Our Lives in Verse

April Lace

Do you see it,
White lace vivid
Against a leafless forest, still brown,
Yet coming to life
With the greening of spring?

Do you gaze intently
To observe four white petals
Centered with a golden
Crown of thorns,
The dogwood blossom, a crucifer of faith?

Do you know
The Easter legend about this lovely tree,
Its branches lifted upward,
The beauty of its flower
Gracing the land like fine lace?

Once a large tree, sturdy as the oak,
Its wood formed the cross of Christ,
It is said, and from this shame both
Curse and blessing came from God, now,
A small, crooked tree with an exquisite blossom, the cross.

And on each petal’s tip a piercing,
The indentation a nail from Calvary,
Touched with the faint red blood of Christ,
His sacrifice we behold
In the aching beauty of the dogwood flower.

Dear Soul, do you see it,
White lace vivid all around,
In neighborhood and forest land,
And understand it’s the story of Jesus
Revealed through the bloom we hold in our hand?

~~~

Ever the Midwest

Ever the Midwest abides
In my heart,
Always there,
Forever shaping
My thoughts,
My attitudes,
My longings.

I’m Kansas born and
Missouri bred,
With Wisconsin,
Illinois and
Indiana
Ever brewing the
Mix that is my soul.

With pioneering spirit and
Pragmatic view,
Life is a blend of
Adventure and
Caution,
Prayer and
Resilience.

Now living in the south,
The beautiful North Carolina mountains my home,
The Midwest remains a nostalgic pull,
With its prairie vistas and forested land,
Its farmsteads deep with snow,
Each vibrant season
A yearning memory.

If home has been a base,
A sustainer of roots,
It matters not
Where our ending finds us,
We still exude an enduring vibe,
And mine is
Ever the Midwest.

~~~

Feeding the Livestock

It happens every day,
My morning chore,
The genetics of being
Granddaughter to a farmer
Coming into play and
Sending me forth to
Feed the birds.
This responsibility,
Rain, snow, or shine, I call,
“Feeding the livestock.”

While the myriad
Variety of birds
Gracing our feeders
And scratching on the ground
Are my primary care,
The eager stock of squirrels,
Both gray and white,
Are happy beneficiaries
Of the seed I purposely scatter about,
Because they, too, are hungry.

The fluttering and scampering commence
While I putter in the kitchen,
Husband’s breakfast and lunch prepared,
The routine accomplished, and after
A kiss goodbye my meal is fixed,
My observant eye ever watching
The antics taking place outside my window,
A lively, animated world
To observe over my breakfast,
Grateful livestock enjoying their own repast.

~~~


What Matters Most

What matters most
At the end of a day
When closing thoughts
And final prayers descend
Before sleep overcomes
And awareness slips away?

What makes the greatest
Difference in life
To ease our burdens
And lessen our pain
When troubles arise
And loss is keen?

What is remembered
When years have passed
And hair is gray,
The step less firm
With slower gait
And time has increased its pace?

Simply: faith, family, friends,
Words with profound depth
Held in the heart
With a loving grace born
From a humble spirit
That knows the fragility of life.

What matters most
At the end of our days
Is a life lived with
Compassion that offers words
Of love and hope for family and friends,
To accompany prayers of mercy for them.

~~~


Logic vs Reality

Oh, how my mind
Sees the world
And personal situations
Through a lens that
Demands a logical
Response and outcome.
And, yet, how this
Seems rarely to occur,
Much to my surprise
And disappointment.

“Anything logical
Is probably unrealistic
At this point,”
I opined with a smile to
Laura, Fran, and Rosemary,
My Friends of Gladys Taber group,
Their solutions
Logical, reasonable,
And kindly offered to improve
Realities mused over cups of tea.

And how is it that
What seems reasonable
In life is passed over
With other actions that
Leave us shaking our heads
And wondering, “Why?”
As choices are made
In other ways,
With outcomes both good
And troubling?

It’s truly
A curious perplexity,
One that requires a deeper
Look at human nature
With, ironically,
A logical and realistic understanding,
And even patient acceptance of
Individual personalities,
Their genetics at work
Within the sphere of their environment.

Fortunately, there is
An answer for my troubled thoughts
In prayer and The Word so clear,
My sources for profound hope and solace,
Where victory is gained over despair,
And my heart is soothed, for
I purposely, instead, *take captive every thought,
Understanding **if there be any virtue [or] praise,
I’m to think on these things,
And, thus, am saved from a world of heartache.


*2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV
**Philippians 4:8 KJV

~~~


Autumn Time, an Enduring Truth

Red bittersweet on the mantle,
An orange pumpkin by the door,
Yellow mums, so bright and cheery,
From the local store.

Each fills my heart with gladness
This autumnal time of year,
Each reminds me to remember
Those I hold especially dear.

For autumn brings reflection,
As deep colors paint the trees,
A time to contemplate the past
While raking up the leaves.

Mother is gone, and Daddy,
Their presence no longer here,
But I always remember their loving ways
Every fall of the calendar year.

For Daddy would rake and burn the leaves
And put an apple on a stick,
And we would roast this juicy treat,
Being careful not to lick.

And Mother would cut some bittersweet
And trim it for her vase,
This lovely “Ode to Autumn”
Gave our room a touch of grace.

Do you, too, have tender memories
Of ones you hold so dear?
Does fall impart the same response,
As you bring its loveliness near?

Autumn is filled with treasured scenes
Of life and moments clear.
To me it is unquestionably
My favorite time of year!