Work in progress

I wrote this one after doing some star gazing last week. It's not finished yet but here's what I've got so far.

Stop looking down child,
From where you are – 5 foot 6 above the ground
And all you can see
Is yourself
And the bumps in the road ahead.

Stop looking down child,
But turn your gaze heavenward,
Turn your face to the One who gives you life,
And the One who knows your path.

Stop looking down child,
Placing yourself as the head of your life
But remember
I AM

Stop looking down child,
And remember that acquiring riches
Is like grasping for the wind
But I am your solid rock.

Stop looking down child,
Let the light of the stars kiss your cheeks,
Let my strong hands guide your feet,
And let the wind of my spirit blow through your life.

Stop looking down child,
Look intently to me,
Let the clouds that block the stars always remind you
That I am your strength.
These clouds too will pass,
But I will stay the same.

Lost For Words

I am spectacularly, wonderfully
Lost for words
You amaze me, astound me
Take my breath away
I am lost in Your presence
And now I understand
My life is nothing more than Your story
I live for nothing less than Your glory
I am lost to myself
You indwell me, live through me
You do all things for Your glory alone
I have died to myself
So that You can live through me
It’s not about me
It’s for You
For Your glory!

For such a time as this

Maybe it’s time for a redefinition
A time for a difference, a change of position
I’ve been placed here, brought here, given a mission
For such a time as this

Do I stand? Do I shout? Do I fall to my knees?
Should I change my perspective? Should I aim just to please?
On one side is the world, telling me ‘stay’
On the other, a new voice saying, ‘lead the way’

I am insignificant, a small part to play
Lost and confused, I shouldn’t be here today
I am but a child, straining, reaching for hope
How can I be expected to carry this load?

Maybe it’s time for a redefinition
Time for a difference, a change of position
I’ve been placed here, brought here, given a mission
For such a time as this

The cares of the world: hunger, war and injustice
Does it really matter what this one child says?
The children unborn are all counting on me
Amongst all these voices, with whom to agree?

The weight of a people, the burden of a friend
How can I hope to make a difference in the end?
Low expectations, low standards, a difficult climb
I can break the cycle, one prayer at a time

Maybe it’s time for a redefinition
Time for a difference, a change of position
I’ve been placed here, brought here, given a mission
For such a time as this

Natania's Cookies

Baking cookies
On a hot and humid day.
The wind is blowing,
A storm is coming.
Standing over the mixing bowl.


Tiny hands reach up,
Are they ready yet?
Come help me make these cookies!


Baking cookies
On a hot and humid day.
The sky is darkening,
Doors are blowing.
Mixing chocolate chips in.


Tiny fingers
Wrap around the wooden spoon.


Baking cookies
On a hot and windy day.
In the distance
Thunder crashes.
Placing cookies on a tray.


Chocolate covered face
Licking the spoons.


Baking cookies
On a hot and rainy day.
The clouds break,
Rain pours down.
Watching at the oven door.


Eager eyes, eager tummy,
Waiting for a yummy snack.


Baking cookies
On a hot and humid day.
Rain pours,
Lightning flashes.
Placing cookies on the cooling racks.


Tiny feet jumping
Up and down,
Can I taste one?


Eating cookies
On a hot and humid day.
Watch the rain,
Watch the lightning!

Eating fresh baked cookies.

The Lord's Prayer

When I said “Your will be done”
I didn’t mean it
My mind asked for what was good
But my heart longed for what I don’t know

When I said “My daily bread”
I didn’t mean it
My mind asked for what was right
But my heart yearned for so much more

When I say “Take it all”
I mean it
Take my mind I can’t control
Take my heart that’s growing cold
Take my life that I can’t hold together

Fallen

Just when I thought
I had all the answers
I’m suddenly left
With nothing but questions
Just when I thought
I was I was winning the war
I’m suddenly knocked
To the floor, to my knees

Chorus
But you pick me up
And you dust me off
And you stand me up again
Because I’ll never learn to stand
If I don’t fall and get up again

Just when I thought
What I thought was true
I’m suddenly left
With a battle to lose
Just when I thought
My armour was strong
I’m suddenly knocked
To the floor, to my knees

