Halloween

Today's the day
We look the other way
And give the world to the devil
 
Today's the day
We look the other way
And feed the obesity epidemic
 

Today's the day

We look the other way
As teens egg cars and TP houses
 
Today's the day
We look the other way
Pretend goblins and witches aren't evil
 
Today's the day
We look the other way
And as souls are given to the devil

First Grader

inspired by the class I subbed in today

I am a child of wonder and delight

Everything's always "Why?"
I hear a joke and giggle wildly
Then tell it back to you a thousand times
I'm awed by the beauty of a caterpillar
I am a child of wonder and delight
 
I pretend I'm a princess, a fireman, a doctor
But I still want to shoot you with silly string
I feel pain when I fall off my bike
But a kiss and a hug heal anything
Bandaids and stickers are interchangeable
For I am still a child of wonder and delight
 
I try to dance along with Bill Bojangles on the P-board
I read my favorite book until it's memorized
I say, "They live underground for seventy miles an hour,"
Laughing with you because I'm funny without understanding why
I sing "Frere Jacques" with nonsense lyrics I make up on the spot
I am a child of wonder and delight


I understand trust in a way my parents have forgotten:
I have absolute faith that "It'll be okay."
I dream of the days when I'm all grown up,
Not realizing the value of today:
Today, when I still laugh and play
A child of wonder and delight
 

 

Remembering Grandpa

“Shit, we lost ‘em”
Was the way
I taught him to watch
What he’d say
I heard that story at least
A thousand times
  
When he was home
He liked to tinker
In his workshop
On some clinker
Pickups were reborn
In his hands
 
Sitting on a pillow
With Buddy on his lap
Playing the races
Or taking a nap
I’d kiss his cheek
‘Fore leaving Sunday afternoons
 
 Stealing some fudge
From the fridge on a whim
Must be one of my
First mem’ries of him
Two huge flannel-covered arms
On either side of me
 
Though seldom found
In church on Sunday
What I remember most
Is how he’d pray
Simply talking to his Dad,
Revealingly reverent
  
Speed-dialing down the road,
He’d ask “How’ve you been?”
No matter what you said
He did more than listen
Though he joked day and night,
He also gave great advice
  
He had such a laugh
He had such a smile
He’d always go
The extra mile
And a label like “Shorty” was
A sign of his love
  
Politically incorrect
In every way
Living the quiet life
Every day
He still made the world
A much richer place

Where I'm From

This poem was inspired by the poem "Where I'm From" by George Ella Lyon.

I am from medals on dress blues,
From airplanes and 5 o' clock "Taps".
I am from nursing clogs and scrubs
And the smell of beef stew and homemade bread
That permeates the whole house.
 
I am from old purses taken up in the climbing tree
I am from four-wheeler rides, laughing wild and free
I'm from learning how to hold a gun by recoil knocking me on my butt
From wet jet rides and tractor intertubes pulled behind,
 
I'm from the Union soldier who couldn't spell his name,
I'm from the grandma who picked corn from a covered wagon
And shook hands with President Hoover in the White House when she was sixteen
I'm from Bidwells and Peats and Punts and Roozebooms
And Nancy Medora Klinkenbeard Moffitt Manaugh
 
I'm from going to school on Senior Skip Day
And straight-A report cards every quarter
From cleaning the house every Saturday
I'm from Sunday afternoon card games
 
I'm from eggbutter and nutella
I'm from a quart of home-canned cherries
I'm from walking to Shefford for cream horns,
Getting Rocky from the cornfield and picking Mom's green beans.
 
I'm from Bible stories at breakfast,
Church softball and camp tee-shirts,
Singing "Fall on your knees" with an angelic costume,
And rolling the stone away to say, "He is risen!"
                      
I'm from cutting snowflakes the Friday after Thanksgiving
And playing in the park while the moving vans take my stuff away
I am from the "Danny Boy" knockoff I wrote for my crush
But never sang to him, tears rolling down my cheeks as I left that day
 
I am from the promise to never dye my hair
I am from the loner who didn't want to care
I am from the college girl who wanted friends again
Who am I?  I still don't know.  But I can tell you where I've been.

