Challenge: Daily Poetry 2019

January 2019

1/1/19

containered pain (poem)

For N

my breastbone aches
with containered pain
the new year comes
I cry in vain
all I want
is you again

of happy moments (poem)

happiness is not the sum
of happy moments that have come
nor everything that breaks the numb
shell around my heart, the sum
of smiles, of laughs, of memories made
with family on better days
happiness: a choice I make
regardless of the pain I face

hope splinters (poem)

bones break
porcelain cracks
hope splinters
but grows back

the world is tired (poem)

the world is tired
and aches besides
within me all
the universe hides

so I can shine
like stars of light
or fade away
the longest night

sky boats (poem)

boats to the heavens
skyward fly
I'll see their promise
by and by
the light so brilliant
before my eyes
from the ashes
I might rise

my biggest project (poem)

I'm not the pleasant person
that I used to be
I know my biggest project
is to get to work on me
because my heart is hurting
is the weakest pale excuse
somehow I must conquer
all my follies and misuse

the little stupid things (poem)

I care
about the little stupid things
the things that get under your skin
they seem to carry their wings
take off and fly in my eye
I swat them and keep going by
I care and it hurts and it bleeds
I try to forget all my needs
but sometimes it hurts and it aches
and sometimes it trembles and quakes

a flaw (poem)

I am not a self-promoter
this is stupid of me
it's not a flaw I'm unaware of
I'm not as good at some at writing
or anything really
and I'm not even as good right now as I was

it's not a lack of discipline, a lack of will
the troubles that plagued before do plague me still
I've spent too much of a year fraught and ill
and it seems too much to ask, please love me still

how to bleed (poem)

I have been damaged
I know how to bleed
but not how to staunch up
my wounds or to heed
the firing neurons, the pain in my head
I'm never enough and so trudge on instead

take solace (poem)

take solace in the winter rain
the icy mist, the snowy plain
the chilly air the heart makes warm
christmas lights glow in the storm

kisses goodnight (poem)

loving farewells
kisses goodnight
blessings of peace
turn out the light

starry skies (poem)

starry skies
wink bright above
eternal, but less
than Christ's love

1/2/19

Prayer for the New Year 001 (poem)

guard my steps and tongue today in all things
I want to live as Christ would have me do
teach me love and purity that Christ brings
speak to me and help me follow You

little birds (poem)

little birds flit
across the sky
ideas bright
within my mind

battle plans (poem)

battle plans rarely survive
the first hour of the day
I will not plan, yet will thrive
if in all things I pray

something inside (poem)

quiet me down
there's something inside
amenable to being soothed
don't pin me down
there's something I hide
once wakened, it cannot be soothed

a morning poem (poem)

a morning poem
stretches the heart
flexes the mind
off to good start

wisdom is (poem)

wisdom is knowing when to laugh
and when to stop laughing
wisdom is knowing when to jump
and when to stand there looking
wisdom is knowing when to feel
and when to stick to thinking
wisdom is knowing when to seek
and when you've found be thankful

Stress (poem)

Habits
Those little persnickety things I lose so easily
When I least expect it, tell me how
To keep them in my pocket that seems to be holey
As if it's trying to let bad humors out

like constellations (poem)

hope, like constellations in my heart
the starry skies below, once thought so dark
lit up with beams of visions and of dreams
they linger on and catch my eyes with gleams

deep in the eye (poem)

wake me up when it's over
I can sleep through a storm when I may
deep in the eye I lie waiting
and here is where I will stay
don't rouse me to ride like the thunder
or swirl about like the wind
I'll wait out the temper and wonder
just when we will do this again

of joy (poem)

joy is of the saints
'cause joy is with the Lord
those near, close to Him
shall have the fullest joy

1/3/18

Prayers for the New Year 002 (poem)

God on high, I pray Your light
Fill my heart and fill my sight
Overflow me with Your love
Teach me praise to rise above

Prayers for the New Year 003 (poem)

I pray the aid of Heaven
in all that must be done
to glorify the Father
by Him all battles won

dancing in your arms (poem)

broken pieces of my heart
hold you close, the music starts
a symphony begins to play
I cannot hold our love at bay

This Is One of Those Days (poem)

This is one of those days
When winter breaks the boughs from trees
My body's blown by a strong enough breeze
At home, I crash, it is release

1/5/19

the turning gears (poem)

the turning gears
the wise machine
between my ears
is ruled by me
revolving door
the feeling heart
my guiding hand
must stop and start

moments, masks (poem)

moments, masks, filtered through
hides, reveals, my heart shines through
upon my sleeve, so clear to you
hold me now and I'll hold you

1/6/19

this is what it feels like (poem)

this is what it feels like
everything all new
maybe sparkly, shiny
but I just want to see right through
to all the trials, battles
lurking 'round the way ahead
I will push on through them
will not turn around instead

crying (poem)

there's crying downstairs
it hurts my chest like my own tears do
it hurts my heart like my own fears do
I stay upstairs and do not cry

