Once More into the Breach

Cloaked in red,

Towering Athena

No longer hidden away,

no longer to be ignored, dismissed, discarded.

Arms outstretched

face upturned to the Sun

Sword at the ready,

armour glinting in newdawn light

Battle cry on my lips-

Hear my song,

Steely resolve in my gaze
Standing strong against the surge.

I have always seen myself as something of a mouse, small, unseen, even unimportant, but in recent months that perception has begun to change. I can not even quite pinpoint where this perception of myself came from. As a child I was among the physically smallest in my class, and I was quiet & bookish & shy. As I grew into my teens I nurtured this image as a safe place to hide. If I was invisible no one could expect anything, or ask anything, of me.
But lately I have been hearing the people around me telling me something different; that I am strong, powerful, wise, lovely, and a force to be reckoned with. And slowly I have started to believe it, to see myself as God made me, as others see me.
My poetry is my voice, a voice of passion, of prophecy, of praise. Like me it is quiet, and often overlooked, but I hope, when you do look, it changes you, as it changes me.
On Sunday morning, during worship I could see myself, no longer small and unimportant, but tall & strong, not just tall, but towering. I was in a room so filled with light I could not see the walls, the floor, the ceiling, I almost felt suspended, outside of time & space, except my feet were firmly planted. I marveled at it, almost wept for the wonder of it all.

Into Spring

In warming spring breezes I hear your song

Crooning whispers, a kiss of hope & joy

Spring comes anew to a heart long frozen

By winter’s icy grasp

New buds burst with exuberance

Blooming quickly, a garden overflowing, a riot of colour

Alive with song

And I,

Even I step from winter’s bonds

And turn my face to the sun

Aquarius

Thigh deep

In

Rushing

Rising

Water

Feet planted

Firm on the rock below

Cool, passionate water

Races, caresses my splayed fingers

Face lifted to the rain, falling from a sundrenched sky

Above the waters’ roar

I hear their cry…

Those unable to see or feel this flood

Replenished, revived

I turn again

Fill the vessel in my hand

Aquarius, carrying Water

To the dry and thirsty.

I have been wondering at the number of broken & hurting people I know, and everywhere I turn I see more of them. By no means do I have it "all together" but I somehow feel like I am supposed to give them what I have...and this is what I have-rivers of living water.

It is Well

You breathe

and

the mountain

in my path

retreats;

Insignificant on the horizon

Standing now on

a sea of golden green,

waves shimmering in the sun.

The earth thrums beneath my feet

Sweet scented breezes whisper

Your lovesong

In my ear.

Grasshopper hum joins

The harmonic of the grasses

Killdeer song, eagle cry

My heart is overfull

It is well, all is well,

All is well

The morning of my birthday, as I was praying, I asked to be shown something of what the coming year might hold. At first what I saw was a mountain, but in the blink of an eye it retreated, became small & distant on the horizon and what spread before me was a floodplain, a sea of tall golden grass. It is difficult to describe, as what I saw was more a feeling than a sight, but I stood alone on this plain, but I felt like I had come home. I felt safe, at peace, joyful, content....and for as small as I was in that expanse, I felt powerful. I knew it was going to be a very good year.