Sometimes in the darkest part of the night
I play my old cassettes to fill the overpowering silence
A familiar cadence of thoughts blares out, ready to lend meaning to any moment
Those tapes remind me of who I am, what the world is like,
How hard to slam the door on the way out of giving a damn –
You know, all the important things
Today I sit in my usual place, sipping tea and watching the passers-by.
Within these walls, I live in the safety of the past, everything faded and known. Muffled voices come through the crackle of an old radio, narrating a brown-and-tan world of well rehearsed dance and drama.
As I peer through the sagging window, nothing threatens, nothing surprises. The memorabilia of past joys collect dust on a nearby shelf, comforting reminders of love, belonging, and home. From this vantage point I can participate in the present at a distance (only I must ignore the cracks that might let in a beam of something new).
It is safe, yes, and also numbingly familiar. Continue reading “The Sepia Room”
There are many beautiful traditions to love at Christmastime: nights alight with dazzling displays, neighbors sharing family favorite treats, music evoking decades gone by, candlelit churches keeping vigil in song, gifts that bring delight and joy.
But every once in a while I wonder… why is it that I love Christmastime so much?
Is it the pumpkin spice lattes and repetitive playlists? Are we really that enamored of turkey that never gets done cooking at the right time or kids hyped up on sugar?
An expectant mood permeated the room. Seven men, all of them close friends of Jesus, sat waiting. Continue reading “In the Light of Dawn”
When spring awakes, all green and new,
Full of blossoms, turf and dew
Which, though it rains, still grow, accrue;
‘Tis just a season of the soul. Continue reading “Seasons”
I have lived my life in chains, have you? Continue reading “Craftsmen”
In the bittersweet of seasons changing, I discover a piece of the eternal Hidden in the uniquely human experience of time Even as I savor the simple sweet of present moments, The gifted time of easy joy passes away In vibrant bursts of red and orange and yellow Looking back, way back, past this fleeting […]
