Living the Dream

This is the caption on my shirt, and I thought, where can I go with that?

When the everything
You are doing
Is the everything
You really want,
You have achieved
The somewhat everyone
Chases after in their
Overdo, over sex, over sought.

When the bustle outside
Is managed and the harried
Does not follow you in
You order your existence,
You ration yourself zen
Doing who you are
Being always honest, faithful,
Knowing you are, and ever you.

Money cannot buy joy
But the toys can give a rush
The secret is to relish
Each day our Lord has wrought,
Counting up all blessings
Learning what you can along
Any given pathway
Being grateful, wearing smiles,
Slipping into the future
With hope bought other days,
Living the dream.

This Now

Now is an extension
Of every now this pandemic
Has held us, hostage;
For some, it began with
The first announcement,
There was a disturbing
Feeling, an uneasy inkling.
One hopes for the best,
But it is nowhere found,
A world on lockdown.
Life at home becomes
The new normal,
Some find themselves
Desperate for escape,
Some grow fearful of any
Exterior contact, staying sheltered.
Children homeschooled,
Telecommuting, lay-offs,
Entertainments canceled,
Doctors, nurses, medical
Professionals pressed beyond
Human limits, risking all,
And steadily, death tolls rise.
We are yet together, connected
Because of virtual life,
All of us, aware, knowing,
Hoping that humanity can go
Forward into a now where
Dying is no longer a constant
Fear, contagion is not everywhere,
A now where we can embrace
One another in loving security.

What Is

The last word has come
Early, and still, out of time,
We may think we know,
Be assured we are now late.
None earns the token spoken
By sages years gone
Who hid it in poetry
Which no one will read,
The secret to survival,
What will wake wan weakened will?
Scribes thought to give it
Freely bestowed on future
Generations growing
But books become bare, broken,
Opened only occasionally.
Reign ravages reason
Decides dubious debates denote
Truth tied to television, temptations.
The last word
The key to dreams come true,
Constant happiness, lasting blessings,
The sages held the proof
They knew the poets, writers,
Artists of all types, would
Seeking, find the answer,
Deciphering the gift hidden
Openly for ages in the pages,
The first, last, ever, and forever:
Jesus and His gift of LOVE.

The last word or last words were the prompt in Prompted Positive Poetry today.

Unique Moments

This thing has taught us
There are moments things almost
Seem reasonable,
But no one is yet prepared;
Reality packs a surprise.
Everything devolves, goes
Crazy,
Many lose something basic,
Then there is a rewind
Setting the needle in the groove,
Things appear manageable.
The moment authorities say,
“Shelter in Place,”
The deadly foretaste of contagion
Grows large as the threat of
Nuclear annihilation ever became.
People unprepared to isolate
Accustomed to their busyness,
Business
As was usual
With limited skills for
Self-containment, individual
Entertainment, but learning.
Over time we become at ease
With the quiet, adapting, evolving,
Able to practice talents,
Discover
Gifts previously unknown,
Growing into the persons
This moment of invention
Has allowed us to become.

Yesterday fled before I could get this written down. I was involved in the laundry, which could become a real beast if I am not careful. The PAD Challenge prompt on Poetic Asides was “A Moment.” Robert always says we do not have to adhere to the prompt strictly, so I stepped a bit away.

I suspect everyone is fighting some personal monsters in this pandemic. If you are struggling, I encourage you to lean over your well of creativity and draw some motivation up to carry you forward.

I never thought when I started this 2020 Creativity Project, it might become a life preserver, but little did I know. Working here every day, even when I cannot do it, when I have other things to do, when I feel like nothing matters, when I am nobody, somehow keeps me going. The beauty of recognizing and drawing on art, creativity, imagination is they give us hope, resilience, and strength.

God be with you and bless you magnanimously from the abundance of His LOVE. Continue to shine bright all you glorious ones meaning each of you. If you knew the beauty of who you are, it would overwhelm you. Peace. Stay Whole & Well.

Unexpected Blessing

It has come to this,
Moreso than ever before
Every wake-up, we
Celebrate, because we are
Here, we again SURVIVED!
Our incredible
Year makes hours precious,
Priceless, dear, each moment
A miracle beyond the norm;
No expectation of
Far-reaching futures spooling
Out on Earth endlessly.
Today
Is
Enough
To search out a happiness
Needed in the present course,
We have called
“Cease Fire”
On anything unnecessarily
Negative, anyone abusive,
All government intrusion,
Unprofitable illusions,
Simplicity
Has overcome complications.
Humanity
Is become a Whole World
Pulling together for life,
Standing as ONE,
We are completely inclined
To feeling overwhelming love
For all, there is, and one another,
Working together to save and heal
What we are able, the planet changes
With our consistent hope
And constant prayers,
The Lord hears,
Restores much
And will wipe away
Our tears.

I wrote this in the night-time morning hours of today. Several days ago, the prompt on Prompted Positive Poetry was “Cease Fire.” I think I liberated it a bit, but you may realize I tend to do such.