A Mighty Hand

A mighty hand reached to the earth

and fingered fractured soil so fine

that particles of dust, no worth,

trickled like lonely sands of time.

Tears trickled through a curtain torn

showering grace as before the fall.

With tiny steps, the world reborn

 trumpets in harmonious call.

New life springs forth with joyful cry

in clear and confidant voices.

As one all speak to beautify

their world of wondrous choices.

Rains poured upon the thirsty land

bringing relief from loneliness.

Blossoms burst forth upon demand

blanketing wanton carelessness.

No longer parched, the land doth give

joy-filled colors to open eyes,

and offers gifts so all may live

without sin and empty lies.

A mighty hand reached to the earth

and dug the enriched soil so fine

and sighed, for it had earned its worth,

erasing the mistakes of time.

Air

Precious air

Elixir of life

Sweetness inhaled

Through porous fibers

Seeping into the heart

Of evergreen forest

Blooming field

Star-blessed skies

Of mystery

Enlivening ideas

Spurring creativity

Accelerating motion

Vibrating thought

While in infancy

Yet morphing at

Incredulous speeds

When deprived of air,

We drown in our

Murky seas

Of misery

Swimming against the tide

Trying simply to stay afloat

Nose barely exposed

Drawing in the tiniest

Specks of air

Elixir of life

Precious air

Air

Many Long Years

My path wasn’t always paved with smooth stones.

The bumps and crags caused me to stumble,

To veer away from my God,

Thankfully not for long.

Life would be good for a while

I’d pass a difficult class,

Date a nice man

But then an obstacle would rise up

It’s not that I forgot how loving God could be,

Or that I lost faith in His love.

I’d get lost in my own drama

Thankfully not for long.

I’d forget to look up

And enjoy the blue sky above.

Be mesmerized by the clouds floating by

Instead, I’d plod along lost in my sadness

.

I thought I had no one to turn to.

No one who’d care if I bared my soul.

Not one single person who’d dry my tears.

Thankfully it didn’t last for long.

When my world fell apart, dragging me into the depths

I’d wallow in misery, tears washing my face,

Blocking my vision so completely

That no joy, no hope could penetrate.

But then something wonderful happened,

My husband-to-be entered my world

And everything changed.

Thankfully for a good, long time.

He was there to bolster me up when

Sadness weighed on my shoulders.

He was there when I felt incompetent,

Incapable of succeeding in whatever I chose to do.

He showed me the blue sky, the clouds drifting by.

He held my hand and made me feel loved.

Together we laughed and smiled.

Thankfully for a good, long time.

He brought God into my life.

Together we’d pray, attend Mass,

Take classes to be better parents.

Walk with me when the path got bumpy.

He changed my life in so many ways.

And still does, all these years later.

He’s shown me unconditional love.

Thankfully for a good, long time.

My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord

I never believed those words,

From a psalm we sing at church,

Applied to me.

I was the outcast

The odd one out

The unlovable one, according to my parents.

I held onto hope

That something would happen

To change my life’s circumstances

But my thoughts

Barely made a dent

In where I was going.

All it took was a glimpse

Of a future filled with love

A future with the man who’d become my husband.

He taught me love

Love of family and home

Love of God who, does indeed, take care of my soul.

My eyes were opened

For the first time.

I saw a person deserving of love

A person who was intelligent

Capable, loving, and full of ideas

My vision was realigned.

I knew now that I didn’t have to see everything

That I didn’t have to have all the answers\

My God would be there, helping me along the way.

The Lord is greater than any worries I might have.

He’s louder than negative thoughts that fill my brain

He’s so strong that my weaknesses fall away.

He brings me hope, love, faith in myself

Amplified through Him and my husband.

My soul, does indeed, magnify the Lord.

                A Dream of Peace

I dreamt that I traversed the sands of time

to a place mysterious and sublime.

Where gigantic trees with branches stout,

safely nestled all feathered friends about,

providing shelter from many foe,

yet allowing freedom to come and go.

Silky soft leaves whose gentle caress

becalms restless souls, soothes with fine finesse

young and old alike; no bias here

where all live in peace for many a year.

Through the sands a winding river ran

giving sustenance to both beast and man.

Surprisingly blue with not a trace

of sinister longings upon its face.

It speaks of a sweet love; it calls to me,

“Step right in,” it says, “ and I’ll set you free

from all that ails; as well sin and pain.

You have nothing to lose, but much to gain.”

