June 29, 2012 A villanelle mutant

Time to Pray 

When flames rage, fire burns, and smoke fills the air 

is not the time to get on your knees and pray, but fight;

but times of peace and calm are fertile for prayer. 

The Lord said prayer is like a widow who’d bare

her soul to a man who cared not of her plight,

but since she was persistent he would declare,  

“I’ll help, lest her nagging fills me with despair.”

Only God knows why prayer takes time to ignite

His heart to move His hand to show He does care.  

When the air is fresh and clean and the day fair,

when the land is well-watered and the sky bright,

thank Him for His love and appeal to Him there 

for Him to continue His grace and to spare

you from trials and troubles’ fiery bite.

Pray for rain when there’s more than plenty to share. 

Yes, He does hear when deadly disasters dare

to threaten to overtake you in the night,

when flames rage, fire burns, and smoke fills the air, 

but times of peace and calm are fertile for prayer.

Writing to God -- Praying with Senses

Sense of Thanksgiving

Thank You for the things I see—

words on a page,

my son and daughter clowning around,

my calico cat pattering around the house. 

Thank You for the things I hear—

my husband’s deep voice,

contemporary Christian music,

the clink of chess pieces as my daughter sets up the board. 

Thank You for the things I smell—

cherry blossom shampoo,

eggs cooking on the stove,

orange spice in my cup of tea.

Thank You for the things I feel—

the soft chair cradling my body

cool air from the air conditioner,

smooth computer keys underneath my fingertips. 

Thank You for the things I taste—

grainy toast,

sweet spicy tea,

satisfying meat and veggie omelet. 

Thank You for the things I sense spiritually—

Your love,

Your grace,
Your holiness.

Thank You for creating my senses

that I may delight in Your creation,

and be reminded why I should delight in You

and trust You to grant me the desires of my heart.

Poetic Asides Prompt--something pitted against something else

Man versus monster

Roaring, striking, devouring

Wind, lightning, fire

June 26 Writing to God Uncertainties

Locomotive—Loco with No Motive 

Feeling like

an unused train in the roundhouse.

Lord, spiff me up.

I need some drive,

purpose, spiritual steam.

May the load I’m carrying do some good in the world.

Help me stay on track

and get others where You want them to be,
with a determined chug-chug
and a cheery whistle.

For a Friend

Two Peas in a Pod 

Some feel no sympathy.

They think if you just do things right,

you wouldn’t have the problems you have.

Ah, but they never let you in on the secret

of why when you do all the right things,

life still goes off kilter.

 I am human.

I’ve been underneath a stack of circumstances

like the princess’s pea beneath her mattresses.

May you have friends that help you,

not judge you for being where you are.

And may I be one of them.

Poetic Bloomings Prompt: photo of earth in hand

Big  

We humans think we’re bigger than we really are,

walking proudly as if we have the whole world in our hands.

Yet, we know compared to the universe

and eternity we’re not blips on any screen.

Yet God sees us,

loves us,
hears us and answers our prayers.
That’s big.

That’s really big.

Wordle: times, inquisitive, clouds, intercepted, brave

Fortified Faith

At times, her inquisitive spirit

birthed trouble, and clouds of fear

engulfed her mind and being

until it seemed agents of evil

intercepted every prayer, but she

was not only curious, but brave

and adventurous. Her faith 

stood firm like a fortress in war.

This is the way she became strong,

wise and intimate with her Creator.