Poetry

Poems and prayers my Mother taught me:

Blessed are the pure at heart for they shall see God. (Matt 5:8)

Now I lay me down to sleep

I pray the Lord my soul to keep

If I should die before I wake

I pray the Lord my soul to take

Sleep tight
Don't let the bedbugs bite
Goodnight

Graceful Lord, 

may we truly thank you for the food

we are about to receive

in nourishment of our bodies

for Christ's sake, amen.

Selections From the Vault
(Note: Poems are separated by horizontal line)

Who am I?

Reaching so high

Standing so straight

And so tall?

_____________________

Not yours to give.

Not mine to hold.

Even though I have it near,

If I could wish

You to love

You’d already be mine.

Give in to the casualty

Of what is.

Unwilling to move

Mountains just for me.

_________________

Let it be okay

To live with

These mysteries

Of how we have

Come to be.

Who really knows of the

Before and after?

Why must we know?

Why must it be explained?

_________________

I will embrace

Getting old

As I go toward

The inevitable end

Of me

Without regrets

Because I will

Have been

Who I was

Supposed to be.

Along the way, I will have lived, cried, demanded, played, gossiped, had crushes, studied, worked, spent money, argued, married, raised children, tended to a husband and pets, cared for my mother, traveled, eaten, given and received love, laughed, been kind, cruel, indifferent, passionate, apathetic, persisted, let it go, pursued happiness, and created misery.

____________________

Desire

Hoping, longing, craving

Desperately

Wishing and needing.

Please oh please.

Just touch me in a loving way.

See me pick me.

Hold my glance.

Anticipating

Waiting, yearning.

 Needing you to see me

Touch me.

I’m not looking for love.

This wish is deeper,

 More visceral than that.

What I need

Takes more than love.