stornello form Poetic Bloomings

 On this Easter Morning

 

On this Easter morning, wake me up, I pray.

With bleary eyes, I’m trying to start my day.

I’m Your child, but I feel like a lump of clay.

 

Since You made Adam from dust, I have hope still.

Mold me and form me, according to Your will.

Breathe in me life, may the Holy Spirit fill.

 

You’re still in the business of raising the dead.

I’m encouraged by the Scriptures I have read.

We did have death, but You gave us life instead.

 

And as we celebrate the day You arose,

We belong to You, from our heads to our toes.

Your blood purchased us from the enemy’s woes.

 

Holy Father, thanks for the gift of Your Son.

“It is finished,” He had said. So it is done.  

Through His sacrifice, we have already won.

 

And so, this Easter Morning as we arise,

Through Jesus, we have found favor in Your eyes,

And have eternal hope when the body dies.

Morning Prayer

 Open My Eyes

 

Open my eyes

To Your hand in my life

Open my ears

To Your voice

Open my hands

To give

And may my strength

Be used to work in Your honor

 

Let us walk hand in hand

May I feel Your arm around my shoulders

Your pat on my back.

Your high five when I’m in Your will

May I feel Your smile on me

May I hear You singing over me

May I know Your love and affection

 

May I be about my Father’s business

Rejoicing that You have a purpose for my life.

Ekphrastic from photo

Feuerwerk Houses

 

The small German town

of Feuerwerk houses,

with their strips of design

on their outer walls,

like a page from a fairy tale,

invite eager adventurers

up cobblestone streets,

through rounded arches,

further up and further in.

Ekphrastic from a photo

 The German Castle

 

Tall and narrow, with minarets,

perched on rugged mountains

like a commanding princess

with her skirt of golden foliage

and a backdrop of more mountains

severely treeless, covered in ice,

topped with a creamy blue sky

with ocean-like waves of clouds.  

Prepper Poetic Asides

 Trip Prep

 

Planning a big trip

Takes time, money

And steady nerves

 

With many tasks

Overwhelm

Can suffocate

 

With World News

Bombs, Terrorists

Fear can paralyze

 

It helps to remember

All the other trips

That turned out fine

 

And to remember

That wonderful God

Is only a prayer away.

Colorado weather

 

The sun was shining

in the blizzard today

Reminds me of the Holy Spirit

in times of trouble.

Poet's Block

 This Poem

 

This poem is shy

Doesn’t what to come out

Don’t even know

What this poem is about

 

So I’ll sit here

Wait till it shows its face

And I wonder

If it’s close to this place

 

It might be out

In a raging river

The thought of it

Makes me quake and shiver

 

Or way up high

It flies in a balloon

Someone, pop it

So it comes to me soon

 

Or it may be

Deep in a submarine

Maybe this poem

Will not ever be seen

 

Or it may be

Aboard a high-speed train

Or it could be

Out singing in the rain

 

Oh, here it is

Seven verses in all

Sometimes a poem

Is determined to stall

history Poetic Bloomings

 HisStory

 

The Word left Heaven, came to live on earth.

Taught, healed, lived and died as a sacrifice.

Those who believe are given a new birth.

Yes, for our sins the Lord has paid the price.

 

And when He rose again the rulers said,

“This looks bad for us all who condemned Him.”

They paid the guards to say He was still dead

and that His disciples had removed Him.

 

And still today, those who do not believe

design to change and rewrite His story.

And maybe this cruel message we’d receive,

if we did not taste His love and glory.

 

He’s still in the business to resurrect

the dead hearts of those who do not reject.

Thanksgiving Prayer

 I Thank You, Lord, for Loving Me

 

I thank You, Lord, for the good things

To make life go most joyfully

That heartache keeps its fair distance

I thank You, Lord, for loving me.

 

That I don’t have to go to work

For cream and sugar in my tea

I’m free to travel in this world

I thank You, Lord, for loving me.

 

For clothing, food, my little house

The car that moves me faithfully

My puzzles that I like to work

I thank You, Lord, for loving me.

 

I thank You, Lord, for friends who care

And for my sisters, four, not three

And for my husband, daughter, son

I thank You, Lord, for loving me.

 

And thank You, Lord, for that One day

That face to face, You, I will see

And be at my forever home

I thank You, Lord, for loving me.

