Jump
Don't just stand there
leap
Dance
Let your heart speak
Don't continuously muffle
Its cries and shouts
Let it acknowledge
Ungagged
Joys and sorrows
Hopes
Possibilities
Stand there on that ledge
Frozen
And you lose
you lose
You never know
That moment of flight
...or anything else
But your own fear and
Your reluctance
To feel
10/25/18
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Let's be humans together...
Let's be humans together
We will make mistakes
Fall
And skin our knees
Lose things
And find them
Say stupid things
And cry
Try to take it all back
Let's be humans, you and I
And not expect perfection
Or salvation
From each other
So we'll forgive
Let's make love
Hold hands
Kiss under stars or roofs or blankets
Face the big unknown together
Be my human, I'll be yours
Let's be human together
10/28/18
We will make mistakes
Fall
And skin our knees
Lose things
And find them
Say stupid things
And cry
Try to take it all back
Let's be humans, you and I
And not expect perfection
Or salvation
From each other
So we'll forgive
Let's make love
Hold hands
Kiss under stars or roofs or blankets
Face the big unknown together
Be my human, I'll be yours
Let's be human together
10/28/18
Assorted poems and pieces of poems...
There are true things
We know them to be true
But we learn the art
Of careful acknowledgement
In ways that don't pierce or grate
----
Some hearts
only open so much
Fixed volume
Limited capacity
Rigidity
Cracking, breaking
No ability or desire to expand
Boundaries clearly defined
There are other hearts
That know no such finite plane
Stretching, conforming
Open wide to accept
To accomodate
And even to pour out
When broken, they bleed
Wounds flow with pain and loss
But that love, life's blood
That ache, only serves
To extend, expand their borders
Blur the bounds
Unclosed
Unobstructed
---
It was in the drawer
Over all those
Miscellaneous items
Pens, bills, assorted
This and that
Face down
Not out
not on a dresser, a mantle
Nor even a nightstand in
A spare room
It spoke volumes
About things like
Intention, importance
Recognition and acceptance
The lack thereof
A maybe later
Not now
Lack of commitment
And I believed
Everything it said
12/22/18
----
He holds on
To things from long ago
To old things
Worn things
Things are still beautiful
And useful
With meaning and history
in his eyes
I want to be treasured
And kept
Long past my prime
Meaningful
Beautiful
And loved
------
I was numb
With thoughts of new beginnings
Baseless dreams
That lovers dream
When bodies are yearning
And "just us" high
The whole world seems full
Full of promise, portent
And then feeling creeps back
Tingling in the fingers, toes
Reality creeping up, up
Toward the heart
Toward the head
8/11/18
-------------
Shhhhh, in your eyes I see it
In your touch I feel it
Quiet, now
As we absorb each other
Mold into each other
Gather our hearts together
Joined in a rhythm
That we create
A music of our own
That fits us and only us
No past, no fears
We let them go
As this thing we are becoming
Grows
There will be a time
To shout it out, to say
That I am yours
And you are mine
Until then quietly
We can adore each other
Growing more secure day by day
In what we are building
7/29/18
--------------------
I was your number one
And now you are gone and I'm
Second or third
Or fourth
Or a by word
A nice girl
With a good heart
Valued
But no pretense
Other nouns and ideas
Are esteemed more highly
And aye, there it is
And more's the pity
Take the crumbs
Or not...
We know them to be true
But we learn the art
Of careful acknowledgement
In ways that don't pierce or grate
----
Some hearts
only open so much
Fixed volume
Limited capacity
Rigidity
Cracking, breaking
No ability or desire to expand
Boundaries clearly defined
There are other hearts
That know no such finite plane
Stretching, conforming
Open wide to accept
To accomodate
And even to pour out
When broken, they bleed
Wounds flow with pain and loss
But that love, life's blood
That ache, only serves
To extend, expand their borders
Blur the bounds
Unclosed
Unobstructed
---
It was in the drawer
Over all those
Miscellaneous items
Pens, bills, assorted
This and that
Face down
Not out
not on a dresser, a mantle
Nor even a nightstand in
A spare room
It spoke volumes
About things like
Intention, importance
Recognition and acceptance
The lack thereof
A maybe later
Not now
Lack of commitment
And I believed
Everything it said
12/22/18
----
He holds on
To things from long ago
To old things
Worn things
Things are still beautiful
And useful
With meaning and history
in his eyes
I want to be treasured
And kept
Long past my prime
Meaningful
Beautiful
And loved
------
I was numb
With thoughts of new beginnings
Baseless dreams
That lovers dream
When bodies are yearning
And "just us" high
The whole world seems full
Full of promise, portent
And then feeling creeps back
Tingling in the fingers, toes
Reality creeping up, up
Toward the heart
Toward the head
8/11/18
-------------
Shhhhh, in your eyes I see it
In your touch I feel it
Quiet, now
As we absorb each other
Mold into each other
Gather our hearts together
Joined in a rhythm
That we create
A music of our own
That fits us and only us
No past, no fears
We let them go
As this thing we are becoming
Grows
There will be a time
To shout it out, to say
That I am yours
And you are mine
Until then quietly
We can adore each other
Growing more secure day by day
In what we are building
7/29/18
--------------------
I was your number one
And now you are gone and I'm
Second or third
Or fourth
Or a by word
A nice girl
With a good heart
Valued
But no pretense
Other nouns and ideas
Are esteemed more highly
And aye, there it is
And more's the pity
Take the crumbs
Or not...
