From My Father

Pup, leaping for a treat!

From my father,
I got my sense of humour,
and my glow.
(At the coffeehouse,
they would say
"have you seen Sherry glow?")

From my mother,
I received strength,
my lion heart,
and to do all I could for my kids,
as she did for my sister
and me.

From my grandmother,
I learned peacefulness,
the template and deepest need
of my being.

From my children, I learned
to Become a Tree,
strong of trunk, to support them,
supple of bough, so as not
to tether them
when they needed to fly away.

From friends, I learned
that, since they believed in me,
there must be something there
to believe in.
They loved me until
I slowly learned
how to love myself.

From dogs, especially my black wolf,
I learned what unconditional love
and devotion felt like. That is why
it hurt so much to lose them.

From the sky, I learned
the art of
Always Looking Up.
From the wind, I learned to listen
for Mother Earth's song.

From the ocean, I learned
where I at last belonged.
From life, I learned the lesson
of loss and letting go.

From old age I learn
to tether myself lightly,
that time is fleeting,
tomorrow is not promised,
and to take joy in sunshine
and happy dogs on a beach,
and how where I am, right now, 
is Enough.