She Listens

He cares for his father whose body tires
of everyday functions, pain raging at cyclone
force from ninety-nine years of living a lifetime.
Our emotions undulate –
who wishes to watch a loved one suffer?

Another week of work comes to an end.
With glass of wine in hand, we exhale
on the patio. Then the sun says,
“Good night, my dear friends,” as he
gently descends, making room for the moon.

And when the moon appears, Oh, My!
She takes our breath away!
Bright and bold as if she senses
we could use light in our souls.

We open the gate and walk into the street
for an unobstructed view. Under the
illumination, a woman pauses with
her dog, a husky mix, with fur
white as an arctic fox, another rescue,
she tells us, and our hearts leap with joy.

The moon pays attention to us as the
patio welcomes again.
Most importantly, she listens.
And though the stars act a bit bashful,
they eavesdrop and we are fine that they do.

The moon and stars hear us,
just an ordinary couple enjoying
a Friday evening but with heavy hearts.
Their absolute attention, imagine this,
out of all eyes gazing at the brilliant sky –
we know the moon’s lustrous presence is
for us alone, and we are aware that the
panoply of stars will shimmer into view soon.

Then we rise from our seats and head into
the house, feeling relaxed from the wine’s
fluidity, and appreciative that our troubles
have been received.

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

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For inspiration to notice surrounding beauty, to feel gratitude, to face challenges and fears while sipping your favorite coffee roast or a beverage of your choice, check out my latest book: More than Coffee.

Simply Enough

Copper Boy

When he trots around on his long legs,
he carries eighty pounds of love.
And those amber eyes see right into
our souls.

When he smiles, his white choppers
shine as if they’ve never caused
any commotion…never mind
the afternoon when he attempted
to eat the barbecue!

When he hears a knock on the door,
his bark echoes across the Golden Gate,
along the marina into San Francisco.
Out of protection? Sure.
But mostly from excitement.

A social butterfly
sporting a Labrador costume,
that’s what he is…
freely passing out his affection,
assuming everyone loves
his slobbery kisses.

But he has a selfish side,
rolling over onto his back,
expecting a belly rub.
And who are we to deny his wishes?
And his ears, like feeling silk
between our fingers.
We can’t get enough.

How amazing to know his love
comes unconditionally.
To know he doesn’t waste minutes
worrying about world events
or whether the pandemic is here to stay.
And he is never one to judge.

He just loves in his simple way,
and we love him back.
And that is simply enough.

© Lauren Scott, baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.
Photo credit to my son when Copper was a bit younger.

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For inspiration to notice surrounding beauty, to feel gratitude, to face challenges and fears while sipping your favorite coffee roast or a beverage of your choice, check out my latest book: More than Coffee.

In Good Company

When we stroll through
a redwood grove,
our steps become gradual,
knowing we are in
good company.
We don’t want to rush
the experience,
and we won’t hesitate
to hug them with
wide open arms,
because, why not?
They deserve reverence
for their generosity.
You see,
in their company,
we feel silk threads
of peace
flowing through
our hearts and souls,
centering us.
Any worries
burdening
our minds before
fall to the earth
to be walked upon
and buried.
And we listen
as their leaves
whisper to us
in the breeze,
“Be filled with joy
and do not fret,
for there is no time
for that nonsense.”

Lauren Scott, baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved.

Happy October & New Goals!

Happy October! I hope you are doing well! I had to step away for a couple of weeks so I could focus on my next book of poetry. I finished the structure and compiling poems, so now I’ll continue writing to add to the manuscript. So far, the total is 66, but once the editing begins, that number will change. However, it’s not about quantity. I’ll be adding and weeding out poems as the calendar pages turn. My goal is to publish next spring, and now that you know this, I am accountable. 🙂

I look forward to reading your posts again, and I am leaving you with a haiku that you may have seen before. But whether you’re reading it for the first time or second or even third, I hope you enjoy!
Autumn is a favorite season, so here you go…

Seasonal Blanket

autumn’s dawn colors
in warm hues of coziness
melodious crunch

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

Wilted Spirits

Fresh raindrops gently landed on their wilted spirits, and
I witnessed them lifting with a sigh of relief. Oh, how
grateful I feel to absorb the rhythm of the pitter-patter.