Friday, November 30, 2018
Wall
I felt
The layering of the bricks
Rising most certainly
Between us
I felt the air chill
And wondered
Were they made of ice?
Chin height
We looked at each other
Over the wall
Hearts apart
Perhaps maybe
One day
Worlds apart
I asked
What material did you build with?
Was it sticks?
Sticks could easily be kicked down
But, no, I knew it was bricks
You said there was no mortar
Give it time
Time perhaps
Will allow it to be pushed over
But it went up far too fast
The rapidity
The solidity
Frightened me
And the chill of that ice
Bid me to turn away
If there was to be a gate
In your haste
It was forgotten
And standing
Outside a wall
I felt the fool
Knocking on a wall
Without a door
The layering of the bricks
Rising most certainly
Between us
I felt the air chill
And wondered
Were they made of ice?
Chin height
We looked at each other
Over the wall
Hearts apart
Perhaps maybe
One day
Worlds apart
I asked
What material did you build with?
Was it sticks?
Sticks could easily be kicked down
But, no, I knew it was bricks
You said there was no mortar
Give it time
Time perhaps
Will allow it to be pushed over
But it went up far too fast
The rapidity
The solidity
Frightened me
And the chill of that ice
Bid me to turn away
If there was to be a gate
In your haste
It was forgotten
And standing
Outside a wall
I felt the fool
Knocking on a wall
Without a door
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Content in the now...
I was driving away from the yoga class I just taught, and it struck me how thankful I am for now. For this moment. This present time. For the ways God has chosen to bless me. For the lessons I've learned. For the sense of contentment that has lately been covering me like a blanket tucked around me by a loving mother.
It's funny, not in a haha way, but in an ironic way, that sometimes we need to spend a season in Hell to truly be thankful for peace. Certainly, the last couple of years since Pat died have been a roller coaster, one that had sharp turns, steep drops, and frighteningly, no known end in sight. Times that I thought I found a straight away with the exit within visual range, the coaster would bank suddenly and off I'd head for another nail-biting go-round. By the way, I have never liked roller coasters.
Perhaps right now, I'm on one of those straight aways. I don't know if I'll be enjoying a period of recuperation or entering another "How long, Lord?" phase where I come face to face with the living not just the conceptualizing of "walking by faith and not by sight.' I've had those moments where I simply felt "done" with all the stress and like Elijah, sat down under my broom tree and wished it would all just be over. Sure enough, God has nourished me and put me back on my feet. In I Kings 19:11-13, "The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?" And when Elijah answered, the Father let him complain - and then gave him direction. I'm listening for that still small voice.
I suppose that through each trial, I'm learning to be more like the Apostle Paul who said in Philippians, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." In order to master this attitude, we must accept it is necessary to become accustomed to both conditions. Hard to swallow, but I'm not going to learn this sort of contentment if life is always tailored to my liking.
And so, I am grateful for where I am at this moment in my life. The things God has done in my life. The successes and failures of 2018. In my kitchen I am making a pie from a pumpkin that I grew in my very own yard completely unexpectedly, from waste raked to the roadside.I'm going to work two minutes from my home; I'm fortunate to be in a supportive, caring work environment, collaborating with a believer who regards me as an answer to prayer. It's nice to be an answer to someone's prayers. My wonderful daughters and precious grandchildren bring endless joy and meaning to my life. I've got friendships that have withstood the test of time; real, true friends are to be cherished. Six months ago the Father put a godly man in my life and we've been learning each other, building possibilities and growing in hopes. Again, being the answer to someone's prayers is special. Several times a week I have the privilege of instructing fitness classes, just as I did tonight. How fabulous it is to get paid to do what you love! My book is nearly done; I have a volume of poetry as well - and a short story that will hopefully be published next year. While I do not know where the road is leading, I do know that my Lord's plans for me are for good. So right here, right now, I'm grateful to be content. To be happy. To enjoy today. To give glory to my King.
It's funny, not in a haha way, but in an ironic way, that sometimes we need to spend a season in Hell to truly be thankful for peace. Certainly, the last couple of years since Pat died have been a roller coaster, one that had sharp turns, steep drops, and frighteningly, no known end in sight. Times that I thought I found a straight away with the exit within visual range, the coaster would bank suddenly and off I'd head for another nail-biting go-round. By the way, I have never liked roller coasters.
Perhaps right now, I'm on one of those straight aways. I don't know if I'll be enjoying a period of recuperation or entering another "How long, Lord?" phase where I come face to face with the living not just the conceptualizing of "walking by faith and not by sight.' I've had those moments where I simply felt "done" with all the stress and like Elijah, sat down under my broom tree and wished it would all just be over. Sure enough, God has nourished me and put me back on my feet. In I Kings 19:11-13, "The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?" And when Elijah answered, the Father let him complain - and then gave him direction. I'm listening for that still small voice.
