Poetry: Poem for Lent...What If

 What If

What if the sun didn't rise

Pink light softly starting a new day

Darkness

What if snow didn't fall

Glistening snow angels happy days off from school screaming down the sledding hill

Bitter

What if Spring never came

Grass green leaves unfolding blossoms opening awake to fresh sunshine

Brown

What if music never came to life

Dancing humming deep connection healing joy

Emptyness

What if friends never laughed and smiled

Enemies

What if the sea never splashed its shore

Beauty comfort refreshment from heat

Burned 

What if movies didn't have popcorn

What if soft blankies were never cuddled

What if swim teachers never told us to jump in

What if there were no sunsets

Red orange pink bursting

Charcoal

What if coffee shops only served tea

What if good books didn't have sequels

What if he never asked and I didn't say yes

What if diamonds didn't sparkle

Valueless

What if You didn't speak the world into existence

What if You weren't?

Poetry: Darkness and Light

Over the past few months I have been looking forward to and planning a Ladies Retreat. Last weekend finally came and what an honor it was to lead beautiful women in a couple of days of refreshment at Lake Ontario. I chose the theme of LIGHT. The idea hit me when I was putting away our Christmas tree lights and I was sad to see the lovely sparkly lights leave our living room. Light is such a meaningful part of LIFE. Springtime in the north brings more light and WOW what a difference it makes. We all feel so much more alive with more light in our days. Here are two poems I wrote for our first session to help visualize the difference light can make in darkness. This was a fun exerecise! I started with the Darkness poem and tried to paint with words what a dark path is like. Then, I wrote Light and it is almost the same poem but I changed just a few things to convey the difference light makes. 

Darkness

Walking home 

Down a dark path

Cold fingers, toes, cheeks

Wind cutting 

My thin coat

Fear filling

My mind

No light anywhere

Stepping slowly

Feeling

My way

Shadows shift

Black tree limbs

Reach to 

Grab, trip, push me

Down into the dirt

I see a house

Dark shadow 

Black sky

Tripping on steps

Grabbing icy doorknob

Opening

Searching

No light

Only 

Cold

Empty

Silence

Hunger

Darkness

Light

Walking down

A dark path

Cold fingers, toes, cheeks

Wind cutting

Thin coat

Fear filling my mind

Wait!

My flashlight!

Pulling it out of my pocket

Shining on every step

Shoulders relax

Calmly

Forward 

I walk

Frosted tree limbs

Sparkle in

Smallest ray

Beauty everywhere

I see a house

Dark shadow

Black sky but,

A candle in the window

Reaches out 

Welcoming

Tripping up steps

Grabbing icy doorknob

Opening

Searching

Fire crackles

Orange flames glow

Warmth fills the kitchen

Candles on the table 

Burning brightly

Baking bread smells like

Home in the soft

Light

Thought for Today: Winter Wonder

What makes you feel like a kid again? WONDER! Yes! It's that unmistakeable feeling that comes over you when you see something new and incredible, when you are shocked at how something works or was created to be so amazing. And it's like you are a child experiencing life in a fresh aspect like never before. This week wonder hit me. I woke up to another January day of cold and snow. As the day dawned, my daughter looked out our sliding glass door and excalimed, "Look at all the snowballs!" Sure enough, when I looked out to our backyard there were hundreds of snowballs rolled up overnight by the wind. In all my life I had never seen this before. WOW! Wonder! Amazement! I quickly changed clothes and threw on snow gear. I had to see this upclose and take some photos to share with family down south. When I got outside I saw more and more snowballs and my excitement grew. How could this be? How come I'd never seen this phenomenon before after so many cold snowy winters? I was filled with delight and energy! My average day in the north in January in winter changed into something special, something fun, something happy. What has filled you with wonder lately? Feel free to leave a comment!

Poem: Last Day First Day

 Last Day First Day

Soft morning light dawns

Candles flickering

Fireplace logs burning

Warming

My toes while I wait

For the coffeepot to finish

Brewing

Earthy aroma filling the 

Quiet house

Today is our first day of the

New year

Your last day with us

You sparkled 

Brightly 

Softly

Giving joy

Beauty

Gently in the darkness

Reminding us

A light has dawned

The

Light of the World