Eyes focused, hands steady
Intentionally reaching
For each ingredient
Knowing the careful
Choice of seasoning
Expresses feelings
Difficult to put into words-
No one is allowed
In the kitchen until
“It’s ready! Come fix your plate!”
Tired, satisfied, he sits-
Watching, listening, waiting
To see if the flavor
Conveys the richness of love
With which it was prepared
A rolling dark cloud
Greeted the day
Its growth visible
Second by second
Ominous, imparting a
Sense of dread and fear
On all who approached-
I felt it, too
A tightness in my chest
A furrow on my brow
But still, the day approached
And there was no place to hide-
A gentle tap tap on the window
Shifted my thoughts-raindrops-
As if to say, it will be ok
Yes, I hold heaviness today
But don’t be afraid –
Sometimes, tears have to flow
There’s no other way through
At least, not today-
It may seem darkness is growing
But the sun holds tight behind me
Waiting as the rain
Washes away my hurt
Preparing my heart to
Receive and reflect the light-
So, I wait for the sun
Will you wait with me?
Sturdy, beautifully faded red barn
Surrounded by rolling hills of green grass
Graceful greens rolling into perfect blues
Placid blue sky dotted with fluffy white-
A beautiful scene laid out in front of me-
Postcard perfect, though,
Any photo I might take would surely
Contain unwanted obstructions –
So, I drove home, disappointed,
With only the picture in my head-
Perhaps I was searching for perfection-
What if I changed my attitude
And the direction of my gaze?
Instead of upward, maybe outward,
Downward or possibly inward?
No matter the direction
There will always be obstructions-
But new perspectives often bring
Surprisingly unexpected views
You attempted to hide
From me this morning
But I saw you-
Your light is not
One so easily dimmed-
Like the morning sun
Resting behind the clouds-
Look closely
And you will find
Its presence visible
In pale pink streaks
All across the sky-
And once you see
Those pale pink streaks
You’ll be reminded
That even the tiniest
Reflections of your light
Offer encouragement to those
Fortunate enough to cross your path-
Even when you attempt to hide
I find myself more
And more often
Marvelling at the tiny things-
A singular whispy cloud
The feet of a bird
The way the wind echoes
While making its way
Through the row of pines
Across the street-
Even now, the gentle tap
Of raindrops on the roof-
Sometimes I feel silly
Talking about such things
Especially during times of heartache and confusion-
But I cannot ignore them-
I think maybe it’s these tiny things
That are holding me up
Pulling me through
Reminding me to see the hope
In my granddaughter’s eyes
Happy Easter! ✝️🕊️💜
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”
Isaiah 9:2
For more than a week
The words felt stuck-
Like tears caught
In the back of my throat
Unable to complete their journey
From the heart to the eyes-
Perhaps there were too many of them
Perhaps they needed to learn
To share space
To slow down-
Taking extra care to flow freely
Only once able to provide
A moment of hope
In a world heavy with fear
Only once able to speak the words
I see you
I love you
This morning, I participated in a writing circle facilitated by Ali Grimshaw. https://flashlightbatteries.blog/ It was just what my heart needed. 🩷
I did not plan to spend the weekend at home sick. But I am grateful for the beautiful flowers outside my front door. And for my sweet husband who brought me chicken soup, hot tea, and Gatorade. It’s the little things. 🩷
White and whispy
They floated upward
From the horizon
Into the wide blue-
Like doves, with wings
Spread wide
Their numbers,
Infinite –
The worries holding my heart
Began to fade-
Not entirely disappearing
But loosening their grip-
It’s funny how peace
Occupies the most
Curious spaces
And requires
Only a small
Measure of time
Before offering relief-
I may have been driving my car
But it was the clouds
That carried me home
I’ve sensed rhythm
In the rain before
But this time was different-
The raindrops seemed
To create patterns of
Threes and fours
Triplets and sixteenths
Alternating, gently pulling
And pushing the tempo
Of the song playing
On the radio-
How was this possible?
I crinkled my forehead
As if a deeper focus might
Answer my question-
But then the patterns were gone
Whirled away with the wind
Leaving my mind to rest-
No matter-
For just a moment
I was happily lost
Between the rain and a song
After several days of struggling to express my feelings, three things came my way- A poem, a song, and a verse. The following was inspired by all three. ❤️
The word itself sounds so carefree
Putting it into practice seems easy
Still, loneliness grows
At a surprisingly rapid pace-
Whatever the reason
It sprouts from the same root
-A lack of connections-
Even the longest relationship
Begins Somewhere-
A friendly smile
An acknowledging nod
An honest thank you–
Whether two strangers
Develop a fast friendship
Or just continue walking
In opposite directions
That one single action
Holds power for both-
It is a sacred moment
With the ability to multiply into
Our most-needed reminders-
You are seen
You matter
You are loved
Small Kindnesses by Danusha Lameres https://grateful.org/resource/small-kindnesses/
Human Touch by Jackson Browne
and Leslie Mendelson
Human Touch
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
1 John 4:11 NIV
