Those intrusive thoughts

I’ve fought…

they are a lot.

Now I’m aware,

so it hardly seems fair

to do all this thinking,

makes me feel like I’m sinking.

But, alas, the day will come

when I start a little hum,

tell the excessive pondering,

to take off wandering.

Put those worries on a shelf,

return to myself…

a fabulous lady about town.

Minus the gown,

I dust off my crown,

and refuse to drown.

Denise Pearl lives in Sammamish, is a retired preschool teacher, and started painting during the pandemic when she began a small art business printing greeting cards from her original paintings, also has sold a few of her original paintings. Contact her at denisepearl@icloud.com.

SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).SHARING STORIES is featured on http://www.northwestprimetime.com, the website for Northwest Prime Time, a monthly publication for baby boomers, seniors, retirees, and those contemplating retirement. The newspaper can be found in the greater Seattle area and other Puget Sound locations. For more information, call 206-824-8600 or visit http://www.northwestprimetime.com. To find other SHARING STORIES articles on this website type “sharing stories” in the search function above.

The Fret