THE SPIRIT
Each flower has a span,
yet before the pedals fall,
rich-planted is the spirit
by which countless seeds land
to spread reminiscences…
and the original grace never ends.
Gradually we understand
that as for each blossom’s hue,
like each human life, it was a plan,
forever to establish colourful,
living reflections.
© L. P. Penner, 2015
WHERE YOU ARE, SISTER
I have been where you are
in bloodless confines,
damaged heart,
puffy scars—
combating gossip-fueled paranoia.
Let’s go spend some time
on expensive truths;
let me try to dissuade you, sister,
from cryptic dysphoria.
Just you and me talking
in the soft, calm night
outside this human mocking;
you can trust my seasoned insight.
Indifference, ignorance, and fatigue
grow from seeds in them;
relatives and fair weather friends’ stimulus
lead nowhere but to
your psychological hell.
It’s okay, it’s just us.
I won’t ever expect too much.
Your mind is fragile,
your brain’s not well.
Why don’t you put on a jacket
to dispel the harassing chill
—cover up your sleeve
where your heart dwells,
‘cause
humans are unkind,
it happens all the time.
Some see your sleeve heart
then exploit your mental mind.
It’s okay, it’s just us.
I won’t ever tell
you can’t snap into well,
but snap out of cutting yourself!
Tuck in your soul,
like a door locks
on the place you live, sister.
Then it’s up to you who gets in.
© Lynn P. Penner, 2015
SOUL SOOTHERS
Life is grand, but only if you live it.
Laugh out loud when it bubbles up instead of holding it in, see reactions from people and laugh again. Watch and see how many start laughing with you. Roll your pants up after a summer rainstorm and walk in sticky mud. We’re all washable, try it. Drive for miles if you need to and hike the forest and surround yourself with fluttering leaves, kiss the breeze as if it were life’s breath. Play a fun trick on a friend and giggle. Dive into relaxing music and listen like you’re a part of it. Watch a sunrise and sunset within the same day. Forgive someone and set yourself free of bitterness. Mostly, remember that love is the forever available fruit within reach of every hand, and be at peace with today, because today is tomorrow’s memory.
Life is grand, so find ways to really, truly live. Good memories can get we humans through a bad day, so assemble good recollections of some kind every day and make a smile easy to achieve every tomorrow.
Thanks for reading~
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE VERSUS EGO
Our human nature may be natural, but it’s the natural we’re trying to tame. This is the ego—worst thing to happen to humans, really. Boot camp down here on this planet is so complex; our egos run uncivilized through our hearts. We are all here to learn how to love unconditionally. Not to say iniquitous persons and demonic behaviours are included in a love-no-matter-what stipulation, evil is evil. We hate what is evil; in a perfect world, we would all recoil from what’s sinister.
Humans are here on the earth to learn enthusiasm for kindness, compassion, altruism. We must be trained to realize that egos can’t do that. Our sense of self-importance and self-esteem exists on a fine line of the me, me, I, I attitude and an ability to survive. But ego is likely the cause a lot of divorces, tension in the workplace, jealousy, greed, etcetera.
Konecky & Konecky published a book by William Hone called, The Lost Books of the Bible. Jesus’ childhood is a fine example of just how fully human He was on earth. He also had to learn unconditional love, then grown, He taught why it is so important to realize the our ego is our human nature, and egos are primitive and destructive.
I have an ego. We all do. Just how much we let it run screaming naked through out hearts determines what effect we have on the humans around us, and ourselves.
Unconditional love versus ego. Boot camp. Do the best you can, fellow humans. We’re all on this planet to be schooled.
© Lynn P. Penner, 2015
YESTERDAY
Each day is a stage where drama is laid, where costumes and masks are on characters played. We’re actors in life, perhaps in disguise. Act rich, act poor, act contented, or act pained. React as if purposefully born, or as if long since died.
From yesterday, mistakes were to be discerned, then leave them there with that time, only to reflect upon, as memories are useful… when faults are not dwelled upon. And joys are to cherish each day pleasure comes, for each hardship endured is practice for you, for me to master.
