a poem in my pocket

I’ll admit

sometimes

I must work at

being difficult

but mostly

I just am

without trying.

Authentic friendship is classic;

like a freshly brewed cup of tea

served outdoors on a veranda.

A spiced aroma of well-blended,

hand-selected, cozy comaraderie

fills the relaxed afternoon air.

Tea-time friendships

share the comforting warmth

Of cultivated attention.

Perfectly steeped

in robust undertones

of an exclusive conversation.

scented bed

of blooming catmint

is kissed by

lavender mist.

Marriage is a delightful balance:

Committed and caught,

Tender yet tough,

Purity of passion.

Marriage is a beautiful blueprint:

Love over a lifetime

Place for parenthood,

Good gift in a garden.

Marriage is a costly venture:

requires service and sacrifice

but reaps rewards of the

long-term investment.

Don’t settle for cheap substitutes;

Desire the genuine article.

we all begin life as prisoners;

most of us escape our mother’s womb

only to face our own limitations.

our enemy would hold us hostage;

his methods are devious, his bonds are strong.

will satan’s fate be our own awful end?

we choose  to wallow in self-made dungeons

of addiction, shame, fear or bitterness.

our hearts slowly grow cold; our minds dark.

but there is a savior who slays the beast

he opens our prison cell and calls us into light;

we are out on parole until our ultimate release.

Thirsty corn stretches dry tassels heavenward, reaching for rain.

Dusty leaves curl inward, folded in fervent prayer.

Sparse clouds cast welcome shadows on the parched land.

Scattered drops of moisture fall mercifully down on baked fields;

Every drip a precious promise, raising harvest hopes.

A wise farmer knows God as a Father who doesn’t tease but often tests.

Creation’s plenty depends entirely on the Creator’s provision.