Emptiness—-Wholiness

Been there once before

A hallow space that only, 

it seems, 

Can be filled by Nothingness. 

*

Like the moon tugs upon the ocean tide

As the wind pulls upon the mighty oak

Life’s strain is all too much

Put Nothing in its place

*

Figure slimming

Muscles thinning

Spirit Withering

Now Nothing. 

Where you once were—-

Where life once was

*

The perfect cure

for life’s overbearing power

Refrain

*

Life looses grip 

And you regain control

Ah…but life and you are one

Now together you begin to fade

*

The flowers in the field were wiser than to refrain

They opened wide

Gulped all life offered

Some good some, some bad 

All in the same. 

At 27, Clive has a brow of 35. All the hours of sun beaming down, mixed with dust, and grime, and oil seeping into every crease- it ages one quickly. Yet, the gleam of his eye gives him away, and a flash of his smile all doubt is gone…a young sturdy man. On first acquaintance his personality is abrasive, rude, and maybe even cold; but to those who know, it’s not that at all. As the older in a pair of two, Clive continues barking orders, he yells at the younger to do exactly what has already been done. Onlookers think of him as a harsh drill sergeant, and wonder why the other man would listen to such grumbling; it is apparent that he could shout right back, or drop it all— rebel from such abuse. The younger knows what the other do not, that Clive feels very deeply, loves very purely…it comes out a little odd, a little off, but it is genuine, true love nonetheless. His patience makes a space for Clive’s unusual fraternity. 

‘there is no use trying’ said Alice; ‘one can’t believe impossible things.’ ‘I dare say you haven’t had much practice,’ said the Queen. ‘When I was your age I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I have believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.’ -Lewis Carrol

It started, as most things do, 

with good intentions.

A bird flew by

It dropped a seed

That festered in the plot

Some pride sprouted up

A light flickered by

And ego took its grasp

With a taste of honey

And vanity’s sweet juice

Good intention melted into oblivion

Ambition

Pride

Success

—-all of the worst kind—-

rose to the top.

Good intention turned into 

a bomb.

a disease.

a poison.

a scandal.

a villainous affair. 

The master hid himself for shame. 

The good intention grew

They named it after him

But it was not his design

His was built

of Hope

of Promise

of Progress

And so the shame, 

it melted him. 

tragic really.

How impressive is it that God would LAVISH his love on us?!! Lavish. Check out some of these synonyms for lavish: pamper, shower, pour, free, generous, plentiful, thrust upon. There are barely words to explain the splendour of the fact that the Creator of the Universe would not only give us His love, but freely pour it out, thrust it upon us, utterly cover and wrap us in His perfect, whole, complete love. I think that, sometimes, the thought is too grande, too spectacular, too breathtaking, and too overwhelming; so, we glance over it. If I may, I want to challenge you to dwell on that thought, on that reality. …God, King, Master, Saviour, Creator has LAVISHED His love on YOU. His love is so pure that had He given us each a cup full it would have been enough to sustain us, but our abundant, more-than-enough God saw fit to lavish us in His love. I believe this one truth can change your understanding on all truths. Be Lavished.

Check Out: 1 John 3

Now Margerie is a wonder. Just peaking 65 she shows no signs of slowing down. I see her every Monday in the cafe on the corner of my block. She meets there with another woman, equally as spunky. No matter what the weather, Margerie shows up in her finest. Her attire is not what one would call ‘usual’ she tends towards colors, and sparkles, and maybe a few things that are just plain odd. But her exuberant personality covers all the funny bits. One flash of her smile and you could care less if she was dressed in full clown costuming or a brown paper bag. She’s the type of woman who gets up form her table, crosses the room, begins waving and hollering out half way before wrapping in for a full hug. Maybe if I were her granddaughter, or a lifelong friend all of this would fit. But I’m not, not in anyway, the only way we are acquainted is this little Monday morning routine. But every Monday, she’s asks me how I am, inquires after Thomas— that’s my beau. Truthfully, before Thomas, she inquired about Jacob, the last one. Even, Eduardo— the Spanish fling between the two. Margerie is probably one of the most consistent relationships in my life. I love her sparkling butterfly pins, and her wild blonde hair. I love how when she talks her entire body speaks. I barely know her, but form the first moment she smiled at me in line I wanted to be near her. That’s Margerie, and every week I think…next week I’ll come a little early and sit and chat with her. I haven’t yet, but then again, her social calendar— at 65 mind you— seems far more entertaining than mine.

The individual has always fascinated me, how each person- unique, similar, and evolving approaches life with a fresh face. Here, you may discover a series of characters. Some developed from real life, some from imagination. I hope that you are inspired by the underlying complexity of each, calmed by their realness, and laugh at their ridiculousness. I hope you see a bit of yourself, or someone else— I hope that you too may enjoy the amazing miracle of the human character.

Sitting there, square slab between us, we unpackaged our lives.

I listened with all my heart, but could not help but wonder, if the square slab was enough to keep them seperate.

Because it seemed to me all that bits and pieces were finding their way to one another.

-

Our square slab turned into an angled corner…and a laugh…

Not quite ‘no’, just…well, never mind for now.

And we unpackaged.

That angled corner undoubtedly an insufficient barrier.

-

No more slabs, no more corners.

Just wide open views and a little air.

Unpackaging done, we poured out

The fears, the hopes, the unspoken

All there with no barrier but the air.

                                                                                                  A bird flew by.

                                                                                                   It stood still.

                                                                                                   I flew faster.

                                                                                       In an unnatural case,

                                                                                                 I took the sky.

Keep the demons at bay.

In the midnight hour

Ward them off

Fight them back.

-

Candid Sword

Blazing ring of fire

Let it blaze and burn

‘til brightness overcomes the desperation

of darkness.

Keep the demons at bay.