Of Whims and Muses

A collection of poetry by Hannah

A Prayer for Hope

Don't know why
my hope is gone
or why I feel this way.
I only know I wish it weren't,
so I take time to pray.
Father, tell me what is wrong.
What do I need to do?
I feel as though I'm all alone.
Lord Jesus, where are you?
If I gaze into the sky
will I see your face?
I search all day and cry all night,
my Lord, I need your grace!
Take me up into your arms.
Please God, don't let me go.
Let me stay within a place
where your love is all I know.

Beautiful One

Perfect hair and a perfect nose,
but you know how the saying goes.
Sparkling teeth and a gorgeous grin,
but is there beauty that comes from within?
Beauty is only skin deep, but that's just a cliche.
Is there any truth in it for us who live today?
Models smiling from every magazine ad
promising whiter teeth and slimmer bodies to be had.
Do you listen to their voices or listen to your heart?
If the world doesn't believe it, are you still a work of art?
A genuine smile, and a warm, caring embrace
Isn't that more beautiful than a perfect face?
You, my friend, are beautiful- I knew it from the start,
because it's the kind of beauty that shines out of your heart.

Dayspring

An overflowing well of joy
springs forth from my heart,
for I see Your unconditional love
pouring from every part of this day.
Every kitten's whiskers and
every dewdrop on a rosebud whispers
the name of the Creator;
the Dayspring.
As soft as the bleat of a newborn lamb
and as powerful as the rolling of thunder,
the Name is heard throughout the land,
calling those with ears to hear.

Footsteps (She Walks)

She walks alone with eyes cast downward;

each footstep echoes a whisper of thought.

She travels untouched by the crowd that surrounds her;

not a one recognizes the battles she's fought.

Some look at her in pity and others in despise,

but no one dares ask why the tears fall from her eyes.


She walks alone with hands clasped in prayer;

each footstep echoes an ardent plea.

She travels unnoticed though her devotion is rare;

not a one recognizes this quiet mystery.

Some listen to her in wonder and others in disdain,

but no one dares ask why her words pour out like rain.


She walks alone with a hopeful heart;

each footstep echoes a longing for love.

She travels unhindered as the crowd steps apart;

not a one recognizes this new beauty from above.

Some look at her in awe, and others look in spite,

but no one dares ask why her smile now shines so bright.


She walks hand in hand with the one she's waited for;

each footstep echoes with joy and laughter.

She travels understood by her Lord whom she adores;

Not a one denies their true happily ever after.

Some look at them with joy and others in despair,

but no one needed to ask how their love would fair.

Friendship

two boulders sat not far apart
not knowing of the other's heart
till one day a lonely pine tree grew
planting roots and joining the two
bonds formed in this lonely place
nature's strength by God's grace
binding together two hearts of stone
better two as one than two alone
a rocky ground for such beauty to start
but what God has joined, let no man part

Guidance

Sweet sorrow,
correct my soul.
Come tomorrow,
I will meet your goal.
Today is pain,
but joy awaits;
Tomorrow's gain
at heaven's gates.
Guide my way
with staff and rod.
I will obey,
O precious God.
Take my hand;
draw me to you.
Help me stand;
Lord, pull me through.
You are strong,
but I am weak,
your life a song
when I can't speak.
Only you, Lord,
free my heart.
Carry me forward;
find a new start.
I rest in the love
You freely give,
sent from above
to help us live.

 

Heartbeat of the Desert

Rain in the desert is beautiful and eerie.
The massive forms of the Catalina Mountains are shrouded
In a gray, umbrageous canopy,
Banished to memories of sunny days.
Thunder rolls across the Tucson valley,
Echoing the numinous language of the monsoon.
Hail, wind and rain raise their voices above the thunder
In a three-part harmony.
Staccato music is heard in the midst of the deluge.
Its rhythm is the heartbeat of the desert.
Slowly, the intensity of the monsoon ebbs.
Globules of rain hang from cactus spines,
Appearing to be windows to a world of desert sprites.
Water settles into rippling mirrors that soon disappear
When the showering ceases.
Birds chirp their applause for the splendid show.
Clouds part like curtains,
Allowing the last droplets of rain to take their bows,
And let the first rays of sunshine peak through.
The sunshine glitters in resplendent droplet jewels,
And a rainbow stretches like a banner In the sky.