Today has its purpose. Tomorrow is yet to come. Yesterday is finished; only to learn from.
© L. P. Penner, 2008
THE MALICE WITHIN
Feels like a nose bleed,
but
it’s the anger
pushing up blood pressure.
Feels like it’s right,
the hate,
but it’s a trick of non forgiveness
and the futile contest of who wins the hardest hate.
The churning water above, you see,
is the chaotic hurt below, inside one.
It’s the infected wound embedded in the belief
that we’re right.
We are right.
They are wrong…
yet holding that venom
kills us, not them.
© Lynn P. Penner, 2015
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911
Just a quick note today, because I’d like to acknowledge someone’s real birthday.
Jesus’ birthday was September 11. If you google words like “Jesus’ real birthday,” you’ll find numerous articles to choose from. Scientists have gathered information about the ‘star’ the three wise men followed. I’ll let you read for yourself what articles say, because there’re many to choose from and I leave you to make up your own mind; however, it makes sense now why the ‘terrorist attack,’ a world-changing event, happened on 911. Could a scornful act towards God be more accurate than to acknowledge Christ’s birthday with evil mayhem?
We have our different views and beliefs about what happened that dreadful day, but in the end, the 911 occurrence was planned on that day in September for a reason.
I’ll never forget what happened, nor will most people of the world. And today is that anniversary. And Jesus’ birthday.
So today is September 11—happy birthday Jesus, I’m grateful you were physically born into this material world to rescue we humans from our own demise.
I’m still celebrating Christmas, but as a family gathering and a good turkey dinner. And warm-looking lights that twinkle and set the ambiance as a peaceful and grateful day. But today I will celebrate Jesus’ birthday with a bouquet of vibrant flowers on my table and a song that I’ll make up to dedicate to the One who came and did more that any man has ever done or will do. I can’t sing, but Jesus already knows that isn’t my talent.
Cheers!
Lynn
WE HUMANS NEED LEADERSHIP AND RESCUE
It’s just my opinion I suppose, but the old-fashioned mode of expression makes me slump a bit. I mean the phrases still used in this day and age regarding our human lives and whether we will live contentedly forever beyond our earthy form. Will we be welcomed into the sublime afterlife when we give up our ghost? The key phrase of language for this seems too outdated to me.
It sounds so old-school to me when people ask if I’m “saved,” and I want to correct them and tell them, “Yes, I’ve been rescued.” Rescued from the belief that death is the end of my soul, exempt from the idea that God is only there for religious people who follow a sect, and liberated from an eternity of lamentations. Rescued means bailed out, deliverance, redemption. Saved means rescued.
I don’t ask people if they’ve been “saved.” I find in this day and age, anyone one who hasn’t cashed in their free offer for having a life jacket in the troubled waters of life, and a reservation for a peaceful place afterwards, probably hasn’t had it explained in laid-back terms. I’m someone who simply follows my Brother, Jesus, because a relationship has been developed with Him, thanks to Sky Dad. It isn’t about a collection of people who’ve taught me about their particular doctrine. But what if I’m not into a set of rituals and a segregated doctrine to adhere to, and if I don’t dress in my Sunday’s finest or have beads to help me pray… am I going to spend my eternity in a spiritual realm of evil and suffering?
God is not an obscured, big, old, mean face in the sky looking down waiting the smite humans who make mistakes. God is my Sky Dad, Light. Light is good. Light, as we’ve found out through science, is miraculously amazing, healing, and necessary to all life on this planet as we know it, except of course mould and select creatures. God is Light. Light is to dispel darkness. From Light comes enlightenment—for understanding a problem or mystery. God is Light, that beacon in the dense fog to guide us on the vast and choppy sea of life.
