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What seems like an end
to a caterpillar is
the butterfly's birth
Tag Archives: poem
Day 26 – Poetry for Lent
Humanity’s Crazy Quilt
We stitch this quilt together,
panels of light and dark,
bright patterns sewn next
to those of somber hue.
The design not always one
of our own choosing,
we work with what we have,
a crazy quilt crafted from
bits and pieces of our lives.
We dream and plan in colorful
coordinated patterns of delight
with lustrous materials -
gossamer and ermine,
gaudy choices reflect
energy and youth.
But life is full of unexpecteds -
scratchy burlap work days
that irritate and exhaust,
pale washed-out squares of sickness,
grim funeral clothes
stitched to pastel baby blankets
and lacy white bridal gowns
join seams with gaudy vacation shirts
or gray and black suits of mourning.
No one knows the pattern
of their days,
how wide or long
their life will be.
Therefore
savor those bright fabrics.
Approve the sections formed
of sturdy cloth that endure,
softening with the years.
And pray that when all
panels are sewn and stitched,
and humanity's quilt is finished
- as it shall be in time -
your square holds up well
and is pleasing to the
Master Quilter's eye.
Day 25 – Poetry for Lent
Tolkien & Lewis
I am currently reading A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-1918 by Joseph Loconte. The book goes into the effects of the war on the political and religious landscape of the West. It delves into how Tolkien’s and Lewis’s experiences in the trenches inspired and played into the imaginary worlds they are so known for as writers.
I was thinking about the book when I went out in the hot tub with my daughter. The sky was clear and the stars were incredible. It all seemed so serene despite the horrors of battle still playing out in my head. This poem stems from that.
The Great War marches in
and battle fills the air
with the cries of the wounded
the pleas and prayers of the dying.
Explosions jar bones
loosen teeth
the throaty roars of heavy artillery
drowning out the staccato
rattle of small arms.
Above it all
the stars shine
pin-pricks in black velvet
allowing a glimpse
of the beautiful light
high beyond this present darkness.
Caught by the machines of war
new realms form
and faith is forged.
Day 24 – Poetry for Lent
Muskrat Love
Doing it in the ditch
on a fine spring afternoon
muskrats find romance
Day 23 – Poetry for Lent
Taking Home With Us
The stars shine high
above the clouds
above the bombs
which scatter us like dust
every which way
looking to settle
but driven by winds
of war
and fear.
We try to take home with us
a teddy bear for security
of which we have none
a photograph of family
many whom have died
a blue china tea pot -
keepsake from happier times
now hard to remember
a heart burning with hope
for a future
for safety
for a place to build
to plant and grow roots
find neighbors and friends.
We dream of things we have lost
and hold tight to what we still have.
Day 20 – Poetry for Lent
Creator
Half way through Lent! I didn’t really realize how difficult it would be to do a poem a day for 40 days. Hence the resorting to Haiku now and then. : ) I saw the most amazing sunsets yesterday and today. And the stars! Incredible.
Teach me Your story
so I might know mine
so I can know others
so I’ll worship
You
God of all
Ruler, Creator
beginning and end
of all that is known
and what lies beyond
Beginning
of all
a universe in
ever expanding wonder
body, brain, and soul
intricate workings
a marvelous mystery
Yet
End of all too
all roads, all lives
return back to You
in time
Lord, You
make and unmake
now remake me new
know me
name me
and love me too
when I circle back
iron drawn to Your magnet
a needle pulled ever
to Your north
Day 19 – Poetry for Lent
Still, Small Whisper
Sometimes there is so much noise in the news, on social media. I feel like everyone is yelling and no one is listening. And then something happens, a friend in a car wreck, a co-worker loses a spouse, and it reminds me what is important–and what is just noise.
Listen
The wild, roaring
rush of wind
surges through trees
like ocean breakers
crashing eternal
on rocky shores.
Listen
Snapping branches
create staccato accents
amid percussive storms
that blow
fear and hatred
through busy lives.
Listen
Hail rattles
down on hapless towns
hitting innocent bystanders
like stray bullets
and extinguishing the still, small
whisper of love.
Listen
We are all
but a near miss,
a second removed
from getting swept up
and blown away.
Listen
Day 14 – Poetry for Lent
Exhaustion
If you hear a distant boom,
it's my head exploding.
The crack like that of January ice
on a mountain lake
when the sun warms it,
that was my heart.
My eyes & temples throb
and this pen sputters and
fades like my words and thoughts,
sleep folding out
a new white napkin
on waiting knees.
Day 14 – Poetry for Lent
Morning Air
Early morning air
bites apple crisp
in lungs still half-asleep.
Night's purple musings
linger in shadows
at the edge of the woods
and under my eyes.
Spirits rise -
thin white wisps from
dark unbroken water
a rapture of souls
ascending to heaven.
My thoughts follow
leaving my heavy body behind
to plod through the day.
Day 13 – Poetry for Lent
Negative Space
The idea of negative space has intrigued me ever since I had an instructor talk about it in an art class. So much of art can be applied to life, don’t you think?
I think I’ll play around with light and dark font/background for this piece. It might add to the impact. And of course, the poem itself is rough, but I think there are some good seeds here….
You must add the darks,
my art teacher said
to balance the lights.
My darks creep in and
muddy my light
Negative space
my art teacher called it
The space that
surrounds an object
defines it boundaries
and finds its edges
Depression confines me,
cuts edges with razor blade steel
An object doesn't become real
my art teacher said
doesn't stand out
until you add shading.
What I am not
helps make what I am real
The mix of positive and negative space
my art teacher said
brings balance
to a composition.
Learning to think
in shades of gray
brings balance
to my life.