posting poetic prose
11 Dec 2023 28 Comments
in quadrille, rhyming verse Tags: kittens, peace, snowflakes, students
snowflakes melting on mittens
mewling like helpless kittens
half-grown, grad school bound
when will self-respect be found?
it’s tough world, you must be strong
such thin skin will not last long
not every insult’s in your face,
peace of mind is safest space!
______________
Bjorn hosts quadrilles at dVerse and is pouring hot chocolate for the poets today…comic courtesy of Brett Jordan at Unsplash.
07 Dec 2023 27 Comments
in scripture Tags: Abraham, altar, covenant, faith, sacrifice
son of the promise
carries bundle of kindling
for required sacrifice
his faithful father
bears heavier burden
of patriarchal love
a fire burning hot
in his chest rises to this
high pinnacle of trust
son willingly lays life
down, to be bound; back
arched on rough dry wood
wide eyes close tight
as boy draws a final breath,
bares his throat to the knife
trembling hand halts midair
when angel calls out
“Abraham, STOP!”
Look, the Lord provides
substitute ram for the altar;
its blood is shed instead
as a foreshadow of Christ,
when Father’s promised Son
comes as our Lamb of sacrifice
God’s covenant renewal
inspires radical obedience
which results in greater blessing.
____________
I first wrote this in 2020 for our church candlelight service of Lessons & Carols.
26 Nov 2023 8 Comments
in lament, question poem, scripture Tags: doubt, faith, questions, sovereignty, suffering
Lord, sometimes we just don’t understand
the mysterious ways you treat your children:
Abraham asked to sacrifice son of promise
Joseph jailed in Egypt for misjudged morals
Moses not allowed to enter promised land
Hosea told to marry an unfaithful prostitute
Zechariah murdered inside temple courts.
life can seem cruel and unfair in its dealings
as some people struggle disproportionately
do you stop your ears and turn your back?
sometimes your children suffer through no
sin of their own but because of others’ lies
we expect justice to prevail but if it doesn’t
can we believe you are sovereign over all?
try hard to quiet our questions and doubts
but sometimes we voice laments out loud
and, like Job, dare interrogate God of the
universe; human clay complains to potter.
we fall at your feet, cry hot tears, and rise
with hope in our hearts to bear burden of
doubt until your holy kingdom fully comes!
20 Nov 2023 16 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: family, heart, home, nation, thankfulness
If we have access to clean water, adequate food, decent clothing, and a sturdy home, we should be thankful. Some people in our world walk long distances to draw contaminated water and many go to bed with hungry bellies. Homeless people shiver in ragged clothes out on cold sidewalks.
If we have family that loves us and we enjoy the companionship of good friends and neighbors, we must be thankful. Think how many people live alone or feel lonely in the wide world, wishing they had someone to be with or talk to. A warm touch, listening ears and understanding heart are treasures.
If we live in a nation that respects the life and liberty of its citizens with laws that recognize the worth and dignity of every individual, let us be thankful. Rule by tyrants or terrorists results in oppressive regimes where no one is safe. All people deserve a voice in their own government.
easy to complain
about food or politics
give me thankful heart
_________________
Frank encourages us to write a haibun on thankfulness today at d’Verse poets…not sure whether I’ve written a haibun or a grandmotherly sermon!
18 Nov 2023 4 Comments
in haiku Tags: geese, skein, sky, sweater, winter
jagged vee of geese
unravel skein of grey sky
winter’s sweater snagged
________________
My haiku included in Lyrical Iowa 2023 (received 2nd Honorable Mention).
24 Oct 2023 4 Comments
backyard maple tree
leaves of burnt orange and red
fall like sparks from flame
18 Oct 2023 24 Comments
in ekphrastic Tags: art, canyon, crows, desert, imagination, mesa, paint
“To create one’s own world takes courage.”
–Georgia O’Keeffe
more than a dead tree
or virginal flower flush
with blushing petals,
an artist forms reality
heart lifts in imagination
mind soars with creativity
above dry, dusty desert
of hardpan relationship
soul flies to canyon lands
of welcoming sagebrush;
bleeding art on red clay
bursts from the shadows
paints emotional palette,
wanders beyond rim until
satisfied by fruits of wine
and feast of distant mesa
______________
Ekphrastic poetry for dVerse poets’ pub hosted by Melissa Lemay.
03 Oct 2023 15 Comments
in quadrille Tags: conversation, delight, divine, prayer, relationship
come as children
invited to relationship in
conversation with Father
enfolded by arms of love
whisper or whimper
spoken in Jesus name
hearts washed, forgiven,
delight in his presence
silent inward groans
Spirit hovers to listen
intercedes for sinners
a brush with the divine
______________
44-word quadrille linked to dVerse poets where Lisa hosts prompt on the word “brush”.
28 Sep 2023 7 Comments
in haibun Tags: day, equinox, horses, moon, night, planets, sun
The Creator precisely designs and tunes the cosmos so that twice yearly the plane of the earth’s equator bisects the sun which means day and night are in perfect balance. The solar system moves with exact timing, aligned in an intricate celestial dance.
At county fair, teams of horses pull wagons in outdoor arena. Harnessed together, two powerful animals work together in perfect harmony. A white and black team, Daisy & Midnight, are trained to trot around ring in rhythmic synchronization, bells jingling.
Sun and moon mark time on earth, ushering in four seasons in turn. As plants soak in every available ray of sun, equinox signals leaves to bud with new life or dry to die; coloring our world. Our lives cycle through the months, years and seasons.
rhythm of planets
~ metes elliptical orbits ~
sky music of spheres
19 Sep 2023 24 Comments
in fold Tags: autumn, cattle, corn, fall, fires, geese, leaves, school
autumn’s season when leaves must fall
in colors of dying sunset across sky
where canada geese high above us call
their long goodbyes to summer’s home;
they must move on as leaves must fall.
farmers bring in dry harvest of ripe corn
and deliver fattened cattle to butcher’s stall
to supply grocer’s shelves to feed all our
children hungry for winter’s first snowfall;
in hopes of missed school days while haze
of smoky fires burn dead leaves that must fall.
______________
This is a “fold” poem invented by Gillena Cox and featured at dVerse poets’ pub.
The Fold [Gillena’s guidelines]
1. 11 lines
2. The end phrase of Line 1 repeats at Lines 5 and 11
3. The rhyme of line 1 continues through in every other line
4. There MUST be a reference to nature and how it affects you, the poet
a poem in my pocket 
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