1/7/19

one cup for me (poem)

good morning, tea!
one cup for me
well, make it two
before adieu

we were here (poem)

speak love before you say goodbye
it's not like asking you to cry
just acknowledge reasons why
we were here before love dies

calculations (poem)

what matters the heart to a mind of cold calculations
I open my eyes; I am become mathematician
the heart is on fire: I cool its burning with song
for choices are mine, if so be I am strong

couplet for the river (poem)

the frozen river bubbles away below
waiting for a warmer day, less snow

push, push (poem)

sometimes I'm just so tired
the world once felt so new
now it feels like I'm wired
to just push, push, push through

moving (poem)

moving in the quiet
my nerve endings light up
the darkness is not quiet
not enough

hoping for perfection
screaming 'cause I'm not
the hope can keep me going
I'm in knots

keep me burning (poem)

For F and Y

touch me, catch me, keep me burning
light me up, my heart is yearning
always hold me close to you
every day and all night through

1/9/19

days go by (poem)

days go by
the open road
is traveled by
an open heart
my feet are like
the bounding deer
my heart can fly
for years and years

passion burns (poem)

For F and Y

sweetness yearns
passion burns
cross our swords
and throw our words
razor grins
the turns and spins
that bring me back
to you again

Prayers for the New Year 004 (poem)

keep my eyes on You, O God
keep me walking in Your love
teach my heart to fear Your name
my soul Your praise to e'er proclaim
Your peace depends on holding to
You in my mind and all I do

turn the page (poem)

turn the page
and then one more
the white and blank
is spread before
a willing mind
heart poised to write
so let unfold
dip pen in light

feel the warmth (poem)

a cup of tea
so comforting
I feel the warmth
inside of me
the smoothness on my tongue
when morning still feels young
the needles' edge, the sweet
the hint of tannin bark
I open up my mouth
and take into my heart

overflowed (poem)

my soul alight with hope and promise
joy will come with each new dawning
hope arise though trials yawning
their mouths overflowed by the flood of Your love

(haiku for thaw)

crackles and shivers
ice breaks off the eaves in time
heart and hands do thaw

don't you ever miss (poem)

For F and Y

don't you ever miss the warmth we shared
the way I turned to you when I was scared
it seemed that you were never unprepared
together all the things we hoped and dared
every hurt you felt, you know I cared
we did our best and it seemed we fared
well and happy for a time, I was ensnared
by no suspicion, you left me unaware
and now you're gone. did you ever care
don't you ever miss the warmth we shared

firebird (poem)

waters run down
it's the heat death of the universe
so don't look now
until we're born again

the tiny bird (poem)

hope is the tiny bird, fluttering in my chest
its wings beat against the inside of my heart
I open my mouth to speak, its song flies out

entwined (poem)

sold to the highest bidder
my love
cannot be bought for jewels
or gold
but with your heart, our worlds entwined
with this, I know, I'm yours
you're mine

1/10/19

(haiku for joy)

joy lurks in the depths
bubbling up, a spring of
cold and clear water

hope (poem)

some of us hope
the day's not over
my hope's got wings
and forever sings

full (poem)

fetch down
haul up
live full
full cup

want your love (poem)

For F and Y

Things that I want
And hopes that I keep
It's not a great mystery
It's not very deep
I just want your love
You held once for me
More than for him
It meant everything

moments like fireworks (poem)

For F and Y

moments like fireworks burst
behind my eyelids
I cannot see for light
cast in colors bright
every moment I used to share
with you, I feel right there

1/13/19

still (poem)

I am quiet, still
swirled around like water
keep me quiet, still
serenity is power

1/14/19

however long (poem)

happiness springs
like a well in one's soul
it can't just be given
but must be claimed whole
so hold out your hand
and reach for the light
never stop singing
however long the night

blood is flowing (poem)

I have good days and bad days
happiness on sad days
blood is always
flowing in my veins

1/18/19

(haiku for family night)

love is laughter late
before a bright screen; family
together again

(haiku for patience)

hope burns in my heart
joy rises with dawning sun
I with patience wait

no (poem)

red flags
no means no
if he ignores
it's time to go

the light (poem)

colors bright
I love the light
my gaze is fixed
'til faith is sight

until morning (poem)

quiet me gently
hold me with love
just stay here with me
until morning come

be fine (poem)

For SM

I will be fine
sometime
don't check my breath
or wait for my death
I'm breathing in fire
the flames are alive
I'm blood and I'm bone
can't end me tonight

1/19/19

everything known (poem)

I am quiet
in my heart, in my soul
everything past
is just everything known
go beyond
where no one will go
reach to the stars
and find they're home

earned this moment (poem)

For F and Y

I've been burned before
come find me
in the open door
you earned this
moment on the floor
we're dancing
as if it's what we planned

third time (poem)

For F and Y

third time's the charm
to keep me warm
to open my eyes
to hold through the storm
third time's the charm
at the end of the day
to know we're together
and won't walk away

how it will go (poem)

I wrote a poem today
though I didn't know quite what to say
isn't that how it will go
so often it feels like I know
this is the way we will run
remember me in the bright sun

just my best (poem)

I never promised a good one
just my best
I know I promised the moon
but gave you the rest
I hope in my dreams for it all
but I'm blessed

1/21/19

all my edges (poem)

Burnt at all my edges
I used to be a good girl
I'm praying on the ledges
Save me, pull me back, Lord

1/23/19

buried deep (poem)

The things I mean
and secrets keep
I pray that I
can go to sleep
and find in dreams
I buried deep
the love we lost
at cost too steep
Find me where our hearts still sigh
before we have to say goodbye

1/25/19

Teach Me (poem)

