I am wrapping myself up
In the ends of the year
Quietly, with slow movements
The kind that shapes
The way we think
Letting go so gently
For all has been spoken
I walk the galleries
The galaxies of memories
Where poet’s words come from
Quietly, my old year, that shrivelled old senior
Falls asleep amidst the fireworks
That riotously run their course
Among the shooting stars
O shining.
*Burst of celestial fireworks NASA
I’ve been quietly basking
Quietly basking in the spirit
In the spirit of Twixmas peace
You know of what I speak
I speak of that deep silence
That deep silence that awaits
A glimpse of final sunrises and sunsets
The sunsets that hold all the secrets
All the secrets of the year to come
I long to clutch these year end days
Year end days that have no words
No words yet except to wait
Is that a promise?
A promise that can be kept?
Be kept snuggled to my heart?
I’ve been quietly basking.
It’s been awhile….
The Time Passage
I live in a time of quiet places
I reach for words
Look for moments
In which your words do penance
Or disappear into the deep
Silent abyss of memories
The ghost of loss reaches out
Wiping silver tears from my eyes
Wrapping me in an invisible cloak
My urgent questions slip away
Down, deep down, spiraling
Into the time passage.
Image: Roger Groom
Why am I telling you this O Holy One?
We drag our feet towards eternity
Where We understand We will be free
We cannot hide who makes us happy
How divine is forgiving? We fear rejection
We suffocate in our imperfections
We beg to be released from the tortuous weight
Of our own burnt guilt
We mourn our fate
But sadness, well…..that lies in state
Disguised as freezing tenderness We wait
But the autumnal leaves fall so We celebrate
In a world gone mad…We pause…yes hold the hate
We take the time to make thanksgiving great
As We bow our heads and say a prayer
For We hope that you will join us here
We’ve grown accustomed to this place
Forgive us Father….We trust heaven can wait.
Just let me be surprised
Astonished even
As I open the gift, Lord
That you have given me
In this day
I refuse to be an enemy
of the good
As I feel the cold air
Ruffle my feelings
In this world of deaf people
i just make a list of the things
You ask me to do and go
Tied up with a crimson bow.
Sometimes life seems just too much
I write as a beacon to tell others such
For it’s not easy the road we tread
The signs we ignore, others left unread.
How quickly we arrive at the end of life’s course
And we’re done, no time for remorse
What will you leave for those still in the race
As they gaze with expectation
Upon your wizened face
Will your thoughts turn inward
to salt in the sea
Or high fives at the pearly gate
Thus I write, for
Either option you’re free.
No matter who you are
Your story will include suffering
The hollow voice on the broken path
The stab to the heart that gives grief words
While most stand clear
Fearful to hear of sorrow’s wrath
Lest your mourning touch their funeral pyre
Of buried hopes, or broken dreams
Igniting flames of unquenched fire
Forget that you have stumbled, vision blinding
Faced dead ends, no need reminding
I just hope to God you get up again.
I love this photo. It embodies one of the great mysteries in life. We can go through the same experience but have opposite reactions. We all view life differently. It’s called perspective. Sometimes we need tears and sometimes smiles. 😍 Which inner child are you? Blessings
~Val
How did we get here
to this world of
hollowed out horror
this growing red circle
of pain, thickening
As it seeps into all the crevices
of our souls
i remember the words
just a faint whisper on a page
will there be any faith left?
perhaps
but the crows will
peck at it
murder the edges
Mock the mourners cries
Dance as the stench of death
Fills our nostrilS
Muttering as we clasp our ears
against the toning
of the bells and their fluttering wings.
Yokoent.com Inkspot
#Godthoughts. Beyond Words
In my brother’s garden
Lilies whisper
Rising from the soil
They do not toil
Their visit short
But sweet.
(Like this poem from your sister)
Photo Les Chisholm. Edit: Val Letkeman
There are moments
When everyone is not enough
And everything breaks our hearts
Those moments crash into us
No warning, we stumble Into the abyss
Perhaps we weren’t watching, just singing silly songs.
Grief pours from us
We stumble around blindly, carefully
Not touching anything
For although everyone reaches out
They cannot replace the one
That we know was everything.
What really keeps me up at night
Is the hum of muses
As fragments of old words and songs
Seep into my soul
Tickle my senses, diffuses.
The heat of the day
Still warming my bones
Gone, as the moon rises
Accepting the worship
Due the fading Friday sun, alone.
I can still hear it.
The gleeful laugh of my children
Through the sheen of my tears
Fluttering away in the twilight, gone
Fading into the great unknown, again.
