Abide in Me
When evils hit the world news and scenes of unjust suffering hit our eyes and hurt in our heart, it is hard to identify all our feelings.
A Poem from Pursuit 2: Creation
Creation* One uttered Word— and the nothing— emptier than any vacuum, darker than all empty nights— burst into blinding, melting, hot, explosive, light— From Love’s unerring faith— beginnings came. Songs sang. Inside God’s pulsing heart, through eons of slow change, Love’s steady flame burned on, His plans securely framed. Under that first spoken Word now […]
A Poem from Pursuit 1: Diamond Dust
Diamond Dust * Late one cold gray winter afternoon, two sundogs shone in the western sky. As I watched, my gaze became transfixed on their rich warm color against the barren background. Thoughts returned of a lost friendship. It was an untimely love which I smothered and cut off. My choice was difficult. In hindsight, it was […]
Places 33: On the Border
On the Border Between Israel and Syria, looking toward Damascus I was forever changed. A humility of purpose, Love’s proprietary gain, remained. Lying there, an unclean woman, face down upon the land, my fingers stroking dust, rubbing such fine grains of earth— they felt like silk, slipping against my thumb, sliding between my fingers. […]
Places 32: At Masada
Inside the jambling noise of tourists and tour guides a little group, in quiet, slowly stepped aside. They stood, in silence. Then five strong sons of Abraham moved as if one man. Each hurled a stone high, high each flew, as if with wings five stones of earth rose high into the distant blue. Then […]
Places 31: Jacob’s Chutzpah
At Peniel 2021 revisions from Israel and the Chutzpah of Jacob. The original of this was an unwieldy four-page history. I Wrestling with God is fearsome. Have we courage to try? Remember the story of Jacob, a man who dared God — and cried, “Touch me, bless me, lest I die” Will we wrestle through […]
Places 29: Ancestry
The revisions of “Marks of Ancient Boundaries” in Places 2011 turned into nine comments on family genealogy. I Seeking to discover who we were, turning through old maps and deeds, searching Ancestry.com and 23 and Me, links on our computer screens traced strokes of fading inks. Savoring our yesterdays, we documented real people— with real […]
Places 28: Our Father, Our Lord
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. Isaiah 40:11 KJV Our Father, Our Lord As gently as a mother draws an infant to her breast, as surely as soft arms […]
Places 27: Malice toward None
In 1970, when divorce, PTDS after traumatic violence (intervening to stop an attempted murder), the deaths of my dad and both grandmas and other inexplicable events and significant losses all hit me within eighteen months, I crumbled. At one darkly threatening moment, I feared losing total touch with my mind’s hold on objective reality. I […]
Places 26: Facing the Rain
I couldn’t revise Facing the Rain. It was right the first time. In Places in 2011, it was a reader’s favorite. It’s not made-up. It’s a real poem about me and my Mom. To my mother Once, in the beginning, we stood on the front porch facing into the rain close and warm watching together safe […]
Places 25: Good Morning
Good Morning What? Waking me up before the dawn, expecting me, to praise, to forget myself and sing Your song? No early bird am I. Deprived of rest, shivering in wintry cold wanting warmth and heat to thaw my frigid hands and feet— You say to seek for song? I come up short in weakness […]
