Poems From The Heart
Rooted In Today| Earlier Sunsets| A Voice| Gabriella| Through Eyes of Understanding| Desert Song
Editorial by Libby Shively McAvoy
Poems are much like song lyrics—they have the power to speak to us, helping us process our emotions and make sense of our experiences. Through poetry, we catch a glimpse of the writer's heart, feeling what they felt, seeing what they saw, and journeying through their moments of joy, sorrow, love, or reflection.
Some poems are deep and introspective, even dipping into the shadows of the human experience. Others are lighthearted and playful, dancing across the page with a sense of whimsy and delight. That’s the beauty of poetry—it captures the full spectrum of human emotion.
Do you enjoy poetry? If so, I invite you to immerse yourself in this magazine, a collection of short but powerful expressions from the heart. May these words resonate with you, inspire you, and perhaps even help you find your own voice.
Enjoy the journey and please share and comment to let us know how you enjoyed them.
Rooted In Today
by Gabriella
Flowering Clematis under my window,
The winter moments hear me go,
Standing in stillness,
Only hearing the words from within.
Silent screams cry,
As my soul crunches with a sigh.
Confusion and chaos
Surrounding me.
What can I do?
Asking the divine entity.
Be rooted the answer comes.
Be rooted in today.
Be rooted within.
Shining the light
In the darkest of night.
Sending those roots out to the world.
Finding others to support our earth.
Keep on going no matter the pain,
Shine those lights
With eternal crane.
Fill the hearts of many souls.
Find the peace within those roots.
Be rooted my darling,
Let the fear go,
Bring that rooted hope
Into the better tomorrow.
Listen to others,
Hear the words,
Just being there,
Means more than anyone knows.
Remember the depth
Of the ocean floor.
Hear the song
Of the forever core.
Be rooted my child.
Be rooted with me.
The deeper the roots go
The stronger you will be.
From the depths of the earth
To the highest of the skies.
Be rooted with me
Today with all pride.
2/24/25 GK
Earlier Sunsets
By Bonnie Lieberman
As the clocks spring, the transition from daylight to night sky becomes more pronounced. Wishing upon the first star happens earlier than a week before, adding a touch of magic yet melancholia to the evening. The encroaching darkness has its way of leading us astray, and any lingering sadness within us may last for months.
The lush greenery of wooded paths changes into a breathtaking display of autumnal hues, with the cooler temperatures coaxing out a palette of reds, yellows, oranges, and blues reminiscent of fairy tale illustrations. Frosty touches of ice cause leaves to wither and fall, painting the landscape in faded browns. Soon, the boughs stand bare, save for the weight of heavy white snowflakes that blanket the roads in treacherous ice as temperatures drop below freezing.
Skating in local rinks offers fleeting joy as we cling to the rails to steady ourselves. Sipping hot cocoa provides a slight comfort for those yearning for warmer weather, the vibrant blooms of hyacinths, and the return of dark green grass teeming with chlorophyll. The intense sun gradually melts the snow, drying city sidewalks and creating the perfect conditions for roller skating and leisurely sipping lemonade.
When we turn the clocks back an hour, the more extended daylight brings joy and merriment, while spring warms our hearts with thoughts of romance.
A Voice
By: Santayana Rose
Down, down, there I was,
Trapped in a cobweb maze
The thought of snuffing
An easy gut-feeling.
Kick the bucket once and for all.
A voice had asked, “Why?”
A void replied, “Tired, tired, tired!”
No mirth in venturing
Recalling… on loved-ones’ demise.
Facing the terminable is unacceptable…for now.
If I have to count them,
Is it paramount then?
One is too many,
More is indescribable.
Faith didn’t tell me
It’s (no) fun to be alone
But at who’s expense?
Fireflies retreating
Most that remained…
Are cockroaches beaming?
No, my dear, we’re just evolving,
Re-learning, re-treating
The remnants of the past.
Take equal spin in the cycle of life.
The world swirls, and constantly fast.
Your balancing act must be that: set yourself free.
From both forces within and without.
They could veil your sights afar.
Due to fog in such revolution
And ego’s misconceptions.
Avoid the thrill
Of a cascading matrix
That could push you into abyss
Of perilous fate.
Learn to control and command
Your own will and conceit.
Let your wisdom and wit
Light up your path.
Use your guiding light
To trace the impassible tract.
If egress becomes vital in your quest
Look for one that sustains you.
I would like to take your truth,
But at what point for all this?
Shall I say, “enough is enough?”
“When balancing means knowing…
My plusses and minuses, what now?
When minuses are obliterating
Humanities’ foundational existence?
Where are you, my voice?”
Maturity makes it easier for one
To learn the limitations
Of human conditions.
But accepting those conditions
At the same time…
While hubris encroaches within,
Can be very challenging.
“That’s why, I gave you the wisdom
To counter-act your impulsiveness,
That’s what I call, “LIVING”.
“Living in a material world is –
reeling like a windmill in your mind.”
Gabriella
by Lynn Potter
Heart as big as the sky
open, caring, holding
All that can not be known
All that can not be seen
But all that is felt.
All that cries out to be heard
This heart holds, fiercely, tenderly
precariously, bridging the gap
between all that can not be known
and all that cries out to be heard
Stay, Stay in its center
and breathe into it
all the space to hold it all
in peace.
2/22/2025
Through Eyes of Understanding
A poem about conscious global unity
For joy or pain, loss or gain,
To judge would only bring me shame
If words or actions bring me sorrow,
I’ll seek peace and a better tomorrow.
Please don’t judge by look or mood,
Assumptions are often crude,
And kindness, the wiser route pursued.
We don’t know the battles others fight,
They may smile, yet hide their plight.
So lend a hand, take a stand,
Offer comfort, understand.
Kindness opens every door,
Unites us, heals us to the core.
I dare to be fully me,
Unchained, wild, and free,
I won’t mold to fit a role,
Or seek approval to feel whole.
For my worth is mine to hold,
Not measured by stories told.
I live, I breathe, I grow,
True to myself — that’s all I need to know.
So let us all dare to be,
Unapologetically free.
Break the chains of judgment’s gaze,
And step boldly into our own blaze.
Lift each other as we climb,
Celebrate the light we find.
For when we live our truth unconfined,
We heal the world, heart and mind.
We each have the power to make the world a better place by accepting ourselves and others, practicing kindness and compassion, and stopping to judge. The world needs love, but we can’t give it when we think we are better or when we compete against others. We are all one.
Desert Song
by Pamela Grant
Today I found a sweet spot out in the desert
My friend tells me
A half circle of stones
With a big white rock in the center to sit on
The friend asks what this means
It is a half moon alter I tell her
Lay some tobacco down
And sit on the rock
You see a half moon is only an illusion
It is always a full moon
That you are now sitting in
The tobacco completes the circle
As you place it on either end
Connecting the seen with the unseen worlds
So Sit on that White Rock
And listen to the tales of the desert
What it has to share with you
The desert has much to tell
Quiet your mind, close your eyes
Feel the air, taste the wind
Let the mother sing
Her desert song to you.
Affirmation: I will write according to what my soul feels
Quote: “I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is?” ~Vincent Van Gogh
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I love all the beautiful poetry and storytelling, magical words indeed. Poetry heals the heart. Thank you @libby for the lovely editorial and for helping to put this magazine together.
Thanks for this heartfelt poem. I loved it.