Teach me Your ways, O God of Heaven
Teach me to praise, O King of earth and
All my days, forever always

the tongues of winter (poem)

winter settled in my bones
audible sound of foreign phones
cold that shivers, ice that breaks
the difference just a season makes
speak the tongues of winter now
do not stop to wonder how

1/26/19

clean my soul (poem)

broken pieces of my heart
clean my soul in every part
do not let the dark escape
transmute my pain to something great

love can't stay (poem)

love is a memory, warm and full
within my heart, that memory grows
but love can't stay, just fade away
unless it blooms and I give it away

hope is (poem)

hope is the little bird singing
and the way my heart is beating
and the sunrise that is coming
the canvas of becoming

do you know love (poem)

For F and Y

tell me: do you know love
hold me; the night is long
listen, we two are strong
in unbroken bond belong

(haiku for breezes)

breezes through my hair
blow history and thought to
some faraway place

need for healing (poem)

I've been bruised and broken
but also have awoken
to need for healing touch
and kindness, love so much

I pray now (poem)

I breathe, my heart pounds
don't make a sound
I hope, I pray now
all's well somehow

one of those things (poem)

hope is one of those things
the heart breathes; the soul sings
the mind rides forth on love's wings
and faith will fill; the Son brings

1/27/19

The Way We Laughed (poem)

For F and Y

Have you forgotten the way we laughed
Sometime back in the distant past?
It aches in my heart, it breathes in my lungs
The joy and the love from when we were young

Hungry (poem)

I am hungry deep inside
Like a cavernous ocean trench
A maw that gapes so deep and wide
And swallows all, the teeth'll clench

easy to burn (poem)

so easy to burn
instead of to earn
reach up, try to build
there's hope for you still

1/28/19

Prayers for the New Year 005 (poem)

morning time, before they wake
the dreams of night I try to shake
God, help me fix my eyes on You
and keep them there the whole day through

for tea (poem)

a swirl of tea
a ribbon of heat
I patiently wait
for the morning's treat

Prayers for the New Year 006 (poem)

God, You are more than enough
Even when times get rough
Forgive my wandering heart
Draw me back to the start
Of Your love

three times 'round (poem)

three times 'round the cup
three times 'round for me
it's time to sip that fragrant tea
the life's that's pulsing in my bones
the air that breathes, the soul that knows
I drink it down and so it goes

on average (poem)

a powerful thing: on average
I keep the goal on average
I build it up on average
the discipline I need

the stairway (poem)

the stairway I climb
just step by step
it's painstaking
I cannot skip
but in the end
it's worth the trip

a dream of more (poem)

hope beats like pounding drum
a dream of more outweighs the sum
when every deed supports the thought
the heart concurs, the vision bought

what they say about castles (poem)

you know what they say about castles
don't build them up in the air
but look at the ones now standing
how do you think they got there

a hundred stories (poem)

If I was going to write a hundred stories
Set out with every one fixed in my mind
I think I should go chart a new trajectory
Than the one machete's like to find
The jungle's thick with a hundred new ideas
But take a look, consider what the kind
Should I go pave a road and level mountains
I'd want to leave a legacy behind

1/29/19

this I pray (poem)

For Sarah

heartfelt, sincerely, I wish you all joy
may Christ be your lamp and His hope be your buoy
let faith guide you surely, His love guard your way
His truth be your armor—all this I pray

Prayers for the New Year 007 (poem)

hello, new day
we hope, we pray
a bit of joy
might come our way
in Christ we week
His promised peace
pray through our trials
success increase

the river's dreams (poem)

white upon the river
snow upon the ice
below I hear the rushing
its dreams are passing by

1/30/19

Prayers for the New Year 008 (poem)

wake up my eyes, O God; let me see
the truth of my life and what's growing in me
wake up my heart, O God; help me believe
and live out Your promises now faithfully
wake up my soul, O God; fill me with light
guide me and keep You forever in sight

(haiku for refreshment)

cool, clean water runs
river down my throat—I breathe
spring has come at last

1/31/19

On Looking Back to the Start of the Year (poem)

I close my eyes
One month is gone
Each day that flies
A blur, a swan
Upon the surface
I looked too long

wish for love (poem)

the moon is bright
with stars tonight
I wish for love
to found my sight
I wish for joy
to live in me
and hope in Christ
eternally

February 2019

1/3/19

for rain (poem)

quiet, we hope for rain
the sound of its susurrations
to warm our hearts again
and wash away the pain
the murmur of cleanness coming
the hope of a brand new morning
we wait with our arms wide open
water sluicing our hearts

someone waits (poem)

For F and Y

someone waits on the bench for another
hands folded, anxious, it's been so long
the sun beats down, the shadows pass
the other comes, they sit, belong

nervous (poem)

knocked knees, hands sweat
anticipation now met
breathe deep, open mouth
let the words come flowing out

easy to want (poem)

so many easy things to want
claims upon my heart and my attention
to focus on the one is somehow brave
and let to fall away all bright distraction
I guide my heart and gaze in its affection

sunset brightness (poem)

golden promises
molten light
sunset brightness
'fore the night

2/4/19

in everything (poem)

holiness, to set myself apart
from all I want that is not of You
all the day, in everything I do

butterflies (poem)

fluttering wings
my heart beats
beneath my ribs
I breathe, I need

what I'd give (poem)

mornings come and evenings go
seasons fly and days move slow
what I'd give to finally know
the life I want, the hope I grow

