Sacred hours
When my heart connects
With yours
And peace descends to comfort me
In the sacred, holy hours
Heart to heart
Connections without words
Without a physical presence
But still, I know
Tis you, tis you
And joy fills my soul
Death cannot part us
No power has this darkness
Unless I give it
Light penetrates, warms and comforts
And I know you are here
Your spirit as vibrant as it ever was
Amazing joy and happiness
I hear you laugh out loud
Aw, how good it is So very, very good
I see you
In the faces of our children
I hear your joy
In their laughter
I feel your love embrace us all
As we hug one another close
You are here, my love
You are here
In the love that shimmers
In the darkness of the night
And the light of every day
You are here
You are here
You never truly went away
Love rolls down my cheek
When I think of you
Which is often,
A random thing
Triggers the pain
Of missing you
Love rolls down my cheeks
Some call it tears
But I know
It is love
Love I cannot give you
In the same way of days before
Days of yore
The ticking clock reminds me
Of the passing of time
Of days sublime
With love, with joy
Love rolls down my cheeks
Over and over
In the early morn
In the dining hours
In the darkness of the night
Missing you, and the life we had
Love rolls down my cheeks
For you are no longer here
On this plain, on this earth
You are so far away
Like dust turned to stars
Sacred, holy dust
Blown away
Scattering your energies everywhere
Love rolls down my cheeks
I will bear the scars
The price I pay gladly
For the love
That rolls down my cheeks
Paying the Price
Grief, they say, is the price we pay for love.
I will pay it, gladly, my love
For every minute of our lives together
For every little thing you did or said
To bring a smile to my face
For every shared experience
Whether joyful or sad
I am so grateful for the gift you were
And are in my life
So, yes, I will bear the pain and the hurt
Your absence has created
For I know somewhere out in the far beyond
You await me, and continue to send your love
I will pay the price, gladly
For the privilege of loving you
For walking with you through sun or storms
From bloom of youth to the grayness in our hair
I loved you then. I love you now
My dearest, dearest, dear
Pain comes, as it will
Shocking us with its cruel fangs
Sank into vulnerable flesh
It comes again and again
When least expected
For if we could foresee its coming
Would we not be better armored?
Prepared for the assault?
Yet, even when we see it coming
Or sense its stealth, somehow
The pain is still just as real
Just as excruciating
And even though we prepare for it
Still, we fall to our knees
Wounded and betrayed
By our own naivete
How could we be so stupid?
Pain comes, crushing us as it will
It comes
Six thousand beats and counting
Hearts forever stilled
Yet spirits shine a light to guide;
To inspire acts of love
Beat the drum and sing the honor songs
Of my people, of all peoples
Let the beat resound
Creator God, open ears
To hear six thousand beats and more
This Reconciliation Day
And let truth, though painful
Penetrate all hearts
And open wide the doors, once closed
Welcome all inside
Let all listen to six thousand beats and more,
though these hearts are forever stilled
Their Spirits guide us on
So, bless us now, Creator God
And heal the wounds of old
And wounds too freshly new
Creator God breathe into each
Gathered here today
A peace so longed for and so needed
In all our hearts today
Creator God bring healing now
For six thousand beats and more
And the days are come with hope in the air and the sun kisses our faces with love, filling us with joy. I have been thinking a lot about hope and all it means. The photo is mine but these beautiful words are not. Still, I hope they touch your heart as they have mine.
“HOPE” : a poem by Alexis Valdes
When the storm has passed
And the roads are tamed
And we are the survivors
Of a collective shipwreck.
With tearful heart
And our destiny blessed
We will feel joy
Simply for being alive.
And we’ll give a hug
To the first stranger
And praise our good luck
That we kept a friend.
And then we’ll remember
All that we lost
And finally learn
Everything we never learned.
And we’ll envy no one
For all have suffered
And we’ll not be idle
But more compassionate.
We’ll value more what belongs to all
Than what was earned
We’ll be more generous
And much more committed.
We’ll understand how fragile
it is to be alive.
We’ll sweat empathy
For those still with us and those who are gone.
We’ll miss the old man
Who asked for a buck in the market
Whose name we never knew
Who was always at your side.
And maybe the poor old man
Was your God in disguise.
But you never asked his name
Because you never had the time.
And all will become a miracle
And all will become a legacy.
And we’ll respect the life,
The life we have gained.
When the storm passes
I ask you Lord, in shame
That you return us better,
As you once dreamed us
Divine One
Please, help us set aside our small concerns
Help us see the broken people,
The people who have lapsed into despair,
Who see no reason to hope,
No way to go on
And if it is Your will
Grant us strength to stretch out a hand
In kindness and compassion
Show us, please,
Divine One,
Where we should be in unity
With those most in need
And grant us the tools and wherewithal
To make a difference
Divine One
Questions persist
With them come worry
Anxiety rears its ugly head
Divine one
Come with your sharpened sword
Slay this beast that runs amuck
Around the globe
The beast is real
But You, Divine One
Hold out hope
And love
And peace
To heal tortured minds and souls
And so, I call on You,
Divine One
Fill us with Your grace
Replace our fears
With confidence
In your Power and mercy
Send forth Your protections
That we may breathe freely once again
It stood on my path
Its maw opened wide
Showing sharp teeth
And I trembled inside
It stood on my path
Blocking my way
I stood still, like a rock
Willing my fear
To calm and to leave
It stood in my path
I, frozen in terror
No prayer could I utter
Back away, said a voice
Slow, slow, don’t you run
It’s protecting its young
And means you no harm
Then I seen the small muzzle
Poking out from beneath her
Comically, quizzically,
Trembling and scared
And I took a step back
My eyes never leaving the face
Of the mother, with hackles
All spiked in the air
One more, then another
My eyes locked with hers
Until, at last, she turned
Calling her cub to her
As she lumbered away
What fear did my presence unlock
For this great, furry creature
in its concern for its young
My heart ceased its racing
I breathed deeply and then
I turned on the path
And went home again
chopkins2x3 