About gayle

Gayle Blancett delights in living, breathing, and seeing the world through the windows of wherever she may be, in the eyes of those she meets, and in the air around her. Her poems explore simple yet significant truths in everyday situations and observations to stimulate thought and personal growth. After years of traveling and living around the world with her husband, they are at home in Salado, Texas. Topping her list of prized accomplishments are a husband of 44 years, grown children, and the most wonderful crop of grandchildren a grandmother could hope to have.

CHANGING FORWARD

Aside

CHANGING FORWARD

Inevitable unavoidable change

Always lurks around the corners

Waiting patiently beyond seeing range

Keeping feet unsteady and precariously balancing on the borders

Commanding incredible amounts of serious thinking

Destroying the luxury of mindless routine comfort

Unwelcome consciousness in the creating

Disburses uneasy demands on personal effort

No turning back at yesterday to look

The new awakening of change will not content allow

New chapters building the pages of the book

Change personal expectations, perspectives, and force accountability now

NURSE ANGELS

Posted on November 19, 2020 by gayle

Nurses skillfully maneuver their way through a jungle of clear bags dangling from poles

With intestine-like twisted tubes precisely connected

To brightly lit monitors, loud alarms, and dinging bells

Fluids travel the tubes with deliberate speeds and measured paths

To the unaware patient quietly dependent

While he is briskly pushed in his bed through the hall

To sophisticated machinery and more specialized testing

It is the Intensive Care Unit, better known as ICU

Where angels work feverishly daily to save lives

Carefully balancing a necessary self-imposed survival numbness

With the deep human compassion that drives them

FEATHER HAIR

Posted on July 5, 2020 by gayle

I dropped a feather in the air

It fell in my mother’s hair

More feathers she grew

Until she almost flew

She gave me a squeeze

It made me sneeze

Then feathers were everywhere

REPRIEVE

Posted on July 2, 2020 by gayle

My eyes seeped through the willow tree
Walked along the grass and sand
And immersed in the cool lake water

My ears listened to the still quiet air,
The occasional passing hum of a tiny airborne insect,
And my own heartbeat, alternating with occasional intestinal rumble

My thoughts flew across the sky to the water’s other edge
Exploring the mountainside where I peeked into the mouth of a cave
To see a mysterious creature napping quietly in the dark coolness

From the porch chair I had not moved
Except my eyes to blink away the warm dry air
And my hand to swat away a fly

A rare reprieve I briefly found
Contrasting completely to the fast pace of modern noise
That most often engulfs and exhausts me

CARTWHEEL FOR GRANDMA

Posted on June 6, 2020 by gayle

Grandma came to visit

She never looks the same

She lives far away

So on the plane she came

I drew her a special picture

And wrote her some words so dear

She loves these things I know

Because she always smiles with a tear

I showed her my best cartwheel

My sister played her song

My brother did his yoyo tricks

Then we giggled and hugged the night long

Grandma says we’ve grown too much

And she thinks we are all so pretty

But it is difficult to understand us

When our voices blend completely

ROADRUNNER

Image

Pretty roadrunner

What do you see?

Stopping and starting

Behind each tree

Busy roadrunner

Traveling so fast

It is clear to all

You will never be last

Clever roadrunner

Took wise advice

To stop, look, and listen

To avoid one’s demise

SUBTLE GRANDEUR

Posted on March 6, 2017 by gayle

SUBTLE GRANDEUR WAS PREVIOUSLY POSTED OCT. 2014. IT STILL CAPTURES THE FEELING OF CERTAIN MORNINGS.