Somebody (poem)

somebody tell me
which way the wind blows
which way the road goes
which way my heart knows
somebody tell me
You'll walk beside me
lead me and guide me
always abide me

2/5/19

the break of day (poem)

the morning's poem, the break of day
a light of lyric to hold its sway
I speak in picture and feel in rhymes
may heaven's mercy be on these times

on happiness (poem)

happiness dons the robe of peace
it walks in love, lets thanks increase
and notes with chiming rings of joy
all good things that trials alloy

lowly scribe (poem)

I am but a lowly scribe
both good and bad I may imbibe
the secret is to choose the good
and share it out to all who would

cast my cares (poem)

so much to do, so much to try
sometimes I'd like to hide and cry
but strength from Christ will carry through
if I will cast my cares on You

no words to say (poem)

the days I have no words to say
even then, take time to pray
and let my mutest sorrows earn
the path from me to You: I learn

like children (poem)

children clamber the saintly knee
or royal lap with impunity
the God of heaven invites us to
become like children and love renew

The Bridegroom (poem)

do not leave the Bridegroom at the altar
stretched out, the Lamb of God, with open arms
waiting for the marriage that He offers
to love forever and to save from harm
consider now the very Prince of Heaven
and pray return His love, accept the crown

count it gain (poem)

days can be cold and love can be pain
when trials come find you, then count it all gain
as you climb up the mountain and fight the good fight
you'll master yourself, don clothing of light

do we answer (poem)

the children cry but do we answer?
hear the questions, hear the pain
remember when you were a child
do not let them cry in vain

one (poem)

there is one God
and there is one road
that leads through this life
and reaches His throne
there is one Maker
and there is one Christ
only one way
out of darkness to light

some days I surprise (poem)

some days I surprise myself
I open pen and heart flows out

wisdom states (poem)

wisdom states, we all must learn
the lessons of self-mastery
and all receive the things we earn
of joy or pain, and things we need
to grow through trials; forests burn
the old and dead and on it feed
so with hope, we meet the turn
of circumstance with eyes that see

what birth (poem)

hey, hope is a thing
it takes root in my heart
like the seed of a flower
grows down in the dark
of the earth where it's warm
'til the water and light
whispers, now grow
draws it out of the night

I hope in my soul
like a butterfly's wings
molded in the cocoon
until the birth brings
all the pain and the trial
to shape them and spread
into glorious flight
and to stand in good stead

there is something to say
for the evening then day
for the push before gain
for what birth without pain

A Prayer for You (poem)

For S

May God hold you in His hand
I know He understands
He feels so far away
Like there's no need to pray
But God who made Himself
The image of your pain
Gave His life away
Just your life to gain
I hope for perfect peace
May in your life increase
I pray for joyful things
To find you and for wings
Of hope to raise you up
And love to fill your cup

they bleed (poem)

we hurt, we ache
our wounds, they bleed
we're made of hopes
we're shaped by need
the God above
who made us all
we hope he hears
us when we call
the earth could shake
the mountains fall
our hearts split open
our minds a squall
this storm shall pass
when in the eye
we reach for Christ
hold fast thereby

must bloom (poem)

within the desert, we must bloom
and be the brightness others see
I long for water, shade, and room
to be whate'er I want to be
but life sweeps all as with a broom
I make my own reality

upon the winds (poem)

eagle cry upon the winds
rise above the coming storm
carried by the tides of clouds
lightning dances far below
so I cry to God and rise
above the troubles plaguing me
by riding on the driving wave
of the strength in Christ I need
just to live another day
to wake, to stand, and then to be

Furtive Wings (poem)

I have written many things
And imagined many dreams
Given ideas furtive wings
Just to see what they might bring

2/6/19

Lord of Love (poem)

Christ alone, the Lord of love
Can overflow my heart enough
To wash away all fear and doubt
And make me joy to live without
These weak, small things that humans love
But all which pale against God's love

Notes to Self (poem)

I write so many notes to self
They mean a lot to me
To point out all I need to do
And be so honestly
Perhaps my prayers seem strong about
My abandoning
All that stands 'tween me and God
But that is no bad thing

Prayers for the New Year 009 (poem)

Once I was a little girl
I longed for certain things
A writer's pen, a perfect love
A heart that always sings
I write the words, I open mouth
Praise pours out in streams
But God above, that perfect love
And thanksgiving I need
So I pray again today
Please do this work in me

love bears (poem)

love bears upon her wings
the light of God that sees
the clearest vision brings
and conquers dark in me

The Path to Joy (poem)

The path to joy
Leads to the throne
The greatest love
The world has known
We enter in
By earnest praise
By seeing good
And giving thanks
What good to me
Is feeling pain
And only looking
When it rains
I also need
The glorious sun
I fix my sight
And so I run

small bird sings (poem)

a small bird sings
and does not ask
if others care
about this task

2/7/19

hence (poem)

consequences—logic
sequences of events
that which flows
from seed it grows
recompenses

we hope (poem)

we hope
though life is hard, we hope
though times are rough, we hope
we live, we learn, we sometimes earn
through steadfast faith
desire that burns
fulfilling of our hope

steady me through (poem)

I drink my tea
it's good for me
and then survey
the world I see
the heat is welcome
full and warm
steady me through
the coming storm

the balm (poem)

God my strength in trial
and God my help in pain
the balm amidst my sorrow
comfort my heart again

the gold (poem)