Chorus
But you pick me up
And you dust me off
And you stand me up again
Because I’ll never learn to stand
If I don’t fall and get up again

Just when I thought
I was standing on the shore
I’m suddenly in
Way over my head
Just when I thought
I knew what was right
I’m suddenly knocked
To the floor, to my knees

Chorus
But you pick me up
And you dust me off
And you stand me up again
Because I’ll never learn to stand
If I don’t fall and get up again

Bridge
When I fall, I know
You catch me
Gently hold me

Rugged Colors

This Poem was published in
"The Sherbrooke Record"
on December 17th, 2007

No scarlet silk,
No green satin,
A Baby born
In the world’s sin.

No silver coins,
No golden ring,
No luxury
For this young King.

Rugged colors
Surround the King,
And lowly men,
With joy they sing.

For unto them
A Child is born,
A King to bear
The world’s scorn.

No royal green,
No purple hues,
No noble red,
No subtle blues

But still the King
Chose to come down
From streets of gold,
To paths of brown.

Ireland

There’s a gray sky over Ireland
Like usual
But over us, the only spot of blue
Walking through a cemetery
In the cool shadows of a 500 year old church
Dad’s motto: Always look around the corner
There it is
An intricately carved cross
Rising splendidly over the moss covered wall
Ivy crawling up towards the sun.
Shutters open and close
Then we turn back
And walk back through knee high grass and weeds
Maybe we’ll eat at a castle next
Thanks for an awesome trip, Dad!

This Moment

Staring at the ceiling
Watching memories of who I am,
Of who I was
‘Cause this moment’s almost gone now
There’s no stopping the music
And I can’t stop this heart from beating
Even the moment that seemed so endless
Is nothing but a memory of who I am,
Of who I was
‘Cause this moment’s almost gone now
There’s no stopping the music
And I can’t stop this heart from beating
But I can make this heartbeat count
So, Lord, take each memory of who I am,
Of who I was
Use me, use this moment
Keep your music playing
And keep this beating heart set on you
Use me, starting with this moment
Use each memory to form me into who I am,
Who I will be

I Wonder...

This Poem was published in
"The Sherbrooke Record"
on December 14th, 2007

I wonder…
Who am I?
I know who I am
But do you?
The picture you see
Is not all there is.

I wonder…
Who are you?
I know what I see
But do you?
The picture I see
Is not all there is.

I wonder…
Who are we?
I know who I am
I see who you are
But do you know me,
Do I know you,
Do I know me?
What I know
Is not what you see,
Is not all there is.

Father

This poem is for my father,
whom I love very much
and who teaches me new stuff every day

From the first time you saw my little pink face,
And heard my screeching wail,
You’ve been by my side,
Helping,
Teaching,
Correcting.

You held my hand
When I took my first step,
You listened closely
When I spoke my first word.

You had your camera ready
At my first ballet show,
You cheered the loudest
At my first baseball game.

Now when you see my zit covered face,
And even when I complain,
I know you’re still by my side,
Helping,
Teaching,
Correcting.

You still help me up
When I trip and fall,
And you’re there to listen
When I need to talk.

You still take your camera
To immortalize my special events,
And you still cheer the loudest
For my accomplishments.

I’m sure when you see my first child’s pink face,
And hear her screeching wail,
You’ll be there,
Helping,
Teaching,
Spoiling,
Just like a grandfather should.

I Am

I am a child
I am a daughter
I am a sister
I am a child

I am an artist
I am a thinker
I am a dreamer
I am an artist

I am a friend
I am a listener
I am a comforter
I am a friend

I am a stranger
I am an individual
I am a mystery
I am a stranger

Untitled for the Unknown

If you have picked this up,
It is not for you.
If you are reading this,
It is not for you.

This is for those who will not read it,
This is for those whose fingers
Will never touch these pages
And whose eyes will never see.

This is for the blind,
The deaf,
The dead,
The illiterate,
This is not for you.

This is for the lost,
The hungry,
The poor,
The sick,
This is not for you.

If you have picked this up,
It is not for you.
If you are reading this,
It is not for you.

How do You See Me

Father, how do you see me?
As a daughter
As a first child
And a new beginning.