The human race is an out of control species. We need a leader, we always have. Our Free-will allows our choices; however, coupled up with the ego, we humans need The Light to rescue us from our own demise. Or we can steer out little boats into darkness, no compass, no provisions. Why does it have to be so dark without God, though? Because He wants us to depend on Him the way ducklings follow their mama and learn to swim and eat and survive, bringing forth new generations to learn the same skills. Sky Dad wants us to hang out with our Devine Brother He created, discover this dependable friendship in Him. Find guidance and dispel loneliness, to ask and be pleasantly surprised to receive what we need. Our Divine Brother died a cruel, torturous, and disturbing death to attach us to Sky Dad in a way we humans would never accomplish on our own.
I could go on, but I think I made key point about old-school phrases. I’m rescued. My Divine Brother, Jesus, is my most dependable buddy, counsellor, confidant, and protector. My Sky Dad has a handle on my life. He always did, I just had to discover that my way when I was 14-years-old. The bible has been handy, too. Proverbs is my favourite book. “Acknowledge me in all your ways and I will keep your path straight.” Proverbs, 3: 6, and I’m grateful to be rescued.
© L. P. Penner, 2015
It’s labour day Monday. I’m off to do pretty much nothing strenuous. I don’t think I’ll even make the bed. Have a hunky dory day. 🙂 God Bless~
WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN?
The sky was cruel and churning.
The wind was much more than a breeze.
The windows rattled and the furnace hummed;
an old man stood fixing tea.
He stood at the glass between
himself and the outside
and stared at the empty swing on the tree
once occupied by her joyous smile
and ankles kicking freely.
He etched a heart in Jack Frost’s design
and became lost in his reverie
of how many times he’d watch her
while preparing tea and something to eat.
A splash of salted sea
dropped off the cliff of his cheek,
then a flood of tears came
and his shoulders began to quake.
The hot drink spilled over his leathery hands
as if to scald the memories
of all the years and all the days,
the hardships and heartfelt happiness,
They worked so hard to have.
He thought,
Dear Lord, Why?
Why did you have to take her,
she was all I had.
Where are the children to embody her features?
No descendants to hold his hand.
But he knew full well he could have been,
yet he decided to not be a dad.
© L. P. Penner, 2015
PATIENCE IS HARD EARNED (fiction)
Me:
I seem to be lacking the tolerance I need. Waiting in a grocery store line up is okay. Waiting for a prescription to be filled isn’t too bad. Waiting to hear back from a publisher is ridiculous. I can hardly stand it.
Jesus:
You do lack patience. You couldn’t even wait out nine months to be born.
Me:
Don’t get me wrong, Jesus, I am not asking for patience. I did that once. It wasn’t pretty.
Jesus:
Trials are not festive, nor is a hurried spirit joyful.
Me:
It’s hard to have joy inside when I keep getting disappointed day after day—because the wait was supposed to be six months…ish, I guess. It is only the seventh, though, isn’t it? I guess I am impatient. I am confident they’ll let me know either way. They let my friend know. It was a no, but they got back to her. When, though?
Jesus:
Everything happens for a reason, everything has its own time. A hurried spirit loses hope.
Me:
I haven’t completely lost hope. But I’m getting irritated.
Jesus:
You are a measure beyond having good faith in me. We can determine your patience further.
Me:
Isn’t that what we’re doing now?
Jesus:
That is what I am doing now. You are preoccupied with negative thoughts.
Me:
Oh. Okay, so how am I supposed to just get more faith about this?
Jesus:
Be farsighted about the eventual outcome. I said I would help you. Do you trust me?
Me:
Yeah, but…
Jesus:
Do you trust me?
Me:
I do, it’s just that…
Jesus:
Do you trust me?
Me:
Okay, you’re right. You’ve taken me through a lot. I just have to wait.
Jesus:
And trust while you wait. Your endurance is being built upon. I know your needs now and for the future. Do you not have an appointment is a half hour?
Me:
Oh! Yes I do! Thanks for reminding me. I’ll talk to you later.
Jesus:
I’ll always be here. I love you.
Me:
Aw, I love you, too. Thanks for making me feel better.
Jesus:
Anytime, Little Lamb. Have a good appointment~
© Lynn P. Penner, 2015