"buy of Me gold"
we see treasure untold
but tried in the fire
and the trials unfold

for we are the gold
in flames purified
'til we gleam and we shine
a light none can hide

2/9/19

moments of joy (poem)

moments of joy
find homes in my heart
I visit betimes
to breathe, then restart

2/11/19

enter in (poem)

joy in You the whole day through
the keys are praise and gratitude
I kneel, I pray, in heart always
and enter in Your Presence' gates

this cup of tea (poem)

tea will warm me when I'm cold
seems to reach right down to soul
I've heard this feeling in my hands
like touch my body understands
imitates the tenderness
of loving arms and faithfulness
there's no one here but only me
my loving God, and this cup of tea

Prayers for the New Year 010 (poem)

love, take root in my heart
and mercy within me sing
let forgiveness run in my veins
and thanksgiving be my wings

(haiku for tears)

crying under eaves
like in the secret garden
someone's lonely pain

2/12/19

to someone else (poem)

For F and Y

bits and pieces of myself
they don't belong to someone else
I give my broken heart away
in whole not part, that is my way

fill (poem)

For F and Y

build me up on broken pieces
from ruins does the city rise
fill my heart and fill my vision
for you are great within my eyes

sweetness (poem)

sweetness lies
in pleasant things
the grateful heart
what kindness brings
the giving hands
the warm embrace
compassion swift
and not misplaced
a listening ear
a heeding heart
sweetness borne
in every part

reconcile (poem)

For F and Y

a token of my trust
despite the stains of rust
new oxygen will breathe
in you and out of me

2/13/19

tea's promise (poem)

the promise of tea
sometimes carries me
as far as I go
for the foretaste I know

2/14/19

day for love (poem)

a day for love, and love is kind
love gives thanks with all the mind
love sees what is best in you
and thinks on that in rosy hue

catch me (poem)

For F and Y

catch me
I won't hide away
can't find me yet
or not today
tomorrow
I will come to you
catch me, love
I want you to

Foretaste (poem)

a foretaste of His perfect peace
those moments despite everything
when all is well and I feel strong
when God has planned, I go along
the trials come, but I can pass
with song on lips, a painless class
contentment fills me sweet and warm
and I survive the raging storm
with faith that morning light will come
and all is well when said and done
this peace, what must perfection be!
if this is earth and heaven I see?

Prayers for the New Year 011 (poem)

my limbs awake
my eyes go fresh
as tea sinks in
to morning flesh
I raise my cup
and drink to You
please carry me
and guide me through

2/15/19

To Look Beyond (poem)

Hope is the prerogative of all
To look beyond the headwinds of the squall
To see the vision of the storm's last breath
And even see beyond its final death
Hope for joy beyond and glorious light
To fix our gaze on heaven is our right

the light of the Son (poem)

remember the light
and take hold of the Son
a lamp that will keep you
we've barely begun
the road may seem long
but it's nothing when done
the pain and dark vanish
in light of the Son

2/16/19

ten thousand years (poem)

For F and Y

I could wait ten thousand years, and never will I find
another one like you have been to heart and to my mind
no one compares to my first love or all that you have meant
my partner, team mate, family member, and my true best friend
I could wait ten thousand years, and never will it end
that I will wait with hope and need for you to return again

2/19/19

brighter visions (poem)

the morning quiet soothes
my fierce spirit
still reeling from nighttime dreams
the dreams of day are softer
brighter visions glow
I reach for glory now

castles grow (poem)

bold and bright
the day grows light
and castles grow
within my sight
their spires rise
and towers fly
above the earth
and in the sky

love the Lord (poem)

love the Lord with all your heart
through the very deepest parts
with every single breath you take
and every choice you have to make
love Him for He died for you
if you draw near, He'll carry you

2/20/19

how they turn (poem)

look at the clocks, how they turn
their hands run down to the sea
the skies overhead, how they learn
the seasons and annums to please

love like this (poem)

soft, gentle, tender
jewel-like rare
the love like this
in the face of every pain
of every flaw
true love's like this

catch me the sun (poem)

hey, catch me the sun down
blazing bright like wishes
burn inside my visions
we fly into the heavens

2/21/19

oasis (poem)

water for a thirsty soul
the desert sings and flowers bloom
beneath this burning sun so bright
oasis in the midst of night

2/24/19

the bustle (poem)

the hustle, the bustle
the scurry, the hurry
trust in the Lord and
you don't have to worry
commit to His hands
all the chores you must do
and watch as He makes you
a way just for you

2/25/19

the light of day (poem)

the light of day
becomes, renews
it fills my sight
it warms me through
I keep my gaze
fixed on the Son
and in so doing
the day is won

like sunrise (poem)

hope in the morning
like streaks of the sunrise
burning through daylight
across the bright sky
like this, it burns in me
my hope for the journey
across the expanse of
my awakening mind

My Parts (poem)

