You suddenly blew in
with a thunderous wind
just as the blossoms
were starting to bloom,
just as the darkness
was giving me room
to breathe and to feel
the absence of gloom,
here you come again
with your icy wind
that closes me inside
and makes me want to hide
where no one can get in.
But look, I see the days
expand and lengthen long,
oh, yes, I hear the birds
they sing a springlike song.
Your blustery winds
are fading away,
the sun with its warmth
is coming to play,
one of these days
Spring is coming to say,
"Welcome! I am here."
I don't carry a totem
in my pocket
but I have a secret place
hidden in my heart
that grounds me
tethers me to reality
gives me strength for the journey
reminds me I am not alone in this
even though I am alone in my own skin.
Beneath the shadow of God's wing
there is a place of stillness
a place of Presence
a place of knowing
a place of being
a place where no enemy
can withstand
a place where I return
to come back to myself.
I saw a black bird
today, soaring
into the heavens
with not a single
flap of wing
heart wide
open, riding
the currents
the breath of God
blowing him
high
high
higher
black wingspan
stretched across deep
blue
oh, to ride the sky
effortless
weightless
free
how would that be?
Here is a photo of an everyday banal object, a wooden table.
This table, with all its scratches, discolorations, and flaws, is the table I use when I write everything…my journal entries, my thoughts and dreams and prayers, my poetry, the gift cards I make, the bills I pay, the hand lettering I practice. It’s where my son did his homework every night. It’s where he spilled paint while doing a school project.
This table is filled with marks and scratches, each telling a story. This table is embedded with history. If you cut into the wood, you would find memories so deep it would take your breath away.
This table has quietly served me without recognition for so long…but today I want you to know it has provided so much more than a place for eating meals.
This table holds and supports the essence of my life.
If you’re looking for uplifting messages, encouraging words, and inspirational poetry, you’ve come to the right place.
Hi, I’m Karen Hessler, a poet and writer from south Louisiana. I live a quiet life surrounded by the beauty of nature. This beauty has helped me keep my spirits up during these long days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and through the terrible tragedies happening almost daily, locally as well as nationally and globally.
There is healing power in the beauty of nature. I call it “God’s art.” And guess what? You don’t have to go far to find this beauty. It is as close as your own backyard!
Look up, what do you see? Just notice…a blue sky is always nice, but storm clouds contain their own form of beauty. Shape shifting clouds are works of art. Look down, what is there? A blade of grass, a wild flower, a chunk of dirt, all part of the earth…a leaf, a bug, maybe a feather or a four-leaf clover.
What do you hear? Birds singing? Dogs barking? Maybe people talking, horns blowing, hammers pounding. Just notice.
Your perception of beauty will grow. Your ability to see beauty will expand. Your noticing skills will increase.
Suddenly you will see beauty everywhere. The ordinary will become extraordinary. The simple becomes profound.
And YOU will change. Your heart will expand. When you begin noticing and appreciating the beauty all around, you will grow… because BEAUTYGROWS. And you ARE beauty.