Photo of my Mom, Grandma Bunchek my four children and their cousins…happy summer vacations in Minnesota.
Chaos sits
Teetering
On the edge
Of every
New day.
Chaos refuses
To ask
Permission
To join
The conversation
Just preys.
Chaos offers
Nothing
Unravelling
Life in
Unexpected
Ways.
Chaos never
Leaves
Of its
Own accord
We chase
Butterflies away.
Art: Containing Chaos. (Michael Lang)
Measured against eternity
How quickly does time fly?
And where is the end of It?
In the blink of an eye
My measurement has changed
The tape is skewed, my eyes blind
I am lost in the spring sunshine
Waiting for things that are no longer there
As I search for clarity in the light
I speak to the trees, the birds, the river
i speak to myself, and to those I love
Eternity feels like a long, long time.
(This pic was taken in Las Vegas. The exhibit is Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room) it was a soulful experience.
(An ode to my sister Joyce. Gone but not forgotten. April was her birthday month)
Remember daisy chains?
We wove them nimbly
In fragile wreaths
Hung about our necks
Wilted in the summer sun
Dancing with us in the meadows
To be cast to ocean breezes
Tuned in to each other’s breath
Pledging to never forget us
As they floated forever away.
In the darkest dark
Seeds germinate
Take root, break apart
Push determinately
Through the night
Dark thoughts cannot remain
Concealed forever
But come to light, burst in birth
When they come in contact
With the morning bright
Which waits to greet all
Who try to grow, to test their worth
Just for spite
When words get stuck
and I have no lips
to You I’ll come
I’ll tell You
that something is missing
In me
You’ll tell me
That even if I shut the door
on your foot
I am to remember
that when I take you for granted
You will still be there
standing
patient
but in silence
a waiting that stretches
into eternity
empty
Until I remember
The tomb.
#GodThoughts (Beyond Words)
art:by Guillermo Wright
Art:Pinterest
#GodThoughts (Beyond Words)
and rains down
grace instead.
Art (Parshat Naso) Yolanda Raanan The Priestly Blessing
Because we don’t know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. Yet everything happens a certain number of times, and a very small number, really…How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty. And yet it all seems limitless.”
―
Almost through another week. The snow falls. We struggle to find our smiles as we slide along slippery streets, bundled against the frigid northern breezes. It is dark and restless now. I stare into the dark night sky. No stars, just a cloud blanket shaken by an unseen hand, showering snowflakes. A lone figure stalks along with his dog. I never envy anyone walking a pet in cold weather. It looks like all duty. None of the joy of a summer dawdle.
When we were a family, we trained our dog, AJ to take his own walk…along the path to his spot, around the curve and back again, always returning with that same satisfied grin. 365 days x 6 years. He was always joyous to reach home. A simple bark and the door opened and he bounced right in.
How often I have stood watching the night sky. Sleep is often elusive. I am comforted that I am not alone. I have a simple faith. God is there. Walking with me. 365 days X 65 years and counting. ❤️ I’m not in any hurry to move on yet, but I’m sure about where I want to go. I’ll be happy to reach home.
We all stand
beneath the same sky
and sigh
for things that are
unrevealed, denied
clouded in mystery
shrouded through history
until that great day
when all will
weep for we
have been set free
from our collective misery
For we all stand
beneath the same sky.
Hello friends. It has been a sad, slow journey since the untimely death of one of our daughters. I find it difficult to put words to page these days. A few months before she passed away, in a happier moment, my husband and I bought a vacation package to Las Vegas for New Years.
We aren’t gamblers, but enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the many entertainment venues and eateries available. Visiting the hotels with all kinds of interesting stuff is a treat. One particular favourite stop of mine is the Art Gallery at the Bellagio. It is a small innocuous spot nestled along the busy promenade where visiting artists are showcased.
This last visit was spectacular in its simplicity. Perhaps it was my melancholy that perceived it this way, but the exhibit by the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama was riveting to me. As the picture shows, it is just a collection of stainless steel polished globes. They are all grouped. But they are not randomly placed. The interesting thing is that they are arranged in such a way that no matter where you stand in the room you can see your reflection in the balls. It is named The Narcissus Garden.
The story of Ms. Kusama is really intriguing . You can check out her website here. I’ve included her picture. Spoiler alert….she has an obsession with dots. She also continues to wrestle with the big question of who we are and where are we going. As do I. ❤️ Then there is my experience in the Infinity Room. More on that later.
