Tag: Faith

If

~ Elizabeth W. Marshall ~ 4 Comments

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If

If I  bend, stoop and reach
At the sound of the cold North wind
And the rugged and raging sea
Harmonizing with the  creak
Of my wrinkled, old,  boney knees
A symphony of natural beauty
Stirs my soul as I search
For treasure left lying along the shore
For me
For me
For me

If the curve of my back is a bold black cleft
Or more like a twisted ampersand
And my heart beat slows
At the sight of gifts the generous sea has left
I wonder then
And now if

I raise the conch to my ear to hear
WIll the answers pour out
Or just sediment, sand and dirt

Will it whisper the secrets
I have walked here to find
Resting in windswept wet
And dry, brittle sand
Will it answer my questions
One at a time
Simple and clear
Plain for this wanderer
In search
Of clarity, comfort, forgiveness and
Peace

Or when the shell
Is pressed cold to my cheek
Will I  hear only hauntingly
Monotone whispers
Familiar yet coded
That sound like the sea
A white noise of shushing and whooshing
Moans from the earth, like a chant from the monks
Worshipping high in the hills

And if that’s all that enters my soul
By way of my cold pink ear
The comfort of a lullaby fresh from the
Mouth of the ocean floor
That is more than enough
For me
For me
For me

It is miracle
Marvelous
Mystery

And I am now no longer in need
I want nothing, nothing
More
I have heard peace be with you
From the lips of the Sea.

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Joining Jennifer Dukes Lee for #tellhisstory and Emily for #imperfectprose

Imagining

~ Elizabeth W. Marshall ~ 1 Comment

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Imagining

She curled up in his lap
Buried her face in her hands
And ran
Imagined world without end amen
The lost were found
All fear removed
Like coring an apple
Making it safe
Fear extricated
The seeds no longer there
To choke or spoil.

She lay down on a bed with Hope
After praying real and loud and hard
Knelling  worn-out knees on a wooden floor
Wrote her modern Psalms,
Asking, no begging
For life void of fear, recalling
Floods of faithfulness
Hearing whispers
Harbingers
Forecasting peace
At last, peace at last.

She looked out at the silver moon
Imagined her torso cloaked in borrowed armor of  brave
Stepping on shadows then into the light
Pondering what to wear
Battles need armor
Customized
Just her size
Fit matters, it must be precise
No borrowing armor
Like worry

No ill-fitting suit of another
Bare skin for battle

Choose wise she heard
In the still of the night
To wear bold
And brave
By day
And by night
Imagine
Look left and look right

Imagine
All fear’s been
Removed from this place

I love you, I heard you
Go, run your race
Imagine the wings  I’ve
Sewn to your back
Fly
Unencumbered, fly fast, fly free
At last
Sweet dreams as
She lay curled up in his lap.

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Joining my dear friend Sandra Heska King at Sandra Heska King dot com 

The Sun Unleashed

~ Elizabeth W. Marshall ~ 1 Comment

wpid-IMG_20140203_110600.jpgThe Sun Unleashed

The sun unleashed its radiant heat
Reminding me  it was still there,
Still very much alive
A diamond gilded tiara worn by her, proudly from on high
The crown of glory beams from her home
A cerulean azure sky
Though every shade and hue of gold
Is cast down from above
There remains residual cold
From a time not that long ago
And just because the sun may shine
I cannot find my way
Just yet
For I am stalled and stuck
And a little left behind

Still lingering in  a winter of the soul.

But I am hopeful
And aware of grace
They never left
Neither of these two
Both mercifully
Remain, a blanket, a covering
Attend me even now
And patiently they wait for me
Call me to come out and play

They’ve gone ahead to melt the ice and snow
And promise to return
To warm my heart one day
Thaw out
These places that remain
Frozen

A little dark and cold

The sun unleashed
Its power today
And I know Hope will lead me
Into Spring
Where new life regenerates
Erupts, painting everything in every hue and shade of green
And we’ll forget
The cold and dark
No memory of this season
We’ll leave it all behind

And thank the unleashed lioness
The day the wild and fiercely glorious
Sun, she could not
Not shine.

Across From You

~ Elizabeth W. Marshall ~ 5 Comments

wpid-IMG_20140219_125837.jpgAcross From You

There are things more mysterious than this
Like how the moon shines down on earth
From the darkest place way off
In outer space
Throws moon glow on my bare and wintry lawn
Waxing, waning always remaining
The same
When things around me scream uncertainty and
Change
Like a child I seem dumbfounded
As  I grasp for understanding
And struggle to explain

There are things more mysterious than this
Though it feels complex and nearly unknowable to me
Like how
The dog loves so devotedly
The parrot learns to mimic so quickly
And the dolphin smile like human beings
Wide with their winsome grins

But all the same I find it curious
And a riddle in my fragile soul
How this gift of you and me
Is permanent and unshakeable
In this crazy wildly spinning orb

How I can sit across from you
And you from me
And have you
Mine my hurts and ease my pain
Complete my sentences
And read my mind
Find what’s hidden and buried deep
Keep me from floating off the edge
Rushing in and giving life
Bringing light when darkness blankets my soul

How you can celebrate my victories
As if they were your own
Cheer me on and dry my tears
Say the one thing I need to hear
Be my advocate and my guide
Shore me up when I am sinking fast

Though I seek beauty everyday
I stumble on the mysteries still
And I and you are added in that mix
The swirling mingling blend of two
For how can I ever come to understand
A love as complex and beautiful as this

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Joining Lyli for Thought Provoking Thursday