Between Now and Hope

Poems for my third book.

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Where Warmth Still Lives

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Beneath the glow of city light,

Where shadows stretch through restless night

there walk the souls we seldom see,

yet bound to us, as we should be

No lesser hearts, no dimmer flame,

each one a life, each one a name

with weathered hands and tired eyes,

and quiet dreams beneath these skies

A story rests in every face,

Of love once known, of some lost place

Of laughter echoing soft and low,

Before the world turned hard and cold

And still, they rise through darkest night,

And still, they stand with quiet might

With all they’ve lost, yet holding tight,

To strength that stays beyond the light

We pass them by with hurried feet,

Our homes made warm, our evenings sweet

Yet just one glance, if we would dare,

Reveals ourselves reflected there

For life can turn without a sound,

And shake the firm to shifting ground

What once was sure can slip away,

A home, a job, a place to stay

So let us soften how we see,

with quiet acts of dignity

not just in giving what we spare,

but meeting eyes and showing care

A coat, a meal, a steady hand,

A simple I will understand

A moment where no soul must hide,

No need to shrink, no step aside

No one is meant to fade from view,

To be unseen by me or you

No life was made for streets unknown,

No heart was built to stand alone

And maybe we won’t fix it all,

Or catch each heart that starts to fall

But we can be a light that stays,

A steady warmth in colder days

For every soul we choose to lift,

Becomes a shared and sacred gift

And in that choice, both fierce and true,

We mend the world in what we do

So let us be the ones who start,

With open hands, with open heart

For in their hope, if we take part,

We mend the world, heart after heart

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The Beauty We Keep

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Where the quiet morning softly spills,

Across the grass and over hills

The earth awakens, fresh and bright,

A canvas washed in gentle light

But scattered there, where flowers grow,

Lie careless traces we all know

A crumpled thought, a plastic sigh,

Left drifting where the breezes cry

The streams that once ran clear and cold,

Now carry what we failed to hold

Each bottle tossed, each wrapper thrown,

A silent seed of harm is sown

Yet hope still lives in simple deeds,

In mindful hands and watchful needs

For every piece we choose to raise,

Restores the earth in quiet ways

A gentle bend, a moment’s care,

A choice that says, this world we share

Is worth the effort, small yet true,

Its beauty kept because of you

For kindness isn’t always grand,

Sometimes it’s just an outstretched hand

That lifts the burden left behind,

And shows the grace of humankind

So, walk with care in all you see,

The fragile thread of land and sea

And leave behind, in every place,

A cleaner world, a kinder space

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Call the Good by Name

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The good we do can drift unseen,

Through the moments in between

Until a voice decides to say,

“I see the light you give away”

A kindness given, soft and small,

A gentle catch before a fall

A weary soul that still stands tall,

And no one seems to see it all

But oh, the power in a word,

In letting silent good be heard

To name the strength, to softly say,

“I see the grace you give each day”

For hearts grow fuller when they're known,

Not just for seeds that they have sown

But for the storms they’ve walked alone,

The quiet courage they have shown

When we uplift the good they do,

A deeper love comes shining through

A quiet truth, both strong and proved,

We rise much higher when we’re moved

And in that act, so pure, so true,

We offer back what’s long been due

A mirror bright, where they can see,

The good they give so endlessly

Speak it now, don’t let it hide,

Let gratitude be worn with pride

For every soul deserves to hear,

Their light has made this world more clear

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The Quiet Work of Kindness

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It isn’t always grand or bright,

No blazing torch, no sweeping light

No trumpet call, no crowd to see,

Just quiet hands and empathy

A door held wide, a softened tone,

A kindness given, freely shown

A moment paused, a burden shared,

A simple way to show you cared

For heavy hearts are often worn,

By silent trials, faced alone

And smallest deeds, so lightly given,

Can feel like answered prayers from heaven

A smile placed where grief may hide,

A steady presence at one’s side

A listening ear, no need to mend,

Just being there can help a friend

We think the world is changed by might,

By louder deeds and grander sight

Yet day by day, the truth rings clear,

It’s the smaller acts that are so dear

Plant your kindness, seed by seed,

In fleeting thought, in word, in deed

Though each gesture may seem small,

Together, they can change it all

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The Quiet Becoming

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To learn to pause where anger grows,

And sit with what the spirit knows

To breathe before the words take flight,

And choose the calm, the softer light

This is the work no eyes can see,

The quiet shaping of who we’ll be

For patience is a tender art,

A steady hand upon the heart

It does not rush, it does not strain,

But walks with time through joy and pain.

It whispers, wait - there’s more to find,

In slower steps, a clearer mind

And empathy, a sacred thread,

That binds the hearts, through words unsaid

To feel another’s hidden weight,

To listen long and simply wait

It asks of us to gently bend,

To meet the soul, not just pretend

But deeper still, we look within,

Where hidden truths and fears begin

To face the shadows we conceal,

And say the things we truly feel

For self-awareness, brave and bright,

Turns inward first to bring us light

And through this work, we come to be,

Not flawless souls, but truly free

Each mindful step, each softened view,

Reveals a kinder, gentler you

For growth is not a distant place

It shows itself in quite space