tanka
You Provide the Dots
A thank you to a dear friend & mentor
You provide the dots My path is to connect them Pennies from heaven Strands of pearled epiphanies Palm trees proffering fresh dates
©Jenine Bsharah Baines 2021
Today, after lunch with a dear friend I hadn’t seen since Covid, I realized how many blessings — pennies from heaven, pearls of epiphanies — I have received thanks to her guidance and love.
Granted, sometimes it’s been ‘tough love’ but the love I have never doubted. Love and guidance I turn to instinctively during dark periods…and the most joyous…and, well, all the in-between times, too.
No surprise that the palm tree is her favorite tree — the palm is symbolic of peace, abundance, wisdom; in some cultures, the palm is revered as the Tree of Life.
Thank you, dear mentor, friend, and shining example.
And thank you, Trista Signe Ainsworth, for starting up the perfect publication for this poem of gratitude.
Dearest readers, this tanka is for you as well. More often than you realize, your words and artistry help me connect the dots! No coincidence that Medium’s logo is what it is.