Hop, stop, cherish

Sunset by Lake Ginninderra, Canberra

Walk, run, or dawdle

sit, breathe, and take a minute

moments donโ€™t repeat


Photo: Sunset by Lake Ginninderra, Canberra, Australia

Oh, the fall

Sunset by the Lake Burly Griffin, Canberra, Australia

Tall, erect, in line

like our soldiers sent to war

except, more alive


Photo: Sunset by the Lake Burly Griffin, Canberra, Australia

Take a walk

sun-setting tree tops

and a cloud-covered moonshine

a heaven on earth


Photo: Sunset and moonrise over the Lake Ginninderra in Canberra, Australia

Walk me down the aisle

Walking down this aisle - by Lake Ginninderra in Canberra
Walking down this aisle – by Lake Ginninderra in Canberra

Dear dad,
as I walk down this aisle
with my eyes streaming
and my soul dreaming
my heart is filled with joy
with every step I take
freshness breezes through my hair
and a chillness numbs my knuckles
as I clench, I know itโ€™s only fair
that you join me with chuckles
as twilight chases the winter noon
arm in arm, as father and child
dipping toes in a solitary lagoon
watching the sun set himself
down below in Down Under
dear dad, wish you were here
to walk with me down this aisle
as I move on to an all new home


P.S: I just relocated to Canberra, Australia, and this poem was inspired by this wonderful walkway.

Soldier, long gone

Recruitment poster used during the Australian wars - on display at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra
Recruitment poster used during the Australian wars – on display at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra

I look at you
once bright as dew
now frayed, tearing at the seams
a picture unlike any other it seems
beetle eyes gleaming through the glass
a spectacle for the students in my class
how well your brows curve crookedly
masking shadows of scheming wickedly
though just another memory to many
for your thoughts Iโ€™d offer moreโ€™n a penny
how you could while away your life
warring others’ battles without a strife
a proud son that faced his mother tall
and answered the motherlandโ€™s call