it’s hard to live here
this intersection of an eternity’s worth of hopes and
a hundred years’ worth of days
when the heart of God stirs deep soul-waters
ripples flow on and on, I chase them with my eyes
blinking reluctantly as they pass my horizon
into hearts and years beyond me
it’s hard to trust here
my line of sight broken by dark valleys
each switchback offering just a glimpse
up into a country I can scarcely imagine
knowing the way, I long to know the road’s end
my endurance comes up short-sighted
listening to the echo of each footfall
it’s hard to love here
where every beautiful thing seems to die
sin crouches to devour my best intentions
tenderly laid plans harden and crack with neglect
even so, your Love’s weight hangs in the air
I find no way forward but the demands of Love
and no way back at all
it’s hard to leave here
heart nostalgic for where your touch first awakened me
from this cleft I first adored you, Beloved!
your footprints guide me through the shadows
my eyes are dim now, but your face I will seek until I find
one day years must flee before the rising sun
eternity laid out, bright and horizonless
Continue reading “a hundred years of eternity”
Tag: Day to Day Life
Reality
Illusions fall and shatter
Thorny shards scatter
Look carefully
Step carefully
Soul-silence sweeping
Reality’s unveiling
It is rambling, infant chatter
undermined self-importance
It is unending, unseen chores
doorways to humility
It is traveling to teasing chants of “Betrayal!”
bear-hug forgiveness upon return
It is satisfaction overflowing
ambitions quietly simmering
It is quietness and trust
strengths drawn from repentance
Crystal slivers bagged and gone
Deeper truth glitters on
Surpassing value of You
Surpassing value of Them
Precious stones strewn
These fundamentally true
Thorny shards scatter
Look carefully
Step carefully
Soul-silence sweeping
Reality’s unveiling
It is rambling, infant chatter
undermined self-importance
It is unending, unseen chores
doorways to humility
It is traveling to teasing chants of “Betrayal!”
bear-hug forgiveness upon return
It is satisfaction overflowing
ambitions quietly simmering
It is quietness and trust
strengths drawn from repentance
Crystal slivers bagged and gone
Deeper truth glitters on
Surpassing value of You
Surpassing value of Them
Precious stones strewn
These fundamentally true
©2025 Jacqueline Tisthammer. All rights reserved.
Continue reading “Reality”Slowing
An eternity is like a day to You
Merely a watch in a long night
Each day seems an eternity to me
This watch being all I know
Meet me in the middle?
Eternity can stretch as it likes in all directions
Present; I meet You the only place I can
Presence; You are the only place I am
Here in eternity we still live day by day
Watching together for the dawn Continue reading “Slowing”
Merely a watch in a long night
Each day seems an eternity to me
This watch being all I know
Meet me in the middle?
Eternity can stretch as it likes in all directions
Present; I meet You the only place I can
Presence; You are the only place I am
Here in eternity we still live day by day
Watching together for the dawn Continue reading “Slowing”
Plans
“Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things
but only one thing matters.” – Luke 10:41 (paraphrase)
All those big plans? Sing them a lullaby
Let them rest awhile undisturbed
Some I will wake at the right time
Some will slumber until they dissipate
Will you give them to me anyway?
Child, here at my feet you are becoming
For that end, the doing may wait
but only one thing matters.” – Luke 10:41 (paraphrase)
All those big plans? Sing them a lullaby
Let them rest awhile undisturbed
Some I will wake at the right time
Some will slumber until they dissipate
Will you give them to me anyway?
Child, here at my feet you are becoming
For that end, the doing may wait
Lawrence and Virginia
The poem was a failure
Its reference point an obscure monk
Known mostly for doing dishes
Who found it was not too bad if
You could see Christ reflected in the suds
Continue reading “Lawrence and Virginia”
Recipe for brown-butter scrambled eggs
Why wait until the weekend for a lovely twist on a classic dish?
This recipe is easy enough for everyday use!
Step 1
In a small saucepan
Begin to melt a pat of butter
Step 2
Here’s where you can add your own flair
A bit of personality to the dish!
Hear something crash in the background –
Investigate –
or
Escape for a moment in an interesting article –
Best if it’s longform –
or
Finish packing lunches –
For as many people as your house holds –
or
Pick up the living room –
Just until it’s clean, mind you –
or
You get the idea.
On Putting Off What Really Matters
I.
a month later
the house in order
I sit down and wonder
where the time goes
when important work is at hand Continue reading “On Putting Off What Really Matters”
Greetings to a New Routine
You and I are hardly acquainted,
But I think I like you! Continue reading “Greetings to a New Routine”
The Neverending Summer
1.
In the heat of late summer
I long for a change
Watching through the warm nights for a sign
Of the approaching season
In the moments before I drift off
Carried on stagnant, humid air to fitful sleep
I long for a touch of winter’s icy hand
For need of the neglected blanket Continue reading “The Neverending Summer”
Take a Number!
mind humming with ideas,
a steady stream of better habits
and an endless list of life goals
(as if I will care at the end
whether I was that well rounded)
I choose instead to remain imbalanced, Continue reading “Take a Number!”
In Pursuit of More 