Welcome Spring #Imayo #Poetryform

Im awakened by the dawn – warmth sings over me

golden purples in the sky -voices welcome spring

life awakens in the light – blue reds on the wing

yellow faces to the sun – green hands clap in rain

Imayo – is a japanese poetry form

a four line poem with 12 syllables each broken into

7-5, 7-5, 7-5, 7-5

The Imayo was originally intended to be sung. Not the restrictions like a haiku

And thanks to The Spinstress who introduced me to this form.

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You Are Not Alone #song #hope #faith

This lovely praise song O My Soul (Casting Crowns) echoes in my head.

“Oh my soul

you are not alone

there’s a place where fear

Has to face the God you know

One more day

He will make a way

Let Him show you how

You can lay this down, you can lay this down…”

There are so many places we look for assurance when we are lonely, dejected. Jesus really does want us to run into His arms and throw all these cares to the side. Yes we will cry, yes we will ask why, yes we will…

There are so many places in Psalms to curl up with a coffee or tea and be encouraged.

“”May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you.” Psalm 20:1

“Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted, The troubles of my heart have enlarged: bring me out of my distresses.” Psalm 25:16 & 17

“Give ear to my prayer, O God, And do not hide Yourself from my supplication. Attend to me and hear me; I am restless in my complaint and moan noisily.” Psalm 55:1 & 2

“But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer (s).” Psalm 66:19

“If I say ‘my foot slips,’ Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up,” Psalm 94:18

“I cry out with my whole heart…” Psalm 119:145

Cry out with your whole heart. He hears you and and wishes to comfort you in your days of sorrow and trouble.

If Ever… #poem #love

If ever I forget to say the words

my lips will form “I love you”

If ever my gaze wanders in the distance

my eyes will sparkle “us”

If ever my mind is on a journey

my memories are of Africa

If ever I forget the words

I always love you

A late Valentine for so many who have “lost the words”

Ocean’s Cathedral #water #poetry #photography

On the edge of tomorrow

in the middle of the light

there’s a place of singing

in the day and the night

by the waters edge

no need to be alone

a cathedral of the ocean

a crustacean’s home

where all are welcome

no formality here

wear sand in your shoes

seaweed in your hair

God has created a beautiful world for us to enjoy. The celebration does not have an end date. Not with Christ. The Cross took the expiration date away.

So let us enter into this holiday season with Thanksgiving, grateful hearts and admiration for the love of Jesus.

Downcast #poetry #photography #hopeless

I drop my head

worth less of  love

hereby detest

things I have done

my shoulders sag

of life’s travails

belated tears

my spirit fails

nights I have prayed

for death to come

 you held me fast

await the dawn

the world it hates

your gift of love

it matters not

the Son has won

The enemy wants to pull us to our lowest low.  How sad when hope for tomorrow is death.

Have you been at the edge of hopeless?

Even mighty men like the prophet Elijah came to the end of hope. He asked for God to write “The End” as his world caved in.

David was another of God’s chosen who ran for his life from a friend bent on killing him.  What determination this man David had, he was joyful even as his enemy was at his heels.

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,  for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

~Psalm 43:5

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

~Psalm 51:10

The First Light #poetry #light

Beneath the first light

I raise my heart in supplication

lift me up Oh Lord

off my trembling knees

life’s burdens hold me down

*

Beneath the first light

my eyes to meet the sun

reflections on the hill

beckoned to dance

nature all around

*

Beneath the first light

I raise my voice to sing

notes like butterflies

I am reminded I am free

no shackles hold me down

“If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things… And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world , and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

John 3:12 & 19

This Will Never… #flashfiction #scifi #reenasxplorationchallenge

Reena’s Absolutely challenging Challenge –> Welcome back! RXC PROMPT #233 ravaged inner space unable to account for entries and exits who came, who destroyed, who left? a soul transformed forever 

It had happened. The event that all of us had trained for.

“This will never happen…” Our O.T. said loudly to our group.

“Why are we doing this then?” An intern very young, very inexperienced had asked.

“They always ask us to do things that they cannot explain the rationale for…” A very seasoned staff person chimed in.

We went through the drill. Most of it was what you would expect; it was the immediate shut-down no matter who was in the facility that bothered us.

“What happens to civilians?” One of my co-workers whispered.

“Hopefully they are in the unit when close-down initiates or they will be radiated.”

“Even kids?”

I gulped not wanting to answer the affirmative.

“But this will never happen..”

Those words were in a free fall as the yellow then red lights began their cycle of warning. Layers of lead, silicone and carbon were forming a domelike shield around our installation. We were essential personnel and our lives were more valuable than gold. Each of us had a skill set that would keep things going indefinitely.

“Health inspector 1 you must report to the infirmary – double time.”

