There is healing power in the beauty of nature.

Author: karen.hessler2 Page 2 of 13

Looking For Signs

A poem of looking for signs of resurrection.

Looking for signs of resurrection (photo of rising sun)




don't mind me I'm just
looking for signs of resurrection
little signs that the fallen still rise
thistle puffs that float like ghosts
carrying seeds in their long white hair
a mournful dove calling to her mate
the sun rising through darkened clouds
these bearers of hope wrap their banners
across my heart and stir the sleepy
promises of spring like a memory
just waiting to burst into life


Little Moments of Peace

Little Moments of Peace

I think we all need more little moments of peace every day.

There’s so much we can’t control. So much beyond our power to fix or change. We can only do the next right thing – and that looks different for each of us. But a moment of peace can bring the clarity we need for the next right thing. It can make a difference, that little moment.

We have to learn how to live life in the middle of chaos. We have to find a way to stay sane. We have to find a way to calm our emotions and stay centered so that we are prepared to do the hard work ahead of us. Otherwise we will burn out. We will be useless.

We become part of the problem when we don’t take the time to nurture ourselves.

I don’t have the answers to all of the problems in today’s world, but I do know the value of slowing down, taking a moment to breathe and re-center, taking time to reconnect with goodness, and light, and things that transcend the horror and anguish of this modern world.

Looking at clouds and smelling flowers will not solve political conflict, but that doesn’t mean there’s no place for it in a fallen world. We all need hope and courage as much as we need a plan of action.

May you find a way to allow the little things to bring you peace and refreshment. May you be fortified to act from a place of wisdom and purpose. And may you find a way to do the hard things with honor and love.

Go forth and conquer!

Resurrection

An Easter poem of love and resurrection.

Resurrection - Easter Lily



and he laid down
his life
until it was
covered
with earth

and he planted
me deep
in the tender
flesh
of his heart

and as he rose
from the ashes
I burst forth
from the 
soil

and bloomed
like a lily
fragrant
and full of
new life


Rooted

May you always be rooted in love.

Rooted in love




I am a seed
planted deep
in your heart

I am
rooted
in love

for the heart 
of God
is only love

let my roots
swell with your
waters of life

let me draw
strength
and security

let your nourishment
heal my limbs
and cause me to bloom

let the source
of my strength
be your love

let my roots
go deep
and hold firm

let me drink
your living waters
and flourish

let me live again


Presence

This is a modern psalm about seeking the presence of God.

Presence



I wake up in the night
empty in my soul
looking for you

but I cannot feel
your presence

"don't go by your feelings"
they say

but I want to sense you
I want to perceive
your indwelling

what are feelings
if not messengers
from within

pointing out what
truly matters?

I long to touch you
to reach out
and grasp your hand

if an invisible God
cannot be seen
or felt

how do I know
you are there?

my soul cries out
for the living God

impress yourself
upon my heart

emboss me with
your design

speak to me
in the way
I understand

if I cannot see
your face

then let me feel
your heartbeat

and let me sense
your presence

let me know
that you have not
abandoned me

let all your promises
come true


Sadness

How do you deal with sadness?

How to deal with sadness




sometimes sadness
rises through the walls
of my chest

I thought I had
packed her 
safely away
for another day

but she unfolds
herself and she
gets her way

flooding memories
of all that was lost
streaming images
of bridges crossed

I see sadness
running like rivers
through mountains

sadness rushing
like wild horses
through valleys

sadness flowing
over rocks
and glass

sadness seeping
through mud
and sand

sadness dripping
through rain
and pain

sadness slipping
through cracks
and splinters

sadness melting
like a thousand
winters

the ceaseless movement
through the walls
of my chest

cannot be folded
and packed away
cannot be ignored
another day

her music has a name
this mournful melody
wants to be acknowledged
so she can be set free

so I listen to her song
and I call it by name
Melancholy, I say
and I watch her transform

she's a thing with feathers
rising from the ash
and she gently flies away

it's a new day


There Is A Treasure

This is for all you treasure hunters – now is the time.