I am more than the sum of my parts
The fire inside me that burns through the dark
The light in my eyes and the visions I see
The logical thinking, the softness of dreams
The memories of pain, the wounds I bear still
The conflict avoidance and hard iron will
The things that I want and the things that I need
Comingled and scattered throughout all of me
These are my parts that I hold out to You
I'm mirrors and masks that I know You see through
There's more to my questions, the cries of my pain
Than just what I utter or show on my face
There's more to my failings, an ocean of flaws
You will not remove them from my iron jaws
Until I release them all fully to You
And that's what I ask You to help me to do

a letter to my brain (poem)

this is a letter to my brain:
a reminder that I have things to do
and a note that you are my faithful tool
so loyal be and do as I ask
lend yourself to every task
logically turn through analysis
handle my reading and parsing it
open up thoughts I stashed on a shelf
draw right conclusions and follow the path
revealing like yarn that certain way
that troubles rolled through and left their mark
I've things to do, so wake up and get on it

call me crazy (poem)

call me crazy if you want to
if you need to
if it makes you feel all right
if it helps you
know that you are
not crazy at this time
it's okay that we see
differently
it's okay that we are
different, see
it's okay if you need to be right
tonight

2/26/19

goodbye (poem)

For F and Y

save me a bit of love
your heart overflows
remember me forever, friend
and all that we were

serenade (poem)

love me when the birds sing
and I will sing with them
to serenade your heart, love
until our hearts are full

warm (poem)

warm and bright, the morning sun
draws me from my warm, dark bed
a cup of tea warm in my hands
awakens thoughts and gives them wings

like the swallow (poem)

I feel things you don't understand
and sometimes that means moving slowly
like an old woman
sometimes my feet fly
like the swallow skip-hopping over the earth
his joyful feathers rustling blue
just before he flies

where you are (poem)

the light is warm where you are
I want to stand so near
draw me close, remember
I've loved you always, dear

know you (poem)

dear to me, the softest glance
hidden away in your eyes
warmly cherished, the gentle touch
your embrace, or word of the wise
I know your voice on a summer's day
your breath in the winter chill
I feel I shall know you for always
and after forever still

tripping over whispers (poem)

quietly
tripping over whispers
they move within my wake
the light comes through the break
between the slats in the walls
windows to my would
I look at you
you stare at me
there's something beating beneath this skin
I feel you moving deep within
where I've taken and hidden
the best parts of you and memories inside
there's more than whispers
to trip over
more than love to now remember
aching in my chest
where all the things we ever were
are whispering now

in my sense (poem)

For N

night time
I remember feeling you
breathing in the house with me
I didn't need to see you
or sit beside you
I felt you
like a candle light burning
in the senses of my brain
and knew that you were there
it warmed and soothed me
brought me comfort
as I fell asleep again

2/27/19

Prayers for the New Year 012 (poem)

Good morning, God, the day is new
I'd like to live today for You
Please cleanse my heart of all but good
And help me do the things I should
Please lead me through the trials of day
And guide me that I may obey
I pray for strength to walk in light
Please help me keep You in my sight
I thank You, God, that You love me
I pray to serve You faithfully

fell down again (poem)

I fell down again
so often, so much
and yet, You still love me
my heart You still touch

heart is loud (poem)

I feel quiet
my heart is loud
can you hear it beating
or feel it pound?
the moon is bright
and the day so far
I lie down
think of where you are

are we shadows (poem)

are we shadows
cast upon the canvas
where life is pale and white
until the light
of God's imagination
brightens up behind us
and here we are
required to shine

2/28/19

yellow blossoms (poem)

yellow blossoms
bright in bloom
feel the love
within the room
a father's touch
a hard-won smile
their beauty shines
for a long while

(haiku for cold)

morning cup staves off
crackling eaves, frosted panes,
wind's bite and fog's chill

(haiku for tea)

smooth, warm, mellow heat
vanilla melts light honey
into ginger's bite

(haiku for mountains)

mountains and raindrops
I can run between under
trees piney and tall

I was a child (poem)

I was a child once
you were there
you saw me in the woods
beyond the river
nestled near the mountainside
remember the blue sky
the evergreen trees
the roads whipped by
the crying winds and breezes
I remember the night
warm as an embrace
tucked up in my bed
listening to the wind

under my belt (poem)

the end of a long, hard month
work under my belt, a mind like a hammer
clunking away at troublesome nails
I've been fine of mornings
unpleasantly tired, my heavy limbs
under a lively, working brain
in the evenings, I cry for weariness
sleep, then begin again

morning calls (poem)

silent nights
morning calls
the bells that chime
those predawn hours
calling me
to greet the day
and find again
my working way

my weary heart (poem)

remember me this twilight
I'm praying under the eaves
that God may rest my weary heart
and finally grant me peace

nothing hurts (poem)

find me waiting
nothing hurts
I don't remember
why it could
ignore the pain
bright on my face
grant me this
a moment's grace

day's still young (poem)

sweetness on my tongue
the day's still young
I wait as the spinner rounds
it's curling bend
I look from the beginning
and see the end

its spinning (poem)

call me crazy
I want the world to stop its spinning
around me like a turning dial
making me dizzy, never reaching a destination
why does it spin and spin and never go
I think I'm not the one who'll ever know

light of Christ (poem)

"That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world." — John 1:9 NKJV"

golden bright
God's love and light
that lives within
I fix my sight
that inward glow
the truth that frees
when it becomes
all my eye sees

with patience run (poem)

Habakkuk 2:3, Hebrews 12:1, John 8:32

the promises of God are guaranteed
have patience, run the race until you're freed
when what has waited long is due to come
it will not linger then; you will become

child of God (poem)

