10 Stanzas 100 Reasons

 After reading this you may think I cannot add, but if you look a little deeper, you'll understand. 

10 reasons I'm stoic, 

10 reasons I cry, 

10 reasons my heart wants to do or to die.

10 reasons I'm bold, 

10 reasons I'm shy, 

10 reasons my questions begin with a why.

10 reasons their voices,

10 reasons my pain,

10 reasons I find myself out in the rain.

10 reasons in darkness, 

10 reasons I dance, 

10 reasons I will never leave it to chance.

10 reasons I'm humble, 

10 reasons I'm proud, 

10 reasons from silence my thoughts become loud.

10 reasons I stand up, 

10 reasons I fall, 

10 reasons my journey shall always recall.

10 reasons advancing, 

10 reasons retreat, 

10 reasons my whole life has been bittersweet.

10 reasons for mending,  

10 reasons to break, 

10 reasons that find me at dawn wide awake.

10 reasons I hold back, 

10 reasons I shout, 

10 reasons my heart has to let it all out.

10 reasons I've crumbled, 

10 reasons I pray, 

10 reasons I've made it through just one more day.

K.E.C

aka Deo Volente

10.24.2026

Laughter - written 11/30/2024

I found myself enveloped in laughter, 

dancing in the warmth of time. 

Living as though I had no tomorrow, 

waiting for the clock to chime. 

I found myself loving the seconds, 

filled with the faces I saw. 

My emotions vividly raw. 

A sparkle of hope ever fleeting, 

a girl on a rooftop dreaming. 

A whisper of days long before, 

hopeful for peace, nothing more. 

I heard my voice in an echo, 

deep inside my soul. 

My heart sang out loudly, 

fearlessly and bold. 

A stampede of emotions, 

in the hush of my breath. 

I have lived before my death!

Aware of the tipping scale, 

all the things meant to derail. 

But here in this present surprise, 

right before my very eyes. 

The scale had found her balance, 

released from the tide before. 

I in awe and wonder, 

simply could not beg for more. 

From eyes fixed, overflowing, 

with gratitude of now. 

A heart that beats with pleasure, 

before the final bow. 

No longer still, but dancing.

from bitter time to sweet. 

Savoring this moment, 

refusing to retreat. 

Tomorrow may be vengeful, 

yesterday was that for sure. 

But this small moment tells me, 

that there is so much more. 

So to the broken and the weary, 

whenever you are weak. 

Trust me it's not over,  

if you muster the courage to seek. 

You'll find the tides that push you, 

are a fragment of the sea.

And though they may surround you, 

they have to set you free.

So seek out love and laughter, 

in darkness do not dwell. 

and before the chime, not after,

narrate your story well. 

K.E.C.

aka Deo Volente

11.30.2024

Fun with facts.

Did you know that on October 17th in the year 1933, Albert Einstein emigrated to the United States? 

He was born on March 14th, 1879, and he died on April 18th, 1955. 

Did you notice anything about those dates? I did, if you add 3+14+18+7+9 (his birth date) and if you add 4+18+19+5+5 (the date of his death) they both equal 51. 

What are the odds?

D.V.

10.17.2026

Choices

If not up, down, smile, frown, hope, despair. So, tell me, where will you go from here?

I am painfully aware that sometimes the hardest choice to make for you is the one that makes the most sense to an observer. So why is it so difficult to do? Your guess is as good as mine I suppose because the truth is, for every person the reason behind each choice is different. 

Have you ever found yourself in such a quandary? If so, how did you move beyond it?

I am watching as one of my children stands at such a crossroad, still, and unable or unwilling to proceed. I don't think that pushing is the way to go because as the saying goes "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink". So instead, I have suggested and prayed but I suspect that I am not the one who needs to pray, so what do I do now? 

Sit still and wait, plant seeds and hope, maybe muster the resolve to look away, letting the chips fall where they may. The problem is, in this scenario I am the observer so my choice, though potentially impactful is ultimately irrelevant. My child is the one who must choose and that is the stalemate at hand. It is not for me to work through all the possible moves and counter moves because this is not my life and I do not have to live with the outcome. So, for now, I will remain the observer and ever-present supporter. Not because I am certain that this is the best option but rather because I am hopeful that my choice will give my child what he needs to make the best choice for him.

And yes, I'll keep praying.

K.E.C

aka Deo Volente

10.17.2026

Mischief

As old as I am there are moments when I am no more than a child at heart. 

Today I convinced some of my co-workers to help me inflate approximately 50 balloons to put in our boss' office so when he returned from his meeting, he would have to wade through them to get to his desk. When the moment of truth arrived, I just listened. It was so satisfying to hear him laugh out loud when he opened his office door. I know, it was a silly, non-professional thing to do but honestly, it was so much fun.

Which brings me to my question. When was the last time you made someone laugh or for that matter, the last time someone made you laugh? 

Take a second and think about it, if I was a betting woman I would bet you just smiled, maybe even laughed, guess what, that is what makes it worthwhile. 

As we get older, we have so many reasons not to laugh, so many things that consume our time and steal our joy but if we choose to purposefully create memorable and joyous moments, for ourselves and those around us, nothing, not even time can steal them from us.

I hope you had a laugh out loud moment today.

D.V.

10.16.2026

Time: Chronos or Kairos

Life...

Clock winds without restore

Heart beats through

Revolving like an open door

Once upon a view

Nothing less, nothing more

One thing is true

Same can never manifest into something new.

Live...

Kindle the fire

Awake in your dream

Ignite that desire

Revealed like a beam

One light glowing in the night sky

Surely, it's worth it to try.

K.E.C

aka Deo Volente

10.15.2026

Who we are

Shall we stroll upon the shore, 

soak up the sun and more.

Feel the breeze upon our face, 

seize the day in steady pace.

Shall we breathe in deep, 

fall soundly asleep.

Then dream a little dream, 

without tears, without scream.

Shall we dance upon the grass, 

let our youthful wonder last.

Then explore without tire, 

hear our heartbeats on fire.

Shall we listen to the birds, 

as their song become words.

Will we understand it all,

as our future selves recall.

Maybe then we all will see, 

who we're truly meant to be.

Ever culture, every place.

Every smile, every face.

So, I'm reaching out my hand, 

words I hope you understand.

We are more than dust and rain, 

more than triumph, more than pain.

More than time, more than space,

we are one... the human race.

K.E.C

aka Deo Volente

10.13.2026