There is a treasure




there is a treasure
buried deep
in the heart

you must burrow
into the abyss

until you see
a light

or hear
a voice

or become wrapped 
in a gauze
of answers


********************


when you hear 
a word resonating

in the recesses
of your soul

the treasure is near


********************


you have been 
given power

to receive
this treasure

so go now
retrieve it

now is the time




Being Haiku

Being Haiku

This is a haiku poem about being-ness.





some days we simply
exist - as the minutes tick
we touch "being-ness"


Life Is Like That Sometimes (A Story of a Spring Wedding)

Spring Wedding

This is a story about a spring wedding, yes. But it’s also a story about life.

This month, my son and his wife are celebrating their two year wedding anniversary. They were married in March of 2021, on the spring equinox, a time of new beginnings, a time of new life. It was also right in the middle of one of the world’s worst pandemics, spawning, among other things, unprecedented global economic shutdowns and lockdowns. Businesses, schools, sporting events, large gatherings, graduations, funerals, and weddings were all affected.

Life is like that sometimes.

During their 2020 engagement period, our young couple was busy planning their dream wedding. Surely the COVID-19 restrictions would be lifted within a year, they thought. So they booked a venue.

The wedding would take place in the spring, near the home of the bride’s family, in New Orleans, Louisiana. The bride and groom would be surrounded by a huge group of their extended families and friends. It was to be hosted among the unique blend of music, flavor, and culture of world-renowned New Orleans. There would be a large bridal party and tons of events leading up to the big day. It was all richly romantic. Perfectly poetic.

But as the year 2020 counted down, the spread of COVID-19 ramped up, and the New Year 2021 began with more restrictions. The wedding venue could not accommodate the large guest list. Hard choices had to be made. The wedding was postponed. They were now looking into booking a winter wedding in December 2021.

Life is like that sometimes.

Dreams are derailed by forces beyond our control. Disappointments abound. Plan A fails. Plan B begins to crumble, and life itself becomes smaller, more isolated, less certain.

The dream wedding continued to unravel, and in the end, it boiled down to a party of 10 people: bride and groom, parents and grandparents, and sister of the bride, plus a violinist.

The wedding took place on the spring equinox of 2021 in a small garden at the Dallas Arboretum. The flowers were in bloom, and the bride floated down stone steps like a princess in a sparkling white gown, steadied by her father’s strong arm. The soft strains of the violin lifted all of us into a place above the brokenness of the world, a place infused with love and beauty, light and new life. Richly romantic. Perfectly poetic.

Life is like that sometimes.

And now as they celebrate two years of marriage, I can see how equipped they are to face life’s many challenges. The pandemic has officially ended, but the world is still not “normal.” There are lingering effects. Yet there is much to be celebrated. Sometimes small is beautiful. Sometimes love looks like sacrifice. Sometimes there is something bigger and more important waiting around the corner.

Life is like that sometimes.

Happy Anniversary, RJ and Natalie! May you have many more wonderful years together. And may your love always rise above your earthly circumstances, as you journey together through life.





My son got married 
this weekend
to the most beautiful
girl in the world,
a princess actually,
who stopped onlookers 
in their tracks
as they witnessed flowers
bursting into bloom
when she walked by.

Heaven itself beamed
blessings and grace
as my son's heart joined hers,
fingers intertwined,
lips breathing life into vows
that reached the ears 
of the angels.

Music danced to the beat
of their hearts,
and the promise
of forever
was sealed with a kiss.

My son got married
this weekend
and I got the most beautiful
daughter in the world,
and my heart is still bursting.



March Mud-ness

March Mud-ness




the ground is soft and warm
time keeps marching on
nature awaits
a burst of life
but all I see is mud

a seed lies underground
buried in darkness deep
its heart cracks open
releasing new life
but all I see is mud


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