John 10:34-36

the child does not wish to always linger
near the parent's loving watchful eye
neither do we humans wish to wander
only on the paths the heavens devise
yet can we say the child is more wise

the child does not learn to say, I thank you
because the parent needs to hear it said
nor do humans look to God with gratitude
to serve a dire need inside His head
even God gave thanks when He was fed

the child wants to go on great adventures
to walk, to run, even though they fall
neither from our growth will God restrain us
but guide us through the pains that find us all
what child should be trapped behind a wall

for child must become one day like parent
strong and capable, as full of grace
so man must also grow to be like Father
it is the destination of our race
and could we be like gods, what lower place
would the child choose to always stay

(haiku for the light)

John 1:9

Christ the light inside
burns a sun in every cell
life that sparks and shines

March 2019

3/1/19

another day (poem)

a brand new month, again, I say
it's time to start another day
I did not wake at morning's light
but I'll make ready and leave the night

pour it out (poem)

empty out the bitterness
pour it out like undrunk tea
drain your heart of what's not love
that is what I say to me

a better place (poem)

the world could be a better place
if we all gave each other grace
remembered love when we were hurt
it soothes our heart and might do good
in those we feel have hurt us so
sometimes they don't even know

3/2/19

to run to the light (poem)

give me one reason
to run to the light
to bask in its glow
to slough off the night

let bright morning wake me
and nest in my heart
let joy flutter boldly
sprout wings and embark

love is a (poem)

love is a morning cup of tea
hot and waiting just for me
love is a hug when needed most
right when pain has invaded the coast
my borders quake, my heart's in need
by the arms of love it's freed
love is the laughter sweet and warm
of family together through the storm
love is my treasure, held so close
impossible to overdose
love is the pleasure of company
of one who knows the realest me

everything (poem)

For A. C.

music from the soul
the body sings
with every nerve and cell
and depth of feeling
hear and mark it well
and then give everything

do you understand (poem)

do you understand the endless love
shown to us by God and by His Son
Christ who gave up everything for us
God who watched His only child die
what parent does not know the deepest pain
is one that falls upon their precious child
for us God went through this and in His love
reconciled us to Him again

Christ alone (poem)

Christ alone the power over sin
to conquer all temptation born within
to do the things I know I'd rather not
and feel and be a person that I oughtn't

Christ alone the love that overcomes
all history of sin and every wrong
the weight of things that burdened me so long
if I forgive, it's 'cause He made me strong

and if I love, it's 'cause He loved through me
and if I praise, it is by Christ's strengthening me
and if I'm pure, it's 'cause He made me free
for Christ alone like whom I want to be

tiny little pieces (poem)

I feel like I will fall apart in tiny little pieces
I feel like you should know that I am crying out for real and
wish that you would care if I will break apart and fragile
whisper through my choking tears, I hide my pain inside me

3/3/19

pretend (poem)

we get tea
we pretend to be
okay
I keep on praying
for my life
for dear life
I watch it go
in winds that blow

everything hurts (poem)

everything hurts but all is well
is that the thing they say to me
they don't all say that everything hurts
they don't all say that all is well
but somehow that's what comes to me
out of the words and out of the noise
that falls from the lips of a world in pain
my heart keeps beating, step by step
on through the world as I must do
if this is what it is to be
a member of humanity
then pray, dear God, please set me free!

my bruises (poem)

somebody salve my bruises
somebody soothe my heart
is there balm in Gilead
tell me where you are
I need You, God my Father
to bind up the wounds I bear
wherever Your peace and love lives
my God, please take me there

mercy hidden (poem)

every ache and every bruise
it feels like just another ruse
another dose of painful truths
washed under false beliefs we choose
there's something here deep under skin
to the things we see akin
but different from its core within
I cannot end where I begin
the truth I find beneath the pain
is like the clouds above the rain
and all the way to the seas again
mercy hidden, naught in vain

just one (poem)

For F and Y

one thing, just one
is that enough
to breathe you in
and know there's nothing more
beyond a quickly shutting once bright door
but I would not give up
the joy I had

tears (poem)

grant me tears then let them breathe
don't let them take all over me
I fall beneath the rising waves
but I will swim and rise again

have not done (poem)

all the things I have not done
and all the reasons why
are not enough to make me quit
or e'en to make me cry
this life is hard and tough sometimes
I carry on despite

It Grows (poem)

Hope is the sort of things that grows on you,
not on trees, but in your heart
where all the things you love grow
and all the things you cling to
and all the things you put on yourself
like the fairytales of your youth
and the visions in your head
and the things you do and do and do
no matter what you want instead.

3/4/19

Prayers for the New Year 013 (poem)

Good morning, God
Forgive my heart
I pray You help me
Expel the dark
And purify
My deepest soul
Cleanse my thoughts
Heal me whole

dawn crowned victor (poem)

spring is just around the bend
even stormy winters end
even dark gives way to light
and dawn crowned victor with no fight

3/5/19

is bright (poem)

brightness fills my vision
like hope, the sun is bright
burning doubt away
at last we see the light

infinite scroll (poem)

"The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." — Matthew 6:22 KJV

blur of things that I must do
scrolling through my mind
down, reload, they flood on in
a truly infinite line
and at the top, stuck on the page
the header of it all
keep my eyes fixed on the Lord
not on the daily squall

pills (poem)

too many pills
not enough joy
thank you, I pray
that I'm still alive

I'm sure that my day
will improve if I praise
it's better than pills
but for those too, give thanks

