POETRY: Life
by Noni Ervin
Life is a combination of
Seconds and minutes and hours
Days, months, years
Decisions and journeys both pleasant and painful
Life is moving at the speed of thought
And being frustrated by the limitations of humanity
It is knowing that there are ups and downs
Twists and turns and unbearable hills
Climbing when you can't see where you're going
Life is a collage of memories
Times you laughed, times you cried
And times you'd rather forget
With every day the picture of your life changes
Life is running and skipping and jumping
Walking and talking
Conversation and music
Composition and the dance
It is beautiful and it is art
Life is cold air and hot days
Springtime and autumn leaves
The seasons we pass through
Make us stronger, yes, stronger
Life is watercolors and crayons
Chocolate chips and peanut butter
The things we know
The things we love
The things that make us unique
Life is stimulation to all of the senses
Tasting strawberries and smelling a rose
Feeling the wind and hearing a bell
The sight of a newborn
Life is passed on from one generation to another
A habit, an inheritance, a legacy
Love and forgiveness
Salvation and righteousness
Hope for all things new
Noni Ervin is a Pacific Northwest native. She serves on the Leadership Council of Seattle's African-American Writers' Alliance and has contributed to Mother.ly Magazine. She is a published author of poetry, as well as the eight-book Kinara Park Kids miniseries. Noni also has more than 30 years of experience in business management and strategic development, specializing in helping businesses and organizations grow in capacity rapidly. She met her husband of 20 years at Seattle's Seward Park and the rest is history. They have two sons and have taken up cycling in recent years. Noni is currently working on her next two books.
Featured image is attributed to Kiran Kumar under a Creative Commons 2.0 license (CC BY 2.0).
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The South Seattle Emerald™ is brought to you by Rainmakers. Rainmakers give recurring gifts at any amount. With around 1,000 Rainmakers, the Emerald™ is truly community-driven local media. Help us keep BIPOC-led media free and accessible.
If just half of our readers signed up to give $6 a month, we wouldn’t have to fundraise for the rest of the year. Small amounts make a difference.
We cannot do this work without you. Become a Rainmaker today!
