In 1989, a woman wandered the streets of Santa Monica, homeless, disheveled, emaciated. Every day, I saw her in the same spot, and my heart went out to her, so I stopped what I was doing and said a silent affirmation for her benefit. I asked my light to touch hers, and a moment later, she looked up, dazed but aware.

Finding herself hiding from the world and without shelter, she sat under a tree and watched as a white magnolia flower fell.

I continued saying my solemn declarations, confirming her emotional support. Surprisingly enough, one day, while walking by her, she, too, saw the amethyst sky, and she awoke. Something inside awakened her. It was a long-lost dream that suddenly came alive. I never saw her again.

Wanderer

The woman walked all alone one day,
Sadly, along the charcoal-darkened streets,
Drifting silently nowhere

She glanced up
And found herself
Hidden from life’s lighted path!

Then, under a pale, pale flowing tree
She watched the white falling petals wilt
Wilting became familiar to her.

She continued her strolls, but
A glimpse of silver light
Slipped through the amethyst sky,
And woke something deep within her
Which had almost died

It was a long-lost, forgotten dream
That caught her very eye!

You can order my poetry collection, including this poem, here: Reflections of My Heart.

Original text ©2025 by Karen Lynn-Chlup. All rights reserved. Image by bobistraveling via Wikimedia Commons.