Pretty pink blossoms
I watch you bloom, awed by joy –
blessed by your beauty.

Woodbury, New Jersey
(photo credit: Carla Romarate-Knipel)
Pretty pink blossoms
I watch you bloom, awed by joy –
blessed by your beauty.
By Carla A. Romarate-Knipel
your yellow bonnets
nod shyly as the breeze kiss
your radiant faces.
sleeping through winter
you are awake, in full bloom
yearning for the sun.
in awe, I watch you
with joy and delight, my lips
curved into a smile.
this almost-spring-day
you bend and sway, while birds sing
songs that warm my heart.
Carla A. Romarate-Knipel,
copyright 2022
#1 Hot Latte
“Extra hot,” I asked,
“coconut milk, vanilla –
one sip, “ouch!” burned tongue!
#2 Rainy Wednesday
cold, damp rainy day
somewhere it’s nice and sunny –
not in Woodbury.
#3 Sermon prep
scribble the Gospel
not on paper but your heart
wait for it to speak.
#1 Avocado in chicken wrap
Hidden deep in lush
greenness, chunks of white chicken,
meshed in sweet goodness.
#2 Iced Vanilla Latte
Bitter at first sip
delightful ‘dulce-ness,’ glides
down my eager tongue!
#3 Coffee shop vibes
Feeling the rhythm –
the music of energy
shared humanity.
You make my heart sing
songs of joy, gladness and bliss –
on this day of love.
I gaze at the trees
Their branches covered with snow –
I shiver, in awe.
Carla A. Romarate-Knipel, copyright 2022
Still in bed, praying —
taking deep breaths, reflecting
on God’s faithfulness.
Gracious, loving God,
On this cold, wintry day
I thank you for the warmth of your love
that covers me like a blanket,
keeping me safe and secure.
As the snow lays on the ground.
I am comforted by your words through the prophet Isaiah,
that though my “sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow.”
Thank you for your grace and forgiveness.
Help me to fall asleep again, and in the darkness breathe
deeply and close my eyes.
Watch over me and all I love until I awaken to the dawning
of a new day.
Prayer written by Carla A. Romarate-Knipel, copyright 2022
Soft, white cold icing
laying on bare tree branches –
newly-fallen snow.
written by Carla A. Romarate-Knipel, copyright 2022