Poetry Sunday - Death Came Knocking

Job 12:22 He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

Death Came Knocking

Slithering like a snake to tap

Tap tap on my shoulder unaware

I didn’t care if it bit, it bit me where

I never dared to see the color of death

From the icy clouds, it fell like snow

You know the kind, ice stings it binds

The flow, flowing down it fell it found

To skin be bound without a sound

Spray with waves crashing dashing

The mist sits as beads on my fist

I feel not real among the bliss of this

That walks along the path I kiss

Depart from me the cloak that came

Over me like falling rain, my tears not pain

To be me again as death came knocking

The clock tic tocking to remain the same

Poetry Sunday ~ Autumn Glory

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. 

~Albert Camus

* * *

Autumn Glory

The wonder of life in all the color

with pale blue skies and clouds.

The life of Autumn comes alive

with leaves the lonely shrouds.

Upon the darkened horizon

the landscape and brilliant hue,

the wonder of the empty land

cause trees to take their cue.

They dance and sing in the night

their days are full of flutter;

life it spins a colorful web

with grounds all full of clutter.

I crunch the leaves underfoot

walk in eloquent bliss

The rain it lends aroma

to the earth it gives a kiss. 

The quiet season breathes in me

a sight that steals my soul

I long to share His glory, 

with those who make me whole!

All praise and Glory to Him!

We're Married

Matt. 19:6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

It took some time getting here but we finally did it, we got married! I went over some of the things we’ve endured over the past thirteen years in an earlier blog post so I won’t go on repeating. I will say that after Steven got his sight back that is when things started to shift for us.

When I chose the date for when the marriage would take place, I had to have the numbers align. I know, I’m crazy, but just any old day was not good enough. This is a wedding, a marriage that will last a lifetime if we’re lucky so the date had to have SOME significance to it.

I chose May 13, 2015 for a reason, here goes: We’ve been together 13 years. My grandmother (and grandfather) who passed away when I was eight lived at 1313 and my Great Grandmother lived at 1315. 5-13-15 seemed significant. 13 years, 13 13, 13 15, the numbers just all looked right, so I picked that day. My grandmother died in March and my grandfather in May, May 22^nd to be exact but a friend of mine already had that as a wedding day. My other grandmother passed away on 3 15, so there you have it, all the numbers lined up for me.

Unbeknownst to me, when I told my niece of the day she said, “That’s cool, that is the day Matt and I got married!” I wasn’t back home when my niece got married so I didn’t remember her specific day of marriage but it made mine all the more significant.

The courthouse held significance because of its historic beauty. When we first arrived in Nebraska that was the courthouse we had to go to get my license changed over and Steven was having his put to sleep for a few years until his sight would be restored. The wood aroma that clung to every nook and cranny of the place was reminiscent of my childhood vacation Bible School. Isn’t it funny how those old smells will revive an old memory?

It is also the courthouse where I would file and be granted my divorce. Minden was now a part of my life. My marriage to Steven in the Minden courthouse would be planted permanently in my history book.

The judge asked if we wanted the marriage to take place in the courtroom, but I wanted it in between floors in front of a picturesque window. We had been there almost an hour and had only seen one person walk the stairs, so yes, in between floors was the perfect spot! My sister-in-law would take the pictures and my son and mother-in-law would be our witnesses.

The ceremony went off without a hitch (no pun intended) and we signed the legal documents and were on our way. Mom-in-law was treating us all to a meal at the place of our choice. I chose Applebees a lovely restaurant neither Steven nor I had been to before. The menus were served as were drinks and we had a most delicious meal, Steven with his steak and taters on the side, I with my chicken and shrimp smothered in garlic sauce with mushrooms and onions on the side. WOW! Then onto dessert; I think I gained ten pounds from that one meal! One meal that was SOOOO worth it!

The desserts were not of the normal cake and pie stature. No, this place had fancy-schmancy desserts. Steven had deep-fried battered pretzels, drizzled with caramel and an icing dip on the side! He had about ten to fifteen bites on the plate and I tried one and it was AWESOME! Me, I had a strawberry shortcake cheesecake with whipped topping! It was a small cup filled with delight. That is why I ordered it after eating such a hearty meal; I never eat dessert but this was too hard to resist.

