Weather Report

~ Weather Report ~ 

90º

a steamy hot day for the month of May

a day where it’s hard to stay awake

so it’s off to the kitchen for some

more caffeine, a stretch and

a pick-me-up snack then

back to my laptop, pay

some bills, answer

friends’  emails

write a while

and read

a day to preserve my energy. So

I’ll do what I can with online chores

and let roomba take care of the floors

saving ‘company touch up’ for tomorrow 

when it will be 10 or more degrees cooler

and I expect to have a little bit more steam!

JoMae

5/31/22

Sun Worship

~ Sun Worship ~

      - a reverie 

Ahhh. Still day. Warm sun on the front porch. Seems like I’ve been waiting for this all winter!  I’d intended to attend my zoom service this Sunday morning, but I’m soo hungry for this promised sunshine I could not turn away the blessing of this long awaited sun bath! It is heavenly and soothing. I’m basking in it’s warm hug. Seems like I’ve been holding my breath for months for such a time as this! My spot in the sun which my old cold bones are viscerally absorbing.

Tomorrow will be even warmer, but with rain - as so often happens before spring finally arrives.  Then the rest of the week we are back into the 40ºs and 50ºs.  I simply couldn’t miss this gift of the sun’s warm embrace - even for worship.  So in the stillness of this gorgeous day I’ll pray and worship in my own way and catch the recorded gathering later.  What a blessing all this is. And how rejuvenating!

JoMae

4/24/22

Easter Week

~ Easter Week ~

for folks who walk the path with Christ

this week offers much contemplation

a time for grateful pondering -- to honor

all the meaning found in death, in life

time for reflection on one most holy life

a gift first cheered at Christmas time

whose justice, love and mercy, modeled 

so many years ago, teaches on today

Love - not even squelched in death

Christ, the Way, walks with us yet

with thoughts that beat deep in

our souls to guide us home

Thanks be to Godde

JoMae

4/12/22

Reflecting on the mystery...

'No Write' February

-- Seasons in a writing life

Winter Window

~ My ‘No Write’ February ~

I’ve been away on another staycation

with visiting offspring from hither and yon 

from over the ocean and far away places

they flew all directions to be by my side

to celebrate birthdays, meet up with

siblings and feast with each other

 all five

We each took leave of normal routine

to rekindle our hearts for a time

<> <> <> <>

~ And Now It’s March ~

my muse is sweetly sleeping

I will not rush to wake her, as

my soul, too, must wake from

welcome rest after a month of

lively chatting with family here

now all returned - while quiet

slowly seeps, centering me

 to write again

JoMae

3/3/22

Dancing With Words

~ Dancing With Words ~

When mourning turns to dancing

in the rhythm of the words that

pour onto the page to purge

the depths of sorrow, rage

to search for meaning in

disaster, comfort in the

loss as insight buried

deep within rises to

the surface of the

mind — bearing

wisdom stored

for such time

as this 

like a firm

fishing pole

patiently finds

its catch so my

pen  plumbs the

depths of my quest

to understand a loss

so deep, yet wider than

any ocean, as empty and

disorienting as being adrift

at sea — until answers begin

to emerge in the shape of hope

and direction as to navigating this

unknown world with new purpose

JoMae

1/14/22

Morning Routine

~ Morning Routine ~

I come with coffee

to my pondering chair

where I begin to read or

write or wonder for a while

until something stops me in

my tracks, compelling me to

write down what it brought to

mind a poem memory or new

insight to explore to help me

understand,  enjoy this life

this gift that I’ve been led

to after loss.  This new

person I am finding in

the quiet of my day

This New Joy  

JoMae

1/4/22

A poem emerging...

Psalm 98 Echo

~ Divine Love ~ Justice With Equity ~

Psalm 98 

(adapted)

O sing to Jehovah a new song

for Godde has done marvelous things!

Your right hand and your holy arm

have gotten you the victory and you

have made known your righteousness.

You have revealed your vindication

in the sight of the nations and have 

remembered your steadfast love and

faithfulness to the house of Israel

(and to me)

The ends of all the earth have

seen the salvation

of our Godde

Make a joyful noise to Jehovah, all the earth;

break forth into joyous song and sing praises.

