Tag: life poetry

Follow Your Heart

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

I know
Everyone won’t like
My poetry,
What I paint,
The art I create,
Or what I have to say.

I know what I do
Isn’t everyone’s
Cup of tea.
And that doesn’t
Offend me.
If it’s not for you,
That’s totally
Okay.

I am also well aware
That I am not the best
At any one thing I do.
But I do MY best
Doing what I love,
And I feel immense
Gratitude
When I get to share
My passions
With each one of you.

Writing poetry
And creating art
Feel like
Breathing air for me.
Both – are necessary.
Both – I feel deeply.

Making art is
Chasing joy,
Imagination,
Color.
Magic,
And beauty.
It’s paint-
Celebrating,
And dancing,
It’s energy.
It’s transforming,
And healing.

Writing poetry
Is the art of sorting
And processing life.
Like solving
A jigsaw puzzle
Of emotions-
With rhythm
And sound
And your own
Heartbeat
In an open diary.
Whether it’s
Reflective,
Nostalgic,
Complex,
Painful,
Confusing,
And messy.
It’s a beautiful
Art of raw
Vulnerability
And humanity.

What fulfills me most
Is human connection.
And doing my best
To be a beacon
Of light-
And inspiration
To others.
Because those
Who inspire me,
Make this life
Feel more freeing,,
With more purpose
And meaning-
And there are many!

I want to
Remind you-
That you don’t
Have to be
THE very best-
In order to be
A bright light
For those around you.
Be brave enough
To chase your dreams
And help make
This world
More vibrant just
By offering
YOUR best
At whatever it is
You feel called to do.
Following your heart
Doesn’t have to be
Perfect.
It just needs you
To keep showing up,
And keep following through-
And I really hope you do.

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 4.12.26

Misfit?

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

Do you ever feel like-
You no longer know
Where or IF
You really fit in-
In this world
Anymore?

Something traumatic
Happened to you-
And everything changes
From how it used to be-
Before?

I do.
It’s a terribly
Lonely place to be.
And I wouldn’t wish it
On anyone.
Not even
My worst enemy.

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 4.9.26

Where the Magic Lives

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

As kids growing up-
Every experience
Feels like magic
Because everything
Is still fairly new-
Including you.

Watching spring
Bring nature
back to life.
Jumping in rain puddles.
The flowers and trees
Beginning to bloom.
Picking the
Prettiest ones
For mom.
Spring.
Running around
Barefoot
On the grass.
Playing tag,
Hide and seek,
And having
Water fights.
Camping.
Sitting around
The fire telling stories,
and making s’mores.
Swimming,
And splashing
In the water,
At the pool
Or a lake.
At a river or the ocean.
Skipping stones.
Fun in the sun.
Summer.
Popsicles,
Ice cream treats.
Birthday parties
And cupcakes.
Going to the movies.
The drive-in theater.
The zoo.
Nap time.
Riding bikes.
Going to the park
Catching bugs
And toads.
Watching the butterflies,
And dragonflies.
Mesmerized.
Sunrises and sunsets.
The moon and stars,
And constellations.
Laying on the ground
And staring up
At the clouds.
And daydreaming.
The county fair-
Cotton candy
And funnel cake.
Kicking up dirt,
Standing in long lines,
Riding rides,
And winning prizes.
Then comes-
A chill in the air.
Leaves begin
Changing colors.
Pumpkin patches.
Hayrides.
Corn mazes.
Candy apples.
Warm apple cider.
Then comes
The first snow.
And snow days.
Making snowmen,
Snow angels,
And snow forts.
Followed by
Hot chocolate
To warm up with
When you’re done-
The good-
Old fashioned fun.

The magic
Of being a kid-
Is never truly lost.
It’s only forgotten.
It’s easy to take
The little things
For granted-
Because you’ve
Already been there.
Done that.
You grew up,
And moved on.
Maybe your life
Feels too hectic
To take the time
To revisit
And relive
The simple magic
That still exists
In this world.
You’re never too
Old to get back
To celebrating
Life’s simplest,
And littlest joys-
That can revive
Your spirit
On the hard days,
And during the hard times.
Those little joys
Used to be
Your everything.

