Snail Day

Wet wet wet

Grey skies mirrored in shallow puddles

Flattened grass, moist earth

Dripping tree branches

The snails reign

Leaving slimy trails along the sidewalk

Curly shells perfectly designed

Each pattern unique

Beady eyes searching and twitching

Slow, steady, soggy adventurers 

Speedy Snail

Peek-a-boo Snail

U-turn Snail

Stand-off Snail

Explorer Snail 

Ill tidings

Watching sunlight turn to grey
Darkness drawing in
Wind is bearing tidings ill
Sound of rain tapping on tin

Drips persist and overwhelm
Force me away to hide
Helpless against a growing storm
Whose will won't be denied

Surrounding and Surrounded

I am here, so near

Touch me, feel me, see me

Yet I’m beyond your reach

Stretching away, beyond measure

Leaving you behind, leaving all

I am alone

Surrounding and surrounded

Uncontainable, distant, unknown

And yet caged, held captive

Restrained, held by invisible chains

But I am free

Wild and dangerous

Violent and untamed

Fearsome and unpredictable

I am awesome and powerful

But I welcome you, small one

With gentle arms           

With comfort and pleasure

You will be safe

And happy

But you will be wary

Though you love me

You do not know me

I am a mystery

Despite your searching

You cannot wholly discover me

And what remains unknown

You will fear

Not knowing

All this time not knowing
Where you are, where you're going

Hidden mostly, sometimes showing
Shining little, softly glowing

Behind the clouds that go on snowing
Swept off by wind that's ever blowing

And time keeps stretching, somehow slowing
Dull and dreary, nothing growing

But like the river ever flowing
Still we wait in hope, unknowing

Flickers of Christmas

The flickering glow of the fireplace

dances around the room

and the wind whispers frosty carols 

flitting through bare, dark branches

furry slippers keep me warm

and safe

and so cozy

I wiggle my toes, close my eyes

and just let the Christmas air absorb, like the cold

into my bones

my nose

my smiling heart

Perfect blend of gingersnaps, broken pine needles

and vanilla 

the shock of fresh peeled orange

tickles my nose 

I sneeze into the softness of my creamy scarf

and I snuggle deeper into its caress

after tugging my woolly toque 

over my ears 

Amy, Michael and Kenny harmonize

saturating the air with nostalgic joy

the tea kettle whistles 

chocolate swirls and dissolves

rich and sweet

topped with melting whip

like the snow, so anticipated

I lift the curtain one time more

despite disappointment, smile

Mom's voice, soft like wax dripping

in smooth red trails down, down, down

flames testifying to Messiah's advent

glowing, one two three four

hope. peace. joy. love.

flickering together

Strong

With cap and gown you are robed
The picture of beauty and success
Eyes bright and radiant with joy
And that sparkle only you possess

It’s surreal for me to watch
As you take to the stage
It feels like you’ve barely started
But here you are turning the high school page

I hope you are proud to be here today
For you have done so well, more than I can say

I rarely fail for words
But today it’s not easy
To form feelings and thoughts
And not come out just plain cheesy

But how am I supposed to tell
How proud and amazed
And happy and blessed
I am to be raised
With a sister so gracious
And honest and kind
And, I’ve said it before,
The best friend I could find

I am blessed beyond words Sis, to have you around
And I dread the coming year as you head out of town

But my dear, you are blessed
For God is your guide
He has plucked you up in His hand
And you are along for the ride
Look where He has brought you
For truly it was Him
Who gave you your passion, perseverance,
And that joy none can dim

I am excited to be here
To watch you and pray
That you follow His leading
And find peace in His way
Danae, you are strong
Because your peace is in Him
You know your true purpose
You can face both easy times and grim

And so as you pass on from high school
Don’t ever have fear
Just make God’s glory your center
And keep Him always near

graduation brings out the best in all of us :)

so many amazing girls! So proud of them all!

!

kinda love everyone's expressions

love these girls soooooo much!!

Wet

dark clouds hover

close

overhead

vibrant grass, green with

life

sweet in the wind

running in the

rain

breathing in

and out

the wet, fresh

air

each step a squelching

splash

ducking under branches

heavy with crystal droplets

dripping

Off the beaten path

I hear it's good to pave your own way,
to be original, to break the mold.
Apparently it's not admirable to just follow the trends,
stick to the easy road.
SO I decided to try it,
to push aside my inhibitions,
to venture beyond my comfort zone,
to branch out.
I stepped off the beaten path...

into a foot of snow
which quickly spilled over into my shoes
wet my socks and froze my ankles.
I almost fell over, gave a slight cry of shock
and scarcely missed jabbing my eye out on a tree branch...

as I scrambled back to the safe route.

And so I've decided to wear boots next time I go on an inspirational jaunt.