True story: While grocery shopping the clerks always asked if they could help me carry my groceries. When I was younger I felt quite offended. In fact one time I responded with a terse “I’ll let you know when I need help” as I picked up my 40 bags and struggled to the car. By the time I dragged them home I had broken out into a cold sweat. My husband offered to help, but I waved him away intent on proving that things were lighter than they looked.
Sometimes we are unwilling to let someone help make our burdens “light”. We would rather struggle along self righteously or indignantly wearing ourselves out, perhaps not wanting to be seen as weak… ignoring the help that is offered. How silly it seems now.
My days seem to speed by. I guiltily carve out some writing time this evening. Actually it’s all been a bit wispy snowy and foggy lately. As the denseness evaporates, the trees have acquired a white frosty attire that makes me think that Christmas is just around the corner again…lol. I am a busy property manager, and found myself out and about with my husband Ken, (my maintenance manager) earlier than usual, surveying my “Kingdom” as I jokingly tell my staff. Snow blankets everything.
It actually wasn’t that cold. Walking along, hearing the crunch of my boots in the morning air was a comforting sound. I was reminded of the words of Maya Angelou, “Still, like air I rise”, as we strolled along catching a glimpse of our site bunny sitting as still as a statue against the fence begging us to ignore him. We eyed him back, looking to see if there is any change in the colour of his fur which indicates the soon arrival of spring. You don’t need a groundhog when you have a site bunny. 😁. How quickly that would bring a smile to Ken’s face as he “strongly dislikes” snow and cold. Perhaps soon he will be rewarded. The new month of February is coming…Praise God. The groundhog awaits !😬 Here is an Elfjie ❤️ Shaped like a tree. Go well today friends. It’s all about the praises.
Trees
dressed finely
Celebrate their Creator
Every day they whisper
Praises
Vcl©️
My little brother
Drowned the cat
In my mother’s wash bucket
That’s a fact.
A kitten actually,
To see, he later said
If it would go to heaven
With God -then it wouldn’t be
Really dead.
Mother breathed
Into its nostrils
A panicked breath of life
That sudsy cat came back.
Scratching and biting
Hissing and snarling
We all agreed
That in his fright,
He had not
Seen God, or
What he had seen
Did not convince him to stay
Much to our delight.
Our kitty looked like this 🤗
Haha ok. I’m a lousy listener. My mom (there she is again, sorry mom) told me once that I was vaccinated with a phonograph needle when I was a child. I think I was the only one in kindergarten that was rapped across the knuckles by my teacher with the pointer and told to “sit down and shut up.” Less social souls would have curled up in a ball sucking their thumbs, not me. I always have a word in due and not so due season lol.
It’s hard to explain, because I get accused of not listening enough. Let me tell you a secret. I hear it all. the important stuff. Ok ok…perhaps my husband Kenneth would argue at this point but ask me…his favorite colour…RED, How he likes his toast. Charcoal…almost. See?
I love words, and conversation. I guess I learned it from my Father who loved a great debate and like myself, loved to read and be informed and discuss, discuss, discuss. I feel strongly about things. I take it to heart. It usually isn’t about who is right. Its the FUN of the conversation. and when people give me their words I fill up with answers. Everyone wants to tell you THEIR story. Rarely do they ask to hear yours.
“The world had a way of speaking to you if you let it; the trick was learning to hear.”
― Justin Cronin, The City of Mirrors
The Bible , a book I read often as a child and adult says something I think is very profound.
“Can two people walk together unless they be agreed.”
That means listening to the whole story. And agreeing to remain friends. Sometimes it means to agree to differ.
And that’s the word. Ciao friends, thanks for listening.
Val
photo : Ondrej Pakan
Mary was a precious soul. Her poetry paints beautiful pictures with her unique vision, style and language. My life has been enriched. Thank you Mary.
Photo :Iris~ vcl©️
I remember Mr. Murray well. Designated as our homeroom teacher, the grade 11 class regarded him warily. Perhaps it was the ascot knotted at his throat, unusual apparel for a Nova Scotia fishing town. Or it may have been his pasty skin, the unwell appearance of an unhealthy person, wearily moseying along the road of life.. nearer to the end than the beginning. Every movement he made was languid. I remember the class atmosphere as whispery, as if we were all in a hospital waiting room. It was instinctive that we felt compelled to best behavior.
He taught us English Studies. I loved to listen to him speak about the characters in the stories we studied. He had a lovely way of shaping words. One instance, I cannot remember the name of the book, he stated how over dramatized and “gushy” it was, and that any minute we could expect violin music emerging from the bushes, highly unlikely in the circumstances. We were encouraged to envision it. The girls giggled, the boys rolled their eyes. His danced merrily.