The silver morning sky slowly brightens
As the sun’s rays reach
From behind the horizon
To scout the lingering clouds

The trees stand as motionless statues
Waiting for the winds
To move them
To dance through the day

The air thickened by yesterday’s cool rain
Rises to welcome the warm sun
With a ghostly white presence
That blends with the clouds
To erase the horizon’s divide

The void of color is in
Striking contrast to the previous dawn
Yet its statement is equal to the others

It is magnificent to open ones eyes,
Breathe in a subtle grandeur,
And ponder the wonderment
Of infinite uniqueness

FALL INTROGRESSION

Posted on October 4, 2016 by gayle

The north winds raced across the field picking up speed

Greeting and pushing the trees aside

And swirling around the corners of the house

In a playful arrogant rush

The horses darted in and around the cooling wind

With equal mischief and excitement

Kicking up their heels in the air

In direct rebellion and competition with the changing elements

The whistling interruption of the hyper air

Synchronized to the exuberant beat of the horses hoofs

And joined hands at the opposite horizons

Partnering with the sky’s stampeding gray clouds

It was an aggressive and expected announcement

Of the arrival of an old and dear friend

An Appropriate and suitable escort for

The welcome introgression of the seasonal change

BREAD OF LIFE

Posted on April 18, 2016 by gayle

I am proud to say that my husband, SKIP BLANCETT, has been an outstanding leader, through truth and by example, the entire time I have known him. We have been married for 47 years as of last May, and I cannot count all the “beautiful flowers that have bloomed” due to his influence and example throughout these years.

I wrote the following poem some years ago when disappointed with the dishonesty of a person in a leadership role. It was a sad truth that I had not seen before that time and it was a struggle to find understanding. I am posting this poem now as a testament to the honest, moral character, and outstanding leadership example I have witnessed personally in Skip all these years.

Skip is also the hardest working individual I have ever known and will give of himself whatever it takes to help someone, to solve a problem, to help make a situation better, or whatever positive difference it is within his power to do. I have seen him do it over and over again. If it is possible at all, he will accomplish it at all personal cost. Unfortunately, not everything can be fixed quickly and not everything can be fixed to please everyone. I can say that I know he will not give up trying.

With all this said, I am asking each of you to vote for Skip to be re-elected Mayor in the May 7th election. Everyone’s vote will be needed due to the possibility of numerous write-in mistakes. Many could see just one name on the ballet to mark and might not think to write in a name. We are doing everything we know to make it easy. We need all the help we can get. Tell your friends and neighbors to vote! Personally take them to vote if necessary. Thank you for all you do. This is so very important for the best future of Salado.

Gratefully,

Gayle Blancett

BREAD OF LIFE

In the name of power

Compromises are made

Twisted truths come down in a shower

As words are shaped to reflect a slightly different shade

What is this power driven monster

Hidden beneath the surface so smug

That constantly mistruths bolster

Could it be the simple need of an admiring hug?

Our trusted leaders

Great responsibilities hold

Certainly they should be truth creators

For such character one must be very bold

True and lasting power is among the fruit that is given

It blooms in life as a most beautiful flower

A sweet bread created with a truth leaven

For all of humanity to devour

BIRTH OF BEAUTY

Posted on April 10, 2016 by gayle

Forgive me if you have seen this one before on my website. It is in my 2012 archives.

Beauty comes from within, I know

But on the outside it best does show

Seeded deeply in the heart

From where sincere meaning must start

It germinates with nutrients gathered from the soul

And works its way to the surface to reach its splendid goal

Perfect Weather, Perfect Village, Perfect Day!!!!

Posted on April 10, 2016 by gayle

People, people, everywhere ! From one end to the other through out the village, there were happy faces and giggles from visitors, vendors, and shop owners alike. Isn’t it amazing! In spite of the construction, a few doom and gloom attitudes, the positive determination and the joined hands of almost everyone, resulted in the best weekend for Salado in a very long time. Each individual success co-ordinated to feed into the other successes. It was a very wonderful weekend for the village, no matter your perspective. Thank you Chamber of Commerce, Tourism, shop owners, vendors, artist, shoppers, and visitors! You all deserve it.

Other informational websites below:

www.saladomayor.blogspot.com
www.re-electskip.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/reelectmayorskip
www.facebook.com/gayleblancett/local
www.gayleblancett.com