With Explanation

The gift with explanation:

A history of thought,

A pouring out of heart,

An offering of effort.

Voices of the Morning

The roosters,

The goats,

Loud voices of

The morning:

The crowing,

The bleating:

The “Come and see

The day.”

Tractor Pull

The men all got together

To see whose rig was best.

‘Twas then that Brother Steven

Put “Big John” up to the test.

The farmers packed in closely;

The track was hard and bare

When “Big John” and “International”

Both paid their entry fare.

Then they drew their order –

“Big John” would wait till last,

So “International” grabbed the sled –

Tore down the track real fast.

Passed 50 feet, then 60,

And finally saw the end.

Now “Big John” hitched to the heavy sled,

His title to defend.

His smokestack sputtered vengeance –

He cleared ten feet with a mighty jerk,

Passed 20 feet, now 30,

And then began to work.

The crowd looked on in silence;

One fan, then two began to shout,

Then again the piercing silence…

Big Bad John had just spun out.

(I wrote this a long time ago when I was a teenager.  Tractor pulls were a big deal in our farming community and my brother, Steve, who was coming of age just then, entered our fairly new John Deere in one, with high hopes of winning.  Not long ago, we ran across a handwritten, framed copy of the poem I had made for my grandparents and Kevin asked me to add it to the blog.)

Pink

Pink - my new favorite color –

(Bright, hot pink, at that!)

Color of granddaughters, frilly and girly

And ready to play with their Nana!

It pulls at me in the stores.

It paints up all my dreams –

Pink, the color of pretty!

Pink, the color of fun!

Familiar

A few things all familiar to

Cushion all the change:

The old, the worn, the well-loved quilt,

The heavy denim curtains.

LOL

I laughed out loud today.

I let it fill my belly.

I felt the fun explode!!!

I let the good tears roll.

Umbrella (a Haiku)

Unpredictable

Cloudy-bright weather of Spring –

(Take the umbrella)

Again

The dust indicts me silently;

It makes itself at home.

The clutter comes to get my peace

And add it to its own.

The wooden floors aren’t vacuumed yet;

They torment my bare feet.

The laundry sends a ransom note –

It’s kidnapped all our sheets!

But…

The rushing river beckons me,

The highway calls my name,

My calendar sings sweet, sweet songs,

So off I go, again.

She Is My Mother

She is

Loving hand on fevered face,

Special care, extended grace –

She is my mother.

She is

Bended knee and folded hands,

Well-worn Bible, Christlike stands –

She is my mother.

She is

Evening meals on working days,

So much labor, little praise –

She is my mother.

She’s the

Family heartbeat, sure and strong –

How blessed we’ve all been, all along –

She is my mother.

Comfort

Warm, wet cloth

Soft, fluffy towel

Clean, fresh sheet

Cushy, cozy quilt

Oh, the comfort made of texture,

The luxury of linens!

We Fall

Who mothers the mother?

Who fathers the father?

Who prays for the preacher who prays for us all?

Who’s teaching the teacher?

Who’s healing the healer?

Bring wisdom.  Bring bandaids.  We’re human.  We fall.

Elevator Talk

“I like that sweater –

You wear it well.

Nice color on you,”

She smiled.

A costless conversation,

A mental intermission,

An edifying mood lift –

Elevator talk.

Mourning the Scone

I’m mourning the scone

I gave to my son.

My breakfast tomorrow?

His supper tonight.

Orange and tangy

And crispy and tart –

Goodbye, you glazed morsel –

Panera delight...

S

A flat, bloody “S.”

First snake crushed on pavement.

Stopped mid-scrawl by a

Fast-moving something,

Story left unwritten.

Spring is really here now,

and,

I wonder…

Where are your brothers?

Irresistible (a Haiku)

Irresistible:

The practical love of Christ –

Magnetic action.

The Keeping of Bees

The smell of the wax,

The sweat of the brow,

The heft of the hive tool,

The need of the “now!”

The traffic, the flight paths,

The whisper of wings,

The working, the watching,

And, oh yes – the stings!

The blowing of smoke,

The spending of money,

The building of boxes,

The sweet taste of honey!

The mites and the moths and

The swarms up in trees –

All this and more –

The keeping of bees.

 

Add another super

White wax at the top of the frames –
Add another super.

Shiny sweetness deep in the comb –
Add another super.

Lots and lots and lots of bees –
Add another super.

Dreaming of honey and money and harvest,
Add another super.

Claiming the blessings of Almighty God, 
Add another super.