'Ello Deerie

It's the beginning of a whole new me.  I woke up this morning at 6am.  I looked outside my window and there were two deer grazing.  It's a promise.

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Mothers crying, sisters weeping, wives waiting.

Fathers pacing, brothers worrying,

hope being strung thin as wire and brittle as bones.

Babies wailing – yearning for love’s lost arms.

Heart pounding, orders drilling, adrenaline pumping.

The sounds unforgettable:

The sound of death when the glass shatters and shrapnel flies.

The sound of pain when his last breath lingers in his lungs.

Silence heavy as lead.

The feelings undeniable:

To know he was someone’s son—

To feel his mother crying, sister weeping, and wife waiting.

To know you are alive, but unsure of how long.  To feel the onset of the unknown.

The questions rising:

Reduced to machines

Fighting for the cause – what cause?

The cause of freedom?  The cause of Democracy?

Or the cause for power, and the cause for control?

You see the deserted buildings surrounded by dry desert sand—

Gutted buildings that once knew life.

The remnants of fallen soldiers—

A mangled limb here, a boot there, another badge, and a letter written in haste—

Scattered among the piles of rubble that sing the song of victory.

The remnants of two worlds collided;

Brought together in butchery,

Unable to differentiate the remains.

We are all human, we are all created.

There is freedom—

It comes after the fatality and devastation.  Unified, truly, by the causes you both pledged your life to.

A Little Creativity is What I Need...

The morning is crisp and cool.  Sitting on my favorite bench, the sun rises and the rays warm my soul.  I sit basking in the glory of the sun, thanking God for the moments I am given.  As I watch the sun slowly rise in the east, I close my eyes and picture each speck of sunlight softly landing on my skin.  The warmth is rushing over me like a wave soaks the sand.

I witness the flowers unfolding and raising their faces to drink in the golden rays.  It is a simple reminder of reliance and sustenance.  The petals are sun bathing and the leaves are warming themselves.  I watch in awe as I begin to realize the beauty of the sustaining power that is held in the sun.

As the rays continue to spill over the landscape, I begin to hear the morning laughter of the birds and the relentless buzzing of the worker bee scouting out the sweet provision of life that is willingly offered by the sunbathing flower.  I begin to realize how all things work together to maintain a pleasant life.  I’m faced with the reality of humanity’s lack of cooperation compared to nature’s collaboration.  I am an observer of a micro-world unaware of the human condition.  It is a system of giving and receiving; a life that goes unnoticed by the self-absorbed human.  I am only an observer; I am not a contributor to the beauty of their interaction.

The temperature rises then begins to fall.  I watch as the sun begins to say her goodbyes.  Her soft kiss caressing the creation she sustains; as if she is saying, “I’ll be back tomorrow, but for now, sleep well, my love.  Do not fear for the dark only lasts a moment.” 

The colors splash across the sky: yellow, then orange, then vibrant red.  The rays are piercing the soul with warmth that reaches the inner depths.  Unable to control myself, I throw my hands above my head and begin to dance, the smile permanent and tears streaming down my cheeks.

As the songbird sings her lullaby and the busy bee is tucked in, the crickets emerge to play a sad song mourning the descent of the sun and the frogs join in the chorus.  They mourn the sun’s goodbye, but lie in wait for her return—constantly waiting and passing time with song. 

The stars begin to twinkle—one, two, three.  The life-star is gone for merely a moment, but her power emanates within me.  I close my eyes and remember her rays dancing upon my face and being wrapped in the love of the sun’s embrace.

Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Rain

There's a storm inside of me: like a hurricane with 90mph winds pressing against my heart--the center of emotion.  It's a beautiful struggle.  A lot of it comes from not knowing what's going to happen in the next couple years.

I have been alive for 20 years.  I'm 20 years old.  It sounds like such a long time, doesn't it?  My life has been so beautiful.  I look back on it and I realize just how blessed I was and am.  I have amazing parents who love, encourage, and support me; two sisters whom I love with ever fiber of my being; amazing grandparents who love me more than I understand; friends that make me a better person and love me for who I am; mistakes to learn and grow from; life experiences that have contributed to my personal views; remnants of innocence (that I'm clutching onto for dear life); eyes to see; ears to hear; a mouth to speak; a brain to learn; a mind to contemplate; and a heart to love.  Not to mention that I may have just had the most amazingly perfect childhood.  To think that God gave all of that to me--and he is still blessing me every day!  My life is wonderful.

I honestly cannot wait to see what he does in the future.  It's going to be so good.  There's something happening in me.  There's a change occuring.  I'm being transformed by his love. 

God is so good, right?