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

Wreating

 ~ Wreating ~

This is a wonderful wreating day

with nothing else I need to do

I have claimed these hours to

read, ponder and then write

here at my sweet spot with

a gentle snow fall drifting

through the woods just

beyond the windows

of the sunroom you

built for me before

you too quickly

left this life

our life

me

No sun in here today, dear heart

only love’s warm glow remains

to soothe my soul remember

our long lived bond a while

before returning home to

begin chapter six in this

new story on my own

building on love we shared

discovering new echoes

of who I have become

apart, yet connected

by the gift, melded

together, living

on in me

JoMae

11/30/21

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.

Prayer Portal

San Francisco Evening Sky - photo: Nancy Spoelhof

~ Prayer Portal  ~

a template for entering prayer with praise

Spirit of Godde, Christ present in my soul

your love, omnipotent - greatly to be praised

your ways are mystery, beyond all understanding

your name, above all names, creator, parent of us all

in you Beloved One, we place our trust, our only hope

for we are your beloved children breathed into being by

your own breath of life, born to serve, to honor, to obey

born blessed to bless our neighbors far away and near

In your sovereign name we come dear Jesus with

hearts bent low, aware of sins and shortcomings

seeking to be led home into the arms of Godde

please hear our prayers of thanks and praise

laments and joys; sorrows and confessions

for we often stray too far from you instead 

of staying near to hear your dear voice

see your light and wisdom, and be

guided by your teaching and 

example of loving mercy 

and perfect justice

* * * * * * * * *

to be followed by:

A time for praise and thanksgiving….

A time for lament and confession…

A time for petitions, for please....

A time for simply listening...

to Godde enthroned above the skies

JoMae

10/3/21