Mother, how do you see me?
As a child
As someone to teach
And to learn from.

Sister, how do you see me?
As a friend
As a comforter
And someone to giggle with.

Brother, how do you see me?
As an accomplice
As a listener
To talk about your tough days.

Friend, how do you see me?
As a buddy
As someone crazy
And someone you can count on.

Teacher, how do you see me?
As a student
As one of the crowd
But with an individual character.

Stranger, how do you see me?
As a mystery
As someone new
And a new story to hear.

A Mother

A mother is
A comforter
When tears spill out.

A mother is
A listener
When words come slowly.

A mother is
A helper
When the load is heavy.

A mother is
A shoulder
When eyes are weary.

A mother is
A corrector
When a lesson must be learned.

A mother is
A caregiver
When illness is around.

A mother is
A protector
When the great big world is dangerous.

A mother is
A mother,
Always there
Loving, caring, helping, forgiving
From life’s first cry to final breath
A mother.

Sing for Me

Sing for me the song of the trees,
Hum the tune of the rustling leaves,
Drum the beat of the running sap,
Feel the rhythm of the dripping tap,
Crescendo through the rising limbs,
Then falling from the evergreen pins,
Whisper now a new ring’s birth,
Echo the old, falling to the earth,
Finish with a gentle breeze,
Sing for me the song of the trees.

Comment écrire

Comment écrire
Si je ne connais pas la langue?
Cette langue, comme l’eau
Coulante, fillante entre mes doigts
Et mes penssées, comme des milliers de petits poissons
Scintillantes et frémissantes
Sans que je puisse les attraper.

Comment écrire
Dans cette langue, comme les étoiles?
Si liontaine, si visible
Mais intouchable
Et mes idées qui s’enfuient
Dans les vents de cet univers interminant.

Comment écrire
Dans cette langue qui n’est que silence?
Mais qui dit tout
Dans un regard
Dans un sourire

Comment écrire
Dans cette langue d’une telle beautée?
Coulante, fillante, élégante
Intouchable, inateignable
Cette langue que je ne connais point…

A Drangon's Story

When dragons flew in the wind that blew
In the days when knights would ride,
And beast and man across the land
Would join wars side by side
T’was in those days when man would praise
His glorious, flying steed,
On a winter morn’ when the sun was warm
That a dragon was in need.

Now the dragon kind has a brilliant mind
With which none could compare,
But when in need all men should heed
Lest the dragon kind despair.
In the battle field with sword and shield
Men and dragons fought,
But a little one who had just begun,
Breathe fire, he could not

He was caught between a sword’s brilliant sheen
And a dragon’s frightful glare
His master lay not far away,
Eyes locked in an icy stare.
And all around fierce battle sounds
Filled the dragon’s ears
And in his pain he cried in vain
His small heart filled with fear.

As the sword was drawn all hope was gone
For this dragon’s final fight,
The shining tip of the sword was lit
With a blinding ray of light.
Then down it came with flawless aim
And sank into his flesh
No help had come for this dragon’s son
Who died this terrible death.

Then rose a sound so great it drowned
All other battle cries,
The dragons flew in a last adieu
As the men gaped at the skies.
And though knights tried, looking far and wide
For the dragons who were once friends
Not a single one under moon or sun
Was ever seen again.

She's Dancing

She’s dancing in a wind of gray,
She’s dancing with a smile on her face,
And a tear running down her cheek.

She’s dancing though the song has faded,
She’s dancing though she’s filled with pain,
And all around the world mourns.

She’s dancing in a rain of sorrow,
She’s dancing looking to tomorrow,
And the rain is running down her face.

She’s dancing in the hope she’s found,
She’s dancing on a barren ground,
But in her heart, the sun is shining.

Through New Eyes

Such a familiar place
But it looks so different,
So new, so enchanting
Through the eye of a camera.

Such a small thing
But it looks so huge,
So important, so majestic
Through the eye of a needle.

Such a familiar scene
But it looks so new,
So captivating, so special
Through the eyes of a child.

Such a normal tradition
But it looks so intriguing,
So inviting, so fresh
Through the eyes of a stranger.

Such a simple picture
But it seems so complex,
So intricate, so beautiful
Through the eyes of an artist.