Passion for writing ignites my soul's momentum
“War is hell. You can’t photograph a flying bullet, but you can capture genuine fear.”
The bomb has dropped
control slips from our grasp
We pray for a parachute
for someone to pull the cord
numbers escalate,
lives plummet
We offer encouragement
isolated voices faltering
moment of impact imminent
the implosion inevitable
impact reverberates
responsibility moot.
(For Reena’s Exploration Challenge: the quotation, author unknown. Image my own.)
What if loyalty purchased this house
and commitment co-signed?
We’d take out a mortgage
based on love – interest only.
What if our foundation was spiritual,
our walls cornerstones of faith?
We’d furnish our home with joy,
leave room for wonder.
Imagine the possibilities
if we dedicated life to service,
if we made union the hub
found a reason for being
The ingredients are all here –
so where’s the hesitation?
Let’s turn off the screens
and tune into what can be.
Odd, this gift of solitude. Perched canal side, I affirm my connection to the earth, and offer thanks. Late afternoon sun casts a glow on the foliage across the way, lighting up the mirror-still water. Vibrant reflections.
Two winters ago, I fought to breathe as temperatures fell below zero. Impassible walkways trapped me indoors. Depression fought for possession. Hope struggles in imposed isolation.
“There are no absolutes in life,” a professor once told me, and I think of that now –
how just when it feels as if one sentence has been handed down, sealed, an opening appears. I am fortunate, savour the moment.
Heron’s watchful stride
invites reflection, respect –
Winter’s solitude.
(Rapture first appeared here February 2019. I offer an edited version here.
All is movement
all is change
Why then am I stuck
a rock holding its ground?
Each moment flows
into the next
then is gone
Calm unsettles me
I stand upon the bank
and search for rapids
Let go of worry
trust process
Life is a river
Take me to that river
bathe me in faith
for now, I fear the flow.
What will be written
in the aftermath –
so much owing,
so little justification.
Upended anxiety –
regal anticipations
shattered by cancer –
yes, life is a teacher
No matter,
if we survive –
but where to go then
Earth’s riches exploited
Commitments crumbled –
confess we have Father issues
but it’s time to emerge,
step forward, take the lead
What follows contentment
battled, passive crosses borne,
paths with no clear direction,
doubt as ante?
Hubs are shattered –
we are spokes with no centre –
pray the last book written
is reconstructive.
(Inspired by a dream, and combined with the prompt from Reena’s Exploration: The Last Book on Planet Earth. Image from personal collection.)
My faith is goat steady –
surefooted in rocky times –
I keep her within sight,
safely separated.
Store her with potential –
mountain lion persistent –
set them on the other side
of vision – lock myself away.
It’s the tigress in my heart
that unsettles me the most –
certain by her pacing
that she’ll consume me
Tremble at the demands –
self being called to embrace
something higher, deeper –
an assertion of essence.
( “Contemplating Emergence” is the name of the art, that like the poem, found its origins in my dreams.)
What harbinger is this
and why am I not convinced?
Cynicism wants concretes,
feeds complaints,
exaggerates,
retreats
Need to confront
this wall-building,
fight to retain
Spirit’s message –
deescalate fear’s grip.
(For Reena’s Exploration challenge#119. Image from personal collection.)
