Poem: Four Days Without Poetry

Four Days Without Poetry

Four days
without poetry,
not a word read,
not a phrase written,
not a single intimate whisper
in the depths of your mind,

four days
building shelves,
moving boxes,
hauling trash,
steady, sweaty work

necessary work,
progress,
satisfying,
but when you are finished,
and you lay down,

your heart opens
and the words flow like a winter's snow
melting in spring, feelings
of love, of peace, of hope
and promise, grateful
for the poetry of life.

----------------------

It really was that kind of weekend - lots of good work done and not a bit of verse, until this morning.

The picture was taken in Pawlet, VT last winter. You can click on it for a larger version.

Tom

Eyes from Everywhere

The map above represents people who have visited this little blog this morning before 9:30 or so. I was doing my regular (once ever 2-3 day) reading from my favorite blogs, and it came to me how many of them are from overseas. A lot of my favorites are from the UK, and there's one from Paris, France, and another from Africa. As well as all over the place here in the U.S. So I peeked to see where my visitors had been coming from.

In almost every case, I have found these now favorite blogs by visiting sites linked to on other blogs I read, or by clicking on people who comment on those blogs, and one led to another and led to another.

If you are a reader here, one of those pin-points on the map above, I'd suggest you click on some of my favorite blogs on the right hand column, or read some of the comments here and click on the commentator's links. It's a way to find interesting, beautiful and challenging things to read and see.

Does anyone except me appreciate a world where an ordinary person in Va can experience life and get to know people EVERYWHERE? I find it amazing still, even though it's part of my everyday life and work.

As I looked at the map, it occurred to me that I had no idea how many people were reading my poems and thoughts here, or where they come from, or who they are. I don't know if they like them, hate them, are touched by them, or indifferent. Most readers simply read and move on. A few will comment perhaps. And fewer still might e-mail me and start a conversation. But even though this is a small little blog in the vast bloggy universe, there's still a fair number of people looking in.

In the same way, I thought to myself, God is looking down on me, watching, seeing my flaws at work, loving me despite them, guiding me perhaps, or testing me, but always there. He's even reading these words (probably laughing). And just like with my map of surprises, I am often unaware. I shouldn't be. I should be VERY aware, but like most people, I go through too many chunks of my life not thinking about God, but thinking about every thing else.

Still, when I stop to think, or in my daly prayer times, I am grateful for God's looking in. I've had a run of bad times the past few years. Nothing a million other people haven't gone through, but still, for me, tough times to sort through. Now, as I look back, I see where he was looking in, where he was at work, watching over me and steering me, and steering the world around me to make good things happen in love, even when I failed him.

That's grace, his eyes from everywhere, loving us... no matter what, where, or when.

Tom

PS - if you are interested, you can click on the map to get a larger version.

Thoughts: An unexpected start to the New Year

The picture above is of the front seat of my once beloved Isuzu Trooper. On New Year's day, while driving between my parents home in Richmond and my sister's home in Northern Virginia, the engine lights on the trooper came on and when I stopped, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. When I opened the hood, there was a fire in the engine. I rushed to get my son and niece, who were riding with me, out of the truck and we watched as the truck was engulfed in smoke and flames.

Yes, it was the mess you would expect. We lost some of our Christmas presents and everything we had - clothes, toys, everything, was encrusted with smoke damage and water damage. And try finding a rental car on New Year's day in Ladysmith, Va. It's not going to happen.

But as soon as we pulled over, two off duty police stopped. One, a kind woman from Tidewater, comforted my children, while the other worked with me as the fire department and state police arrived. After the flames were quelled, they helped me pack up the wet and charred suitcases and bags of gifts into the back of one of their cars. Everyone involved, from the firemen, to the state trooper, to the people who stopped just to help, were kind and helpful.

The boyfriend of one of the off duty police who stopped tried to find us a rental car place and hauled us and our messy belongings from place to place for an hour, then when it became clear we weren't going to find one, volunteered to drive all the way to Vienna, Virginia to my sister's home. They had plans to visit family, but never hesitated to offer their help and would not take anything for it.

I won't lie to you. It was scary. But the kids were champs, followed directions and got out fine. They were scared but did great. The Trooper is a total loss and we lost some gifts. I spent the day today getting a rental car so we could get home this weekend, and doing laundry, and sorting through the bags of smoked gifts.

But we gained something too. By yesterday evening they were contemplating the great "waht I did during my Christmas vacation" story they would have when they go back to school next week. And this morning as I woke, the kids had made up two incredibly wonderful cards thanking me for my cool head and keeping them safe in a scary time. The cards oozed love. Tonight they wrote cards to the couple that helped us out so much, and drove us to Vienna, and there is a real sense of gratefulness all around today. Lots of hugs all around all day. And... we saw kindness of the most unselfish kind at work, faith in action.

I'd have preferred to have not caught on fire and lost my old truck. I could have lived with a bit less adventure. But I can't call it a total loss. Like most things in life, things are lost, and other things are gained. God was watching over us in a big way, and it's good to be reminded that he is at work even in bad times.

Tom

PS - like most of my pictures, you can click on this one for a larger view. It's not as pretty as most of my shots, but it's something to remember.

The Sky Outside

I am in Washington DC this morning. The sky outside my hotel had some amazing clouds outside. Simply breathtaking.

I stay at this hotel almost every week because I work three and a half hours from home. I like my work, but the travel, the constant being away from home and the people and places I love is not something I like.

Staying at the same place every week has some advantages though. I've come to know most of the hotel staff pretty well. Now, over a year into my work, I know some of them well enough that we talk about the things friends and neighbors talk about. I hear about their families, their lives and marriages, and sometimes, about their faith.

And then there are the skies. I don't know why, but there is almost always a beautiful sky, something really outstanding and breathtaking, outside my hotel in the mornings. I've taken I don't know how many pictures of the sky from the same parking spot over the year I've been staying here.

Yesterday evening I pulled into the hotel. The night manager, a gentleman from Jamaica, with the most beautiful bass voice, was taking pictures of the hotel for their web site. He was intently checking angles and taking shots in the flattering evening light. I pointed to the sky. "You ought to capture that." I said. He looked up and was amazed at how beautiful. "It's like that nearly every day, particularly in the mornings." I told him. He could not believe it. All that beauty and he never saw it.

God's love is like that. It's there. Right in front of us. All the time. In good times and bad. IF we look up.

I was reading today in Psalms and the thought that struck me was how often David wrote his praises to God, not in good times, but in bad times. It struck me, how David so often saw God at work in those times. So this morning, after seeing the sky, I took some time aside before I drove to the office and prayed deep thanks for the beauty around me, and how it blesses me in bad times. I don't believe beauty like that just happens. I think it's made as surely as you or I were made. For a reason. For us. If we'd bother looking.

Tom