 

free verse

 Am I a Musician?

 

I always wanted to be a musician.

I tried playing the guitar a few times

first with my Uncle Jim,

but he ran off with a married woman.

 

My second try was lessons

from my college roommate.

I was too busy to stick with it.

 

I married a guitarist

and tried to learn from him.

That attempt also went by the wayside.

I thought being married to a musician

would have to be close enough.

 

Despite the reputation Tiny Tim

gave the ukulele, when I went to Hawaii

I was inspired to get a uke.

And when one trip to my daughter’s

I left it in Mesa, I bought another one,

a pineapple-shaped beauty.

 

Now, almost seven years after Hawaii,

I can play Itsy Bitsy Spider,

Happy Birthday and Amazing Grace.

So I suppose, you can say,

with some stretch of the imagination,

I’m a musician.

shadorma mutant

 Ideas

 

Ideas blaze

Fruitful poems ensue, at times

Other times

Ideas lay beneath the surface

In the muck

Like tadpoles in a pond

spring Poetic Asides

 Spring in Colorado

 

Winter is like a heavyweight boxer

staggering in the tenth round,

knowing he’s defeated,

but determined

to get his final licks in. 

Intercession

Open Their Eyes

 

When I think about who You are

loving, eternal, forgiving, powerful,

creative, beautiful, holy, and good,

it makes me sad when others

disparage You and Your people.

If they really knew You as You are,

they would run to You. Lord, please,

open their eyes and may they receive

Your salvation in the name of Jesus.

Morning Worship

 Hymns

 

My church sings hymns occasionally,

but mostly we sing praise choruses  

which I love, but I miss the hymns

that clearly explain gospel truths.

 

So I sit here in my comfy chair

with the sun shining in the window

and grab my old church hymnal

and have a solo worship service.

 

O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus,

Love Lifted Me, Holy, Holy, Holy

Victory in Jesus, Face to Face

O, How I love Jesus!, He Lives!

 

I feel the Holy Spirit cover me

like a soft and cozy comforter,

bringing in peace, joy, and drive

to face today’s long to-do list.

The Future of Blank, Poetic Bloomings A Dizain

 The Future of My Travels

 

The future of my travels, I can plan,

But must rely on God to see me through.

Because I can only do what I can.

The rest is for the Lord to kindly do.

I always like to go to somewhere new.

So I plan, but say, “If it’s the Lord’s will.”

I buy the tickets and reserve until

The dates of my trips finally arrive.

Of traveling, I may not get my fill.

So this is how this traveler will thrive.

Prayer

 

May the Lord Intervene

 

In places of persecution,

Christian women and girls

 are often extremely vulnerable.

Lord, be their defender.

 

Widows or women whose husbands

are in prison have minimal support

for themselves and their children.

Lord, be their provider.

 

May they grow in their relationship with You

and reach out in love to those around them.

Lord, be their protector, strength and friend.

 

In Jesus’ precious name, I pray. Amen!

 

Based on prayer on Barnabas Aid Pamphlet

Poem a day

 Seven Coats

 

My purple, lined, hoodie

Very comfy cozy

I wear to the mail box

To take the chill off

 

My black winter wool one

My daughter passed to me

Nice enough to wear to church

When winter visits once again

 

My brown leather coat

Makes me feel so chic

With its brown faux fur collar

Perfect for forties and fifties

 

My new wine ski jacket

Water proof, fur-lined

Good for any weather

Though the pockets are too shallow

 

My navy rain coat with zippers and snaps

Don’t let the term “rain coat” fool you

I wore it in France and got soaked to the bone

But it’s nice to stop the breezes on a spring day

 

My pink coat, my best all-weather one

But getting old and worn

I complained the whole time in rainy France

That I hadn’t brought it along and got sick

 

My blue jacket made of hoodie fabric

But no hood, just a zipper down the front

Just right for inside when the mornings are chilly

My sister gave it to me which makes it special

 

Seven coats lined up on the back of my couch

In this crazy spring weather, it’s hard to choose

Which one I need when I venture out of the house

A few more months and most will return to the closet

No Muse

 Poem a Day Anyway

 

Why does my brain go on strike

And my body just wants to sit?

I have this long list.