I grabbed my insulated helmet and ran to my post. I ran past people who were clearly in shock. Those empty eyes wanted to scream ‘Help.’

All my medical training was of no assistance. They were civilians caught in inner space with no role to play and no exit except a few moments of 500 millirems/ min radiation (a deadly amount) if they were to exit.

“My daughter. I can’t find my daughter.” A woman screamed.

Against protocol, I called in a request to divert to find the child.

“Inspector 1 – what is your ETA?”

“Can you cue in a 10 minute diversion code. I need to help a civilian.”

“Negative Health 1 !!”

I never pulled my rank. Number 1 reflected that I was the highest grade health practitioner on the facility.

“No problem main operator. I am calling off as sick. Maybe some radiation leakage. I will check back in tomar…”

“Health 1 you are cleared with a 10 minute diversion.”

“Excellent.” I turned my walkie off.

I looked at the frantic mama and grabbed her hand. “We will find that girl of yours. We will not allow her soul to be transformed forever…”

Photo “Sealed Off” © moondustdesigns 2015

This flash fiction is sparked by the prompt and the picture that is a bomb shelter beneath a museum.

The Lake of Gold #photochallenge

There was a legend an age and a half ago – it was about a lake of gold.

“A curse,” they said “was placed upon the lake.”

Anyone who drank from the lake of gold would turn to stone.

In the lake there lived a bird who had a long beak that could catch fish but could never drink.

A girl would watch every morning as the sun was awakening and the gold was rippling. In her hands was a single drink of water saved for the bird with the special beak.

Each morning the bird would strut to the girl. He gave her a shy little smile.

Once he brought her a fish as a gift. She washed the fish and it turned to gold.

When the villagers heard about the golden fish, they became greedy. A man watched the girl as she greeted the bird.

One day the girl did not come. A man came in her place with a hand full of water. The bird would not come near. The man slapped the water in anger. One drop got into his mouth and he turned to stone.

The next day the girl came to her bird with a small handful of water and he looked at her with a shy smile…

Written for Slack Photo Prompt photo above.

Wake Up #alarmclock #fiction #reenaschallenge

Here are the prompts to Reena’s xploration challenge #232. Underscore Challenge!!!

1. I’m going to defeat you with the power of friendship! … And this knife I found.
2. I’m sick and tired of being called ‘mortal’ like, you don’t know that. Neither do I. I have never died even ONCE. Nothing has been proven yet. Stop making assumptions. It’s rude.
3. Some of you may die, but that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.
4. Not trying to brag or anything, but I can wake up without an alarm clock now simply due to my crippling and overwhelming anxiety, so…

It was not that long ago that I was like you. I woke when the rooster crowed or when the clock rang a long buzz. I can’t call it an alarm clock because that is so overstated in a mere buzz. But let me explain…

I was in an old historic town looking at cemeterys. Why did I think that was a nice way to spend my holiday? I guess because I like to take photographs of nothing important except symbols of life.

I was intrigued by this rather old clock in the window of a house where the window latches were hanging the wrong way and the door knob was at a very low level. It was as if the door and the windows were upside down.

I took a picture of the clock. I took another.

“That’s odd” I looked around to no one standing there. “The hands are moving backward.”

The pendulum was a very large spoon and it caught my reflection. When I moved away my reflection was still in the spoon. I was upside down. I looked around.

“This is rather odd. Isn’t it?” I called to a man across the street. “The hands are going backward.” I said much louder.

He shook his head and moved quickly the other way.

I went home not really sure what that had been about. Then I noticed the clock over my stove.

“Not working.” I flicked at the plastic.

Several minutes later I came back and the time had moved backward.

“That’s nonsense. Too much heat on my brain today.”

I set my alarm clock and fell asleep. A cat or something was screeching in the silent night fog. I turned on the light to see the time.

“What time is it Really?” I asked the alarm clock.

I called a service on my phone that would give the proper time. “The time is four twenty two…”

I called back ten minutes later. “The time is four twelve pm”

“How can time go backwards? Where does it end up? Is it going back for everyone?”

I lined up all the clocks in my house. I watched as each one worked backwards in time. I waited for the buzz that never came.

‘I wondered will I wake up from this? What will I happen when I wake up? What time is it really?????’

Image: “Antique Spoon Clock”© Moondust Designs 2014

Two Sides #poetry #heat #2faces

I was Janus once

a shiny side

a muted side

put all happiness aside

It wasn’t me

it certainly wasn’t you

for one day I was famous

then a hot wind blew it away

I spun the coin

heads or tales

to be or not to be

there’s no answer to the question

but there are always two sides

The prompt for Reena’s Xploration 231 is to reflect on the Poem “How to Be Alone by Padraig O Tuama

Reflect on How to Be Alone