Love Was the Beginning
He knew with all his knowing,
as the particles of nothing came obediently
to their place
The nothings would become somethings that
eternity would not erase,
And as that span between forever and forever
leaped from space to endless space,
rebounding with a sound that satisfied
the very essence of his being
In all his seeing he viewed the
brand-new universe with the fondness of
a father when first he looks
upon his newborn child.
And then, that ageless source of
true light, true love, and all wisdom,
brightened even more,
our corner of the universe,
with a father’s tender smile.
When Robins Come
The robins came today–their
plump, rust-colored breasts
beneath backs of gray and those
dark, hooded heads with
bright, piercing eyes that search
so cleverly, to the earthworm’s surprise.
The robins came today–
Right out front–right this way;
In tune, and in time, with the season;
And, though they know not the ritual reason,
Still–the robins came–today.
Trains
Softly calling from a distance, in sunlight,
they seldom catch us by surprise.
At night, when we are under guise
of sleep and breathing deep,
they slip so quietly past.
But come morning, there’s a welcome
wake-up blast; a familiar toot that stirs
us to hoot right back, in warm reply
as the clack-clack rhythm of each return
replays that thrilling first pass-by’
Runna-traina, runna-traina, runna-train, away.
Catcha-traina, ride-a-traina,
in my heart, today.
Broken Shells
I’ve gotten to know them so well –
I’ve seen them thousands of times and yet
I’ve not been able to resist them,
for much longer than I care to tell.
Broken shells – jagged edges smoothly worn
by the action of the restless, rolling waves –
Waves that wield complete control over helpless
seashell slaves until, at last, the shells
are cast upon the ragged edges of the land.
I reach toward the sand with an older,
more experienced, shell-retrieving hand,
Full of wonder at the joy such
a simple act can still impart.
Perfect shells receive appropriate
oohs and ahs, and I choose some, now and then –
But broken shells – my old, familiar friends
worn smooth by all that tumbling –
are the ones that steal my heart.
Of Prayer, an Old Live Oak, and Me
There’s an old live oak on the courthouse lawn
in Palatka, that everyone should see.
With limbs outrageously outstretched,
it stands, defying time and gravity.
When some limbs reached out much too far
and were nearly falling down,
Supports were placed beneath those ancient
arms to help keep them off the ground.
Dear Lord, I want to thank you for my friends
who lift me up with love and prayer,
when I need them, desperately –
So I can keep on keeping on –
just like that grand old tree.
The Last Magnolia Blossom
Oh, how the Magnolia tree down by
the river bloomed this year.
The ivory petals nearly covered
the luscious leaves
And oh, that honey-sweet fragrance
that drifted so gently, and filled the
air with that familiar, southern perfume.
Then came the day when just one magnolia blossom was left.
No less magnificent than the others,
there it hung, glowing like
a solitary, cream-colored star in
a sky of dark green velvet.
And because it was the last flower on that tree for the season,
it seemed sweeter than all the many blooms that had preceded this final, single display
of glory.
And I was a grateful witness to it all.
Until I Listen
Until I taste the saltiness
Of someone’s tears
Whose heart is tormented
from inward fears,
I’ll never know why I’ve been placed
right here, right now –
I’ll never know the why or how.
Until I listen with all my heart
I’ll never know the sober part
I need to play in life’s great show.
Until I listen – I’ll never know
The Shutters of My Heart
I thought I was going to rest tonight,
when I at last lay down my head –
I slept just long enough to have a dream
so filled with loneliness and dread.
I don’t like this helpless feeling;
I’ve needed to be strong
since my world caved in that day –
But the shutters of my heart’s window
woke me, as they banged and clattered away.
In an unguarded moment, I’ve been awakened
to such soul-searing pain –
Pain I’ve worked so hard on keeping hidden
with miles of smiles and I cannot count the tears
I’ve been struggling to detain.
But they can flow now, so like a river
through a freshly broken dam –
Oh, I know Whose wind blew on those shutters,
And oh, how grateful and how healed I am.
Training Wheels
Sometimes I know I need to go
where my feet would not want to travel.
It’s just a part of showing my heart
how the mystery of my life unwinds, rewinds,
and sometimes downright unravels.
But every venture and false start
And every new bend in life’s unpredictable road
is just one more lesson I need to learn
to fully appreciate how I’ve been bestowed
and blessed with some of my most
cherished moments, great and small–
And to pray I never forget Who, when I needed
them most, provided one and all.
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