I suppose that through each trial, I'm learning to be more like the Apostle Paul who said in Philippians, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." In order to master this attitude, we must accept it is necessary to become accustomed to both conditions. Hard to swallow, but I'm not going to learn this sort of contentment if life is always tailored to my liking.
And so, I am grateful for where I am at this moment in my life. The things God has done in my life. The successes and failures of 2018. In my kitchen I am making a pie from a pumpkin that I grew in my very own yard completely unexpectedly, from waste raked to the roadside.I'm going to work two minutes from my home; I'm fortunate to be in a supportive, caring work environment, collaborating with a believer who regards me as an answer to prayer. It's nice to be an answer to someone's prayers. My wonderful daughters and precious grandchildren bring endless joy and meaning to my life. I've got friendships that have withstood the test of time; real, true friends are to be cherished. Six months ago the Father put a godly man in my life and we've been learning each other, building possibilities and growing in hopes. Again, being the answer to someone's prayers is special. Several times a week I have the privilege of instructing fitness classes, just as I did tonight. How fabulous it is to get paid to do what you love! My book is nearly done; I have a volume of poetry as well - and a short story that will hopefully be published next year. While I do not know where the road is leading, I do know that my Lord's plans for me are for good. So right here, right now, I'm grateful to be content. To be happy. To enjoy today. To give glory to my King.
Turning the pieces
Let's meet at the beach
And have picnics on Sundays
Until the dogs are old and the
cats have died
And then...
No, let's mix them up and
Learn to live, to mingle
Let every day
Be Sunday
Predictability says
That you hang back
Predictability says
That I plunge in
Incompatibility says
This won't work
Faith says
Two become one
And we spend a life time
Building our puzzle
Turning the pieces this way and that
Until we find what fits
And have picnics on Sundays
Until the dogs are old and the
cats have died
And then...
No, let's mix them up and
Learn to live, to mingle
Let every day
Be Sunday
Predictability says
That you hang back
Predictability says
That I plunge in
Incompatibility says
This won't work
Faith says
Two become one
And we spend a life time
Building our puzzle
Turning the pieces this way and that
Until we find what fits
Sunday, November 11, 2018
Kintsugi
After all these years, he thought aloud
Maybe he didn't understand
Love
Wasn't it a hand that was snatched away?
A comfortable shoe
That wore down and got tossed in the trash
When the rocks and wet came in
A scenic view but beware the precipice
Tread carefully, play it safe
No, no
After all these years
Her heart had a different understanding
Love
Is to be vulnerable and hold on
Its behaving like an idiot
And knowing, even if I'm a jerk
I'm your jerk and you are mine
It is to spend forever
Working to fit square pegs into round holes
With the faith that
Someday
The puzzle would come together
It is stepping out in fear but believing
That a gift of each heart will be treasured by the other
And so I place mine in your hand
Taking yours in mine
Accepting each as a precious
Once exchanged, we commit
That we shall guard them carefully
And if you should stumble, or should I?
Love is accepting that a crack or two
Might need some TLC
Some glue to fix...but we don't throw away
We'll mend them with gold, Kintsugi
And those repairs will add to the history and
Beauty of the love we share
Until then
Take take my dog hair
And I'll take your pessimism
Take my need for reassurance
And I'll banish your insecurities
We'll take misunderstandings and
Plunge recklessly past them
We'll stand on that precipice and enjoy the scenic view
And jump
Together
Because love doesn't play it safe
Yet it's the most secure place you'll ever be
A work in progress 11/11/2018
Maybe he didn't understand
Love
Wasn't it a hand that was snatched away?
A comfortable shoe
That wore down and got tossed in the trash
When the rocks and wet came in
A scenic view but beware the precipice
Tread carefully, play it safe
No, no
After all these years
Her heart had a different understanding
Love
Is to be vulnerable and hold on
Its behaving like an idiot
And knowing, even if I'm a jerk
I'm your jerk and you are mine
It is to spend forever
Working to fit square pegs into round holes
With the faith that
Someday
The puzzle would come together
It is stepping out in fear but believing
That a gift of each heart will be treasured by the other
And so I place mine in your hand
Taking yours in mine
Accepting each as a precious
Once exchanged, we commit
That we shall guard them carefully
And if you should stumble, or should I?
Love is accepting that a crack or two
Might need some TLC
Some glue to fix...but we don't throw away
We'll mend them with gold, Kintsugi
And those repairs will add to the history and
Beauty of the love we share
Until then
Take take my dog hair
And I'll take your pessimism
Take my need for reassurance
And I'll banish your insecurities
We'll take misunderstandings and
Plunge recklessly past them
We'll stand on that precipice and enjoy the scenic view
And jump
Together
Because love doesn't play it safe
Yet it's the most secure place you'll ever be
A work in progress 11/11/2018
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
