Windows To The Spirit

I watch as he walks slowly to the car.
Back crooked and one leg much shorter.
The years have not been kind to him.
Everything takes such effort
that going out is hard.
But he keeps moving
smiling mostly.
It is hard
being
old.

I was the child but now am the parent.
Weighing all the options and choices.
Walking the fine line of being
helpful, not overbearing,
respecting his wisdom.
There are now mornings
I move slowly.
It is hard
growing
old.

I first posted this poem on January 19, 2013.  Dad was not quite 85 then and time had not been kind to his body.   Over the next 7 years, his strong life force would enable him to survive many things…recovery from a broken leg, the death of a close companion, an endless struggle following a short stay in the hospital.  But then came a global pandemic that proved too much for him.  On Saturday, August 8, 2020, he passed away, 4 days shy of his 92nd birthday.  He will live forever in our hearts.  Rest in peace, Papa.  We love you all the time! 

We
are seeds
planted and
nurtured by God.
Within each of us
grows mind, body, spirit-
gifts to be cherished and shared
with the host of humanity.
Even though we are both grain and chaff,
seeds of hope are cast when we sow with love.

In
and out,
the cycle
of our own breath
is life and spirit.
Breath moves through the body,
soothing, creating, healing.
As we breathe out, energy flows
through the sinews of our whole being,
becoming one with the Holy Spirit.

Writer’s Note:  As I write this, we are in the midst of a global pandemic, the effects creating the need for us to distance from one another and wear protective masks, lest the air that we breathe infect us with a virus that will deprive us of breath.  At the same time, social unrest has stoked anger and rage, fueling violence and setting in motion change that although overdue, feels like a forest fire out of control, dividing us at a time when we need to be united.  The color of our skin and our politics may differ, yet we are All One, made of flesh and bones. Our breath, joins with the breath of others, traveling through space and time.  Breath is our life force, connecting us with ourselves, with each other, with our ancestors throughout the ages, and with Christ through the Holy Spirit which lives and breathes within us All.

The
context
of the world
trades and markets
on fear, using it
to generate despair
and extinguish hope and faith.
Fear is an enemy of hope.
Faith is our anchor in times of fear.
God says to not fear, calling us by name.

How
can I
be open
to sharing grace
when I am afraid,
feeling vulnerable
to implacable forces?
I have what I need within me
to connect to my divine heartspace.
There I will find God’s strength to transcend fear.

Place
matters.
Socially
distanced from all
my familiar spots
wrests me from my moorings.
No cup of tea with a friend.
No snuggles with my sweet grandsons.
I am thankful to be safe and well,
but this place in time is forever changed.

God
gave us
free will, not
to rule the world
but to love, cherish,
and share in creation.
It is through Christ, we cross the
borders of the holy and are
entreated to love one another.
Lord, take us, renew us and remake us.

We are Easter people and see the world
not as lost but full of new promise.
The road is not without peril,
many challenges await,
but in Christ we find strength.
We are one body.
Alleluia!
Together
we will
mend.

The first stanza is from Easter: A New Beginning posted last Easter.  The second stanza is new and as we remain in lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, it reflects a prayer of hope for the renewal yet to come.

The
cross calls
us to ken
the mystery
of Christ’s suffering
as an act of great love.
It’s difficult to bear pain,
experience anguish, and yet,
if we do not turn away, we learn
abundant life dwells on the other side.

As
I walk
with Jesus
this holy week
the world is writhing
in pain and agony.
Our Lord surrendered to Love
becoming one with the Divine.
I pray for the healing of the world.
May we find peace in surrender to Love.

First, we feel, move and react from the gut
in a full-on visceral response.
Next, the head thinks, plans and reasons.
Human ego hard at work.
The real instrument
where humility
meets the Spirit
is the heart.
It just
knows.