Out to the Fields Again

I must go out to the fields again, to the solitary sky,
And all I ask is a clear night to gaze at the stars going by;
And a dream in my heart and a blanket warm and candle to give me light
And a computer or a notepad and a pen with which to write.

I must go out to the fields again, to feel the wind in my face,
To feel my hair blowing wildly back in that lonely, empty place;
And all I ask is a gentle breeze to set flower's scent to flight
As those self-same flowers impress beauty on my sight.
 
I must go out to the fields again, to the solitary life,
To the sparrow's way and the eagle's way, flying above the strife;
And all I ask is song on my lips as I watch the grey dawn break,
And a way to record my heartsong as my desire I slake.
 
I must go out to the fields again, and be alone no more,
For when alone with nature, my spirit begins to soar;
I must go out and find Him, though invisible in sun or in shade,
For my heart communes with Him as I see the beauty He's made. 

A Psalm of Comfort for the Modern Soul

a little experiment in rewriting a psalm

The Lord is my homie
I don’t need nothing else
He feeds me pizza and pop;
He gives me a Blackberry
With unlimited talk/text and a data plan
He hangs with me
Even when we’re rolling
Through a bad part of the hood,
He’s there with me
And I know His blackbelt will keep me safe.
I’m dirty, sweaty, stinky,
And my clothes are patched and holey
Yet He won’t desert me or dis me
He’s always got my back!
With a friend like that,
Things are looking up.

Helping?

She cooked while we played games
And later I washed the dishes
Though the hot water
Lit the rashes on my hands on fire
 
I woke early to cook breakfast
But found she'd beat me there
And when turned away from the stove,
I set the table instead
 
I tried to take over
Cutting the rock-hard caramels
So she wouldn't hurt her fragile wrists
Replaced the knife with the ulu
When my stubborn mother wouldn't let me
 
Both so blind to each other
Each trying to give a labor of love
Both not realizing at the time
Our own ideas of helping were getting in the way

Prayer: John 15:4

a song

Remain in me
And I in You
That I may bear
Only Your fruit
 
For without the roots of love,
The branches wither
And the fruit that I bear
Draws others hither
 
So remain in me
And I in You
That I may bear
Only Your fruit
 
From the overflow
Of my heart
Let love come forth
And do its part
 
To changes the lives of others
To make your kingdom come
To remake the earth
As the place Your will is done
 
Oh, remain in me
And I in You
That I may bear
Only Your fruit

Untitled Song about God's Sovereignty and Omniscience

You know when I sit,
You know when I rise;
You know who I love,
What I despise
And even when I screw up,
I'm precious in Your eyes
 
Nothing is beyond You;
Nothing's outside your will.
And even when bad things happen to me,
I know You love me still

Nobody Has to Ask

Nobody has to ask
The facebook mom
If she loves her kids
When she posts a hundred
Pictures every week

Nobody has to ask
The teenage girl
If she loves her boyfriend
When she can't shut up
Tells you everything about him

Nobody has to ask
The married-twenty-years hubby
If he loves his wife
When he buys her flowers, gets a sitter,
And takes her to a nice restaurant

Nobody has to ask
The group of friends
If they love the new mom
When they clean the house
And bring pre-made meals

Nobody has to ask
The four year old
If he loves you
When the child runs
Screaming into your arms

Nobody has to ask
Because true love is obvious

Love Heals Wounds

Love heals wounds
But it need not make a sound
It's not always where expected
Nor expected where it's found
 
It's in the healing of a heart
Through a simple game of cards
Through companionship and listening,
Loneliness is destroyed
 
It's in the helping hands
That pack and carry boxes of stuff
To make your burden lighter:
That's a labor of love
 
It's in raking your mother's leaves
Jump-starting the neighbor's car
Pulling over on the interstate
To change a stranger's tire
 
Love is providing for needs
Building up the broken down and depressed
Planting seeds of heaven
In uplifting words expressed

Nonsense verse

la la la
my brain is fried
see you tomorrow
if I'm still alive

Obviously not one of my better works, but... meh.  Just can't bring myself to care too much at the moment.

