Poetry

Lenten Post #4

Posted on March 11, 2013 by backfromtheborderlands

Remain in Me

 

Keep in step

Keep in touch

Take my hand

Don’t lag behind or rush ahead

No lolly-gagging or reckless driving

Stick with Me

Close to Me

Stay connected

Abide in me

Walk with me

Every  day

Every hour

Every minute

Breathe me in

Like your breath

Breathe me out

To another

Don’t slough me off

Disregard me

Close your ears

When you get tempted

Or enticed

Don’t veer off to the left

Or the right

Take a detour

Or a short cut

Don’t get caught in an eddy

Don’t get stuck or left behind

Double your efforts

To rest in me

Fill your thoughts

With thoughts of me

Love me

I love you

Let my love flow in you

And out of you

Come back for more

There’s always more

You in me and I in you

And this is what it means

To live a life

Of prayer

 

© 2013 Julie Clark

Categories: Faith, God, Lent, Life, Love, Paths, Poetry, Prayer | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Crows

Posted on February 27, 2013 by backfromtheborderlands

Today was about crows

First a whole flock a-squawking

With one bull frog keeping the beat

Then a lone fellow on a barren tree

Silhouetted by the snow-capped

Olympic Mountains across the Puget Sound

Beauty spoke

And Beauty called my name

I stopped and watched

Then later the message came

Alone and barren of soul at times

With impossible seas and mountains to cross

Yet, I have wings

I can fly

I am not unprepared for this journey

Still, no rushing these things

Study the contours of the wind and waves

Measure the height of the mountains

Search for the probable passes

Wonder at the depths of the sea

Take off when I am ready

Or not

Stay awhile longer

In the cozy, comfortable clan

Of squawking kin.

 

© 2013 Julie Clark

Categories: beauty, Faith, Life, mountains, Poetry, Trees | Tags: , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Eye of the Needle

Posted on February 14, 2013 by backfromtheborderlands

How can I get through this,

Seemingly impossible situation?

The eye of the needle

Becomes the way of the cross

Stripped down

Bare essentials:

Me

Following the light

At the end of the tunnel.

© 2013 Julie Clark

Categories: Faith, God, Lent, Life, Paths, Poetry | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

A Pair of Eagles

Posted on February 11, 2013 by backfromtheborderlands

I could have missed it all,

But as I walked by

I glanced between the boats in the harbor.

There, on the jetty, a pair of bald eagles.

I watched them watching for a while.

Were they planning some mischief?

I walked away.

Moments later,

The sky erupts with the clatter of crows and gulls,

Even a blue heron joins the fray.

All swirling above

With the pair of eagles swooping and soaring

In the midst of it all.

I was lost in joy –

A full-scale extravaganza

Just for me,

And the other walkers

Who happened to glance up.

 

What do I miss when my head is down?

Consumed in thoughts of self or worry

I miss the present.

When regretting the past

Or jumping ahead to the future

Opportunities soar and swoop

Right past my vision.

 

Grounded

Present

Centered

Alive and alert

Words I know

Words I need to keep practicing.

© 2013 Julie Clark

 

 

Categories: Faith, Life, Poetry | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

For Bill

Posted on February 2, 2013 by backfromtheborderlands

The sun came out today

Such a rare occurrence of late

When we heard it kiss the Sound

We rushed out and made a date

 

Over the hill and down

To our favorite looking place

Calming our nerves at the sight

Feeling sweet warmth on our face

 

The grand Olympic tops

Through the clouds were sailing

An eagle soaring high

The work of the day paling

 

©2013 Julie Clark

 

Categories: beauty, Life, Love, mountains, Poetry | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Farmer’s Life

Posted on January 24, 2013 by backfromtheborderlands

 

The farmer’s life is one of great patience.

Sowing seeds does not result in instantaneous miracles.

Although, when the first seeds sprout and break through the ground

It certainly feels like one, (which of course it is).

We just do not get to see what has been going on,

Microscopically, beneath the surface of the earth.

 

Sow people!  Beloved ones!

What do you want to see more of in your lives?

Don’t be surprised at the fiery ordeals that come your way.

They expose the unwanted seeds of destruction.

Instead, cooperate with the fire and let it burn away

Focus on the good seed at hand:

Love, joy, peace, kindness, wisdom, patience and

All the good things you see and desire.

It’s one act or response at a time.

 

Living is becoming.

Life does not stay stagnant,

We move forward in one direction or the other.

We get to choose by our sowing

Which way we want to grow.

 

© 2013 Julie Clark

 

Categories: Faith, God, Life, Love, Paths, Poetry | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Found A Red Ribbon

Posted on January 9, 2013 by backfromtheborderlands

 

Found a red ribbon today

While sweeping under the rug

Because my vacuum is in the shop

Due to too many dry pine needles

Because we only had fifteen minutes

To pick out a Christmas Tree

Before Home Depot closed

And we managed to get a very dry old tree.

 

The red ribbon reminds me

Of my search for the Path

That brings meaning into my life

And I for one can’t live without it

Because without meaning I have no hope

And I am not giving that up for sure.

 

As I write this

I am recovering from a bonk on the head

That I am calling

“My ski accident”

Even though I was only in my skis for less than 30 seconds

Before the playing pup buckled me on the back of my knees

And down I went hard.

 

I am wondering if anyone can relate

To any of this

Or am I as loony as feel?

 

© 2013 Julie Clark

 

 

Categories: Faith, Life, Paths, Poetry, Trees | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Making Sense of Life

Posted on January 7, 2013 by backfromtheborderlands

 

Making Sense of Life

Finding the patterns

Meaning and messages

Following the thread

That becomes the ribbon

Leading to the Path

Walking with You

In the cool of the evening

If I gathered all the pieces

There would not be enough

Baskets to hold them

It’s grace upon grace

Overflowing and abundant

Enough to satisfy my soul

And gladly share with another

© 2013 Julie Clark

Categories: Faith, God, Life, Paths, Poetry | Tags: , , , , , | 4 Comments

Pure Joy

Posted on December 26, 2012 by backfromtheborderlands

 

Pure Joy

Being a part of your nine month life

Now I am letting you go

As you go

Back to India with your parents

Just as my arms and back muscles told me early on

Strengthen yourselves –this boy is weighty!

Now the muscle called my heart

Is strengthening through the pain of saying good-bye

I will love you from a distance

No less than if you were still here

And perhaps pray for you more

© 2012 Julie Clark

Categories: Life, Love, Poetry | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

Perception

Posted on November 26, 2012 by backfromtheborderlands

Perhaps with these mortal eyes

We do not see the full picture

We see only through a dark mirror

We are blessed and limited by our senses

So many limitless sensations

Beyond our capacity to perceive

Perhaps all around us is heaven

As near as our next breath

 

© 2012 Julie Clark

Categories: beauty, borderlands, Faith, God, Life, Poetry | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments

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