With tremulous step I slowly crept

into her warm, comforting arms.  I slept.

Or thought I did, for there soon appeared

hosts of angels. I panicked, afeared

of my demise. But to my surprise

they lifted me on high with joyous cries.

The night did end. My dream soon left.

The suffering world found me quite bereft

and yearning for that heavenly place

whose welcoming arms did me quick embrace.

One thing alone I brought home with me:

knowledge that all men could soar high and free

seeking truth, wisdom, righteousness, and grace.

making earth a truly heavenly place.

Changing the Bed

Mindlessly, I pulled the pillows off the bed

Thinking about what my husband had just said

About feeling adrift in a world gone mad

Fighting over things that folks once had had

Pillowcases not so gently tossed aside,

My mind roamed to all those soldiers who had died

Fighting against the wind in lands far away

Laundry on a line, too tightly bound to stray

The plaid coverlet dumped carelessly on the floor

Landed, with aplomb, blocking the bedroom door

So many paved paths deadlocked by tragedy

Murdered teens drowning in the filth of the city

Layer by layer I stripped my place of rest

As if preparing for a traveling guest

Who’d put alterations in my troubled brain

Inspiring change, much like a runaway train

It came to me, then, the trouble we are in

Referred back to when the world began to spin

Dirt drifted down, quickly tarnishing the soil

Sturdy stains from which all men would recoil

Yet, like drawn to the fire of a brand new day

Cleansing ideas floated in with the sway

Influencing hearts to always seek the truth

Strive to avoid the repulsively uncouth

Gathering the detritus of my hard work

I realized that there is one mammoth perk

When assembled together, my bed will please

Only then did I relax: my mind at ease 

               Despair

Crispy, crunchy bits on the floor

Remnants of what was once me

Speak in sequestered voice

Whispers for none to hear

Memories masked in flimsy gauze

Distort into moaning miseries

Slices of soul oozing through my eyes

Trek along determined trails

Hollowness hails each morning

Darkness so deep that no light gleams

Heaviness haunts my limbs

Paralyzes rational thought

No hope, no light

Nothing but everlasting midnight

Covers my heart

Entrapped in cement, I wail

           A Grain of Sand

Nothing more than a grain of sand

one among a cast of millions

arose and accepted the burdensome

yoke of humanity, the drudgery of life,

the pains, torments, tears, and fears

until love entered his heart.

Nothing but a tiny grain of sand

now filled with a woman’s love

beaming broader than the sun,

wider than the Milky Way

standing tall, strong, proud, and fearless

with her vision in his mind.

Nothing but a proud grain of sand

knelt by her side, making his

wishes known, the dreams of his soul,

the secrets of his heart,

the projects, plans, ideas, and thoughts

searing his vision.

Nothing but an exultant grain of sand

stood with his love at the altar

pledging faithful love, devotion,

a lifetime of togetherness,

trials, tribulation, joys, tears

traveling the path of marriage.

Nothing but two grains of sand

forged through the world

casting aside the millions to

focus on the other, the others that

they create, the little ones, children,

loins of our loins and loves of our love,

for now and forever. Amen.

    A Teacher’s Lament

 I spoke with your teacher today,

And this is what she had to say:

Please tell Billy I like him a lot

But not when he licks each tiny spot

Of food off his plate.

It’s just plain gross.

It’s not polite to pick your nose

That’s why tissue’s good for blows

Putting snot between his teeth

Makes kids stare beyond belief

You just don’t do it

It’s just plain gross.

He needs to keep his shoes on his feet

The stench smells like rotten meat

While in the playground yard

Children find it too hard

To forgive him.

It’s just plain gross.

People don’t put their hands on their butts

And scratch until they make big cuts

Blood through the clothes

And a stick up the nose

It’s just plain gross.

Wedgies are not fun to receive

And when he complains, I believe

He only got what he deserved

Get back that which you served

And whine not

It’s just plain gross.

As far as work, Billy’s losing out

He wrinkles papers and runs about

Seldom sits for more than a minute

Pencils in places where they don’t fit

He’s failing

It’s just plain gross.

There’s not much more that I can say

Except that you should be on your way

To talk to Billy.  Tell him I care

For him I’d go anywhere

To find him help.

He’s not that gross.

Commitment

the story of a marriage

is one of

trials

and

tribulations

forgiveness

and

letting go

of errors made

love

and

anger

compromise

and

patience

walking together

through life

sharing times

good

and

bad

most of all

reveling

in each other’s

company

until death

do us part