First Forward then Back
Stepping back
Watching my back
Thinking back
Listening
Stopping
Listening some more
The sound is fading
We have been here before
I have been here before
Hurt at the core
Not closing the door
Two feet on the floor
Choosing to ignore
A syndrome.
(July 2026)
Very Merry Berries
Berry merry cherry fairy
How does your garden grow?
When water, heat and clean air meet
My heart does more than glow!
Friend Kerry and I are on the fields
Of red berries we both hold dear
To amass ourselves the biggest yield
As we feel both joy and cheer.
There’s nothing like a tasty fruit
Grown right here in our midst
No middle man or tariff costs
Just a beautiful bounty in our fists.
Juicy, sweet and aromatic too
We are so blessed to live right here
Rich soils from incredible Mother Earth
— It’s our very favourite time of year!
Antoinetta DeWit
June 2026
Getting it together means we must listen to our inner voice for guidance as we continue life’s journey, our life’s journey.
SPINNING VOICES
In my world of politics there’s lots of spin
The needed answers come from within
Within the body, the mind and the soul
We must focus on the ultimate goal.
Our lives are like that even as we grow old
We mustn’t allow that path to go cold
Listen to that voice within — every day
She knows what’s best — come what may.
Speak to that voice, feed her your thoughts
Hear that feedback as you continue to walk
It’s nature’s way to block out the negative
And zeros in on what’s truly imperative.
You and her are what matters the most
She’ll walk you forward rather than coast!
Take a walk in the woods, sit on a trunk
Stretch up your arms, be sure not to slump.
You’ve got what it takes to live life with grace
Feel it in your head, heart, arms, legs and face,
Stay focused on what’s life’s ultimate goal
Love yourself completely in order to feel whole.
Antoinetta DeWit
February 2026
The calming feel of red and white
Warmly envelopes the Olympic sites.
Athletes’ faces, strides of pride
Energy, laughter, tears on the side
Years of practice come to this place
We see it all — amazing race after race.
Red and white make spirits feel right
Hearts abeating, eyes shining bright
Whatever happens we all stand tall
For our athletes have given their all.
Harmony, courage and enduring pain
Are the makings of a nation’s name.
𝓐 𝓟𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓮𝓽 𝓲𝓷 𝓝𝓮𝓮𝓭
𝒪𝓊𝓇 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓃𝑒𝓉 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝒻𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓃 𝓊𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇 𝑔𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉 𝒹𝓊𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈
𝐵𝓁𝒶𝓃𝓀𝑒𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝒷𝓎 𝒶 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓀 𝒸𝓁𝑜𝓊𝒹 𝑜𝒻 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈
𝐵𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒾𝓃, 𝒷𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓎 𝑜𝒻𝓉𝑒𝓃 𝓈𝒶𝓎
𝐸𝓍𝒸𝑒𝓅𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓊𝓉𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒 𝒶𝒾𝓇 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓅𝑒𝓉𝓊𝒶𝓉𝑒𝓈 𝒹𝒾𝓈𝓂𝒶𝓎.
𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝒹 “𝓈𝓊𝓅𝑒𝓇” 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝒾𝓉𝓈 𝒾𝓂𝓅𝓇𝑒𝓈𝓈𝒾𝓋𝑒𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈
𝒯𝓊𝓇𝓃𝑒𝒹 𝓊𝓅𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒 𝒹𝑜𝓌𝓃 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓅𝓅𝑜𝓈𝒾𝓉𝑒
𝒮𝓊𝓅𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝒶𝒹, 𝓈𝓊𝓅𝑒𝓇 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝒸𝓀𝑒𝒹, 𝓈𝓎𝓂𝒷𝑜𝓁𝒾𝒸 𝓇𝑜𝓉
𝒟𝑜𝓉 𝒹𝑜𝓉 𝒹𝑜𝓉
𝒲𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝑒𝓂𝓅𝓉𝓎 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓍𝑒𝒹-𝒻𝒾𝓁𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝓂𝒾𝓃𝒹𝓈
𝐵𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓃𝑜 𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝓀𝒾𝓃𝒹
𝒜𝓇𝒷𝒾𝓉𝓇𝒶𝓇𝓎 𝑒𝓋𝒾𝓁, 𝒸𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓁 𝓉𝓊𝓇𝓂𝑜𝒾𝓁 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝒷𝓈𝑜𝓁𝓊𝓉𝑒 𝒾𝓃𝓈𝒶𝓃𝒾𝓉𝓎
𝒜𝓇𝑒 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓌𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝒻 𝒽𝓊𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒾𝓉𝓎.
𝒜 𝓂𝒾𝓇𝓇𝑜𝓇 𝑜𝒻 𝒮𝓉𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓃, 𝐻𝒾𝓉𝓁𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒷𝒾𝒷𝓁𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓁 𝒞𝒶𝒾𝓃
𝒜𝓉𝓇𝑜𝒸𝒾𝓉𝒾𝑒𝓈, 𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓈𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓃𝑜 𝒶𝓃𝓈𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈, 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝓅𝒶𝒾𝓃
𝒯𝓇𝓊𝓉𝒽 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝓌𝒾𝓈𝓉𝑒𝒹, 𝓇𝑒𝒹𝒶𝒸𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝑜𝓇 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓉𝑒𝓁𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑔𝑜𝓉
𝒪𝓊𝓇 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓃𝑒𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝒸𝓇𝓎𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝓁𝑒 𝓈𝑜 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒾𝓈 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝓉.