3/6/19

yesterday (poem)

yesterday is over
though it did not shine so bright
yesterday is over
and gone with it, the night

like a cat (poem)

the morning chill arrives quietly
like a cat into my bed
and sits upon my feet
until I warm it up instead

Prayers for the New Year 014 (poem)

dear God, I pray
please guide my way
in all that I
must do today
show me clearly
what to do
and grant me strength
to make it through
perfect my thoughts
and cleanse my heart
I give today
right from the start

what hope (poem)

what hope have we
if God not be
the loving Father
we've thought to see
great hope invades
my heart with joy
for love is proved
by the cross employed

for what but love
would die for us
in such a manner
and bear our scars
what love but God's
could be enough
to sin encompass
and overcome

3/7/19

missing you (poem)

For N

missing you
I catch my breath
an ache so sharp
I have to rest
in memories
I think of you
wish you were here
I still love you

3/8/19

with hope (poem)

winters more
prolong the days
I wait with hope
for springtime warmth
the light that shines
like candles in me
a memory of sun
I wait, I breathe

in streams (poem)

catch me where the light falls down
in streams upon this quiet room
and feel me where the water breathes
in and out, it flows through me
I open hands, I feel like rain
there is no end to moving on
always forward, however long

unbroken (poem)

For A.S.

I am not broken
though you reckoned me so
you counted on the pieces
left on a pale blue floor
you did not count the way I stood
wavering in my broken strength
and stood before through the blood
I did not fall again

you think you know (poem)

For K and T

we try
you think you know our names
and cry
over our memories
and do not understand the flames
that burned us down to nothing 'til
we built ourselves back up again
I remember something
buried in the heart of me
a core I cannot see but only feel
and that is where the you that was
still lives
and that is where the me that was
has gone
you cannot bring me back again
by letting the name that's on your lips
belong to someone, me
that lost it long ago

3/12/19

bless me (poem)

bless me in the morning
with a share of strength
and Christ the light within me
I pray Your joy bequeath
and may Your wisdom guide me
Lord, grant me ears to hear
a heart that understands You
and power to obey

the dam breaks (poem)

the dam breaks
the flood behind
my mouth and lips and heart
no longer hides
and I might break
beneath the flood
but I will put
my hand in God's

3/13/19

when did you stop (poem)

For R and Y

when did you stop with love?
you loved me once
with black eyes full of whispered feelings
like fish fleeting through the water's depths
quick, alive, unceasing
but here you are, your heart grown cold
when did you stop with love?
what have I said or done
to still your heart's blood?

3/18/19

dreams (poem)

cold dreams
broken seams
spilling light
cries tonight
wake me when
sun comes again
and place warm dreams
within my hand

give me hope (poem)

give me hope
I need it now
fill my soul
with sunlit glow

3/19/19

tell me there's hope (poem)

tell me there's hope for the weary
tell me there's rest for my soul
tell me there's peace for the restless
and healing is something I'll know

tell me there's love for my heartache
tell me there's joy for my night
salve me with light in the darkness
and bring me a morning that's bright

it'll all work out (poem)

right off the coast of this will work out
is the island of I think we've blown it
hang on with me and we'll make it work out
e'en if we had overflown it

recklessly you smile (poem)

For K and T

recklessly, you smile at me
it's all I need to see to breathe
I smile back and hold inside
the warmth of such a lovely sight

3/20/19

move me like (poem)

For F and Y

move me like you moved the world
to make more room for me
enter into my heart, unfurled,
and wrap yourself in me
I love you like the dance that whirled
together you and me

wrapped (poem)

For F and Y

gotta wrap my head around this
gotta wrap my heart around you
its beating is going too fast
in the brightness of you

3/21/19

(haiku for robins)

robins prance across
asphalt—twittering birdsong
rustles the new leaves

white spring (poem)

spring is come, they say
I stare at the white, white world
and the bright yellow sun
that's shining on the ice—
yes, our spring has come

wash me away (poem)

wash me away like I'm crying
look up to the heavens, we're flying
the ngiht closes in, but we're waking
and ne'er we stop to be braking

to make sense (poem)

no one asked me to make sense
it feels too hard to try
but just hold on a little while
and don't ask reasons why

4/23/19

words words words (poem)

words words words—
they get buried in your soul,
and if they cannot make you whole,
does that stop them? do you know?

there are words, words, words.
and I heard it on the ground—
(where the pretty words are found)
—their power isn't stopped
when they do not make a sound.

and the words words words
that are burning in my soul—
(these are dangerous, you know)
—would that ever stop you? go!

the maker (poem)

point one: to the keeper
he knows his business right
he guards the door and holds the fort
until the morning light

point two: to the taker
who soars away in flight
the maker of these iron bars
has finally 'scaped the night

consider (poem)

For K

have you stopped to consider
your part in all this?
the ways that it ended
and the ways it begun
did you stop to consider
the legends we fashioned
the stories we told
and the myths that we spun?
my heart keeps on breaking
a pain that goes on
and just keeps going on
and just keeps going on
and all I can think
is the way it begun
in blood and in fire
we didn't see as wrong

3/24/19

that moment (poem)

that moment when
you drink too fast
you go too hard
and you make a mess

that moment when
the chips are down
the stakes are high
and you go to town

3/25/19

Prayers for the New Year #?? (poem)

Clean me up and wash me down
Make my heart Your hallowed ground
Hold me up and make me new
I pray Your grace: make me like You