This is for the hopeless romantic with a morning star in your eyes!
I saw Venus
the brightest morning star
shining in the sky
a dazzling beacon
rising to new heights
her radiance calling poets
in this month of love
Valentine is smitten
by the lady from above
My thoughts are swimming
laps in my head, back and forth
as I lay in bed.
Sleep is hovering
just out of reach, back and forth
like waves on a beach.
Oceans of worries
roll in like a tide, back and
forth, eyes open wide.
No lullaby, no
gentle song, my thoughts keep me
awake all night long.
This is for you, dear reader. I write the words for you.
I write the words
that bubble up
from some mysterious spring
deep inside me.
I write the words
that rise from my heart
as I lift my eyes to the heavens
and witness awe-inspiring
artwork displayed across the sky.
I write the words
I hear in the crickets, the bullfrogs,
the call of the hawk
and the squawk of the geese.
I write the words
I see written on the wings
of the butterfly,
on the trunk of the tree,
in the contrails of the jet plane.
I write the words
I hear in the voice
of my heartbroken neighbor,
my grieving friend,
my hopeful coworker.
I write it all down
and give it all away to fall upon
the ears and hearts of whosoever
whosoever is in need
whosoever is curious
whosoever is near, available,
present, receptive
whosoever has eyes to see,
ears to hear, a heart to love,
arms to embrace
whosoever has a searching mind,
a seeking heart, a whimsical smile,
a pocketful of wishes
whosoever never noticed
in our hustle-bustle world,
the whispers in the wind,
or the shapes in the clouds,
or the chatter of birds,
or the beauty of my words
I write it down for you
to see the things I see
in hopes that in the noticing
you will be blessed with
the gift of peace.
On those misty gray days, I offer a prayer for peace.
Dear Lord,
on this misty
rainy morning
I feel so tired,
my eyes want
to close, my thoughts
want to drift away
sinking into oblivious
rest, quiet breaths
letting the world
go by with its
struggles and war
with its hunger
and demands,
with its oppression
and obsession
for more, more,
more, never sated
this angry world
with spittle flying,
launching insults
like missiles.
Gather this world
in Your arms
like a feral cat
softly stroking her raised fur
until her throat relaxes
with a sigh and a purr
and her claws retract,
the arch leaves her back
as her eyes quietly close
a kitten in repose
Take these bones
and rebuild my life,
renew my vigor
and let me survive.
Take this heartbeat
and pay the price,
renew my strength
with Your breath of life.
This is a poem for when the world feels too big. May you always be grounded in love.
"Grounded"
when the winds of terror
threaten to sweep me
out to space
let me remember gravity
let my feet embrace
solid ground
when the world feels too big
and the vastness of the sky
pulls me too far beyond
let my feet remind me
I am stable where I stand
I am safe and down to earth
I am grounded in love
This is for all of us who have to live with personal limitations, who have to say no to so many things due to the way we are made, who can’t change our fingerprints but still have the urge to try, and who feel bad when we can’t keep up with others.
May we remember we still have goodness to offer in this life.
"Limitations"
sometimes I have to disappoint
people
but there is none more disappointed
than I am in myself
I'm weary of all these flaws and
weaknesses that stick like glue
these anxieties and limits that
cannot be overcome
every "no" is soaked in sorrow, rued
in regret
my past is littered with failed
attempts to be something I'm not
acceptance has a hefty price
it costs me the belief that if only I try
harder, I will win
is it the world who demands too
much, or am I the one at fault?
I can tell of all the things I am not,
but I don't know who or what I am
oh, give me strength for daily living
let me find gifts for loving and giving
let my "no" and my limits fall softly
without hurting the ones I love
let me live according to design
and have the courage to say it's
enough
it's enough to be myself
A poem for all of those longings that seem ready to burst at the beginning of a new year.
They are there
I can feel them quiver
with anticipation
those nameless wants
so tired of being pushed down
pricked like bubbles caught
on thorns
swatted like pesky mosquitoes
that cannot stop buzzing
buried under blankets
locked within a chest
as far from the heart as possible
within the human frame
while attention is splintered
like sawdust and scattered among
a million pressing demands
and hunger is suppressed by
distraction
our longings go unfed.
I can hear them singing
those hidden hopes
covered in neglect
the day has come
they'll be silent no more
our dreams are rising
like stars in the night
their light is glowing
a new day is dawning
when our eyes lift upward
and we finally see
they are there, our secret longings
bursting like fireworks
at the first of the year
we see and we hear them
we can make them come true
we can let them run loose
let them fly to the sky
let us follow our dreams
across the new year
let them lead the way
to a glorious new day.
Oh Maker of all
things, my greatest need is You.
Answer when I call.
Respond when I reach
out, reply when I pour out
my heart full of need.
As You scroll through my
messages, don't discard them
like yesterday's mail.
See my face, look at
my heart and know that I am
nothing without you.
Let me see Your face
let me look at Your heart and
know that You are God.
Let me receive Your
grace, let me feel Your love, let
Your healing touch come.
For You are my God,
Oh Maker of all things, my
greatest need is You.
A poem for those colorless days when the world looks like a black and white photograph.
The world is etched in black-and-white
a charcoal painting, an old-time movie
of simpler days
The streets are empty, the houses asleep
The trees watch in silence as time passes by
unmarked by clocks and schedules
Time is released from her boundaries
free to roam untethered
on this black and white day
where winter has come to play