Poetry Party #24

Christine from Abbey of the Arts invites us to join in her latest Poetry Party. If you play, please link over to her blog and post so that she can visit, and others can join with your words... Iambic pentameter not required!

Poetry Party #24!

I select an image and suggest a title and invite you to respond with your poems, words, reflections, quotes, song lyrics, etc.

Today is the autumnal equinox, a time when the sun rests above the equator and day and night are divided equally. It heralds in a season filled with change and the brilliant beauty of death. I invite you to write your own ode to autumn. What are the gifts, challenges, and invitations for you in the days ahead?

in the stillness
and the quiet
softly, listening
stark beauty
death to self
waiting, watching as
the realization of change within
falls on me
the Voice
the place of Rest
I can only call it
"Shalom"


~Deb Vaughn
An Unfinished Symphony

Poetry Party #18: And a donkey shall lead them

From Christine at Abbey of the Arts:

"This is our 18th Poetry Party! I select an image and suggest a title and invite you to respond with your poems, words, reflections, quotes, song lyrics, etc. Leave them in the comments or email me and I’ll add them to the body of the post as they come in along with a link back to your blog if you have one (not required to participate!) I’ll add your contributions all week and then I will draw a name at random on Saturday morning from everyone who participates and will send the winner their choice of zine.

The image below was taken at a sheep farm in Arlington, WA, about an hour from Seattle. We went there as part of a Slow Food event and got to see the dogs herding the sheep which is quite remarkable. I was most moved however by the donkey they keep in the pasture with the sheep. Apparently he provides some extra protection for them from coyotes because he bonds with the sheep and then his size scares away some of the predators. At one point the dogs had herded the sheep behind the donkey and the image made me smile. I was reminded of the Isaiah 11:6 quote “and a little child shall lead them.” I believe in the power of humility and of offering ourselves to the wisdom of animals, so this photo made me wonder what you, my wonderful poet friends might imagine. Where do you go when you choose to relinquish your own ego and follow a path that might seem foolish?"

I used to do Stuff.
Busy, productive, weight-bearing, exciting Stuff.
Stuff that hinted at prestige, power and popularity.
My heart wasn't in it any more.
So I quit.

I took the off-ramp.
I put myself out to pasture.
To be who I am
The way God made me
And am actually loving this new track I'm on...
Because it is not Stuff that consumes me any more.
It's God.
It's People.
It's the wind instead of air conditioning.
It's leaning back on a tree instead of an easy chair.
It's the sunshine instead of a furnace.
It's picking dandelions instead of roses.
It's knowing that I have grass stains all over me.
It's knowing others have grass stains too...
and wanting to help them be clean.

I'm just one herbivore
telling other herbivores
where to find the dandelions...

Deb

Poetry Challenge:

Christine at Abbey of the Arts writes:

Welcome to our Poetry Party No. 5. These are posted every other Monday. I select an image and suggest a title and invite you to respond with your poems, words, reflections, quotes, song lyrics, etc. Leave them in the comments and I’ll add them to the body of the post as they come in along with a link back to your blog if you have one (not required to participate!) I’ll add your contributions all week and then I will draw a name on Friday again from everyone who participates and send the winner a copy of Praying With the Elements.

Feel free to post the poem along with my image below on your blog with a link back to this post. Invite your readers to come join the party too. Community poetry is wonderful!

Under God's wings

rest, little one, rest
you are safe
you are loved
you are sheltered

I shall find rest

dream, little one, dream
fly high
fly free
fly strong

Until I shall land

homeward fly
see my love
beckoning
beaconing
calling

In a nest of love and peace.

Deb Vaughn
October, 2007

Poetry challenge

Abbey of the Arts had a poetry invitation on her blog. Anyone is invited to play. I'm cross-posting here...

The photo below immediately brought up an image and a memory in my mind and out the poem rolled...

Grief sometimes comes in empty chairs
or empty stares
and sometimes whispers
“why weren’t you there?
i needed you…”

Patience sometimes builds with empty chairs
and empty stares
and sometimes we wait
for love to come say,
“thanks… for waiting
and believing in me…”

The loneliness in empty chairs
and empty stares
forgotten dates
and poignant waits
is do-able
bear-able
Yes. It really is…

God’s unseen Body sits across
in that empty chair
and loves
and listens
and waits
until we stop
to hear Him

Deb Vaughn