Poetry
I ran from rain to save my sole,
For fear it wasn’t fit to stand
Where water stood (or even sat)
Without said water seeping in.
I don’t much care for wetted socks,
Much less a single soaking foot;
So when the rain began I fled
For somewhere dry beneath a roof.
How one sole wore unlike its twin
Is something of a mystery;
I thought I treated them the same,
I thought I wore them evenly.
In quiet times I rest assured
And listen to the whispers.
I find a peace that supersedes my mind.
At other times of days
(When I'm taking in the sights),
I end up on the edge of being crushed.
Oh that I would learn to trust in
What I know to be the truth,
And turn away from visions of despair.
I know that it's not always easy,
Wrangling our restless descendants;
I know there are times in your days when
Your sanity is in remnants.
Each time you encounter the hardships,
I can't help but marvel again
At how you resemble the ocean:
A sight to behold in the wind.
A few words I hope you remember,
When our kids make you want to scream:
I know you're the mother for them, and
I'm sure you're the woman for me.
You set the universe in motion,
We’re spinning here as evidence;
Sunshine filters down and finds us
To brighten up our circumstance.
On top of soothing our emotions,
That sphere of glowing gas in space,
Has given us the light we need
As long as we’ve been counting days.
Right now we’re sticking to this planet,
Sticking to it actually,
Thanks to laws for our protection
To be specific, gravity.
You either mixed the perfect gases,
Or custom fitted us for air;
It doesn’t matter which to me
It works, I breathe, that’s all I care.
All of this and more you put in place,
But rather than just watch us spin,
You’re willing to remain involved
Whenever we invite you in.
I see, therefore I am...aware of death;
Aware that left alone what lives will die.
I’ve noticed how what is, is breaking down,
And beauty fades to naught as day to night.
I can’t escape the fact that pain is real,
I see it in the eyes of those I meet.
I see it in the mirror on my wall.
From time to time it knocks me from my feet.
Evidence has spoken and it’s useless,
To deny that where we live is broken.
Broken like a piece of painted china;
Where all that’s left are hints of what has been.
In spite of this my heart is full of life.
The life intended for my flesh and bones.
So even though I’m dying to the world,
Inside I am alive, my Savior rose!
© 2024 Tennison Shetler.