Category Archives: Poetry

All Things

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From Psalm 25:5:  “Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long.”

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Living in God’s Kingdom

Providing all things

Sharing His steadfast peace

Grace forever springs

 

Healing our tattered souls

Witnessing our plight

Stirring up lasting faith

Eternity’s light

 

Filling hearts with mercy

Kindling each sunrise

Soaring on eagle’s wings

Glory in God’s eyes

 

Casting darkness aside

Saving every heart

Loving each child of God

New life now restarts

 

Blessing with His goodness

Hearing our sad cries

Raising us up in Christ

Salvation’s franchise

 

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From Isaiah 40:31:  “But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

What Life’s All About (Elfchen Series #121)

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Foundation

God’s

Endless wonders

Faithful, perfect design

Praising and giving thanks

Creation

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Interactions

Relationships

Divine plan

Family, colleagues, friends

Leaning on each other

Recharged

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Voyage

Approaching

Stormy seas

Righteous navigator leads

Guiding toward calmer waters

Faithfulness

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Connections

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Searching attic’s hidden treasures

Opening ancient cedar chest

Well-preserved photo album smiles

Connections with family’s quest

 

Scanning morning’s endless gray sky

Feeling forgotten and alone

Phone rings, lifting away sadness

Connections with daughter’s milestone

 

Driving endless summer backroads

Coming to destination’s gift

Rustic cabin by mountain lake

Connections waken life’s gearshift

 

Sitting near frosty window glass

Watching winter’s chilling landscape

Mail carrier drops off letter

Connections with friend’s warm escape

 

Spending lifetime in school’s classroom

Touching so many youthful lives

Cumulative cache of memories

Connections stir teacher’s archives

 

Taken in August, 2017, my classroom is ready for my “final” first day of classes at Buckeye Middle School.

Lifting Us Up

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From Psalm 37:5:  “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act.”

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Life’s stumbles and missteps

Seeing failure once more

Judging ourselves harshly

Father brings us ashore

 

Agony breathes again

Grabbing mercy’s lifeline

Lifting us up with grace

Anchored to Father’s vine

 

Evil tells us, stay down

Pushing through, comes His love

Pulling always forward

Father’s glory above

 

Faith feeds on righteousness

Taking up Savior’s cross

Believing in His Word

Father’s love comes across

 

Justice removes darkness

Marching to heaven’s beat

Singing hymns of praises

Joy sails with Father’s fleet

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From Psalm 37:23-24:  “Our steps are made firm by the Lord when He delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.”

Nature’s Storylines (Haiku Series #198)

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Perpetual

Transition’s river

Creation’s tireless seasons—

Lasting ebb and flow

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Instinctive

Blessed reminder

Painting life’s daily landscape—

Creator’s witness

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Doggedness

So much to enjoy

Waiting again to blossom—

Steady persistence

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Monday Memories: Forevermore

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person holding opened book

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Standing and lifting eyes upward

Asking for help

But, from where will it come?

 

Reading from a cherished Bible

Finding the words

Of a patient and gracious Lord

 

Humbling images of God’s plan

Creating the heavens

As well as the earth

 

Feeling the grace of God

Providing shade

At one’s right hand

 

Sleeping is never His wish

Watching over

His people at every moment

 

Praying to a compassionate Lord

Listening now

His words bring comfort

 

Protecting us at all times

Witnessing Him

Forevermore

The background for this poem comes from the Bible; see Psalm 121.

Wisdom’s Vision

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From Daniel 1:17:  “To these four young men God gave knowledge and skill in every aspect of literature and wisdom; Daniel also had insight into all visions and dreams.”

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Life’s empty vision

Forsaking this heart

Empty days and nights

Waiting for restart

 

Wisdom comes forward

Warming this cold heart

Heaven’s power stirs

Blessing life’s jumpstart

 

Father’s divine Word

Lifting up this heart

Treasures of mercy

Bringing life’s kick start

 

Victory arrives

Restoring this heart

Wisdom’s vision breathes

Gracing life’s bold start

 

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This poem is inspired from the blessed Irish hymn, “Be Thou My Vision.”

Testament’s Witness (Elfchen Series #120)

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Blessing

Baptismal

Mountainside spring

Filled with healing

Thirsty heart now restored

Waters

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Caring 

Receiving

Christ’s love

Following faithful steps

Paying forward to others

Compassion

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Saving

Brokenness

Jesus builds

Redemption’s eternal bridge

Between sin and God

Living

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This series of poems (written in the German-inspired style of Elfchen or Elevenie) shares a total of eleven words in each poem, with a sequence by line of one, two, three, four, and one words.

Nighttime Stardust

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Night after night

Scanning heavens above

Each constellation

Sharing Creator’s love

 

Crossing each bridge

Destination ahead

Chasing every star

Father tucks into bed

 

Hours fill with dreams

Flowing always downstream

Nighttime sky lights up

Flying on stardust beams

 

Sleeping soundly

Night returning from flight

Waking to sunrise

Goodbye for now moonlight

 

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Life’s Breakwater

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From John 4:13-14:  “Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty.  The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.'”

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Haunting landscape of needs

Darkness, breathless with fear

Back streets can never hide

Overflowing with tears

 

Facing hunger-filled void

Shadows filled with man’s greed

Overburdened labors

Breathing amongst ragweed

 

Walking with heart of pain

Emptiness without dreams

Thirst waiting to be quenched

Beholding mercy’s stream

 

Hearing sorrowful cries

Clamorous, selfish strife

Voice speaking, Son of God

Rising above each life

 

Flowing freshness of grace

Well of Living Water

Each heart again restored

Forming life’s breakwater

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From John 14:1-2:  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places.  If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”