Love (etheree)

Smile
Share meals
Do some chores
Ease loneliness
Encouraging words
Bills paid for another
Song of hope when days are dark
Shoulder to cry on in distress
Remembering others in prayer
All these things show the Love of Christ through me

Stargazers and Storytellers

Alone in a field

Staring upwards
Making up pictures
With bright points of light
 
In a crowded room
Aware but apart
Sharing tall stories
Imagined tonight

Stargazers and storytellers
The same, yet different
Both lost in the moment
Both lost in the their minds
 
One sees the world
And the wonders above
One sees the adventures
Of people they love

Neither is content

With Science’s cold stare
Both are romantics
Rambling somewhere

Poppy

an etheree

Red

Poppies
Fill a field.
Their fragrance is
Intoxicating.
It wafts into the air
As a gentle zephyr blows.
A small child picks a single bloom
Holds it tenderly, inhales mightily;
She glances up and grins.  Camera clicks.

Secret Garden

I have a place where no one else can go

The ivy curtain hides the door and so

There are almost none who know

There is a tree, a crocus, a rose

Behind that wall where no one goes

I have a place I am safe from harm

Nothing can disturb me or cause me alarm

But when it comes to this garden, its peculiar charm

Is that I take it with me wherever I go

For where you tend a rose, a thistle cannot grow

Pienso en mi Creador

Cuando veo las estrellas tan brillante
Y la luna, también radiante
Pienso en mi Creador
Quien llama las estrellas por sus nombres.
 
Cuando veo las montanas, tan gloriosas
Y las flores, tan hermosas
Pienso en mi Creador
Quien llamó ellos a ser.
 
Cuando veo olas de luz verde y ora en la selva
Y las nubes grises de la lluvia
Pienso en mi Creador
Quien llama todas cosas bien.

Plant Prayer

You are water to my soul
Without You, I can't grow
And I am thirsty, Lord
Pour Your spirit down
 
Give me what I need to grow in You, Lord
And even if I think it stinks
Well, sometimes manure
Is what the flower needs
I cannot bear fruit without
First enduring summer's scorching heat
Let Your testing swelter down on me
Until I'm dying for the thunderstorm's release.

Produce Market

Gold and pink
Juicy sweet
I slurp when I eat
A good Missouri peach
 
Firm and plump
Stop-sign red
Slice ‘em up quick
I want tomatoes on my bread
 
Cream and sugar
On the cob
Just waiting to be
Nibbled off
Row after row
Where did it go?
I think I’d like
Another ear of corn, you know

Perception

9-30-10

it seems to me

that people see
themselves as the only way
and those who disagree--
are the enemy
 
ignorant fools
bigots and tools
these things and more we call them
but are these things true?
are they really so cruel
 
Or is it our own understanding that's lacking?
 

Phone Slammed Shut at Wal-Mart

uncounted hours
I listened to you talk
in your nice low voice
felt like I’d fly away
to meet you each night
 
then I found out
 
you lied to my face
through the telephone
nasty lies
broke my heart
I cried a while
then I screamed at you
my every-night phone date
who didn’t know my voice

I had cherished yours . . . before

Princess

He is the king of kings
And My Daddy, too
He can do anything
But He's still in love with me and You
 
I am a daughter of the king
Graced with His power and authority
Because of who He is,
I can change the world

Pleasure Is A Purr

Why is it that when you stroke a cat

Its muscles flex and relax
Flex and relax
Flex and relax as your hand passes over
Flex and relax with each touch
As if shuddering in delight?
And all the while,
Its pleasure is a purr.

