It would be easier
To catch a rainbow in a ziplock bag,
To force the seven seas into a paper cup,
To stuff a field of sunflowers into a single vase
Than to write a poem that captures your spirit,
My friend.
You are a great poet for the same reasons
That you are a great friend . . .
Because both come as naturally to you as breathing;
Because it is your nature to celebrate your life
And to help others learn how they can do the same.
Because you can't not write
Just as you can't not be compassionate.
You are a force of nature.
You are one of the rare souls of this world
Who actually lives up to their name.
There is warm, yellow, welcoming light wherever you are
And those stumbling in the darkness are drawn to it.
Your messages are sent into the world
naturally, effortlessly, without judgment
Like rays from a lighthouse
Helping those lost in fog find their way home.
Mother Teresa said very few of us can do great things
But all of us can do small things with great love.
That's why your poems are loved by so many -
Because they are full of your essence, which is love.
Love, a word so overused
It has become almost meaningless.
But you have given it new life.
You have mastered it
While most of humanity is perpetually locked
In petty grievances and self-doubt.
Jesus said, "When they ask for your cloak,
Give them your coat as well."
And I can imagine Him sitting on His throne
In a classroom of angels,
Looking down through the clouds
To your street and into your garden
As you share a story with children
Or write a poem of hope for someone
As the leaves fall outside your window.
And I can imagine Him saying to them,
"Watch her. She knows what I meant
And she's one of the few who actually lives it."
Yes, I'm sure that He is very proud of you.
Honorable winner
Adding your comment:
A masterpiece as always, how I admire your work... 
