What Inspires Me

The quiet of dusk in the after light

The sound of rain when it first begins

The warmth of a hug long needed

The peaks of mountains I have never reached

The sound of gravel crunching under my shoes

The smell of bread baking in the oven

The yellow paint on buildings across the sea

The song of frogs when the snow melts

The brown of eyes when the sun hits them

The way my cheeks hurt when I laugh too long

The warmth of fresh clothes from the laundry

The feeling of salt water lifting me up

The shadows of trees on a hot summer day

The scent of chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven

The way birds sit on a telephone wire

The soft pearl white of lilies blooming in a vase

The things we find along the creek

The marsh marigolds that arrive on their own

The softness of love 

Everything