I was surprised when the counsellor I was seeing told me it would be good for me to attend Alanon. Apparently he didn’t get that I wasn’t the one with the problems – he assured me I was. And, although I was naively surprised, ( if I’d asked my friends…) it also suffused me withContinue reading “How Can These Things Be ?”
Category Archives: Poetry
When the Bough Breaks
A few years ago a back hoe levelled a part of our yard so we could build a patio. I was shocked to see the size of the tree roots that were exposed some 50 feet away from the towering maples on the edge of the yard. I cowered under those trees once during aContinue reading “When the Bough Breaks”
Pronouns
No, I’m not going to ask you for yours or offer mine. I wrote this long before that was a topic of discussion. Years ago I took a writing course at Regent College in Vancouver BC, taught by the wonderful Luci Shaw. It was a smallish class, possibly 30 people, from around the US andContinue reading “Pronouns”
Houseguest
When I was buying a new bed a few years back, the saleman asked me how long I wanted my guests to stay. Apparently there are beds that are comfortable indefinitely, for three days or maybe not even overnight. I’m sure we’ve all had guests we can apply to each of those categories – noContinue reading “Houseguest”
Just Jammin
Over the years I have written dozens and dozens of little ditties, on birthdays and anniversaries, for friends and relatives to honor them and/or poke fun at them. Writing for my grandchildren has been a way for me to communicate the delight I have in both them and poetry. A BREAKFAST POEM FOR LUKE Continue reading “Just Jammin”
Hide and Seek
Several years ago a friend and I went out several nights a week with food, warm clothes and toiletries to minister to the about then 100 homeless people in our city. We knew many of them by name, knew some of their stories and what the factors were that led them to life on theContinue reading “Hide and Seek”
Quenched
My old word processing program used to measure the time I’d spent revising – and there were poems that I worked and reworked for dozens of hours before I was satisfied. But this little poem popped into my mind fully formed. And, perhaps because of that, it’s one of my favorites. I’ve had that happenContinue reading “Quenched”
Believing is Seeing
Although born into a home where faith was scorned, I found myself believing in God from childhood onwards. To my unjaded eyes the wonder and order of the natural world not just spoke but had stamped on every surface, Created by God. How could anyone think otherwise? Indeed. As a teen and young adult IContinue reading “Believing is Seeing”
Heart Surgery
I have kept a journal, where I can safely express the deep longings and raw struggles of my heart for decades. It is Lois 1.0 where I pour out my soul to God. Unedited. He can handle it. But writing poetry is different. For me, at least, that is a process of elimination, purification andContinue reading “Heart Surgery”
