Blackberries bursting
On briarly bushes.
The sun beams so bright,
Her eyelids it pushes.
The bees they are buzzing,
The butterflies bright,
The flowers are splashing —
A glorious sight.
Picturesque painting,
The colors of nature.
She laughs and she dances;
The glory-day makes her.
A song she is singing,
Her soul it takes flight.
When sunshine is happy,
She laughs in delight.
I didn’t sign up
For this lousy trip.
First Class was promised –
“Third Class” says my ticket.
Sunny skies predicted;
It’s started to storm.
Lots of companions?
Not at all; I’m forlorn.
Friendly co-travelers?
Instead I get abuse.
A smooth, easy road?
I say, “What’s the use?”
But on the horizon
I now see a sign —
The blue skies are coming,
The happier times.
The road — It’s what you make it;
The load — It can be shared.
The weather? You can take it.
Rain or sun? — Just be prepared.
Companions or foes –
Could it be my choice?
Just listen as you travel
And hear a still, small voice.
Believe in the seed
Though all seems stark and bare,
Though evil seems to take control,
His love will crush despair.
Believe in realms as yet unseen,
Where life is growing, yet unbirthed,
Is reaching toward the light to be,
A seedling breaking through the earth.
Believe, though all around confess
Their doubts and fears, their many tears.
Believe, though barren earth is dry —
Refreshing rains will drought deny.
Believe in the Son,
Though hidden just for now,
He, like the sun, will soon return,
And make all well somehow.
Lord, I need Your song in me
To still the noise around.
And keep my heart in tune with Yours;
Let me be heaven bound.
In daily work, in drudgery
Let spirit sing Your praise,
That I will let Your gifts to me
My heart and mind amaze.
Let not my soul so weary be
That I neglect Your painter’s stroke —
Let all the tasks ordained for me
A masterpiece evoke.
And soon a heavenly chorus will sing —
An orchestra and heavenly choir.
With joy and thanks in perfect tune,
And Spirit’s joyful fire.
I heard your words —
They seemed absurd.
Inside my mind
They twirled and whirled.
What you said’s
Not what I heard.
They festered in
Mind’s darkest place.
No logic there
I could embrace.
They bubbled, troubled
My thoughts and then,
They went in circles —
‘Round again.
Next time I hear
These words that trouble —
That torture, fester,
Twist, and bubble …
I’ll take a moment
And ask myself,
“Why not just put them
On the shelf?”
In the driest dirt, in the poorest soil,
Love keeps fighting an endless war.
Amidst abuse, and toil, and war
The battle rages forevermore.
In countless houses, in countless homes
The struggle goes on, the end unknown.
Will love win out, will fighting cease?
Will kindness, gentleness increase?
Will patience gain a new foothold?
Will holding tongues show that you’re bold?
The real struggle is in your heart –
Will pride and selfishness depart?
Will wanting your own way soon end?
Will you on Jesus’ love depend?
So ask yourself at each new day –
What can I do to end the fray?
When disagreements sure must loom –
Must listen to the other’s tune.
The fight again is in your heart –
It’s not that differences don’t start,
But how we handle different tunes;
Will there be harmony or ruin?
(Memorial Day, 2015)
[For a Music assignment, we had to write some Blues lyrics, so here are mine.
Hope you can imagine it to a blues rhythm. I was imagining myself as a young
woman again, not knowing how to deal with aggressive men.]
———————————————————————————–
[Parentheses indicate speech]
I’m leavin’ the city, gonna find me a country home,
(You know) I’m leavin’ the city, gonna find me a country home,
You know the city ain’t so pretty; it’s just got me down.
You know, it just got too crowded; people all around.
You know, it just got too crowded; people all around.
No place for a girl to breathe, and they all clownin’ around.
‘Course when I got to the country, things were just as bad.
‘Course when I got to the country, things were just as bad.
What’s a girl to do? — all the men are mad.
Well, I’m back in the city; nowhere else to go (don’t seem to be).
Well, I’m back in the city; nowhere else to go (right now).
Just ask God to take control; and I’ll be heaven bound.
[To my childhood friend, Martha]
Muddy puddles
And balls of clay.
Rain-slick streets
And friends at play.
We wandered ‘hoods,
And built big forts.
We played in sprinklers
In polka-dot shorts.
We drank from hoses;
We played hula-hoop.
We ate salty seaweed
On the neighbor’s stoop.
We dreamed big dreams
Of solving mysteries,
We made up rhymes
With hickory-dickory.
We played recorder,
A kind of flute.
We sat on doormats
Made of jute.
On Halloween,
We made a haul.
A load of sugar,
Ten pounds in all.
We played outside,
‘Til it was dark.
We’d stay all day
At the neighborhood park.
We played mah-jong
And shared our tomes.
Your encyclopedia
You always loaned.
I don’t know where
That world has gone.
But as time travels,
It’s just begun.
clarakatalin 
Are You a Hopeless Case?
Do you feel like you’re a hopeless case? That no matter what you do, you can’t do it right? That no matter what, your circumstances will never improve? THEN REJOICE!
WHAT ?!?!?!
Yes, I said “REJOICE!” Because God delights in rescuing and healing hopeless cases. Some examples:
1) The Israelites were stuck between Pharoah’s army and the Red Sea with nowhere to escape. BUT GOD, through Moses, parted the Red Sea waters, led the Israelites through, and then let the waters return to their place, drowning Pharoah’s soldiers (Exodus 14).
2) Naaman, not even a believer at the time, and stricken with leprosy, followed the advice of a young Jewish servant girl and visited Elisha, who instructed him how to be healed, and he was (2 Kings 5:1-19).
3) When Elisha and his servant were surrounded by an enemy army, God sent an army of angels to rescue them. Elisha had to ask God to allow his servant to be able to see the army. (2 Kings 6:15-19)
6) Moses, although murdering someone in anger, eventually became the person who led the Israelites out of Egypt. (Exodus 2:11-15)
7) David, though having committed adultery and indirect murder, repented and was “a man after God’s heart.” (Acts 13:22)
8) A woman who had had five husbands, and living with a sixth man, had a deep encounter with Jesus. (John 4:1-30, 39-42)
9) Mary Magdalene who had had seven demons, was healed by Jesus (Mark 16:9)
So, pray that God will show you how to allow Him to change your heart and be willing to receive Him.
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