Ivy Leaf Designs

Some of the things deep inside -
they scare me.
The twisting & turnings
of the pathway into the soul.

__________


Time spins so fast
And then so very slow.

When you wish it would pass
It spins not much at all.

And, when you wish it to last
Time churns out of control.

__________


Darting quickly
up and around
The squirrels
chirp & chatter
At the black cat
on the ground.
__________

Sadness creeps in and tries to destroy
the fabric of happiness we strive to weave.

Like pulling a thread in a cloth -
Sadness continually pulls threads
in the garment of life.

© Kathy McInnis 2000
 

Heed not the cackle of hens
nor the hissing of snakes . . .
Move forward in life
and follow the path you wish to take.

Listen for the cooing of doves
and cherish the colours of day . . .
As they bring pleasure to life
they are signposts to mark the way.

© Kathy McInnis 2000

As little girls
we dream of
the knight in shining armor
who rescues us
and steals our heart.

And then . . .
we grow up.

The fairy tale is not black & white
it is many shades of grey,
the armor is rusty
and the knight . . .
is as fearful as we are.

Now . . .
who is to rescue whom?

© Kathy McInnis 1996

Battlelines are drawn
Your position on the right
And mine in the wrong
For beginning this fight.

Hearts are the battlefield
In this conflict that can never be won
A one-sided war of will
You are unaware has begun.

Your gentle smile . . . a trojan horse
Penetrating glance a direct hit
To change this battles course
My meager arms are not fit.

Alone in a reckless fight
I cross the lines, and then retreat
For you are not alone in my sight
An innocent heart I fear to defeat.

Victory is a fantasy, reality is clear
Love’s battlelines are drawn
A flag of truce I raise with a tear
Perhaps victory will come in another dawn.

 © Kathy McInnis 1999

They were waiting for life
the voices that called to me in the night.

Small voices laughing and crying
on the fringe of my conciousness.

I knew they were there -
even glimpsed the faces of those yet to be born.

One a daughter just like her father
with curly red hair and full of generous smiles.

The other, a son so like me
solemn and shy, with a faraway look in his eyes.

Now they have gone -
as my hopes and dreams faded . . . so have they.

Only a whisper remains . . .
I miss those voices calling to me in the night.

© Kathy McInnis 1999

Sunlight on green leaves
Shadows falling softly
Split by rays of light.

The earth is painted
with brush strokes
of life.

© Kathy McInnis 1996

I am earth tones
the color of nature.
I am of the fabric
of the earth.
The earth reaches out to me
I hear it calling and whispering
soft secrets to my spirit.

© Kathy McInnis 1995

through you, I glimpsed
once more the magic of love

as an addict long denied
my heart was overwhelmed

a heart that once pulsed shades of blue
now blushes with a fire inside

you brought warmth to a life
numb to emotion

I can not deny my heart
it was meant to love you . . .
or another

© Kathy McInnis 1999

One summer evening I walked outside and stood by my pond in the twilight...
when I went back inside this flowed from my pen....

. . . this evening my garden came alive with a chorus of voices -
it seemed as though every creature who resides there (and some beyond)
lent their voices in a symphony of sound -
deafeningly, beautiful, sometimes harmonizing,
now and then with a lone voice rising from hidden places . . .
it was beautiful, noisy, mystical . . .
the sounds flowing through the night air, without form,
yet so overwhelming,
I expected to see large creatures moving in the tall grasses,
for how could such volume come from anything small . . .
those tiny creatures seemed at that moment to be rejoicing in . . .
water, the cool breeze and life . . .
creatures we think of as emotionless,
sending soundwaves of feeling through the night air . . .
my applause only paused the concert for a moment,
and then it continued

- with a dog barking an uneven beat in the distance . . .
mysterious, is it not, that each individual creature
added their voice to the night
and it naturally fell together in a song of life . . .
a good way to end the day . . .

© Kathy McInnis 1998

One night the moonlight woke me -
brightly shining through my bedroom window...

the moon is beautiful in the night sky . . .
serene and calm, eternally drifting by,
soft light brightens my window
awakens me to a false dawn
the simple beauty of the moment
brings joy to my heart
time will pass, and
the moon will still be beautiful
in the night sky . . .

© Kathy McInnis 1995