My wish for you-

If you were lucky enough
To wake up today-
Find some time
To go out
And chase your joy.
Big or small.
It’s not gone.
I promise.
And you’re never
Too old
To go out
And relive
The Happiness
That can be found
In life’s littlest,
BIG things!
That’s where the magic lives!

-Tanielle Childers©️ 4.4.26

“Give Yourself Permission”

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

LET GO
Of the guilt
That shames you away
From allowing
Your body to heal.

LET GO
Of the need
To constantly be moving.
It’s okay to rest
And be still.

LET GO
Of the push
To always be busy
In a culture
That tells you-
You must.

INSTEAD,
Give yourself permission
To pause and reflect-
Away from
Society’s rush.

Take in some deep breaths
And push them all out
To release,
Reground,
And reset.

Tune out
And take time
To recharge
In the silence-
How quickly
We all forget.

Allow the warmth
Of the sunshine
To rest on your face
As you slowly return
To center.
This sacred space
Is where healing begins-
Because the outside world
Cannot enter.

-Tanielle Childers 3.12.26

Be Fearless…

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

Jumping all in-
In the face of fear.
Finding the courage
To make friends with it
Instead of retreating-
And fleeing.
Having faith without seeing.
The excitement of what could be-
Is undoubtably liberating.
Even freeing.
But-
Fear of the unknown
Can, in moments,
Be paralyzing,
Unsettling,
And panic-inducing-
Letting go of control
And trusting in God
And in yourself
To figure it all out-
Can feel overwhelming
And at times-
All-consuming.

Let go. Let God.
Be intentional.
Be faithful.
Feed the thoughts
That feeds your future.
And leave your fears to God.
One step at a time.
One deep breath
At a time.
Focus on making
The next right decision.
Keep following
Your beautiful heart.
For this is your moment.
You have finally begun
Your long-awaited
Dream, mission,
And the life you have envisioned.

Tanielle Childers ©️ 3.9.26

I’m Learning

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

I’m learning…
What it is to have an
Extreme duality of emotions
In cancer survivorship.
And that it’s okay
To acknowledge and accept it
Fully. Deeply.
And honestly.

I am a breast cancer
Survivor.
I’m currently
In remission-
I have really great days-
Where I feel confident,
Positive. Hopeful.
A small piece
Of the carefree
Light-hearted version of me.
And yet-
I still go through darkness.
Really difficult times
That feel extremely
Isolating, depressing,
And incredibly lonely.

I wouldn’t wish these days
On anyone I love.
It’s a very challenging
Place to be.
It feels like no one around me
Really gets me-
Not anymore.
Not really.
And I don’t want to drop the heavy
On anyone around me.
I’m happy they
Don’t feel how I feel,
But my spirit sure
Longs for someone
Who did-
In these moments
When I feel so sad and conflicted.

I feel guilty for feeling
Ungrateful-
When I know
I should be thankful
Because I’m still living-
And I am-
I feel both.

I’m beyond grateful –
And I’m utterly heartbroken.
I’m so angry-
And I’m also glad.
I’m so gracious for my body-
For fighting
And healing-
And winning, so far-
And I absolutely hate it.
It makes me cry,
And it makes me mad
When I look in the mirror
And remember
What I used to have.

I’m learning
Slowly.
That it is completely okay
To feel the extremes together-
To grieve and to celebrate
In the same conflicting breath.
Because-
As a cancer survivor-
Every new day,
Is another attempt
To confront, sit with, and be okay
With whatever this day’s
Current emotion is.

-Taniellle Childers ©️ 2.24.26

Today Is Beautiful

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

Today is beautiful.
Because I woke up
Again.
A new day.
Another chance
To live.
To breathe.
To feel my heart beat.
Alive with love.
And gratitude.
Holding all the beauty
Like golden treasures
Of all our memories made-
Together.
…
And the excitement
That exists for all
The memories
Left for us to make.
…
I can’t wait.

The blue sky.
The calm.
The serene
White, wispy
brush strokes
Of highlights
Blending the white
Into blue…
The sun exploding
In the east.
Bright, bold
And beautiful.

May this day
Be filled with abundance
And blessings
For all of you!

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 2.16.26

Early Morning Light

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

Nestled in
And snuggled up
Basking in the peace,
Blanketed within the glow
Of the beautiful silence
Just before dawn…

The early morning light
Begins to rise…
Ever so slowly
Like a single flame
Flickering gently-
Growing and spreading
Into an explosion of light and color
Across the entire eastern skyline-
God’s painting in real time-
In the most profound
And heartwarming way-
Like a giant good morning hug
Sent from the heavens
Wrapped in sunshine
And covered in love.

