Sunday, September 19, 2010

BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN LIFE


Wickanninish Beach, Vancouver Island
[posted for the Poetry Pantry
at Poets United]
written August 22, 1998

Yesterday my sister
called me up
to say they were
dropping bombs
on Afghanistan:
peasants bombarded
under a morning sky
another slice of
toxic political pie

Instead of turning
on the news
I walked the beach -
dogs frolicked in the waves
with loopy grins,
as another radiant
west coast day begins
All we can do is send out
love and light,
no limit to how far
our love can reach

A young woman,
huddled under quilts,
says her life "sucks"
while outside
her bedroom door
a little miracle
with jam on his face
needs to know
the world's
a happy place
A child of hope
striving to survive
his mother's pain
living childhood days
of fleeting grace
that will never
come again,
waits for her
to look outward and see
we are all part
of the glorious mystery
life unfolding
when we stop withholding

This morning I read
a polar ice cap
the size of Connecticut
is slowly breaking
and when it does,
whether three years
or five hundred
in the making,
the sea will rise up
in a single night
sweeping the coast away
that's what they say

But all we ever have
is this one day
to be grateful
for each moon
each morning star,
each song that opens doors
to who we are -
we all travel so far
to find that place
of love within
where we finally begin
to know we're not alone
and let love guide
our footsteps
on the journey home

My friend is dreaming
of babies
a little soul is asking
to come through -
she wonders
how can she bring a child
all sweet and new
into a world
so helter-skelter,
so askew

Because I believe in life
and life believes in life
I say -
we open our eyes
to miracles
every day,
are only asked
to give back
what we can
along the way

This afternoon
a young couple
playing music
in the summer sun
set all our toes
a-tapping to the beat -
gracefully, two women
started dancing
on the village street
We all were smiling
because life is fun
These are the moments
when we most feel
as one
each bringing gift's
to the universe's table
as we are able

We all want life
our souls all long
to fly
we bring our babies
into a world
of starshine
and blue sky
of song and wonder
rainbows
love and laughter
and they will thank us after
for giving them the chance
to love and live
to share the joys we know,
give our souls
the chance to grow
while teaching us how much
we have
to give

No matter what
is happening
everywhere
life holds
a million gifts
we still
can share
as simple
as the sun warm
on our faces,
as profound as love
found in
the most unlikely places -
love enough
to plunge our souls in,
fill ourselves right up
with plenty spilling over
to fill our children's cup

Oh how they teach us,
as we share each day,
that the love
that makes us happiest
is the love we give away
In them is our re-birth -
we send them forth
with love too deep to say
trusting that
the beauty of the earth
will carry them
the rest of the way

15 comments:

  1. Beautiful; There is hope and joy daily, we just have to look! There is profound sadness, too. WE have to honor and celebrate joy when it arrives. It is a gift of grace to balance both~xXx

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  2. Thanks, Ellie. I love your comments. Thanks for stopping by......

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  3. Am sure those who have come in contact with you have felt your magic presence, for you are slowly becoming a part of Nature, imperceptibly, and I wouldn't be surprised if one of these days you find yourself whipping up a storm just because you are angry or make a flowerbud bloom just because you want it to!

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  4. Thank you, Manikchand! I am so in love with Mother Earth, and she is sooooooooo beautiful!

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  5. Wonderfully written, Sherry, I can feel the strong emotions from within, thank for sharing=D Mother Earth will be saved by hope and miracle surely =D

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  6. Lovely expressing thoughts of what, why and rebirth...the world is a playground and will always need children to experience and make beautiful what is not so....thank you for sharing...bkm

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  7. war is scary for all,
    the good thing is that we can always rely on kids and their innocent to rediscover love and joy...

    beautiful poem,
    unbeatable spirits.

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  8. We should all learn to live for the day and to attempt to improve life for those around us!Each little drop in the ocean helps. And you expressed the here-and-nowness beautifully.

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  9. We must take our moments of bliss. When we think of what is going on in the world, it makes us feel emotional. A glorious poem, Sherry.

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  10. Your poems are so often depthful, sharing the ups and downs equally. That is what ife is Your words have impact, and I always enjoy visiting your blog.

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  11. Sherry I just love this poem..."I say- we open our eyes to miracles every day"....how true those words are...simply beautiful and true...i love it! :-)

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  12. This was like an eloquent journey you took us on. Really quite impressive.

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  13. Sherry a beautifully written poem and the last stanza is perfect!
    Pamela

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