The Poetry Collection
Where words become a space for reflection, healing, and connection.
Idyll Musings, Vol. 1
Poetry became my lifeline after my son died in 2022.
Idyll Musings, Volume 1 is a collection of original poetry and photography exploring dementia, grief, love, mental health, and the moments where beauty persists even in darkness. Each poem is raw, honest, and paired with landscape photography that creates a visual journey through loss, hope, and resilience.
Readers describe the collection as “a window into resilience” and say it reminds them that “grief and hope can exist in the same breath.” These poems don’t shy away from pain, but they refuse to let pain have the final word.
This book is an invitation to sit with the hard stuff, find beauty in unexpected places, and remember that every story—including yours—deserves to be told.
The Ten Principles of The Eden Alternative
Principle Five: We thrive when we have variety, spontaneity, and unexpected happenings in our lives. This is the antidote to boredom.
Joy
Sunlight still kisses my skin
Its warmth reaches deep within
A breeze moving through an open door
Still brings shivers to my core.
My Love’s embrace makes my heart smile
Her kiss ignites embers that burn silent but wild
Holding her hand, sharing a glance
Connection is there; dementia hasn’t a chance.
Music plays and my spirit is filled
A melody is magic instilled
I sing the words or perhaps I hum
The notes break through when my mind is numb.
I laugh-yes I LAUGH! At jokes, stories, and moments small
Even if minutes later I cannot recall
In that moment, much joy can be found
“Live in the moment;” those words are profound.
A scent, a sound, a touch, a taste
All contain joy even when faced
With brain-change that impacts how I perceive
The world around me every day and eve.
I do not lament what appears to fade
Because joy still finds me, most every day
Though days may twist and the mind might wander
Joy helps me live with love, gratitude, and wonder.
Joy still finds me, most every day.here….
Choices
Sometimes, quiet comes not as a friend
But as an omen he cannot quite comprehend.
It whispers softly, voice filled with gloom
And paints his eyes with images of doom.
He hears the happy sighs of the rising sun.
Yet feel its warmth he does not. Nor does it run
Through a mind that throbs in endless pain
Through days that feel like endless rain.
There is a voice both near and far
That he can’t drown out with violin or guitar.
A voice that says, “You do not have to stay,”
And leaves him wondering if that is the only way.
To his eyes the world is bright, to his mind dark and grey.
The colors have faded and all but drifted away.
He searches for fingers to hold his hand
Instead what he finds is grit and sand.
A Violin Speaks
Standing alone, leaning, propped up ‘gainst a wall
My voice now silent when it once filled a hall.
Waiting for my ally, my friend who made me sing.
The one whose fingers held my bow, whose fingers touched my string
Beautiful music we made together, but alas
Never again I fear, for so much time has passed.
My strings and body gather dust with each passing day.
Where has he gone? Why won’t he take me out to play?
So many travels, so many adventures, the two of us entwined.
Hiking, walking, riding the rails, it was forever him and I.
I was with with him as he grew, in talent and in age.
I gave him confidence when he took his place on stage.
I miss my boy, I wonder where and why he’s gone
And why, this time, he did not take me along.
No one else will hold me the way that he once did.
Without him I only exist – I can’t sing, I can’t live.
Leaning ‘gainst a wall, in silent torture
Missing my boy, my love, my Brilliant Performer
BEYOND THE FADE
If faces blur and years become unkind
And fog creeps softly through my mind
Still in my chest your heartbeat’s tune
Will vibrate like a sacred rune.
I may not know the place or year
But your voice will still feel close and clear
And when you speak my heart will rise
Still tethered to your tender eyes.
My love, you see, lives far too deep
For time to twist or dis-ease to sweep
It hums beneath the words I speak
And stays with when the rest of me is weak.
So hold me close when it seems I have strayed
Speak gently, help me to be unafraid
Though I may drift, I will never let go
You are part of me, more than you’ll ever know.
And if I lose the words I knew
Understand this: I will never forget that I love you.
Patience
The beautiful and enduring are nurtured over weeks, months, and years
From nature to relationships, time spent endears
A piece of jagged glass must tumble o’er and o’er in the sea
To become a piece of lovely sea glass an artist’s eye can see
The couple from the shore, wait for the colors of the setting sun
They sit patiently as time passes, knowing its value when the day is done.
Flowers do not bloom overnight, nor wisdom come in youth
With time the garden is a beautiful sight, and to the elder comes the truth
The Ten Principles of The Eden Alternative
Principle Six: Meaningless activity corrodes the human spirit. Meaning is unique to each of us and is essential to health and well-being.
Own the Hardcover Edition
Experience Mark Timmons Sr.’s collection of art and poetry in its beautifully printed ImageWrap hardcover. This edition is designed to be both read and displayed. Click below to view and purchase the hardcover version.
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Prefer a lighter, easy-to-carry version? The softcover edition offers the same powerful poetry and artwork in a convenient format. Click below to explore and purchase the softcover edition.