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 12.29.25

My Two Cents…

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

I woke up yesterday from a night of bad dreams, and the moment I opened my eyes, these words started pouring out of me and I knew I had to get them down in order to be able to let this go … for whatever it’s worth, these are my two cents…

The tough times
Aren’t meant
To break us.
They’re meant to
Shape and sculpt us
Into who we are
Becoming –
The next level
Of growth
In who we are
Meant to be.

The tears
We shed
Are meant to
Humble us,
And ground us.
A reminder for us
Of the kindness
And compassion
This world,
And people
Surrounding us-
Need.

We’re all fighting
Battles
Or health issues
Behind
Closed doors
Most people
Never see.

These days,
I would argue,
Most of us
Are often
Disconnected,,
Over-stimulated,
Rarely present,
And too busy
To process and
Heal from
All the things
That continue
To make our
Mind, body,
And spirit
Bleed…
Including me.

The overwhelm.
Our constant
Hustle and bustle-
Always moving.
This world
Is always in a hurry.
We’re so busy
Speeding through
Our days
From A to B
To C to D to E.
Just to get by.
Just to provide-
For our families.
And then-
Many of us
Are struggling to sleep,
And the hours of rest
We actually get-
Never feel like
Enough-
At least for me.

The mindless scrolling,
Binge-watching,
Numbing, vanity-driven
Distractions
Are carrying us all
Further and further away
From the true meaning
Of this life
And living-
Daily.
This frightening pattern
Is slowly killing
The very fabric
That connects us.
The deeper connection,
And sense of community
Is meant to support
And protect us.
As people-
We are more divided,
And more conflicted
Than ever before-
Slamming each other
Online in comments
Behind screens
And closed doors
Over disagreements…
Disagreements-
Over the muddied,
Skewed and
Extremely divided
Waters of corrupt
Media outlets and politics.
This division
Doesn’t suit us.
It’s gutting us.
Turning us
Against one another.
The hate
Certainly won’t fix this.
And I’ll be honest
When I say,
I don’t know
What the answer is-
But I do believe this-

We all need
To pause,
To reconnect
With ourselves,
To God,
The universe,
And our hearts.
We need more time
Out in nature.
More peace,
And quiet,
More time to
Think and breathe-
To reflect, meditate
And pray.
To sit and listen
To the silence.
Allowing ourselves
To reset
And to just be…
To be at ease-
To listen to the breeze,
Watching the birds
Flutter, soar,
And dance
Across the sky,
So effortlessly.
It’s live poetry-
In motion…
To just sit still
And watch the clouds
Form and fade,
Build up, roll in,
And release
Snow or rain,
Or allow
Warm sunshine
To shine through
The cracks
And down
Upon our face.
The raw beauty,
Of this world
And the wildlife buzzing
All around us
Is a gift to behold.
The awe-inspiring
Magic of our earth.
The power, the fragility,
And true honor
Of what it means
To breathe,
To be alive,
To be alongside
Our loved ones,
To be present,
And to feel heard.

We all want the same.
We all want better-
For ourselves,
For our children,
And grandchildren.
For our country,
And for each other.
Let’s all do better-
And be better-
For the higher good.

-Tanielle Childers 12.02.25

Grateful!

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

The pure magic
And beauty of this life
And this world
Is so profound
And powerful,
And suddenly
Becomes exponentially
More meaningful
When a test or tests
Call your current health
Into question.

The sky, the clouds,
The colors of the sunrise
And sunset-
The trees, the birds
And majestic Colorado
Snow-capped mountain tops.
The open fields
And still waters.
If we just pause
For a moment
And ponder…
Just how lucky are we
To be surrounded
By such magnificent beauty.
I’m continually in awe
Of nature’s tranquility.
In times like this-
The sheer beauty
Just hits me-
Differently.

Waking up each morning
And getting to rise
With the ones
That you love.
Getting to see them,
And tell them good morning,
And being able to
Show them your love.
And oh-
The pure magic
In their heartfelt,
And comforting hugs.
What a gift.
What magic to behold.
These simple treasures
Make us far richer
Than any amount
Of gold.