 

 

This poem was published by Creative Communications when I entered it in a contest. 

I Know I'm Not Alone

I know I'm not alone because when night
sends Fear's Army to my bedside,
I send a prayer to my heavenly Father.
"Send fear away and let your peace stay."
That is my prayer. I hear the voice of the Lord say,
"You are my child, I'll protect you."
I see Jesus on my bed, holding his arms out to me.
I go to Him. He holds me close and whispers
in my ear. "You have nothing to fear from the night.
Darkness cannot harm you for the Light has come."
I cannot see Him anymore, but I feel His Presence.
The crickets, chirping and buzzing, that kept me
awake before, sound like angel's voices. 
As I watch the sunrise I join in the singing.

 

 

 

This is the first poem I ever wrote. I was 8 years old. 

Reflection

As silver meets the flame

to burn away the dross,

so my life is filled with pain,

but only filth becomes my loss.

The Maker's eye is on my life

which He guides in His direction.

Though present sorrows may be rife,

I'll soon be His reflection.

Remember

You can do it.
Start from the beginning.
Think.
Feel.
Remember.
It's been a long time,
But dreaming
Is like riding a bike.
You can never completely
Forget how.
Smile.
Laugh.
Remember.
Dance until you're breathless.
Joy has always
Been there,
But you shut your eyes against
The sun
And denied its existence.
Change.
Love.
Remember.
You can be happy again.
Just open your eyes
And see.
There is no monster waiting
To devour you.
Only your mind says
There is something to fear.
Persevere.
Live.
Remember.
You are only fighting
Your own self
And to gain your life
You must lose it.
The fear can be overcome.
Just bow your head and
Remember.

Renewal

Yesterday I gasped for breath
As depression choked my life.
My last hope was ripped away;
I was helpless as I watched.
I crumpled to the ground
And wondered if this was the end.
Broken and emptied of all joy,
I was left a hollow shell.
One saw me there and pitied me;
He drew me close with nail scarred hands.
Without a word he held me there,
And slowly changed my shattered heart.
He turned the stony remnants
into whole and beating flesh,
Then carried me among my friends
Whose prayers helped me to stand.

River of Reverie

My mind is an ever-flowing river
Of thoughts.
I dive in and swim
Through the continually shifting scenery.
Slowly meandering musings
Drift
Along with the changeable currents
Of consciousness,
Pulling me farther within
This fluid world of reflection.
I am spun
Through whooshing whirlpools
Of wonderings
And plunged
Into the rapids of ravings,
Hurtling faster...
Faster..
Until I reach the endless cascade
Of contemplation,
And fall.
I fall until falling becomes
Flying,
Never again to feel
The ground beneath my feet.
My mind is an ever-flowing river
Of thoughts.

The Blessings of the Shepherd

Simple is the shepherd

Who stands by the lake in the twilight.

He gazes at the sky, awash in pale gold

And thanks his God in the modest words of a peasant

For a day filled of familiar toil.


Genuine is the God of the shepherd

Who rejoices in an honest heart.

He loves the simple shepherd who looks over his flock with care.

His blessings flow to that lowly shepherd

In more abundance than the stars.


Majestic is the church

That stands in the distance;

A light shining religious semblance of peace.

Where priests and nuns are confident in their holiness

And words flower abundantly in prayers.


Disappointed is the God of the shepherd

Who would be god of this church as well,

But is kept away by hypocrisy and preconceptions.

He cannot give them the blessings of the shepherd;

they have their own reward.

 

 

 

 

Note: I just want to say that this is not a poem bashing catholicism, or any other religion or denomination, it is simply speaking about God's desire for honesty rather than a religious front. The reason I used "priests and nuns" is that I wrote this poem about a painting that showed a shepherd with a cathedral in the distance.

The Edge of Poetry

It came at night,
slowly, like the tide
washing o'er my mind.
Then the rippling waves came,
pulsating through my soul,
a life force throbbing in time
with my beating heart.
On the brink
of poetry.

To know this power fully
is impossible.
To use it fully
is yet beyond
my grasp.
To desire it fully
I've already done,
and desire is the first step
off the edge of the brink.

To a poet,
to take this step is to be
a bird loosed from a cage,
free to fly
in words and rhythms.
A timeless symphony of lyric
forgotton by all but a few
who are chosen,
lets me soar.