Posts Tagged With: love

Family

Did someone tell you it was easy?

They lied.

This is where we roll up our sleeves

And engage in the hard work of love.

It does not just happen.

We need to learn it.

Children need to learn it.

It isn’t always pretty.

Have you noticed?

Not a one of us is perfect.

Don’t give up.

Fathers, Mothers engage your children.

Teach them the art of:

Conversation

Boundaries

Respect.

Patience and Kindness are our friends.

They guide us along the path.

Children need to be taught by the ones who love them the most.

Not once,

Not twice,

But all of their growing up years.

Challenging?

Indeed.

This is not a path for the faint of heart.

But don’t worry.

Even the faintest of hearts can be revived.

I know.

I have one.

© 2010 Julie Clark

Categories: Poetry | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Christmas Season

Another Christmas Season is here

There is something contagious in the air

Anticipation, excitement, preparation

Makes you want to decorate your house inside and out with lights and color

Get out the flour and start baking cookies

Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside

Some of the lights and decorations, however, start having another effect on me

Makes me nervous, like maybe these people are out of control!

The goal seems to be put out as many lights as possible on every eave and tree, along with Santa, reindeer, snowmen and candy canes

You have to understand

I haven’t lived in this country for several years

I notice differences, changes, and extremes

They aren’t subtle for me

How deep are those warm fuzzies anyways?

Do they last?

I don’t think there were a lot of warm fuzzies on that first bleak Christmas in the stinky stable

Animals don’t smell like cinnamon and spice

So what are we really looking for?

Faith, hope and love run deep and stick to the ribs, lasting long past the season

But, they cost much more than lights and tinsel

They are worth the price

That manger baby thought so when he later gave his life for them

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

Selected Poems for November

Snow Day

I listen to the soft crush of snow under my boots.

The snow muffled quiet brings a much-needed peace to the frantic city pace.

Enforced rest by steep, frozen roads is a hidden reprieve to many.

Why does it take an act of nature to teach us to be still?

Why do we shun silence and rest?

Are we afraid if we stop, our world will fall apart?

Are we afraid if we stop, our long ignored feelings and thoughts will rise in rebellion once we have slackened control of them?

It is like long ago we stepped onto a merry-go-round in the park.

At first it slowly turned, but with each revolution it gained speed until now it is moving so fast we can’t get off.

What is this hidden hand, pushing us at this frantic, out of control, speed?

The snow day reminds us:

We can get off the merry-go-round,

And our world won’t fall apart.

Rest will help our minds and bodies work better.

Letting go of control is good for us.   We really can’t control everything anyways.

Maybe our suppressed emotions have something to say to us, need our attention.

Maybe we won’t die if we listen to them and deal with them.

There is a good chance we will find healing.

© 2010 Julie Clark

The Great Exchange

 

You want this?

In your light I see

what I thought was good

To be full of holes

Like a worn out cloth

Hanging from the line.

You want this?

And what is this you offer in exchange?

A radiant purity that I cannot achieve.

A gift you say?

But I cannot release my filthy rags

Unless I move from my smug self-centeredness

To the center of that red-hot core

Called love.

How is this possible?

I will die at that core.

Yes, and live again,

Twice born.

Clothed in that radiant purity

You attained for me.

© 2007 Julie Clark

Fear

Fear has stocked me from childhood.

Like a restless tiger, it waits to pounce on its tired prey.

I’m done with it.

Realizing any fear leads back to the fear of death.

What’s so bad about dying?

It’s the only way out of here at present.

Out of here and into there.

Not that I want to rush things.

But in my time I to will follow my ancestors and every other man, woman and child before me.

I am facing that tiger and saying, my life is in stronger hands than yours.

I believe

I am beloved

And that Love that loves me is stronger than death.

© 2010 Julie Clark

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

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