I am over the moon
Grateful
For this life,
For our family,
And all of our friends.
For our laughter,
And every moment-
Together.
For our memories,
Adventures,
And light-hearted
Shenanigans.
For the gift
Of this new day.
For getting to
Rise again-
For this moment
Right now,
For the air I breathe,
And for the strength
Of my body
Still carrying me-
Forward.
And onward.
I am grateful!

SO Grateful!

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 11.25.25

Dragonfly Eyes

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

To our beautiful son, Dason,
Who wasn’t meant
To stay here on earth…
I will never forget you
Or the day of your birth.

I honored your life
By delivering you
As if you were
To be born alive.
It was the only way
I knew how to show you-
Just how much love
We held for you inside.

In times of great sorrow,
You never cease to
Surprise and amaze me-
By showing up
In the most beautiful
And unexpected ways.

Today-
I walked outside
After a few days of
Feeling somber
And sad inside.

And the most
Vibrant dragonfly
Was laid to rest
Right at my feet
As if it had been
Perfectly placed
And was waiting there
Just for me.

My tears were instant.
A giant lump in my throat,
My heart skipped a beat.
I knew in that moment
It was you.
A giant hug from above
A gift of grace
And all the love
And comfort I
So desperately longed for.

I see you
And feel your spirit
Through your
Heaven-sent signs
And dragonfly eyes.
I am endlessly grateful
For you
And I love you
With all my heart
And bigger than
The whole sky.

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 9.7.25

One Day

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

We keep saying
Our turn will come…

One day.

We’ll get to have
More time together…

One day.

Our days of adventuring
And traveling and living…
They’re coming…

Some day.

Soon.

It feels like it’s been years
Of waiting…
Of hoping and praying

That one day
Is just around
The next bend.

But truth be told,
I don’t know
How many days
I even have left.

Afterall, there’s no cure
For the cancer
That stole, not one,
But both of my breasts…

I keep worrying
About what if …
Just around
The next bend,
I’m out of ‘one-days’

And it’s the beginning
Of my end.

I feel desperate
And impatient
For that one-day,
That some-day
Kind of living –
Because we’re all here
Together … now.

But we won’t all be ….

One day.

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 9.5.25

Teotihuacan – A Leap of Faith

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

I took a giant leap of faith, and followed my heart instead of listening to my fears. I went on a journey of art and healing with an amazing group of women that I’m now proud to call my friends. I stand in awe of our experiences together.

This is a poem I wrote after I bought my plane tickets. You should also know it took me 3 times of getting all the way to end where you confirm – before I actually did. The fear was loud, but my faith was louder. This was one of the most empowering experiences I’ve ever had. I’m forever grateful.

“Teotihuacan Feb. 2025 – Leap of Faith”

I just took
A GIANT leap of faith.
Scary!
Terrifying actually!
My heart is racing…
And the logical
Part of my brain
Is bracing itself…
And wondering why
I just jumped
Without a net
To catch my fall-
And yet
Something
Deeper within
My spirit
Told me
To just answer
The call.
Told me I must!
Told me to trust!
Asked me to believe.
Have blind faith in that
Which you cannot
Foresee!
And my higher self
Is applauding me,
And celebrating
My bravery-
And rejoicing in
The open-minded
Parts of me
Willing to
Finally let go.
Let go
Of every self doubt,
Every roadblock,
And excuse
That has been
This barrier
Enslaving me,
And belittling me
Since I was 19.
Because
My higher self
Sees the real me.
Believes in me.
Sees my
Unique qualities,
My strengths,
And every possibility
Deep down
Inside of me.
Maybe-
The lioness
Within me is
Awakening…
And jumping
Was just
The beginning
Of my trajectory-
To inner glory.
And the beginning-
Of my NEW life story.

I’m terrified.
But my soul
Is on fire
With a light
Brighter
Than anything
I have ever felt
Before.
Something
Has been ignited
Deep within
My spirit,
At my core
And I am ready
And eager
For ALL that’s
In store…

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 11/24

This experience exceeded my expectations. I went in with an open heart and I came away with so much more.

There is so much power and healing through art, writing and meditation. I am determined, now more than ever, to somehow help others do the same! 🩵

Leah has another trip in July if you are interested.