Sing praises to Yaweh with the lyre,

with the harp and the voice of a psalm.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn

make a joyful noise before Jehovah 

Our Monarch

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

the world and those who live in it.

Let the floods clap their hands;

let the hills sing together for joy

at the presence of Jehovah, for

Godde, who is coming to judge the earth,

will judge the world with righteousness

and the peoples with equity.

adapted by

JoMae

1/2/22

An echo passage - adapted for personal praise and thanksgiving

WE

Shadows, Trees and Clouds of Light

~ WE ~

I wish I were an artist

I would draw a tree

a tree strong and

vibrant and I’d

name it We

next I would sketch that tree

struck  asunder by a storm

split right down the middle

half, dead on the ground

the other half still standing

yet appearing to be dead

until, as seasons turned

starts to sprout instead

small branches now begin to form

blossoming anew -- while on the

ground all around the fallen half

life is nourished, flowers grow

We, now separated

continue each to serve

half reborn and blossoming

half lives in another realm

singing a new song

JoMae

1/1/22

Prompted/inspired by Joy's medium post: Deeply Rooted

https://medium.com/@lydalrydal7/deeply-rooted-958d4fee6e50

Pivot

 Learning to turn

Artist, NancySpoelhof.com

~ Learning to Pivot ~

When

life’s curves catch us off guard

stun us and block our way

we must learn to pivot

to learn a new route

to bypass, detour

the threat

Sometimes the pivot comes from within

when we simply know it is time to find

a new direction, remake ourselves

and set out to conquer life again

JoMae

11/22/21

Mirrored Lessons

The Child

~ Mirrored Lessons ~

My aged mother, now long gone

has moved into my mirror

she smiles at me when I walk by

reminding me of long ago

when both of us were younger

the child came crying, all forlorn

for lack of any friends, so mom

showed her a mirror, where

a good lesson formed

see how much nicer your face appears

when you smile, she said - had me

practice for a while then

sent me off to play

next morning, climbing on the bus

grinning ear to ear - the same girl

yet not quite the same, tried to

spread good cheer

these days, each time I see mom’s face

glancing out at me, I remind her how

important a smile proves to be

and there she is, grin intact, 

smiling back at me, still

sending me off into my

day - skipping

JoMae

12/14/21

Casting Bread Upon The Water

~ Casting Bread Upon The Water ~

Some keep a lovely garden in the country

isolated where few will ever get a view

some gardens beam great beauty

at cross roads and are admired

Some folks keep a hobby quiet

getting sharp at crosswords 

or fixing puzzles privately

mainly for an inner joy

Some writers seek to publish

to be remembered, known

to interact with readers

to share their world

Others write to scratch some itch

inside themselves - catch an 

insight or idea, or snatch a

verbal photo of their day

We find our voice and sing

in so many ways - some

with a quiet hum, some

in bursting gifted song

Each vignette, weak or strong

adds to the stream of words

we cast our crumbs upon.

In blessing one another

we too are blessed

JoMae

11/23/21

Dreamers

~ Dreamers ~

We pour our minds onto the page like spilled ink 

not black ink, but many colors of the rainbow

sharing our dreams, spilling our sorrows

sorting worries that have turned out ok

and what we can make of all not ok

We look back, look forward; rejoice, despair

we tear down,  we repair,  life goes on

Our dreams remember the good and the bad

sprout blossoms of what might have been

and what still can be - who we can be

what we can make of ourselves

to color our world again

JoMae

11/2/21

One

 A brief reflection on Loss

~ One ~ 

My love, you grew old along with me

those years will never be forgotten

our joys are printed in my heart

your hand print on my palm

We walked long winding paths together

some were in sorrow, most in gain

the pain of losing you is bitter

but the memories sustain

My holding of our love has changed

as you have changed, have died

tucked in a pocket of my soul

your echoes now reside

Til death they will abide there, with

wisdom, strength and memory

dwell unseen reminding me

loss can transform anew

to blossom on with joy!

JoMae

6/14/21 

When I wonder that I’ve scarcely wept after so great a loss, I must remember this - that I’ve had a love like none other whose echoes sustain me still and have become the soil in which I can blossom on.