Lauren Scott, baydreamerwrites.com – All rights reserved

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For inspiration to notice surrounding beauty, to feel gratitude, to face challenges and fears while sipping your favorite coffee roast or a beverage of your choice, check out my latest book: More than Coffee.

His name was Ed

Ed
blackened heart
domineering thumb
nowhere to breathe, trying times
~ etched ~

Green
a monster
too old to believe?
his existence, living proof
~ ire ~

Me
raised to love
but heart feels deeply
ill-fitted antipathy
~ blunt ~

Health
declines, death,
emotions bland as
salt-free diet, tears restrained
~ guilt ~

Lauren Scott ©
Oddquain poetry form

This post is darker than most of mine, but life isn’t always rosy, so writing about those difficult times when we question our feelings can be therapeutic. Have you found yourself in a similar situation?

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For inspiration to notice surrounding beauty, to feel gratitude, to face challenges and fears while sipping your favorite coffee roast or another beverage of your choice, check out my latest book: More than Coffee.

Three Men in a Boat – Oddquain poetry

During one of the moments from our lake respite a few weeks ago, my husband and I sat on the shore, gazing at the glorious sunrise while also watching three men in a boat float peacefully in the far distance. A poem was stirring but hadn’t materialized, and then I came across the Oddquain poetry format. So, below are my thoughts from this blissful morning, penned in the syllabic format of Oddquain…


Oddquain is a short, usually unrhymed poem consisting of seventeen syllables distributed 1, 3, 5, 7, 1 in five lines.

Lake
early morn
cold air touches warm
water, steam rises, halo
calm

They
hear whispers
the lake is calling
geese witness from shore, unseen
truth

Luck,
will it change?
floating on glass-like
surface, poles dangle with lures
bite

ball
of golden
tones ascents, bringing
possibilities with its
glow

Lauren Scott ©
Sierra Mountains

Thank you for reading, and here is my latest book, More than Coffee.
“In the midst of all the strife and ugliness and turmoil “out there” in our world, comes lilting lovely prose and poems reminding us that the simple things of life – a cup of coffee, a hug from a child, sweetheart romance, hugging a tree, walking through the forest – these symbolize the reality of most of our lives. P. Wight

Sierra Serenity

My husband, Matt, and I experienced one of the best times at our favorite campground in the Sierra Nevada mountains. We hiked on local trails, around the lake, swam, and simply relaxed in camp. Our campsite was lakeside and the water level was high, so the walk down the path to the sandy shore took about fifteen seconds. We’ve had similar sites before in the past, but this one was special because we could see that stunning body of water from every angle. We took in the serenity, putting a halt to the go, go, go mindset. It was nice to watch small sailboats, kayaks, and stand up paddle boards cruise the lake. Inspiration to write in my faithful journal that always accompanies me on our wilderness trips happened immediately. Our first sunset was the most spectacular sunset we have ever watched unfold, and I will post about it soon. I’m sharing a handful of the many, many photos below that we took:

For all you Ornithologists, we saw an abundance of birds such as an American Bald Eagle (incredible), a Scrub jay, California Quail, Finches, Diving Ducks, and Canadian Geese. Other creatures piqued our interest: a tiny lake frog and a bullfrog the size of a softball, lizards, squirrels, and chipmunks. Although my husband had hoped to see a black bear!

And below is a poem that formed on…

The First Morning

Our eyes open to chirps of our feathered campers
from high above in the fir trees, and occasionally,
we hear the rustle of a skittering squirrel.
The night before, every creature became silent

as darkness sank into the evening.
But in morning, when darkness has faded

and sunlight shines over the lake,
we walk the few steps down the trail

to the still water, nestle into our camp chairs
side by side, and slowly sip our caffeine indulgence.
We listen. Peace in the uttermost sense of the word.
Beautiful clouds drift by, prompting us to stroll upon them,

feel their softness, but then they move with the grace of a swan.
Ripples in the sand. Artwork in crystal-clear water.
And this is when we watch morning happen…

Lauren Scott ©
I hope you find your place of tranquility…like we did. ❤️