Poems, Personal Stories, and Observations

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Pandemic Fear

Written during the Covid pandemic lockdowns.

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We do not wander, as we were wont,
Nor visit with our brother,
Nor sisters far, embrace in arms,
For fear of causing them much harm.

Some journeys far, we cannot take,
And many meetings must forsake,
Just through a screen we sometimes meet,
When togetherness we seek.

Or walking in our neighborhood,
Six feet apart; we’re told we should.
Some friend of ours, perchance we meet,
With joy afar, we then do greet.

But what a gift we still do have,
Imagination is at hand,
All o’er the earth, and far beyond,
Imagination is our bond.

By rushing streams, we still can wander,
And mountain vales, both near and yonder,
And air so clear, takes breath away;
Still smell a wildflower bouquet.

Those friends and family that we miss,
For them we offer prayer, and kiss.
We think of them and offer prayers,
And hope that well go their affairs.

Let memory of all that’s good,
Bring us some joy, as so it should.
And bring to mind those happy times
That will return in sunnier climes.

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Pandemic

When all the darkness fades away
And light begins to dawn,
Will we remember all the pain
Ourselves and others bore?

Will we remember kindnesses
Both given and received?
Will we remember comfort found
From those who saw us grieve?

Will we remember others’ pain,
Or only just our own?
Just time will tell, remember well,
How much through this we’ve grown.

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Not Merely Material

We are not merely material,
A blend of blood and bones,
Of skin and sinew.

We need a higher Wisdom,
A Being who knows us all,
Someone Who helps us when we fall.

To go beyond our little selves,
To see a broader vista,
To see what angels see.

Though we can think
And feel and do, and make;
Still, we are creatures —
Limited and finite.

As if there were a central Fire,
And we but points on a ball around it –
We each have a unique perspective.

But the Fire can see us all.

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That Little House

That little house
So cozy and warm
It wasn’t a palace
But it surely was home

I’d stand on the heater vent
Placed in the floor’s corner
Until my shoes’ rubber soles
Got warmer and warmer

Though the air could be chilly
There was still welcome comfort
A place of safe haven
From the world’s disorder

Of course, I remember
The times of great sadness
Of arguments, conflict
And even some madness

But because of that little house
I still like to dream
Of warmth and of closeness
With loved ones esteemed

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God’s Dream for You

What’s God’s dream for me, for you?
To go beyond this earthly realm?
To stand before a starship’s helm?
Or rather be an earthbound soul,
To till and dig the crusty soil?

To do those many tasks mundane,
The dishes washed, the diapers changed,
To scrub the floors, wipe dirty cheeks,
To fix the faucets, find pipes that leak?

To work with hands, or with the brain?
Or maybe both – a skill explain?
Will you be famous, or not well-known,
To popularity, or scorn be prone?

Will you be rich or destitute –
What will be your life’s pursuit?
God has a dream He can fulfill –
If only you will trust Him still.

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Listening for God’s Voice

You woo me in the quiet places;
It’s there you fill me with Your graces.
I long for silence, to still the voices
That tempt me onto errant courses.

The noise of living makes me weary
(Though noise of loved ones can be cheery!).
The “noise” of nature, by contrast,
Brings calm and peace, or makes us wary.

When list’ning for Your mighty plan,
I calmly sit, or kneel, or stand,
Or even on a quiet walk –
By grace, or chance, I’ll hear You talk.

Grant me, O Lord, that blesséd grace –
No matter what the time or place –
In noise or quiet, at work or rest,
By Your sweet voice to then be blessed.

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Still Breathing

The cough that kept me up all night,
The speeding car that gave me fright,
The baby crying in the night –
But, somehow, I’m still breathing.

The wrenching pain I thought would kill me,
The choking air that tried to still me,
The people shouting words that sting me –
Yet, somehow, I’m still breathing.

The hurts I thought I couldn’t survive,
The illnesses, the loves I tried,
The wretched times that drove me wild –
Yet, somehow, I’m still breathing.

I’m thinking, now, whatever happens,
I’ll still exist, I still will matter.
My dreams and schemes, although they shatter –
My soul will still be breathing.

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A Year That Is New

All things must pass;
Not many things last.
Let go of regrets;
Let go of the past.

As for the present,
Just live it well.
Seek first God’s heaven;
Don’t foster hell.

As for the future,
It’s a blank slate.
Trust it to God;
He knows your fate.

Into God’s hands,
Put everything.
Why fret or worry? –
Won’t accomplish a thing.

Easy to say —
I worry, too.
But I just want to wish you
A year that is new!

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Demolition

A creeping vine
Comes through a window.
Torn screens are seen
Through another.

The walls are marked,
Ready for the wrecking crew.
Beautiful French doors
Opening to a room, long unused.

It will all be gone soon.
The oak floors,
So meticulously crafted,
And an attic — did children play there?
What dusty memories dwell in the cobwebs?

Who lived inside these walls?
Were children born here?
Did someone die here?
Was there laughter; were there tears?

The stairs of redwood,
The old laundry and kitchen,
With built-in ironing board.
The back steps, all overgrown —
And the old bathroom.

It will soon be gone,
Too costly to repair;
The land’s so expensive —
Let’s build four new houses there!

Things always change;
Nothing stays the same.

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The Animal Chorus

We don’t live in the wilderness
But, nevertheless,
Plenty of creatures entertain us
‘Round ‘bout my house

Seagulls and crows –
Didn’t think they’d mix
But they’re up to tricks
Like picking our roof apart

They congregate in noisy flocks
They roost in the ash and redwood trees
They wheel and turn in the chill, clear sky

(Once when the wind was rising
In the California summer
And fires began to rage in the distance
The crows wheeled ominously above
With loud and raucous screeching)

Squirrels add their voice to the chorus
With angry squawking at my cat
Or spiraling up (or down) the trees,
Chasing each other

Butterflies bring silent rest notes
To the symphony

I hear a hum – nothing less
Than a hummingbird
Doing acrobatic dips and swirls

And in summer
The fence lizard skitters shyly away

The animal chorus –
Perhaps out of tune,
But welcome in the silence

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