Poems, Personal Stories, and Observations

Archive for June, 2016

Graduation

Cathys Graduation 002z

For twinkle in my father’s eye,
For mother’s constant sacrifice,
For precious, awesome gift of life –
I give thanks.

For patient husband, children too,
Grandparents, siblings, nephews, too,
For cousins, in-laws, nieces few,
I give thanks.

For teachers full of expertise,
(Those projects – staying up ‘til three) –
But passed on knowledge expertly –
I give thanks.

For fellow students com’radarie,
For late night chats, and shared coffee,
For sharing notes (I’m panicking!) –
I give thanks.

To friends who shall remain unnamed;
Like parents, they did guide my sail,
Much wisdom did their words contain –
I give thanks.

For other friends, who stood nearby,
When I could not then socialize
(They really do deserve a prize) –
I give thanks.

But most of all to God above,
His plan, His purpose keeping on —
I couldn’t have done it without His love –
I give thanks!

(June, 2016)

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Poems

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The Bad Guy

[ The point being … we’re all capable of evil, and of good (with God’s grace).]

Have you ever been the bad guy –
A miserable place to be?

The Prodigal’s older brother,
The blinded Pharisee?

The hypocrite, the legalist,
The demonstrator with tight-clenched fist?

The Nazi soldier, the Khmer Rouge –
They make you quake within your shoes.

The foreigner, the substance dealer,
The liars, and the false faith healers.

The person of another faith,
The race that seems your hate to bait.

The gossip, and unfaithful wife,
The married couple locked in strife.

The person who distracts, annoys;
Manipulates with sneaky ploys.

And when I am the bad guy,
I pray, you’ll pray for me.

And when you are the bad guy,
I’ll do the same for thee.

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Poems

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Terrifying Disguise

The phrase “Life’s a gift in terrifying disguise”
is taken from an article  by Dr. Kelly Flanagan:
“What to Do When Our Feelings Are Lying to Us”

A baby cries,
Thrust from its mother’s womb –
Unless it’s been his tomb.

By grace or chance,
He continues life’s dance.

If parents give her
Love and Truth,
She’ll have less wounds.

If, instead,
They do berate –
There’ll be more hate.

Life can be cruel –
So many wounds we give and take –
But there is grace.

Life’s a gift in terrifying disguise.
Yet there is One Who redeems —
Let Him also heal.

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Christian, Poems

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Time Ticking On

TIME TICKING ON

 

Are you the clay,
Formed by His loving hands?
Are you the stone,
Taking life as it stands?

Does now His loving will
Flow through You, keeping still?
Does saying “Yes” to Him
Give you the biggest thrill?

Are you the canvas now,
Letting His colors run?
Are you the tapestry
His weaving has begun?

Are you now in the boat
Tossed on the storm-swept sea?
But with Him in your boat
Sure that still safe you’ll be?

Time keeps on ticking on;
One day we’ll all be gone.
Be sure you’ll ready be
For heaven’s ecstasy.

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Poems

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The Cat

Like little princess
She sits on paws;
With innocent looks
And ferocious jaws.

With purr so loud
And conspicuous meow,
She says to me,
“Please take me out.”

With sharpest talons
She persuades,
As if to tell us,
“Please cut my nails.”

With little jumps,
She turns around;
She says, “Let’s be
For bedroom bound.”

When younger,
You could throw a toy,
And she would fetch
With happy joy.

And on my lap
She likes to sit,
Especially when
At screen I sit.

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Poems

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Sleepless (#2)

In the middle of the night,
I hear distantly
A roaring motorcycle
And trucks on the freeway.

Near dawn, I wake again.
The freeway is humming
With many more vehicles.

Then a bird nearby
Is singing,
And squirrels run gaily
Across the roof.

And nothing can compare
To the morning air –
Not any other wonderful thing.

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Poems

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Sleepless (#1)

Sleepless nights
And restless days;
I wake at one,
And then I pray.

 What are you trying to teach me, Lord?
Why can’t I hear Your voice?
I beat against Your heart, so good;
Don’t seem to have a choice.

 There’s something that You’re saying;
My ears are all stopped up.
I need a precious miracle;
Don’t let me now give up.

Extending through the mists of time —
The mystery of Your love divine.
If I could grasp that love so deep,
My heart and mind would be at peace.

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Poems

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The California Primary Election

Just voted in the California primary.
 
Okay, the candidate choices aren’t great, but there are issues to vote on as well.
 
The first few times I voted I cried with gratitude, and many times thereafter, even if it was an election for water district or some other obscure thing.
 
My parents left Hungary near the end of WWII, partly because the Russian communists were invading. For the next 40 years or so, Hungarians (including the relatives I had who did not leave) had to endure communism, not the least problem of which is there is only one political party!
 
When I first visited there in 1980, before the Berlin wall came down and countries became freer, people were still afraid of the occupying Russians. People of faith could not get good jobs, and many people worked two or three jobs to make ends meet. My relatives even told me that to talk politics or religion, you would not, for example, do that while rowing a boat on the water, because sound carries over the water. They were that paranoid.
 
Many people have fought for the right to vote. I try never to miss an election, even if it’s for the water district.

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Commentary, Personal story

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