang above.

Undetectable
to the naked eye
wouldn’t foresee
in the greatest sky.

The first one drops
devastation of heart
keep moving forward
resilient from the start.

You look for the good
in all people you meet
a mixture of manners
some sour, some sweet.

The second one drops
then number three
the counting has stopped
is this meant to be?

Treatment received
appalling at best
a really good person
put to the test.

The past still haunts
in wee hours of the night
when important goals
are nothing but plight.

You focus on the bliss
not one thought to quit
because no matter what
everyone copes with shit.

Though working hard
is still the best method
the outcome isn’t certain
from great work ethic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com
Does this poem resonate with you or
someone you know? I’d love to hear in the comments.
I haven’t been online in the last few days,
but I’ll read blogs today. Have a good week ahead!
❤️

Click on my son’s image to order your copy! 🧡

Lauren Scott
Author – King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry
Author – Cora’s Quest (a children’s book)
Author – Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poetry
Author – More than Coffee: Memories of Verse and Prose
Author – Finding a Balance: A Collection of Poetry
Author – New Day, New Dreams: A Collection of Poetry
Co-Author – Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku
Co-Author – Petals of Haiku: An Anthology
Co-Author – This Is How We Grow
Co-Author – Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships
Bi-Monthly Contributor on Gobblers by Masticadores
Spillwords Author of the Month May 2023
Spillwords Publication of the Month October 2024
Spillwords Publication of the Month June 2025

Gobblers by Masticadores Publishes “Lost Their Way”

Good morning!

I hope you all had a great weekend! Hello Monday! What a surprise for this morning to find my poem on Gobblers by Masticadores! Thank you so much to Manuela Timofte for sharing my writing. It’s an honor to be featured on her beautiful site among many talented writers. I hope you pay her a visit…

Lost Their Way

If hope was a color, mine would be blue,
struggling like a bird with a broken wing
tears fill weary eyes that blur
they fall with an unforgiving sting
My heart imitates emotional skies
unseen roadblocks disguise a silver lining
Wishing is what I do well, miles between,
my hell, mindset craves refining

You can read the full poem by clicking on the link below…

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© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com
Does this poem resonate? If so, I’d love
to read your thoughts on Gobblers or here.
Happy Monday, thanks for visiting,

and I wish you a wonderful week! ❤️

Click on my daughter’s image to order your copy! 🧡

Lauren Scott
Author – King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry
Author – Cora’s Quest (a children’s book)
Author – Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poetry
Author – More than Coffee: Memories of Verse and Prose
Author – Finding a Balance: A Collection of Poetry
Author – New Day, New Dreams: A Collection of Poetry
Co-Author – Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku
Co-Author – Petals of Haiku: An Anthology
Co-Author – This Is How We Grow
Co-Author – Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships
Bi-Monthly Contributor on Gobblers by Masticadores
Spillwords Author of the Month May 2023
Spillwords Publication of the Month October 2024
Spillwords Publication of the Month June 2025

Lost Their Way

If hope was a color, mine would be blue,
struggling like a bird with a broken wing
tears fill weary eyes that blur
they fall with an unforgiving sting
My heart imitates emotional skies
unseen roadblocks disguise a silver lining
Wishing is what I do well, miles between,
my hell, mindset craves refining
Well-being and safety are central
forever and always beyond a wingspan
but distance from this familiar coast –
missing so much wasn’t the plan
A welcoming ring brings fleeting ease
the laughter, the conversation flows
then words of goodbye, reluctantly
and my delicate heart knows
I’ve tried my best to be the best, but maybe…
weakness bleeds into the role I play
clock’s hands move faster without you
minutes have lost their way

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com

Click on my daughter’s image to order your copy! 🧡


Lauren Scott
Author – King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry
Author – Cora’s Quest (a children’s book)
Author – Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poetry
Author – More than Coffee: Memories of Verse and Prose
Author – Finding a Balance: A Collection of Poetry
Author – New Day, New Dreams: A Collection of Poetry
Co-Author – Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku
Co-Author – Petals of Haiku: An Anthology
Co-Author – This Is How We Grow
Co-Author – Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships
Bi-Monthly Contributor on Gobblers by Masticadores
Spillwords Author of the Month May 2023
Spillwords Publication of the Month October 2024
Spillwords Publication of the Month June 2025

The Old Pink Restaurant

Photo by Maria Tyutina on Pexels.com

I feel old and withered
like a dying rock rose.
Cracks propagate
down my stucco exterior
like fault lines in the earth.
Does an outburst lie on the horizon?

I remember when vibrant pink,
like a fuchsia feather boa,
would invite strangers in –
strangers who became friends.

My mood has a mind of its own.
When the sky opens,
tears stream down my windows,
tattooing me with streaks of dirt.

I’ve been abandoned for years –
no one seems to want me.
My door – faded and rotted,
hanging like a dead tree branch,
wouldn’t welcome a rat.
Do you know what it feels like
to be all alone? To feel worthless?

There was a time
when chatter and laughter
filled me to the brim,
bounced off the walls
into Margarita merry,
chips and salsa celebrations.

Now, I sit on the corner
like a human without a home.

My sign reads:

Will I ever feel alive again?
Will I ever feel life again?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We drove by an old restaurant that we miss where the building has remained vacant.
So, I became inspired to write a personification poem.

© Lauren Scott, Baydreamerwrites.com
This blog content cannot be used to train AI.

Click on my daughter’s image to order your copy! 🧡

Lauren Scott

Author – King Copper: Our dog’s life in poetry
Author – Cora’s Quest (a children’s book)
Author – Ever So Gently: A Collection of Poetry
Author – More than Coffee: Memories of Verse and Prose
Author – Finding a Balance: A Collection of Poetry
Author – New Day, New Dreams: A Collection of Poetry
Co-Author – Tranquility: An Anthology of Haiku
Co-Author – Petals of Haiku: An Anthology
Co-Author – This Is How We Grow
Co-Author – Poetry Treasures 2: Relationships
Bi-Monthly Contributor on Gobblers by Masticadores
Spillwords Author of the Month May 2023
Spillwords Publication of the Month October 2024
Spillwords Publication of the Month June 2025