Breast Cancer – Grief

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

It’s been a rough stretch-
Mentally.
I draw in a deep breath-
As I feel the clouds
Begin to lift.
This darkness-
Has felt so heavy.
This grieving-
Of who I was before-
Cancer.
And struggling
To accept myself
Unconditionally,
As I am now-
After.
So much was lost,
And I was happy
With who I was.
And I don’t yet see
Anything
That has been gained-
Out of who I have become.
If I’m being honest,
Breast cancer
Has made me feel
Less like a woman,
Weaker as a person,
And so much more
Sadness as a human.
I would not wish this
On anyone.
I have been
Profoundly humbled
By my life journey.
I understand
The fragility of life,
And the importance
Of moments spent
Both happy
And hurting.
I struggle to understand
The purpose behind
All that has been taken-
And I would be lying
If I said
There weren’t moments
Where I have felt
Like I have been
Forsaken.
But I will forge ahead
For my family-
And do my best
To hold my head high.
And I will do so
With as much strength
And hope
As I can find-
Cancer has taken
So much from me-
But I will never
Give it the power
To define-
The rest of my lifetime.

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 9.5.24

Hope

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

It is up to each one of us
To somehow
Keep our hope alive.
And we will find it
In those places
Where our heart
Feels overwhelming joy
To thrive.

I find my hope
In a morning run
And in the vibrant colors
Of the rising Sun.
In the clouds
And God’s sun rays
Shining down
From up above.
I feel hope
When I give gratitude
For the blessings
I’ve been given.
I find Hope
In the beauty
Of life’s little things.
And In learning
A new life lesson.
Hope is there
For the offering
In those beautiful spaces
That make your heart sing.
May you find and feel
Hope today
In whatever
Your day may bring.

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 2024

24 Years & Counting

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

You’ve loved me at my best-
You’ve loved me at my worst-
You’ve loved me equally,
And unconditionally,
You’ve loved me through
Every trial and every hurt.
You have a way of grounding me
And calming my crazy nerves-
You have a way of speaking
Directly to my heart-
And my spirit belongs with yours.

-Tanielle Childers 8/24

Life’s Littlest Joys

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

May life’s littlest joys
Make you smile in the moment-
May you find time today
To pause and take in
The beauty all around you.
May you feel peace and gratitude
For simply being present.
And for every blessing
That comforts, calms,
And re-grounds you.

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 8/24

Wishing You Peace

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

May today’s sunshine
Come along and kiss you
Upon your cheek,
Remind you of life’s blessings,
And bathe you in its peace.
May the afternoon showers
Wash away your worries,
And may all of your troubles
Be fleeting.
May God‘s grace
Renew your spirit,
And remind you
Of His safekeeping.

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 8/24

Dear Summa

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

It’s crazy how fast
The past
Can come flooding
Right back…
All the memories
Of yesteryears
And always wishing
You could still be here.
I remember your smile
And all the ways
You made me laugh-
All the years
Remind me of how long
You’ve been gone
But my heart still
Doesn’t know the math.

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 8/24

Just Breathe in the Present

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

Little lights flickering-
Like fireflies
In the distance.
The sun-
Slowly tucking the end
Of this wondrous day- in.

I draw in a deep breath-
And then release it,
I close my eyes-
To pause and reflect.
And to rest-
Just beneath it.

There’s a powerful
Energy that breathes
Within the flowers, trees
And natural grasses-

They weave color and life
Across the earth’s landscape-
With such joyous delight-
For the masses.

Dancing and swaying
In the breeze-
With beauty and grace,
And shaking leaves-
In untethered,
And unfurled excitement.

Drinking in
The warmth of the
Glorious sun,
And newly fallen rain-
Relaxed and calm, and still.
And basking in the glory
Of pure enlightenment.

The serenading sunrises
And sunsets
Where sweeping pastels
Paint the sky-
Alive.

Dandelions
Making wishes
And planting
Seeds of hope
For brighter tomorrows-
A thousand times-

Gliding high-
With the wind…
In an effort to
Spread their magic
And a legacy-
Forever to be
Remembered by.

Twinkling lights-
And the subtle moon glow-
Our calming,
Heavenly night light-
Blanketing the earth-
With its falling stars,
And the sweetest dreams-
Trickling down to all-
Who still believe…
In the magic.

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 4.29.24