𝐼𝓉’𝓈 𝓈𝑜 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒻𝑜𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓌 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓅𝒶𝓉𝒽
𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓈𝑜 𝓂𝒶𝓃𝓎 𝑒𝓍𝒶𝓂𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓇𝒾𝒷𝓁𝑒 𝓌𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒽
𝒟𝑒𝓈𝓅𝒾𝓉𝑒 𝒾𝓉 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓌𝑒 𝒹𝑜 𝓈𝓉𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒
𝐼𝓃𝒽𝒶𝓁𝑒 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓅𝑒𝒶𝒸𝑒 𝑜𝓃 𝒶 𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓃𝑒𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝓃𝑒𝑒𝒹.
𝒜𝓃𝑜𝓃𝓎𝓂𝑜𝓊𝓈
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐞
This August I will be travelling to my native homeland, the Netherlands, to participate in a unique and exciting event. This year the City of Amsterdam is celebrating 750 years of growing strong and proud as a community and a city in the province called North Holland.
I am supporting a group of peace loving and nature loving volunteers who are preparing something very special for the celebration: the planting of a tree. This will not be just any tree, but a very special tree. A sequoia. It will be planted in a sacred part of a city park where people from all walks of life and traditions can come and go freely, sit quietly, contemplate, meditate, reflect, and feel the power of the serene surroundings of what will be called The Peace Tree.
At a time when the world seems divided and conflicts are flaring everywhere, creating so much chaos, confusion and division, this project is very timely. This tree will become a living monument of hope, harmony and recovery. It will be an outdoor welcoming place, a gathering place, for everyone, surrounded by the beauty and comfort of Nature. It will be one of many being planted around the world, and I am looking forward to being in Amsterdam to witness the compassion and determination of the organizers, participants, residents and guests.
The symbolism and powerful message of the mighty Sequoia dates back centuries with indigenous roots and beliefs. It is known as a powerful symbol of peace and connection; it stands tall, strong and honourable on its own and in the company of others. It is resilient and able to withstand harsh conditions. As a metaphor, it stands for human endurance, growth and survival. “If it can do it, we can do it too.” The Sequoia is known as the Peace Tree of the forest.
As is true with every noble volunteer initiative, financial support is needed. The costs include the purchase, transportation and planting of a four metre tall healthy tree by professionals and specialists who will ensure the space is right, the soil is right and the job is done right. The tree will be the centerpiece of a specially designed resting place and include a commemorative plaque, storyboards, artwork and places to sit and stand. Of course all of this will cost money.
I want to help this peace and sustainability project become a success. I know others will agree that every effort, big or small, to contribute to helping our ailing Earth, ailing world and ailing people heal, individually and collectively, can only be a good thing.
Volunteer efforts like this are happening around the world; but, because I was invited to this one, I am doing my bit to support this project in Amsterdam.
If you would like to contribute or want more information, please DM me. When I return, I will send you a photo of what you helped to make a reality in Amsterdam. Who knows, maybe one day you can drop by and visit it too. It will be a beautiful spot, in a beautiful city and park, for everyone to visit, appreciate and experience for decades to come! I’m looking forward to the experience. 🌲
FOOTPRINTS IN OUR HEARTS
I feel your saddened, grieving heart
I hear your quivering familiar voice
I see your crying, reddened eyes
as I now sniff around the other side.
I know You feel my saddened heart
I know You hear my quivering moans
I know You see my moistened eyes
I know You smell my doggie guise!
Knowing we have had a great run
Enjoying the Earth, Moon and Sun
Those pleasures remain in our hearts
The walks, the talks and alerting barks
Now our respective footprinted “paws”
Will always give our hearts applause.
Yes, I will always be resting in peace
On these clouds that feel like fleece
Yes, You gave me a most wonderful life
Filled with love and laughter and light.
Yes, being your pet has been my grace
as I now rest in this — my heavenly space.
I am happily at peace and feeling just fine
Knowing this poem is both yours and mine.
Antoinetta DeWit
May 2025
There is a woman on Aruba who has been a phenomenal asset to hundreds of tourists and locals over the past 20+years. She teaches QiGong, Reiki and TaiChi on several beach locations, organizes special events, and supports many local charitable causes. On this International Women’s Day, I am pleased to recognize her as a pillar of admiration for all that she does for others, and for her inner self. I dedicate this poem to her.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2025 Poem
Qi is Key
May our hearts shine like crystals on March 8th and beyond
As our inner voice beckons to help us respond.
To respond to our feelings, some good and some bad
To feel our inner spirit whether happy or sad.
To recognize the diverse feelings enveloping our core
Using options like QiGong, Reiki, Tai Chi and more.
To know what’s important to keep us healthy and alive
To respect and honour the Qi radiating from the sky.
Join hands with Mother Earth who has been through a lot
Heads up and arms risen, vow to protect what we’ve got.
Hold on to those crystals for they are glimmers of hope
Their inner energy will help us to move forward and cope.
To cope with curtailing adversity, avarice and shame
Giving Mother Earth a feeling of confidence that we’re game.
We’re ready to protect her and all that she’s done
As we stand together to praise the Earth, Moon and Sun.
On this special March Day, we encourage healthier ways
To love life and enjoy living just like our inner voice prays.
.
