Once upon a time, I had a positive thought:
“I’m going to plant my roots in a life-giving spot
I want to work somewhere with color on the walls,
With people I admire and purpose that, to me, calls”
My thought was rewarded by a lovely kind of providence
Brought me to some folks who excel in mental competence
Got hired and felt I was working someplace awesome
Little did I know I would slowly start to blossom
In soil that was rich from decades of dedication,
Amity imbued through several generations,
I drew nourishment and fortification
Heck, I even got myself a college education
Soaking up the warmth that shone from these friends
My heart peeked around a self-protective fence
Beholding deeds of generosity unbound,
Humor unrestrained and morality that was sound
I began to enjoy gifts that before I didn’t get
Started culling my talents so by the sun they could be met
To be known and cared about, encouraged in one’s song
Makes a person feel strong and want to live a life that’s long
It wasn’t always easy; there were defenses to be dealt with
There were losses to process and times when I was zealous
There were political predictions “we” got wrong and mourned for
Yo, and we thought the bottom was Bush in ’04!
But having this place to come to every day
And seeing these faces that always seem to convey,
“Hey, it’s going to be alright. We’ll help each other be okay”
Made me feel secure and compels me now to say:
To Mr. President, with your dry quips and wry wit,
Devilish good looks and oversight with the books
To the squash playing swashbuckler who makes the concepts visual
Who gives us his all and finds pie irresistible
To the gourmet mama with whom I share a condition,
Who provokes bursts of laughter from over my partition
To the mischief inciter, Shannon Eggins’ ghost writer
You won’t find an author on the planet who’s brighter
To the pregnant poet, through analytics thou dost plow
Visionary, media wiz and quite canny cash cow
To the fellow cat-owner, justice marcher, organ donor (what!)
Noble and charitable, history’s eyes have definitely shown her
To the captain of our ship (financial)
Perhaps not aware of my admiration, substantial
To the chocolate loving octogenarian
Now doubling as a reference librarian
Writing and writing to send the message on clarion
Steel trap and stunning smile distinguish this Kentuckyarian
To my buddy and cohort who recites, responds and supports
The month before May, a forgiving good sport
In community outreach, she’s Glendon’s top gun
From Canada, she’s immigrant that gets the job done
To the glamorous scholar, author, doctor,
Illegible jotter, compassionate globetrotter
Disseminating wisdom from father to daughter
To the fashion maker and orchestrator,
Blog curator and excess spending terminator,
Schatzling daily and quoting movie lines clever
Sweet hazel-eyed true and treasured friend of mine forever
To the elegant lady in whose bosom the plot nestled
The progenitor of the gift, the namesake of the vessel
Her daring to love gives us an example
Ethics, smarts, beauty and style are ample
And to the Theoretician who’s made it his mission
To elevate humanity, promote interpersonal sanity
Teaching people to have self-empathy
To look at themselves with not harshness, but clemency
To have courage, take power and choose an adult identity
To be a kindly inner friend, an undefended blessed entity
I see the luminaries and loved ones,
Contributing behind the scenes
Like the rappers and the sponsors,
The editors and the teens
And after almost fifteen years of my life
I say with something bordering on reverence
Thank you for your love
Your kindness
And your exceptional acceptance
Until the day I die and beyond (I believe)
I’ll always be thanking god for you (my heart is on my sleeve)
Because I am amazed
My POSITIVE THOUGHT
Led me to you
And in “thousands of ways”
You have given me my SHOT.
