Throw Me Away

Proposed antiphon: God blesses us and keeps us, and hereafter will make us new

Sometime in late spring
The pansies were discarded
Dumped in the common area
Behind the houses
Where the blackberries grow
And the morning glories dance
Twisting from cane to cane

There the soil is rich,
Full of grass cuttings and bits of bark
Discarded potting soil
Leaf mould and pine needles -
The detritus of years past

There the essence of green life
Spirals up like slow flame
Through the stems and leaves
Through the curling growing tips
And into the air

You can smell it, see it
Wafting from the full petals
And shining from the generous faces
Of the pansy blooms that grew there
Burgeoning with beauty and life

Throw me away
Cast me aside
Into the dung-heap of creation
Let the sun beat down
And the wild rains fall
Let me bloom

Downspout

Rain comes down
Not every day
But it does come
Sometimes more often than I might like

And under my downspout
I have a watering can
Because when it isn't raining
A very small person likes to wander the yard
Blessing the flowers with water

And in this way
I keep water handy for her
To help her in her mission
And help make the world more beautiful
One drop at a time

May all of our dark rainy days
And all of our sadness
Be similarly transformed into moments
Of sharing and joy

Blessings
LE

A brief flash of consolation

A brief flash of consolation
Is worth months and months of pain
When God bends down to be near us
As He does now and again

Or, is it that in peaceful moments
When our minds slow down
We can notice Divine presence
And we know that God bends down

If we make it to that country
Where we walk in endless light
Then we'll know true consolation
And see Love in all its might

Work to be worthy of that city
Where the very plainest can
Dine at table with Life's master
And help work the Divine plan

That great city has so much joy
It would make the nations cry
We can glimpse it where we're standing
We do not have to die

There every beggar is annointed
(Kings wear no crowns at all)
There the humblest and the smallest
Feel as if they're ten feet tall

There all the troubles that we teethed on
And all the locust stole
Are restored, repaid and healed
We will be made more than whole

There the ending and beginning
Are knit joyfully to one
Errors, missteps, pain and shortfalls
Are completed and are done

Pray to see that holy city
Work to make it here
It is worth our minor troubles
To see our God bends near

Peace,
LE