College Blues

Yet another of the songs that's been dug up in the cleaning of my apartment.  This one dates to college (gee, you'd have never guessed that, right?) and was written one night when I was working in the computer lab on a paper after my computer crashed several times in a row.  Somewhere between midnight and dawn, I got writer's block on the paper, so I started singing the blues.  And then another window was opened, and the following song was written:

Workin’ my way through college,

Now I’m way in debt.
I’ll be payin’ this off forever,
‘Cause teachers aren’t paid much yet.

I’ve got the blues,

Those college blues,
No sleep, no money,
No time to study,
And I’ve still got so much to do!

I’ve got to keep my grades up
Or my scholarship’s gone.
But this stupid computer crashes
Whenever I turn it on.
 
I’ve got the blues,
Those college blues,
No sleep, no money,
No time to study,
And I’ve still got so much to do!
 
Seems like the homework just piles up,
Way up to the sky.
No matter how many papers I write,
It seems I fall further behind.
 
I’ve got the blues,
Those college blues,
No sleep, no money,
No time to study,
And I’ve still got so much to do!
 
Can’t get ‘nuff hours at work,
No money’s comin’ in.
But I gotta keep payin’ the school,
So now my wallet’s ultra-thin!
 
I’ve got the blues,
Those college blues,
No sleep, no money,
No time to study,
And I’ve still got so much to do!
 
I work, I study, write papers
All day, and all night, too.
An’ now it seems like sleepin’
Is somethin’ I never do!
 
I’ve got the blues,
Those college blues,
No sleep, no money,
No time to study,
And I’ve still got so much to do!

I’ve got the blues,
Those college blues,
I’m just blue,
Blue, blue, blue-ue-ue, blue.
I’m just blue,
Blue, blue, blue-ue-ue, blue.

Thank You for the Fleas

This one started quite a few years back, but it's gone through some revisions, especially to the second chorus.  But the longer I've lived, the more I've seen that this is the truth:  it is the things in our lives that seem like the worst that eventually bring us more blessings than we ever imagined they could.  In the words of Laura Story: "What if your blessings come through raindrops?  What if Your healing comes through tears?  What if a thousand sleepless nights are all it takes to know You're here?  What if trials of this life-- the rain, the storms, the hardest nights-- are Your mercies in disguise?"


Those days were dark and dreary
The walls a stone-cold gray
Locked away in a concentration camp
Two of hundreds in the freezing damp
Still Corrie and her sister still found the strength to pray
They found the strength to say:

"God, I thank You for the fleas
Even though I see no reason
To be grateful for creatures like these
I don't know why or how
But I'll still thank You, even now
Your word says "pray continually"
And give thanks for everything
So I will thank You for the fleas."

My day is going nowhere
I feel afraid and alone
Yet I find comfort in knowing
That in this world as cold as stone
I have a friend
Who'll love me til time's end
He'll protect me, stand by me,
Comfort me in the pain
'Cause He's got reasons for it all
That I might know someday
So I'll come before Him
And in faith, I will say:

"God, I thank You for my allergies;
For lack of money and migraines;
Though it's hard to be grateful for my worries and pains
I know You'll use them somehow
So I'll still thank You, even now

Maybe someday,
I'll look back at this and see
That though this seemed a trial
You were using it to bring good to me
That's what happened with Corrie:
She found out after the war
The fleas allowed their Bible study:
They kept the guards outside the door

All I Need

And yet another song written when I was in high school:

Thrust from the dark cell
Into the blinding heat
She shudders as her gaze
And the spectators' meet
Here in the arena
They gather to test her God
Will her blood end up spilt upon
This already crimsoned sod?
The gate opens once more
The lions rush out the door
As her knees begin to bend
She prays for her suffering to end

"Salvame, Deus!"
What does she ask for?
To stay in this life,
Or to make the journey to the next one short
Though the lions tread near
Her face radiates trust and not fear
For she knows her Savior is here.

In the library, she studies
Now a gun points at her face
Screaming and yelling all around
But she calm and filled with grace
"Are you a Christian?"
An uncouth voice demands
She answers yes and
Is murdered where she stands

One martyred long ago
One only yesterday
Yet more and more people
Become Christians each day
At the cost of this life
They will proudly say:

"I am a Christian
I am a child of God
I am willing to walk
Where His feet have trod

He gives strength; courage, too
So I can do what He wants me to do
He never leaves,
He always stays right beside me

And some day, His face I'll see
Because of His grace and love for me
I have Jesus;
And Jesus is all I need!"

