Delight vs Might

When will man stop trying to define God?
All we had was the sun and the sod
On which to base our greatest visions
Until we discovered nuclear fission.

If all matter is energy, who can say
How that energy will evolve today?
It seems to me that we should now see
The Life Force is contained in you and me.

It is also in the air and the rain,
Which is re-created again and again.
I can see energy only its manifestations;
This is how I see God, as all of creation.

But we get in a hurry to make things right
As if any one people has the greatest insight.
Our greed and impatience to possess perfection
Is the proof of The Spirit's ultimate rejection.

We make a mistake by misunderstanding time;
Creation doesn't evolve on any one life line.
We had to become enlightened for the gods of our fathers
To be seen as The Spirit in ourselves, sons, and daughters.

If we throw open our hearts and minds in gratitude,
And enjoy the process, it may set the mood
For the infilling of The Spirit of Wisdom and Delight
Where we have emptied our desire for greatest might.

Angst and Elation

If we can't feel gratitude, what else is there in life?
Do we really want to focus on the pain and the strife?
We are given so many gifts through interaction with creation;
It seems to me that we all have daily reasons for elation.
But so many seem determined to point out the black clouds,
As if no silver linings are, in their worlds, allowed.
Is it because they are afraid to eagerly embrace
What the next sorrowful event in their lives may erase?
Do they live in the dark because the light hurts their eyes?
Do they prefer their familiar angst to joyful surprise?
Are they camouflaging their vulnerability so others won't attack?
Why can't they let down this guard with those who have their backs?
Do they trust no one to join them in rejoicing
Or is it a way to take no risks watching what others are voicing?
I am convinced that many of us live only one half of ourselves,
And seek companionship with those who allow us to keep our shells.
I prefer relationships which are about mutual admiration,
Not those that are a competition to achieve the highest station.

Lost and Found Love

One of the greatest gifts my daughter ever gave me is when she told me that, even though her father and I were divorced, she always knew that we both loved her. With all the doubt and guilt I assume most parents carry about their child rearing, to have an adult child proclaim that, through all the roller coaster rides of this thing we call life, she never lost the thread of love that extended over five hundred miles between me and her father's homes is a miracle, in my estimation.

Is there anything more valuable in a person's life than knowing that you are loved? Not pampered, but loved for who you really are, and helped to define who you are meant to become?

The enmity between he and I has long since been put to rest, but that's not to say that it doesn't rear it's ugly head when we least expect it. In times of extreme stress, why is it that our worst selves surface? Is the real purpose of our souls to keep shining a light into our darkest hours and guide us back out of the pits of our desperation?

Our grandchildren are now almost grown, and I like to believe that they all share in this feeling of well-being that apparently permeates my daughter's childhood memories. There is nothing more pleasurable to me than watching my children parent the next generation. I firmly believe that the faces we put on God are based on our own experience with our parents and other authority figures. As long as my children and grandchildren feel real love, I believe their spirits will soar and they will become the best they can be.

I pray that we can continue to keep the focus on the most precious gift of our short marriage: our children and their children, down through many generations.

Animal Instincts

I think it is important that we face the fact
That our ancestors were animals so we don't slide back.
Even though we became human, it's important in doing what's right
To temper our passions, or the strongest win every fight.
The animal kingdom, without humanity, is survival of the fittest,
But we have been given the capacity for compassion, bit-by-bit.

Our animal natures seek companionship of like creatures;
Compassion for others should be our most enlightened feature.
We must seek this Spirit for ourselves and for our young
Making the best of the human nature in which we should be strong.
The spark of The Spirit in each of us that we call the soul
Must purposely bond with others who help to make us whole.

Seeing The Spirit

When we limit the face of God to only what we see,
We take away the grace that should be allowed to flow free.
A person who has never known a loving father
Is not likely to, with God the Father, bother.
A person who had brothers who tortured him or her for fun
Is not apt to think that Jesus is a brother and God's son.
Those who feel The Spirit in the sun, the wind, and rain
Are more likely to, earth's sense of wholeness, reclaim.
Some of us have hearts to whom words mean a lot;
For others, words heard, are quickly forgot.

For them, scriptures with their mysteries must be acted out
By those who have absorbed the lessons they're about.
Working together toward a common goal is bonding to some,
And when the work is finished, a spirit of unity has begun.
To some a loving touch is their connection to heaven,
And the burdens of their lives, this will quickly leaven.
For others a smile, a shared laugh, or a twinkle in the eye
Gives them the courage to get up again and try.
Whatever helps us to create a world of our better selves
Should be honored as a place where The Spirit indwells.

My Sassy Sister

My sister was so precious
As a small, strong child;
She was also feisty,
Which often made me smile.

Her tenacity got her beaten,
Much to my chagrin.
I often wished that adults
Would let her insights in.

She grew up to disappear
Into many drug addictions;
This is because she wasn't
Honored in her predilections.

She was punished for being earthy;
She was punished for being afraid;
She was punished for following examples,
That our authorities had made.

She is long-dead, but her children
Still carry the pain and shame
That was visited on my sister
In our parents' god's name.

Righteous Anger and Relationships

Righteous anger is allowed;
Otherwise it becomes a shroud
Of depression, and so much worse;
It literally becomes a curse.

The anger and hurt not expressed
Is left for others to digest.
Sins of the fathers are passed to sons
Since the dawn of mankind was begun.

When will we learn to negotiate
With each other for a better fate?
To say that you hurt me is not the same
As laying on shameful blame.

It is actually the mark of affection
To worry about someone's rejection.
But if we don't admit our vulnerability
We'll walk away instead of saying, "I'm sorry."