We ate, laughed, giggled and chatted then we all parted. The in-laws brought Adam home and Steven and I went for a ride. Where to? I chose the cemetery where his father and grandmother are laid to rest. Steven hasn’t been there since we returned to Nebraska and I made a promise to his deceased father that I would see to it that Steven would be there when we got married. It seemed fitting to include his dad in the day in our small way.

Without all the intimate details, we ended the day with a movie. I chose You’ve Got Mail for obvious reasons to those who know our story. And today the 14^th we will venture out and see the movie that has been most anticipated to see on his list, The Avengers:Age of Ultron. I’m not a Marvel fan and The Avengers was a so so movie to me, but this is where the art of compromise comes in, in the marriage. I’ll go see it because he loves it! He’ll go see The Minion movie when it comes out in July. hahahaha

We woke this morning and I said, “Good morning, hubby.”

When he woke he said, “Morning Wife!”

And the story that doesn’t end… goes on and on my friends. 

*names/places changed for protection

March Madness

Deut.28:28 The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:
***

Well, since my friends are all talking March Madness, I think it is my turn for MY version of March Madness!

They went on and on about basketball, but me, I’m a March woman born and raised. So march madness is nothing new to me. Oh, basketball is because it’s one sport I don’t really care for, neither do my blogger friends who posted about it, but for some reason found b-ball a topic of discussion. *sticking my tongue out at them*

How silly.

I am in the throes of March Madness and I won’t talk sports either. To me MM is so much more than a sport, it is a way of life and living. We just ended an F2K course and April 7th a new one begins, I’m taking this 4-week WVU version of an MFA, (masters of fine arts course) and this week I’ve fallen behind because of the March Madness. My study group of critters is growing to a swell and I’m frazzled, and loving it I might add.

My birthday passed, a bill was signed by the prez, insurance was denied once again to my blogging madman, and I’m writing a lot these days as the spring air flows through the farm like a welcome relief as the winter’s wisp of icy air passes away, lost to the overtaking of a new season, March Madness.

Is March Madness a season?

It is to me. It is a rejuvenating of the senses, the bringing to life all that lay dormant, a walk in the fields of wildflowers as opposed to the crunch of the snow underfoot. The sounds of crane readying for their flight further North into Alberta Canada where quite a few of my virtual friends live these days. I wonder if they love the crane as much as I do.

I was sitting in church on Sunday and was talking to the elder gentleman next to me about the crane. Here in Nebraska, most find the birds annoying but some come to sit on the side of the road just to get a glimpse of the enormous amount of birds just setting in the field like a flower awaiting its water.

The man told me that the crane fly up from Texas, rest here, then head to Alberta Canada, their final destination. What a flight isn’t it? March Madness took on a new meaning when I experienced these birds! I found it hard to even concentrate on writing as they warbled and murmured in the fields, dancing a slow dance, flapping a new song, singing a new tune to my ear. What an awesome experience.

Then there was writing, inside, at my desk when time allowed. But the sounds could still be heard because it was so many darn birds! I wanted to fly with them!

March Madness to me is LIFE taking new shape, gathering new meaning, breathing new insight, praising, rejoicing in being alive. So life isn’t perfect, who cares! New life is about to surface and I’m going to be there to drink it all in! Whether in writing or in my world of dreamy fields, I’m going to embrace LIFE and March Madness as it leaves its footprints on my soul.

Godspeed one and all!

Quotation Saturday~ The love of Writing!

“I write so all that is within me bubbles to the surface and is put onto paper making sense of all the insanity.” ~Joni Zipp
***

I think the first duty of all art, including fiction of any kind, is to entertain. That is to say, to hold interest. No matter how worthy the message of something, if it's dull, you're just not communicating.
~Poul Anderson

The virtue of books is to be readable.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Your stuff starts out being just for you… but then it goes out. Once you know what the story is and get it right - as right as you can, anyway - it belongs to anyone who wants to read it. Or criticize it.
~Stephen King

Write what you want to read. The person you know best in this world is you. Listen to yourself. If you are excited by what you are writing, you have a much better chance of putting that excitement over to a reader.
~Robin McKinley

Usually, when people get to the end of a chapter, they close the book and go to sleep. I deliberately write my books so when the reader gets to the end of a chapter, he or she must turn one more page. When people tell me I've kept them up all night, I feel like I've succeeded!
~Sidney Sheldon

Editors also know that the people who are really readers want to read. They hunger to read. They will forgive a vast number of clumsinesses and scamped work of every sort if the author will delight them just enough to keep them able to continue.
~William Sloane

Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one's own sunshine.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.
~Henry Ford

Winter Wonderland

Job 37:6 For he saith to the snow, Be thou on the earth; likewise to the small rain, and to the great rain of his strength.