This peace can be yours
Just like it is mine
Because God loves you now
And has loved you for all time
He's already given His life for you
Accepting the gift is all you need to do
And then you--- can say:

"I am a Christian
I am a child of God
I am willing to walk
Where His feet have trod

He gives strength; courage, too
So I can do what He wants me to do
He never leaves,
He always stays right beside me

And some day, His face I'll see
Because of His grace and love for me
I have Jesus;
And Jesus is all I need!

I have Jesus
I have Jesus
I have Jesus
And Jesus is all I need!"

He Is A Friend of Mine

Another high school batch of lyrics, this one to the tune of the Byrds' "He Was a Friend of Mine".  Because songs are way more fun to write than research papers....

He was a friend of mine
He was a friend of mine
His killing had no purpose,
No reason or rhyme
He was a friend of mine

He was in Jerusalem
He was in Jerusalem
High on a rugged cross,
They hing his body down
He died in Jerusalem

Since the third day
Since the third day
He lives again
'Cause He rose from the grave
On the third day

He knows my name
He knows my name
Though I've not yet met Him
I know Him, just the same
He knows my name

King over the nations
Until the end of time
Yet He is a friend of mine.

Big Brother

From the deep dark depths of storage comes a song I'm pretty sure I wrote back in high school, when the idea of government surveillance and "Big Brother" was still a new idea to me.  I might have to try this theme again sometime...

Now some people say
They don't want no Big Brother
Watching over their lives
But my big brother
Is a life-saver
So I'll gladly let Him watch over mine

Big brother, keep watching out for me
Big brother, guard me while I sleep
Big brother, keep me safe
Big brother, watch o'er me while I'm awake
Please, big brother...
Keep watching out for me

Now i don't know what your big brother's like
But I'll gladly tell you 'bout mine
My big brother's the best kind of guy
'Cause even if he has to die
He'll do it-- to keep me safe
So I'll keep sayin':

Big brother, keep watching out for me
Big brother, guard me while I sleep
Big brother, keep me safe
Big brother, watch o'er me while I'm awake
Please, big brother...
Keep watching out for me

Please, Jesus, big brother...
He who never sleeps
Keep watching out for me

Haiku: Moonlit Tree

a 3-5-3

as night falls
the tree's golden leaves
turn silver

Not Paying Attention

Checking out books again
She checks the cart for my holds
Then comments on the theme
I always think it’s funny
When the librarians can guess
What’s next at preschool
 
She asks how I’m doing,
Asks me by name
And I say good, even though
I’m overwhelmed by guilt
That this woman with blond curly hair
And searching blue eyes
Knows my name, my preschoolers
And I don’t know about her
I don’t even know if she usually works
In the reference section or the children’s
Or with the movie collection
I don’t even know if this is
Her normal day to work
 
Because I haven’t been paying attention
 
And yet in my hometown
I know the librarian—Helen
She has an enormous apple tree
And gives the apples out for free
She has a son who’s grown and gone
She grew up with my mom
She doesn’t work weekends, and
She usually leaves by five

O Tra-la-la-lally, Come Down to the Valley!

Blame this little ditty on Tolkien... I got that "Tra-la-la-lally / Come back to the valley!" stuck in my head and ended up editing a bit and making up a bit until my own little version of the 'Welcome to Imladris' song appeared.  Could be worse, I guess... it could have been "Ho, Tom Bombadil, ho Tom Bombadillo / Bright blue his jacket is, and his boots are yellow"... ai-yi-yi!  I better stop this commentary now, or another earwig shall take up residence in my brain.

O tra-la-la-lally
Come down to the valley!
O tra-la-la-lay
Come when you may!
O come as you are,
And forth do not sally:
For it's a sad morning
That sees you away!