Ice Crystals and Beaver Trees- 16 Feb 08

Winter is hanging on by a tenuous thread of frozen water and a
tired shred of woody fiber in South Lancaster, MA. Even with
yesterday's eight inches of fresh snow, the sun is triumphantly
warming up all the cold places to the dripping stage and I am
delighted with both the beauty of a winter day and the brightness
of a spring promise:

"Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,
So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth" (Psalm 119:88)

Sing Me a Riddle

A certain assignment of mine was to try my hand at writing a riddle. I must admit that my fingers have never tried their skills on such a project and so am curious if anyone can figure it out... a certain MLK is not allowed to post her guess as she already knows the answer.

I come bearing blossoms

Sweetly heralding the bride of summer,

Vestured newly in the ivory of Lily of the Valley.

Grandparents sigh and point smiling to see me

Scattering Hepaticas

As I mince my way down the springy, new, green carpet,

I have slipped off my snowy sandals,

Flaunting my fine toes in their own brown flesh.

My voice is fresh:

The laughter of a child,

The chirp of birds made cheerful

In familiar places.

I am five, always young again after many years

Mostly past weeping except for in my joy.

My tresses are garlanded with baby Beech leaves,

The May-flower called Trailing Arbutus,

The Pea sprouts of a new planting,

Green twigs, perfuming my paths with growth;

All nourished by my warm nature

And the sunny smile of my wide, blue eyes.

February- 4 Feb 08

Spring I think, has been sneaking in
To visit my little grey horse,
Coaxing his long fur out
To play and swirl in the damp air.
It falls driftingly about me
Much like the snow still on the ground,
Clinging to my coat,
Melting into my hair,
Turning me into a frosted lump
Personalized by white;
Aging me suddenly with silver,
Springing upon me
An essence of warmth
As I stand here shivering
With my furry horse.

Three Grecian Thoughts

1. Dorm Room
Cell of solitude and endless productivity,
Often forsake for laughter and sunshine

2.
Give me not a book of philosophy, concerned with
Turns of speech and logic,
Give me a mountain and a horse without reins
And I will learn from the Master

3.
A mix of vegetables and protein we call Greek,
And many cultures make up America;
I do anything to you, you call it hate--
Where is the broad assumption for love?

Shagbark Hickory- 2 Feb 08

Beneath your shards of flaking skin

I admire your stretching arms

Spanning the blue sky about you

In an embrace of time.

You make my eyes shine,

They catch the sun as I look up at you;

Your girth makes me feel slender

As a willow, next to you

I am tiny and bright

And wondering.

Imposing giant, your feet

Reach far below mine, your crown

Watches my hair

Blowing in a lower breeze.

You've weathered days I cannot fathom

Storms that would leave me shivering

If given sway.

But while you taste the sky

I am rooted,

While you groan, I laugh.

For you, days melt into days,

Snow and mud about your trunk

Until you splinter, never knowing

Today, or me, or Sabbath.

A New "Hebrew" Psalm- 1 Feb 08

Your servant is overhwhelmed by Your mercy,
Your child is in awe of Your character;
Your daughter will sing Your praises,
Your dear one lays herself at Your feet.
Oh Lord, You have allowed her to be tested,
You have surely brought her into narrow places.
You have placed Your hand upon her;
With Your fingers You have shown her Your way.
In Your kindness You have revealed that which will hurt her,
Yea, even the dangers of self-will You have made clear,
You have freed her from her bondage
And now even with self she praises You;
With Your graces she opens her mouth,
Her tongue moves at the urging of Your love.
Her being is filled with Your wonder;
At Your feet she awaits Your bidding with song.

Praise God for Words

Those of you who know me know that I am not a master of spoken English... I use a lot of "ums" and "likes" and "you knows", and I stutter sometimes, and in general, I have the unclean lips of Isaiah 6:5. But tonight God did indeed touch my lips with His living coal and I can only praise His name. I hardly remember exactly what I said or even the experience in general, except that I suddenly felt comforted as I stood in the front of the College Church, looking out on the faces of my peers--God was next to me, and as I spoke of His guidance in my life, I knew that He had guided me to that very spot. Yes, sometimes we will be led where we don't want to go, to the podium perhaps in order to speak at a student week of prayer, but God most certainly will give the right words in due season and will purify our lips.