I’m wondering if it’s interesting to write about snow? I know Frost did it in very few words but the impact and images have spanned years. (referring to Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening?)

Today it is snowing again. It began Sunday as we were leaving church to head home. I was so thankful I got the service in because the sermon propels me through the week on a spiritual high.

I started on Facebook, woohoo’ing and yipeeing but it was met with polar responses. No pun intended. Some like snow and some don’t and some wish they were in the land of God awful heat, raking up a.c. bills and spending way too much money on antiperspirant.(That is and never will be Joni!)

I was born and raised in the wonderland of Maryland. We had snow on a yearly basis and I was the first one with excitement quivering in my voice when I exclaimed, “It’s snowing!” The white stuff falling from the skies pushed me to believe that God was as pure as the driven snow and that He loved me because he gave me this gift, yearly!

When I had my son on December 27th, of 1995, I was whisked away to the hospital as snow flurries fell. Two weeks later we had a blizzard! A BLIZZARD and a child who needed his inoculation come hell or high water. Well, the deep snow didn’t keep me from getting him to the doctors and since that day forward, my son shares in the delight and excitement of snow also!

Fast forward to 2003 when I was led to the dreary, dismal, heat drenched Dallas Texas. The vain laden state that swells with arrogance and smells of smog. What the heck was I thinking, oh yeah, I was in love! In love with a man from Nebraska. For six years I longed to come to Nebraska for the snow, the family, the tightly woven communities, the humble beautiful nature of true people of the mid-west.

Sure my first year in Texas when I told everyone I was bringing snow with me, they scoffed and laughed, “We ain’t had that stuff in ten years.” That year...it snowed! God didn’t let me down, I knew He Wouldn’t! For six years he gave me a gift, a day here in winter, a day there, but I saw snow.

Our first snow in Nebraska happened in October! How excited was I??? Walked a mile to go sledding in it! So today after three days of watching the white stuff fall graciously from the sky, I will once again go walking in the purity and feel it grace my face with its tiny tentacles of ice. I will wash my body in the silkiness and feel as if God’s own fingers are touching me.

Once again...my gift from God!

Tree of Life
***
In the vision of my eyes,
I see the world in a disguise
playing with the human emotion
like a child without a notion.

I scan the open field of dreams
everything clearer than it seems.
Wandering round in an enlightened state,
hoping my words don’t come to late.

Can you feel the life of you
within the world of confusion too?
Upon the doorway of mystical bliss
there is a lot I feel I miss.

The trees they prosper with each season,
some are wounded with good reason.
Getting stronger from each storm
within each branch about to form.

Life it takes us for a spin;
seasons strengthen us to win.
This world is one we all must commune
lets play our lives in an angelic tune.

Sin will compromise our feat
sacrifice our only mete.
When we serve the One who is True,
the tree of life will flow through you.

Poetry Sunday~ Seek and Find

To Seek is To Find
***

This love is so deep; so overwhelming
it sweeps me off of my feet and I’m
transferred to a loftier place in time.
It’s all mine and all His.

He owns my soul as I melt in the stillness;
I’m forever in awe of His amazing grace.
Dying was not enough for me; He picks
me up off the floor and embraces me.

While in His grasp he dances with me;
we spin in an array of spacious circles
as I'm left floating weightless; comfortably
my head is nestled on His shoulder.

I drink from his overflowing cup of devotion,
lay back against Him and breathe deeply,
feeling his heartbeat in rhythm with my own
in the essence of peace that surrounds Him.

Why has he chosen me to be the love
of His life and I Him, my everlasting affection?
The more intensely I seek...the higher I find.
the further I find...the deeper I love.