Surrender

Surrender

Fingernails scraping
Across
The acrid wound
Grasping because
They lack….
Faith

The storms
multiply
Finally there
Is no strength
To hold

I must release
My grasp
Surrender to
The forever
I AM

In that moment
Sweet honey
Blessed rest
Soothing balm
Extends lovingly
In to my soul

Surgeon

Surgery

Could the surgery
Be painless
The cut any less deep
As the surgeon cuts away
The cancer

Would she offer a kindness
To remove
only a portion
Of the infection
Does she spare the patient

Rather loving action
Requires,
Inflicting temporary harm
To remove the offending
contagion

Only then
may the patient heal
Possibly made whole
once more

Take courage
patient

HE who began
a good work in you
will
see it through to completion

Misery

Misery

perhaps not
i think the first time
in the beginning
it seemed an adventure
i felt bold and strong -
up to the challenge

bring it on
my sufficient-self declared
but time and again
life poured forth her misery
till sweat dripped
crimson from my brow

battered and bruised
i ventured to the pit
the exquisite feel of agony
entwined her tentacles
around my naked throat
garroting my thoughts
offering no mercy

deep within i resisted
searching for relief
extending my weary limb
toward the hand that ever
waits
for our feeble cry
God, Jehovah, Elohim, Adonai

spent, exhausted
but yet not trusting
i clung tentatively to the
steady hand of GOD
harassed on all sides
refusing to be soothed by the
great comforter

like a child
panicked….
unable to calm
even
when mother is present


though i knew the truth
it evaded my grasp
because i
the errant sinner
still sufficient in self
trusted no one
even less my loving savior

How Very Awkard I Am

I sit earnestly in front of my computer
trying to create
a site
to behold
a thing of beauty
a work of art

impart
special meaning
to the world
but
nothing emerges
but awkward
attempts

my brain moves
like molasses
in winter
my fingers
stumble
as if crippled
with arthritis

pen and paper
are my home
but this
computer
is the new frontier

where creation is born
these days
so i endeavor
to walk through
the wonder
that is
second nature
to my young

while all the time
my brain
whirls with
broken ideas
stretching
far beyond
my reach
I unfold
a new beginning

Expressions

observing
with my heart
your evident suffering
stone face trying to smile
as I walk out the door
I ached for you today
your misery
questions
bouncing round your head
matters unknown
only guessed at
by me
I seem to wound
am i cold and distant?
yet i am always present
perhaps not,
in the kind of way
splendid in its
joy of the beloved,
that you covet
but still
making way
through
the anguish
this measure of
space
unbearable by moments
ever magnificent
for it occasion of splendor
when at last
we lie flesh to flesh
tender embraces
salty kisses
murmuring nonsense
comprehending love

Hospitals and Jokes

Recently a friend and classmate of my nine year old son was seriously injured when he was hit by a car. He is in the hospital and is in very bad shape. This is all the information we have been given. The teacher initiated having the children send him a card. My son brought his version home. Looking over his homework I picked up the card and read his words. In an attempt to cheer his friend up he said, "Hope you feel better soon and watch out for cars." This pithy bit of advice was an attempt at humor. My son, feeling that his friend could use a bit of a laugh, thought of the funniest bit of advice he could. This being the most obviously unnecessary piece of advice he could think of he thought it would also be funny. A good sense of the ridiculous helps when forming a joke, however, one can go too far.

My son got a quick lesson in the appropriate use of humor.

What I understand from this lesson is that sometimes children learn the form of our behavior long before they apply the sensitivity necessary to use it wisely.