I don’t want to do any of it.

 

Not even write a poem,

Even though I have time at home.

But here it is anyway.

My useless poem for the day.

haiku

 

 

Trip planning crazies

Back and forth with the phone calls

Fun in getting there?

city Poetic Asides

 The City

 

Noise

Busy

Getting lost

So much to do

Cars rush through red lights

Always people, few friends

The homeless selling flowers

Smells of exhaust, garbage, food carts

The hassled and hurried honking horns

Sirens wailing, warning, “Get off the road!”

free verse

 Power of Suggestion

 

Colorful houses on a hillside

Above a blue, tranquil bay

2000-piece jigsaw on my wall

Now, I’m headed to Cinque Terre.

Better not buy a puzzle of the moon.

spring forward Poetic Bloomings

 Springing Forward

 

Oh, could it be that spring will show?

The sun is bringing warmer days.

The birds are chirping out their songs.

The grass is greening up a bit.

 

In Colorado, with cold nights,

And March can bear a lot of snow,

The thought of spring’s a great delight,

Though winter may make one last hit.

 

We check the temp before we go,

Since on my couch, seven coats sit.

Which one to wear, I never know.

Back in the closet, each belongs.

 

Looking forward to warm days though,

Soon we will have to mow our lawns

Direction

 Ready to Go

 

North, South, East, West

The words make my blood tingle

Grab my suit case

 And sing a travel jingle

 

North, South, East, West

Where will it be?

Feeling excited, joyful,

So blessed and free

 

North, South, East, West

Things to do, places to go

People to meet

But let’s not go where there’s snow

Alouette

 Nature Discovery Program

 

Tuesdays time to go

Up the hill to snow

It is great and it is cool!

Stories, crafts, and games

We will praise drawn names

The Nature Center homeschool

 

We will feed goats grass

And the geese have sass

Chisolm greets us by the fence

Alpacas will stare

As we meet them there

The fun we have is immense

Rime Royal

 Time to Regroup

 

How good it feels to finish a big chore,

Although a bit like drifting in the wind.

I can’t make myself do anything more.

For a time, all other jobs, I prescind,

Until I might begin to feel chagrinned.

And then I muster up my energy,

Prioritize my list, with 1, 2, 3.

saving Poetic Asides

 

Only One

 

The thrifty save money  

Firefighters save homes

Surgeons save lives

Poets save poems

 

Police officers save the day

Nurses save the sick

Teachers save young minds

EMTs save folks quick

 

Advocates save the earth

A vet saves a foal

The temperate save for later

Only One can save a soul

NCBC poem

 

The parents cheered at the cacophony-

their little darlings’ orchestra

of homemade instruments.

Bedtime poem

 

Regrouping

 

Regrouping after a major project.

Listing out my to-dos.

So many.

Like a giant jigsaw puzzle,

I work on it a piece at a time.

Till the next big project

when everything else goes by the wayside.

Face Poetic Bloomings

 Public Speaking

 

I look out at forty or so faces.

I don’t really see them,

but I pretend I do.

I hear my voice and know it’s mine,

but somehow that voice and my mind

our two distinct people.

I pretend the sound flowing out of my mouth

is normal, something I’m comfortable with.

I believe what I’m saying,

while wondering if they will.

I pretend I’m a confident speaker.

I make a joke and they laugh.

I share some poems to illustrate my point

and hear a murmur of approval.

I finish. They clap. I sit down.

I survived,

but it feels like my brain’s going to whirr

and with a whine, shut down in a puff of smoke.

Pre-bedtime poem

 Nighty Night

 

Wind whistles through the window

The clock reads 10:11

Better go to bed soon

To get up at seven

 

My stupid nose is running

I don’t want a cold

This catching germs from children

Is getting rather old

 

I like the kiddos

But a cold I wouldn’t choose

Next time I wish they’d give me

Something I can use.

Getting Things Done

 Partnering with God

 

My mom always marveled

how quickly household tasks

got done when her five girls

joined in and helped her.

 

Doing things together

has a synergistic effect,

when a whole is greater

than the sum of parts.

 

How much more is that the case

when we partner with God,

doing things His way and

bathing projects in prayer!

 

Though He can speak things

into existence, out of love,

He chose to partner with us

in making the world a better place.