There’s a narrow view of the sky
Between the curtains.
The clouds are drifting by,
Ever so slowly.
These puffy pillows,
These dusty denizens of the sky,
Move calmly and gracefully.
How was I allowed this privilege
To see a reflection
Of God’s glory?
I had my head down for so long,
It takes training for me to lift it up.
My focus is off; My heart’s eyes myopic.
Learning from God is my only cure.
“For the joy set before him he endured,”
“He considered the fact that God is able,”
“Our light and momentary troubles,”
“Our slight afflictions,”
“The sufferings of this present time,”
“Not worth comparing with the glory.”
I don’t know how abuse, torture, rape, crucifixion,
Ridicule, mockery, calumny,
Beatings, shipwrecks, imprisonments and more,
Suffered by some,
Can be called “slight –”
But the glory, the joy, of heaven,
Must be far greater than anyone can imagine.
The earth is not my home,
Nor any special land.
Though my heart beats strong
In many places,
In lands where I know many faces —
Still, none can I call home.
Heaven is my home,
Though it I’ve never seen,
Except, when the Creator set
My soul upon earth’s scene.
Heaven is my home,
Seen only in my dreams,
Through mists of time,
Through clouds sublime,
In half-heard tunes
Under bright-lit moons,
In sideways glances
And angels’ dances.
And so, when I go home,
I hope you’ll soon come, too;
On angels’ wings, as choirs sing —
We’ll all be finally home.
This broken world of suffering souls;
So many hurting — it’s out of control.
We need a Savior, a God Who can mend.
We need a Father, Who loves without end.
We need the Spirit, Who gives us the power
To overcome Satan in ungodly hour.
Time to surrender your will unto His.
Let Him live in you, and give you His gifts.
***WARNING***: Morbid content.
[Note: I will be dismantling my broken compost bin. In general, they are a good thing, but should not have holes (like mine) where creatures can get in.]
———————————–
The rat appeared
In my compost bin.
So cute and furry;
It stared at me with fearful eyes.
Sadly, I knew it must go —
Rats multiply,
And sometimes spread disease.
I set the traps —
Keenly aware of my intent to kill.
Soon the trap was sprung,
But the poor creature was still alive.
I felt like a soldier.
I didn’t want to kill it,
But humans must be protected also.
The creature was just being itself,
Trying to survive.
I won’t tell how it finally died.
———————————————-
When Adam and Eve sinned,
Death entered the world.
[Written in response to /protest against the Charlottesville, Virginia, madness.]
The wildflowers still bloom
No matter what your religion is,
What color your skin is,
How much money you have,
Or what neighborhood you live in.
The trees don’t ask,
“Shall I give my shade
Only to certain people —
Those of a certain color,
Those who are rich?”
The mountains still stand
When the poor walk on them,
When the oppressed tread their paths.
The ocean waves
Go in and out
Whether the children splashing in them
Are educated or not.
The birds don’t sing
Only for the perfect —
Perfectly healthy,
Perfectly formed
In mind and body.
The sun shines
And the rain falls
On the just and the unjust.
Shall I withhold my love
From another
For any reason?
God does not.
He sends the rain and the sun
On all peoples.
He gives the beauty of His creation
To each person, each day.
Let me learn from Him.
[Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 3:5-6]
I don’t understand much,
But I’ve been given a gift —
A gift I didn’t ask for —
Life.
I can’t change my existence,
But what do I do with it?
Yes, it’s a mystery —
My own life history —
And that God has a plan
That I don’t understand.
I don’t understand,
I don’t understand,
I don’t understand …
Plans for my good
And not for harm,
Plans for a future
And a hope.
I must trust in the Lord with all my heart,
And not rely on my own insight.
I must acknowledge Him in all my ways,
And He will make my paths straight.
I don’t know if
We were meant to agree
Or see eye to eye
The only thing I know
Is that I learn from you
And you learn from me
Why do I feel hurt
When you only stated your opinion?
Childhood:
It was all so simple then
Our differences didn’t matter
Or if they did, we’d fight —
And then get back together
Childhood:
The others could be cruel
They’d make you feel a fool
But at least we were alive
And had a home to go to
Childhood:
A simple view of life
An innocence — and light
Would rule the day, until the night
Childhood:
It was all so simple then —
Could I live in that world again?
In the wilds of Truman Avenue
Grow rampant weeds
And many seeds
Of wild and untamed flowers
In quiet suburban streets
Some types of weeds
Push through the cracks
No strength they lack
We like to tame and formalize
But sometimes wildness is a prize
That we can learn to cultivate —
But then it isn’t wild
————
There was a Garden once
Where man and woman roamed
And wild things lived in harmony
With man and his sweet destiny
————
In the wilds of Truman Avenue
I’ll dig and hoe
While Heaven’s vision
Slowly grows
clarakatalin 