Sky a vibrant blue.
So bright that it makes your
Whole face squinch up.
Only hours before…
All gray. Wet. Cold.
And hours from now,
Gusts will scud feathery
Clouds across the blue.
Wind rocking oaks and pines.
Saplings and pillars of 100 years,
And some will fall.
But for now, a lull.
Aching beauty, still
And warm.
Time between storms
Is short. And even when
It’s not short, it’s always
Between.
Storms.
Yes, I say,
But that’s weather.
Everyone knows it’s
Never the same.
The only thing to
Truly predict is
The unexpected.
Wait.
So smiling TV suit says
Expect storms,
And I do.
But still small voice
whispers across centuries,
In this world you
Will have trouble.
And I
Keep hoping that
The last storm was
The.
Last.
Storm.
Perhaps I’d be
Better off
Holding a lull
Loosely.
Face to sun,
Eyes squinched,
Sponging up warmth.
But not expecting it
To stay.
Knowing that clear skies
Will give way
To shadow
For as long as we
Remain in a world
Of shadows.
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
-Jesus
(John 16:32-33)
This is my entry on
PEACE
for today’s One Word at a Time
Blog Carnival
24 responses so far ↓
1 katdish // Jan 25, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Wow! Branching out into non-haiku poetry? Very well done.
(Okay, now that’s out of the way)
You’re the FIRST entry in the blog carnival? What kind of alternate universe is this?
2 Bridget // Jan 26, 2010 at 12:30 am
That was so cool! I loved this, Steph.
I’m still a little shocked (like Kat) that you are 1st… woot!
3 Glynn // Jan 26, 2010 at 6:45 am
A poem about peace — and the word isn’t mentioned — but it’s all about peace, because we “remain in a world of shadows.”
4 russell holloway // Jan 26, 2010 at 6:50 am
without storms there is no between storms .
5 joyce // Jan 26, 2010 at 7:54 am
I loved this. I felt the word.
6 Pam // Jan 26, 2010 at 8:14 am
This is beautiful, Steph…
7 Gina // Jan 26, 2010 at 8:24 am
That was lovely.
8 Candy // Jan 26, 2010 at 8:25 am
I really did love this. Really.
Except for the smiling TV suit. Suits are people too.
9 Erin // Jan 26, 2010 at 8:37 am
We live in a world of shadows– so glad for the times between– gifts from a God of grace.
10 Louise // Jan 26, 2010 at 8:46 am
Wow! I love this poem. Peace descends within my heart as I read it.
thanks!
11 Steph at the Red Clay Diaries // Jan 26, 2010 at 9:02 am
Thanks for positive comments. Right before it went live I had a “what was I THINKING?” moment & almost cancelled.
Katdish and Bridget: Well obviously it’s a sign of the apocalypse.
Candy: You are right. Suits are definitely people. In fact, when I wrote that, I was thinking about how I’m more willing to believe a human (any human) than God. Tell Ron Burgundy I still love him.
12 Helen // Jan 26, 2010 at 10:25 am
Beautifully written. I love poems that describe what I’m thinking better than I can. You’ve done that. Love you.
13 S. Etole // Jan 26, 2010 at 11:06 am
nice to have the peace through any kind of weather
14 jasonS // Jan 26, 2010 at 12:13 pm
This is great- loved it. You are quite the poet.
15 Sarah Salter // Jan 26, 2010 at 12:18 pm
“Wind rocking oaks and pines.
Saplings and pillars of 100 years,
And some will fall.”
This was my favorite stanza! It reminds me that ONLY God is eternal and so ONLY He can really by my anchor and my hope in the midst of the storms!
Awesome, Steph!
16 Maureen // Jan 26, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Words about storms, then, now, to come and yet full of peace of acceptance. Lovely.
17 Connie Arnold // Jan 26, 2010 at 7:01 pm
This is beautiful, Steph! Thank you for sharing this and your part in the Blog Carnival about peace.
18 Jo@Mylestones // Jan 26, 2010 at 8:14 pm
You know, for all the self-deprecation that goes on around here, you’d never know there was a poet buried. Until today, of course, when up you arose to encourage us all. Really profound stuff, Steph! (I’d say “really deep stuff”, but I feel like that could be turned too easily into a joke about crap.)
19 Annie K // Jan 26, 2010 at 8:38 pm
You’re a poet and I didn’t even know it. snort!
Very nicely said Steph!
20 JoAnne Bennett // Jan 26, 2010 at 10:22 pm
One former Cali girl to another-great visuals, truly enjoyed reading your poem.
21 Larry // Jan 27, 2010 at 8:30 am
Well said, well wrote.
Larry
22 Kim Ice // Jan 27, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Very nice Steph!
23 L.L. Barkat // Jan 28, 2010 at 10:43 am
“But that’s weather.
Everyone knows it’s
Never the same.”
I loved the half rhyme of ‘weather’ and ‘never’. (Did you even know it was there?
So nice to see you writing poetry!
24 There's Nothing Random About Poetry or Faith // Jan 29, 2010 at 7:04 am
[...] is just one of a whole set that came from a great party. Check ‘em out. Stephanie’s Between Storms Bina’s Weekend Prayer Corrine’s Flickering Flame Laura’s Night Sky [...]
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