Your family hates me for leaving you
They don’t know
I would have died had I stayed
Even a cactus can die of thirst

© 2025 Joan Zaruba. All rights reserved.

jagged little tooth
protruding from the roof

of my mouth, unseen
by all but me

inside it hangs
a secret fang

hidden by my smiles
my feminine wiles

reminding me
unbeknownst to you
that I can bite
draw blood
if I need to

Do I need to?

© 2025 Joan Zaruba. All rights reserved.

Inside the shadows of my mind
I search
and reach
and try to find

I kneel
And dig
And scratch the black
Aching for direction
An answer back

What buried treasure will I find
What happiness
Motivation
Peace of mind?

Is there really any reason to be found?
What’s it all even for?
Maybe it’s just darkness
And dirt
And nothing more

© 2025 Joan Zaruba. All rights reserved.

When I speak with confidence
I hold my head up high
I look ‘em in the eye

When I speak with confidence
I no longer feel small
I am ten feet tall

When I speak with confidence
I stay calm and kind
I say what’s on my mind

When I speak with confidence
I stake my claim
And invite others to do the same

© 2025 Joan Zaruba. All rights reserved.

Today I watched a cloud float by
By far my favorite accomplishment of the day
Time paused as I watched
graceful puff of white against blue
All thoughts paused
No To Do List
No guilt
No aching muscles
No errands
No work
Nothing but the cloud as I watched it float by
in the blue blue sky

© 2025 Joan Zaruba. All rights reserved.

The summit looked so far away
We started walking anyway
Sometimes we spoke
Laughing and teasing
Sometimes we fell silent
Looking and listening
Sometimes we needed a brief rest
sip of cool water
granola snack pulled from a pack
Then back to the hike
Walking and walking
As the trail ascended
Navigating rocks and sand
One step and then another
Until we looked up and realized
We made it to the summit
The place where we started looked so far away
from the top where we now stood
Thrilled with ourselves and the view
Happy to have made it there, together
The land never looked so alive
the sky, so blue
As it did from that summit view.


© 2025 Joan Zaruba. All rights reserved.

Truth
It breathes
It speaks
Sometimes in a whisper
like a mother’s gentle kiss on her child’s fevered forehead
Sometimes in a fierce growl
like a protective dog with hackles raised and teeth bared
Sometimes as a calm, steady chant
like the beating of a drum
vibrating in your heart
Truth speaks
We just need to breathe
and to listen



© 2025 Joan Zaruba. All rights reserved.