Easter – Colleen Keller Breuning

Looking For My Rainbow

Looking for My Rainbow

Through dark clouds of uncertainty
Searching for peace and harmony
Beyond the wisps of fleeting snow…
I am looking for my rainbow.

On bended knees I bow and pray
Kind angels showing me the way
To a place where compassion flows…
I am looking for my rainbow.

In this world full of pain and strife
I rise and resurrect my life
Emboldened by the sun’s gold glow…
I am looking for my rainbow.

Through dark clouds of uncertainty…
I am looking for my rainbow.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2024
April 6, 2024

Good Saturday Morning! The Canned Heat song titles led me in this direction this morning, which ended up being a wonderful thing. They inspired this Kyrielle Sonnet which just flowed out of my head. I definitely like when that happens!

Do you believe in angels and in the power of prayer? I sure do! I have my own personal guardian angels that have helped me through countless difficult times in life. Just when I I thought I did not have the strength to continue, something (or someone) gently nudged me forward. I am eternally grateful for those beautiful angels in my life, and strangely, even for the bends and twists my path has taken. It has not been easy at times, but it has made me stronger. Going through those trials and tribulations truly shaped who I am today.

Last week, we had a nice little Easter dinner at our home, hosting Mom, Sarah and her family. It is always so wonderful getting together with family, though I miss our kids and grandkids tremendously. However, in just eleven days, Katie’s crew will be coming up for a visit! She and Brenton are going to a friend’s wedding in Richmond, so we get to have the nuggets all to ourselves for the entire weekend. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate so we can drive to see family in Maryland, take them to some playgrounds or just have fun in our backyard. I can’t wait!

The takeaway this week is to keep looking for your rainbow, even in the darkest days. Just ask your guardian angel for help, she/he will happily help you get there! Have a great weekend, everyone! ❤

Xoxo,
Colleen

Mood: Hopeful
Inspiration: “Push the Sky Away” by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 40.15 – Resurrection
Hard Bonus: Include a song title by Canned Heat (Dark Clouds; Looking for My Rainbow)
Easy Bonus: Incorporate an angel

Begin Again

Begin Again

clouds begin to break
in a torrent of cold rain
and searing heartache

tears render me blind
memories whirling, twirling
spinning in my mind

shadows from the past
words of you went through my chest
resolve fading fast

decisions confound
bumfuzzled, dazed and confused
search for solid ground

just where do I go
to heal this piercing sorrow
and when will I know

reaching past the pain
swallowing this bitter pill
to begin again

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2024
March 30, 2024

Happy Saturday, friends and family! This is a little dark haiku series inspired by some pieces of sad news I got this week. Don’t worry – I’m am doing fine.

First, I found out that a coworker lost her husband suddenly last weekend. We don’t know the details, but he was apparently not sick and just passed quickly. My heart aches for her in this loss – there are no words. The other day I emailed a client that I do quarterly work for. She and her husband had owned a long-time family store in West Virginia, and they recently closed to finally enjoy their retirement. She told me she had bad news, her husband died two weeks ago while attending their last work convention. When I relayed this information to the partner, he called me and told me that there had been some sort of altercation while at the convention. Apparently another man pushed him to the ground, he hit his head and died! This completely struck me to the core and actually made me cry. I’ve never met the clients face to face, but hearing of his tragic death just hit me hard. To think you work so hard all your life, and then your life is cut short just two months into your retirement!

These things were on my mind, as I have tried to imagine how one carries on after losing a husband or partner. How do you find the strength to begin again? It is such a devastating loss, and it’s really been hitting close to home lately. As you get older, it seems there is more death around you. It’s surreal and frightening at times, but I try to break out of those negative, morbid thoughts. Writing is one of my tools to release the overwhelming thoughts and anxieties in life.

Life is so fleeting and precious. I am so grateful for the wonderful husband and family that I have. My plan is to find joy in the small daily things and enjoy every single moment I have with them. Wishing you all a Happy Easter!

Xoxo,
Colleen

Mood: Reflective
Inspiration: “Leaving Paris” by Craig Armstrong

Ecrits Blogophilia Week 39.15 – Decisions, Decisions!
Hard Bonus: Include a lyric from Newfound Glory (“Shadow”; “words of you went through my chest”; “solid ground”)
Easy Bonus: Use the word “bumfuzzle”

The Daily Grind

The Daily Grind

I crawl out of bed
incessant alarm blaring
at the break of dawn

Hours grind by slowly
hunched over the computer
endless to-do list

I’m working to live
or am I living to work
retirement evades

Taking my chances
my feet moving with purpose
but I’m getting tired

Driving in the dark
losing myself in music
my evening commute

Now I see the light
at the end of the tunnel
that beckons me home

I walk through the door
greeted by you and the cats
my troubles dissolve

Too late for dinner
you pour me a glass of wine
we fade into night

When the morrow comes
as long as you’re by my side
my life is complete.

Colleen Keller Breuning © 2023
April 8, 2023

Hello! I will try to keep this relatively short (for me). I was kind of stumped this week with the prompts, but it might be that I’m getting very fatigued, as my poem indicates. I decided to just use the haiku series format to let my feelings flow. The title sounds like a coffee shop, doesn’t it?

It’s tax season, and once again Dan and I are both working extremely hard. Or at least it feels like it – probably has something to do with our age LOL! It doesn’t seem as if retirement for either of us is likely in the near future. We both truly believe in keeping our minds active and having a purpose, but there are days when I am just SO tired. (Of course, it could be that I have not had a complete day off since January 1.) We both love what we do, and I guess that is what keeps us going. I love my job, my clients and my company makes me feel valued and appreciated every day. I am grateful for the flexibility to have a hybrid work schedule and for the first time in a long while, I am being paid fairly.

Most of our friends that are our age have already retired. We can’t really imagine that, with the state of the economy and how our 401K funds have taken a major slide. Though I would love to retire and travel, we simply can’t risk doing that just yet. I don’t honestly know how long I will hold out before deciding to retire. Time will tell.

The good news is that I am taking off the entire weekend for Easter. I have all my siblings coming to our home for the holiday, and I have preparations for Easter dinner and a Capitals-Panthers hockey game tonight, which will be fun. I can’t wait to see everyone Sunday, as it has been a very long time since we’ve all been together. Wishing you and yours a Happy Easter or Passover, or whatever you celebrate!

xoxo Colleen

Mood: Tired
Inspiration: “I’m So Tired” by The Beatles (love John Lennon’s voice!)

Blogophilia Week 40.14 Topic: Chances Are…
Hard Bonus: Include a mode of transportation without wheels (Feet)
Easy Bonus: Incorporate a list