My Father was a religious zealot. He was quite firm on what literature his children should have access to. It was with a sinking heart that I brought home the designated reading for the semester. Of course it had to be “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz” by Canadian author Mordecai Richler, newly minted, off the presses and reallllly controversial. My Teacher was that kind of man. Controversial. My father was angry and impetuous. Pulling open the kitchen coal stove lid, he thrust the book into the flaming fires of hell, and slammed the lid shut. No child of his was going to read that garbage!
I was a nervous child. It was not easy living with a Father that talked directly to God. Unfortunately, neither he nor God accompanied me to school to explain the situation to my teacher. Approaching his desk, I gathered all of the little courage I had, and I told him my story.
I must explain here that I am an eye watcher. Eyes say everything, especially in unguarded moments. I can read even the faintest twitch of untruth. My children despise me for it. I remember his eyes that day as they changed from curiosity to interest in my story and then to pain. No anger, I was used to anger. Smiling sadly, he stated that he would give me another assignment. “I want you to write an essay “he said.” I want you to write about Success. Tell me all you can learn about Success.”
Then turning to the class, he called it to order. Pulling an armload of envelopes out of his satchel, he proceeded to hand them round to each student. “ I am going to teach you something that will be the most important information you will ever need to know as you venture out into the world. I am going to show you how to fill out Income Tax forms.” We spread them out on our desks, rolled up our sleeves and got to work.
I wrote my essay on Success. I do not remember much of what it said or the mark I received. I left for another school at the end of the term. I heard that Mr. Murray did not return the next year either. After a I graduated I got a job. I got married. I felt the most happy feeling each year as I got out those forms and filled them out because I had the knowledge my husband didn’t have yet. I felt needed. As the years past and the taxes became more intricate, I willingly passed them over to our tax man.
Oh yes…One quote I do remember is “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. “~Albert Schweitzer
BTW I picked up the forbidden book later in life. Funny thing, it is a story about a young man desperately determined to be successful. And he wasn’t. Thank you Mr. Murray. ❤️
I started real work as I call it when I was 15 years old. I went away to a church run private school and paid part of my tuition by working part time in a book bindery. My classes started at 730 am till noon then I worked the afternoon 1 until 4 . Oh yes…and all day Sunday. I worked as a cover layer ..rebinding old and putting new books together. Covers were cut and glue (old horse glue) was melted in a machine that was plastered on the covers and another machine was used to fold and trim the corners and edges. I was so efficient at my job that I was asked to make the year books. It was a huge task. Oh and all the work was done standing btw. And the hot glue smell? …..phew , especially if you forgot and it started to burn!
Those years cemented a lifelong love affair with books because an added bonus to my job was being able to read the books that I was working on during my lunch breaks. Books of poetry, books about the world, history books, books of maps, and magic…… all kinds of books.
I have also noticed through the years that whatever work I have done involves a lot of reading…❤️.
There is a song that I heard as a child that goes “I’ll work till Jesus comes” and I joke that I took those words literally.
If there is a heaven…(and I believe there is) …this quote says it all… book paradise.
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.”
― Jorge Luis Borges
photo:Pixart
Casual readers of C.S. Lewis are not always familiar with his supremely balanced view of science and faith. In a world where skeptics allege science …
Christianity, Science & C.S. Lewis
My Mother’s Ghost Sits Next to Me at the Hotel Bar Blue-tinted and red-mouthed, you light a cigarette that glows green between your lips and smells …
My Mother’s Ghost Sits Next to Me at the Hotel Bar (with recording)
The wind whispers to me
Someday, soon it will be spring We will celebrate the colour green
And the rains, oh yes the rains
I promise. The geese will return
The squirrels will unpack from the pines
The sun will rise again with a sultry wave
And the brook will sing, oh yes the brooks
Fret not at the severity of these days
For they were invited to lull the world to rest
Burrowed deep, I know you love spring best
And in slow breaths please wait, oh yes please wait.
These are the words the wind whispers to me.🙏
via O Shining. Vcl©️
From long ago, her story is both gripping and miraculous. Is she a mom? It’s not known but in my imagination, I assume she is. As her story spills out from the pages of an ancient book we see her desperation in a life filled with stain, pain, and shame. In spite of hardships her faith never wavered. Although her life may not mirror mine or yours, her story reminds me to keep living in faith while my journey of grief continues.
Her story paints a picture of a woman without an identity, but I will give her one and call her Isabella. She built a life with her husband (I’ll call him Samuel) and their three beautiful sons who she was forced to watch grow up from afar. Why afar? Because her bleeding never stopped after the birth of her third child. Strangely, her womb failed to heal completely…
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