I’ve held my tears close
Hesitantly accepting
The sun’s warmth
On my face
But the disappointment
And questions with no answers
Will no longer be ignored
Cascading down with today’s rain
I suppose this is where faith steps in
It is, after all, believing
In what I can’t see-
A simple definition, yes
Sometimes those are
The ones to hold close
And I must believe
Love continues to reside
Even in places where evidence
Is not clearly evident-
And if it is lost, to think it can
Once again, be found
It may begin with simple words
I hear you.
I love you.
I see you.
I am sorry.
But its survival requires
Much more than words-
Please don’t give me opinions
Or long-held beliefs
Both are easily skewed
By outward influences
Where truth and lies
Are purposefully blurred
Instead, close your eyes
Open your heart
Focus on the sound
Of your heartbeat
Helping it to grow
More in sync with mine
As we breathe
As we silently pray
Knowing I am afraid, too
Tag: faith
The Challenge
No need to hurry
No need to hesitate
Yet, simply being
Is sometimes
The hardest thing to do
I wonder why?
Why are we so often
Afraid to be still
Breathe in
Breathe out
Not thinking about
The next moment
The next day
The next year
Whether they arrive or not
My worry carries no sway
Today I choose
To be still
Breathe in
Breathe out
Accepting that it is okay
To not know
Where my next step may lead
I stood in line to vote this morning. A right and responsibility I do not take lightly. And now, like everyone else, I wait. The challenge is to wait calmly, pushing worry away.
Lesson in the Sunrise
A dark cloud of apathy
Split the morning
Perfectly in half
Left to linger
The damage left behind
Will be impossible to mend-
Strange, love exists
On both sides
Of the darkness
I must believe it does-
Rays of hope
Able to burnish holes
Through the shadows
Of indifference
Affording hope even
In the murkiest of storms-
Light joining hands
Across the darkness
On a recent morning drive, I noticed an unusual sunrise. From my vantage point, a large dark cloud divided the sun’s fiery red glow in half. The clarity of the division was daunting. Yet despite the chasm, beauty existed in each half.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Simply Sunday
Grain of Sand
What kind of footprints
Am I leaving behind
As I walk through each day?
Are they easily erased
By the wind and rain?
When walking alone
That may be the case-
But what if my feet
Are like those of a child
Following the impressions
Left by those walking ahead?
Confident or unsure
It does not matter
They are not mine alone
But instead, a grain of sand
Within one layer of history
Where many who walked
And continue walking
Will faithfully
And gently call me back
When my feet
Step off the path
Cause to Wonder
Present my entire life
All the years prior
And will hold its place
Long after I’m gone
Freely lending itself
To spark a child’s imagination
On a big-sky night
Look! It’s following me!
A peaceful protector
Freely lending itself
To ease a grown-up’s worries
Just be still and breathe
A picture-perfect perspective
And timely reminder
Comfort and joy
Can come from far away
Disappearing
Seen in a simple glance
Felt in a single step
Eyes compelled
To focus on the source
And not the darkness
Attempting to sneak
Into my periphery–
Though it may try
It cannot block
The quiet promises
Of hope and warmth
Flowing from the light
Lengthening each glance
Strengthening each step
Assurance that this light
Will not be engulfed
Rather, that the darkness
Will eventually disappear
Confession
Do not live in fear
Does not mean
I am never afraid
Live a life of joy
Does not mean
I am never sad-
When afraid
I remember love
When sad
I remember hope
Neither the words
Or the feelings
Contradict each other
Instead, they affirm
Causing my heart
To beat stronger
And my faith
To grow deeper
Book Release Day!
Today’s the day!
Quiet Embers: A Poetry of Faith is now available at the following links. There is also a Goodreads link for anyone who reads the collection and would be willing to leave a review.
My goal in writing is always honesty and connection. My hope is for the reader to be encouraged and just maybe to think Me, too! ❤️
Special thanks again to Tara Caribou at Raw Earth Ink.
Happy Announcement!
Faith is personal. It ebbs and flows as we move through life. Hymns and scripture are part of my journey. They offer hope and simple reminders of God’s love.
I’m excited to announce my poetry collection, Quiet Embers-A Poetry of Faith. It will be available next Tuesday, June 25!
What a joy to work with tara caribou of Raw Earth Ink https://raw-earth-ink.com/. Her creative attention to design and layout added so much to the collection. Also, a big thank you to my son, Ryan, for the beautiful cover art!
I will post links once it’s available for order! Until then, here’s a sneak peek.
Simply Sunday
A sacred space
Exists between
Birth and death
No matter the
Length of time
It is so much
More than time
Influenced by
Persons
Places
Choices
Everyone
Experiencing it
Differently-
We embrace it
Hide from it
Run away from it
But it finds us
And sometimes
Miraculously
Surprise us
Piano Girl 