Eight thousand, seven hundred and sixty hours

 

One year later; it feels like more and yet sometimes just a day

And there's still nothing they can do, nothing they can say

Surely they can't think it's really any easier

Surely they don't think you've healed

Just because you don't cry as much

Just because you keep the pain concealed

Even you think you should move on

Even you know life is just unfair

But half of you is still in pieces

Because half of you is no longer there

Healing can't erase the ache

Time can't mend the scar

Even as you learn to live again

You're still finding who you are

One year later, you're still breathing, still getting up each day

You know it's only because God has been with you all the way

Human strength just isn't enough

Human strength cant get you through

But joy is found in Him alone

And comfort from He who carries you

Even though it's still a struggle

Even though the pain's not gone

His sufficiency is proven in your life

His mercies are new each dawn

Truly you are forever changed

Truly life will never be the same

But you know for sure how it will end

And you can keep that hope aflame

365 slow days. 52 long weeks. 1 impossible year.

You're really just 8760 hours closer to never shedding a tear

the first

she's the first to hold you close
the first to love you heart and soul
she's the first to wipe your tears away
the first to teach you how to pray
she's the first to teach you wrong and right
the first to scold you for a fight
she's the first to buy your socks and shoes
the first to cheer even when you lose
she's the first to bake your favourite meal
the first to give you a disciplinary spiel
she's the first to praise your finger-paint art
the first to try to put back the pieces of your heart
she's the first to teach you how to sweep the floor
the first to worry when you leave to explore
she's the first to warn you "drive carefully"
the first to stay up waiting earnestly
she's the first to tuck you into bed
the first to forgive what you've heartlessly said
she's the first to encourage you to fly
the first cry as you wave goodbye
she's the first to pray for your future hopes and dreams
the first to calm all your emotional extremes
she's the first to notice something is wrong
the first to to lend her strength when you aren't strong
she's the first to offer her everything
making all the difference but not even realizing

Thanks Mom, for being there, always first.

That wrap-up-in-a-blanket sound

Rain pattering on the tin roof

echoing in the empty room;

       a lonely sound,

       a cozy sound,

       a wrap-up-in-a-blanket-reading sound.

Coffeetime shared only with fictional characters as

the waving trees outside beckon my attention

through the window, cold, wet.

The constant dripping of the eaves goes

unheard; masked by sweet music – my only companion

on this lonely day. 

Wind picks up and, like the ocean tide,

rain thunders in waves and

the house creaks and sighs heavily.

 

Grey skies darken the dreary outdoor world

while fuzzy slippers warm my toes and

I dream of dancing orange flames in a crackling fire.

Sometimes I need a day like today when

the torrents force me into hiding and I can rest listening to

       the lonely sound,

       the cozy sound,

       the wrap-up-in-a-blanket sound.

Lavender Sky

sunlight kisses the mountains as the shadows grow long

walking under a clear sky that's still holdin' on

to summer, though green is slipping away

overtaken by yellows, browns, reds – more everyday

though even the warm breeze denies the truth

as I crunch those first leaves I see the proof

that those days are long gone, just memories now

but I've still got the smiles that they endow

and I can look up with joy at the brightly clothed trees

knowing change is beautiful, just like the leaves

in a sudden rush of wind they come cascading down

tickling my cheek and painting the ground

where they scamper about, first here then there

and I know I could be like them, carefree if I dare

to follow His leading, to embrace the changes He brings

to know, for believers, that He works all things

together for good and just like the colours of fall

He can paint a new picture when I follow His call

the waving trees seem to applaud as I reach this conclusion

the grasses nod in agreement; this joy isn't delusion

I take a deep breath of that colourful air and I sigh

and praise God for life, tonight, under the lavender sky

29 Pieces

I don't know what a broken heart feels like
But I bet it feels something like this
There is a stretching, a tearing
With every mile we drive
Farther and farther
How much can one heart take?

Sick and teary-eyed, I stare out the window
Wishing back times gone by
As my heart slowly rips into 29 pieces
As even slower I say goodbye
Each person so much a part of me
Each one taking that part away with them
And there's 29 pieces spread over the nation
Spread over the continent
Spread over the world
Perhaps never to be seen again

And as my heart aches with the pain of leaving you
And as the tears stream down my cheeks
I realize that we are still connected
Dozens of memories bind each piece

29 strands of laughter and tears
29 ropes of hugs and high-fives
29 bridges of love so deep,
Bridges that I can stand secure on
A family bond that cannot be broken
Experiences never forgotten
An infinite God that holds us together
What am I really afraid of?

It dawns in my mind that each of those precious 29 pieces,
The fragments of my heart I've given away,
Has been replaced with a piece of each of you
A piece I will cherish and never lose
And one day in the future, we will be together
Never again to part ways or cry
We will sing again, laugh again, with joy everlasting
All of us, the 29 pieces of my heart