Thousands of miles,
bombs are dropped,
to threaten retaliation.
A plane flies,
A ball of fire,
families die,
and lives are destroyed.
Free speech is tested,
Democracy loses its lustre.
A dictator calls himself a President,
and the people cry.
-Mandy Ricks
Scarred hands clutch broken dreams.
I bled through nights no on dared to scream.
Ashes crown the ones who burn.
Each wound a page no chance to turn.
Still, I rise, too fierce to mourn.
-Mandy Ricks
Broke my chains with trembling hands.
Built a kingdom from shifting sands.
No hero came – I wore the crown.
Found my fire when the world burned down.
I am my own salvation now.
Mandy Ricks
I walked through fire, let it sting,
felt the loss of everything.
Ghosts still whisper, scratch my skin,
but I won’t let them pull me in.
Blade of doubt against my throat,
I wear the scars, but still I float.
No savior comes, no hand to hold,
just me—alone, but fierce and bold.
I carve my name in silent stone,
a war-born soul, a heart my own.
No chains, no gods, no need to bow—
I am enough. I am now.
It’s that waiting time of year, that pause between seasons when waiting becomes the overwhelming feeling.
But we all need pauses times to prepare for what’s next. Moments of pause to refresh our thoughts, reorganize our priorities, visit our goals, and reconnect to our dreams. Above all, never let go of those dreams. -Mandy Ricks
Winter always feels like nature’s way of pressing pause, giving us time to reflect and recharge. In these quieter moments, I’ve discovered that the warmth of past adventures, heartfelt connections, and cherished memories bring a little sunshine to my snowy days. So even when the world outside is a blanket of white, I remind myself there’s always a bit of summer within me, waiting to shine through.
The trees droop laden with the innocence of snow. Footprints lead the way to somewhere you want to go. While the season chills us we still wander through magic days. Enjoy. -Mandy Ricks
Maybe it feels like the world is in chaos, with a maniac at the helm yelling, “bring on the fire.” Maybe you feel like running away. But trust, calm will return, wrapped in your insight, and you will want to go home again. -Mandy Ricks
Sometimes, against all odds, all logic, we still hope.
That’s what the holidays are all about: hope.
-Mandy Ricks
So, here we are, dare I say again, holding each other tight, perhaps in an effort to stop from falling apart.
But things do change, and maybe they will for us too. And then we can hold each other close, out of love instead of love instead of desperation. -Mandy Ricks
Find the wild
Listen quietly to the sound of the wilderness
Trees rustling
birds chirping
the breeze whispering.
Breathe all of it in and you will feel like the wisest of us all.
-Mandy Ricks
Mandy Ricks 