Potential

I looked down
and there you were
an annoyance of nature
a small scratchy burr

Little did I realize
what you were about to do
such beautiful potential
nestled in my shoe

A mystery waiting
so eager to unfold
I tossed you aside
then your roots took hold

And what I saw later
was the biggest surprise
you blossomed to life
shedding your tiny disguise

Once barren and brown
with a prickly outer shell
now all grown up
birthed from where you fell

It’s amazing to see
what you’ve become
once such a nuisance
now flourishing in the sun

© 2025 Michelle Cook


Photo generated with AI

There are days…

There are days
when everything is right,
days when all the fields
shine so bright.

But today is not
one of those days,
instead, it’s just proof
of how nobody prays.

Today the sun
has lost her glow,
and the rain sent instead
has been all just for show.

Fattened gray clouds
still gush in sheets,
flooding sunken corners
on empty streets.

Sorry puddles
reflect sullen skies,
waters blurry black
like mascara eyes.

Echos of harsh words
woven in the winds,
a mournful reminder
of how the story always ends.

© 2025 Michelle Cook


Photo generated with AI

Soar

A dandelion seed
That’s what you are
Neither here nor there
Gliding gleefully
Flying ever so high
The current as your companion

Floating on the sea of life
I see you there and I’m smiling
As the sun shines upon your face
Listening to the birdsong of tranquility
Holding steadfast to the feather of peace
As the waves of contentment wash over your beautiful soul

Happiness abides within you
Carrying you to the ends of the earth
A heart so full of blissful wonder
A head so unaware of the passing of time
All the things that really matter
You’ve found them
Now hold on tight

© 2025 Michelle Cook


Photo generated with AI

Oblivious observations

It was a warm-weathered day as delicate petals pelted and pranced across the pages of an open book. Occasionally, a brisk breeze would materialize, causing a sudden soirée of flowers to take flight, ultimately embellishing the barren pages, which seemed particularly peckish for a poetic phrase. It was as if the tree were purposely parading posies in an attempt to gain the attention of the writer below. But the wordsmith was lost in a world of rhythmic ruminations, never giving the tree a single thought, focusing solely on the stark landscape of her inconsolable book. Had the writer even an inkling about what the tree desired to divulge, she may have taken a moment to meditate, soaking in the silent secrets of her friend above. But as this wasn’t the case, the writer continued to stare blankly, utterly unaware of the many mysteries that were longing to be revealed.

© 2024 Michelle Cook


Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/tree-cherry-field-horizon-nature-6623764/

Fifty-two

Sometimes
I feel so small
out here
underneath it all
The sky is so vast
every mountain so high
I’m a mere speck of dust
to every passer-by
Insignificant
by design
feeling ready
to resign
Like a splash from a waterfall
an unnoticed drip
splattered upon grandeur
preparing to slip
Yet I wonder
if I could be
a friend
to the mighty sea
As insufficient as I am
I’ve got so many dreams
under the weight of them all
I’m nearly bursting at the seams
Ambitions
overflowing
completely ready
to get going
But the path is never straight
and the journey can be so long
can’t always get someplace
unless you’re really strong
A new age
a new me
I wonder
who I’ll be
I’ve searched my whole life
through a forest of tall trees
looking for all the answers
as if they’re there on the breeze
Just more questions
forever found
scattered lifelessly
on the ground
Wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I’m over halfway through
This is just how life is
when you’re turning fifty-two

© 2024 Michelle Cook


Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-path-nature-forest-meadow-2827304/