Valinor

If I were to tell you that there is a light 

that is waiting for you, 

even if you cannot see or feel it, 

you probably wouldn’t believe me.

Nothing we do in life is ever easy. 

Carrying the pain of another

is harder than most. 

It is constant, It is exhausting;

and all we can do is hope 

that in some small way

we have made a difference…

            * * * * * * * * * * 

You came to us after the hurricane.

Amid chaos and confusion,

you quietly picked up our broken pieces.

You were the calm after the storm,

the safe space we all needed.

You gave us back our sanity, our security.

Never selfish. Never loud. Never self-serving.

You worked behind the scenes without accolade.

You didn't need to be the center of attention.

Now the Grey Havens are calling

where a ship awaits to carry you west

to the undying lands.
While those you love may not yet follow,

there will come a time when you will meet again.

Rest easy, knowing that you always did 

the best you could; that your legacy will live on.
Let the warm winds carry you to journey’s end,

where the ones who have gone ahead

are waiting to welcome you...

 a place of no more pain, 

 no more worries, 

  —only peace.

© Ginny Brannan 2026

For Jo, and Joe B. and family, and all who are dealing with their own loved one's illness or loss.

Photograph:"Rockport Harbor" Charlie Parant at Appetite for Photos

*Used with expressed written permission

                                                   * * * * *

"We are all broken, that's how the light gets in" Ernest Hemingway

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are those who suffer persecution for righteousness' sake, 

for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Excerpts from The Beatitudes, Matthew 5:1-12

"Valinor" is a fictional place spoken of in J.R.R Tolkien's writings where the Elves and the Ring-bearers go when their time on Middle Earth is done. It is comparable to the Garden of Eden before the fall of man. The technical rule is that mortals aren't allowed—the real rule is that the Valar make the determination and can make exceptions. From "Fans of Middle Earth" 

This "Incurable Disease"

What’s the use of trying

if no one ever reads.

The problem’s underlying,

an incurable disease.

These words that heal can also hurt

and kill us in degrees

For every point, a counterpoint…

for every line, a critic;
the lack of response disappoints

and often feels acidic.

Perhaps the stories that I’ve shared

were better left unsaid,

Yet I can say at least I’ve dared

to share what’s in my head.

To all my fellow writers,

all those I have not met–

aspirant hitchhikers

and fellow dissidents:

I gave up so long ago

on catching your attention..

we travel on this path alone

and friendship’s an invention.

Please note that I understand

you’ve better things to do…

truth be told, I do not care:

  I do not write for you.

© Ginny Brannan 2026

"You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what's burning inside you, and we edit to let the fire show through the smoke."

- Arthur Plotnik

"I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I’m afraid of."

- Joss Whedon

“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy”  —Stephen King “On Writing”

You are 'Here'

 

Who’d have thought that we’d be here

in this place of doubt and fear,
where laws are broken constantly

and hate spreads rampant, like disease

and nothing is exactly clear

Who’d have thought that we’d be here?

The happiness we used to feel

seems far away and so surreal.

We’re struggling to keep afloat;

I think we’ll need a bigger boat.
Who’d have thought that we’d be here,

led by cons and profiteers?

Yet I, for one, won’t give up hope;

for that would be a “slippery slope..”

I’ll stand my ground and persevere–

Yet who’d have thought that we’d be here?

© Ginny Brannan 2026

"Some believe it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love." J.R,R. Tolkien

"Never be cruel,

Never be cowardly...

Remember hate is always foolish

Love is always wise

Always try to be nice,

but never fall to be kind."

—The 12th Dr. Who

Sacred Trust

 

There’s peace found in the wild places

renewal in the mountain streams

they call to us, those old growth trees

The Yellowstone, Yosemite 

the painted canyons share their glory

each one writing their own story

long before we came to be

I’ve walked along the valley floor

and stared in awe at all her wonders

calling out to be explored.

I’ve raced the storms across the plains

and listened to the thundering echo

of giant bison giving chase.

I’ve heard the eagles crying out

while soaring thermals, ever higher,
I’ve seen the claw marks of the grizzly,

heard whisper of the hunters wing;

I’ve watched the Pronghorn as they graze.

heard coyotes as they sing.

We are the stewards of this land

the wardens of this sacred trust

from old worn hills and ocean sands
that predate modern history, 

and now we balance on this cusp.
If we blink and let it fall

then we become accomplices
abettors in the devastation

partners in annihilation
slayers of our destiny

The patterns shift, the ice caps melt,

our leadership’s too blind to see;
the forest fires, the deadly heat…
they stand there, watching in denial:
“profit” is their bottom line.

They have oil to refine.

They look for others they can shame,
a mirror would show who’s to blame.

Yes, we are woven to this place

part and parcel with this land–

and we are keepers of this trust

our future counts on all of us.

© Ginny Brannan 2026

Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.

—Ancient Indian Proverb

In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.——Iroquois maxim

“We must protect the forests for our children, grandchildren and children yet to be born. We must protect the forests for those who can’t speak for themselves such as the birds, animals, fish and trees.”
—Qwatsinas (Hereditary Chief Edward Moody), Nuxalk Nation

**During his very active presidency, Theodore Roosevelt established approximately 230 million acres of public lands between 1901 and 1909, including 150 national forests, the first 55 federal bird reservation and game preserves, 5 national parks, and the first 18 national monuments.**

Image taken at Bear's Ears National Monument

The Day the Circus Came to Town

 

The excitement, it was palpable,
the messages, subliminal–

as the show paraded through the streets.

New in town, as yet unknown,

their voices droned in monotone, 

with subtle words of cunning and deceit.

They kept the restless crowd engaged, 

enrapt with something new;

intrigued inside their mystery and mystique.

And then, it seems, as if on cue, 

came the circus grand review

and so our curiosity was piqued. 

The tigers were all snarling, locked inside their cages

while the elephants came lumbering up behind;

then the tarot readers, soothsayers and sages,

diviners of some future they’d define.

Acrobatic wonders, gravity defiers;

lovely ladies dressed to entertain,

a swallower of (s)words, a juggler of fire—

a dog and pony show, as promised in their flyer,
all smoke and mirrors cloaking their campaign.

Some of us stood up to leave, too many still remained

to watch the emcee turn into a clown;

his face ever-contorting, expressions alternating–

and so the show continues in this vein,

as he pulls out all the stops to shut us down.

So many sit in silence, they do not made a sound

reporters all were stifled where they stood;

diminished to profanity while watching the insanity

set in motion by the orange clown—

ever since the circus came to town.

© Ginny Brannan 2026

"There are two ways of being fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true." Soren Kierkegaard

"It is easier to fool people than to convince them they are being fooled." Mark Twain

"They muddy the water to make it seem deep." Friedrich Nietzsche

"Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." Anthony Weldon