The River is my Anchor

When life was filled with stress

and college chaos,

a walk helped clear my head.

High on a hill was a cemetary

overlooking the Mississippi River.

Sitting among those peaceful souls,

Watching the River flow by

brought peace and calm

and solitude that I needed

to heal my introverted soul

Just knowing a river is near,

grounds me

and gives me faith.

The River is my anchor.

The River is .. . .

a constant reminder of God’s presence

in my life:  not always visible but still there

wending and winding his way through my life

but always there when I need help.

“I’ve got Peace like the River in my Soul”

Big Muddy

Missouri River in Parkville, MO 2025

Big Muddy

Fireflies twinkle in the rosy-hued stream of twilight.

The moon rises, reflecting in the water.

A lonely owl perched in the oak,  welcomes the dusk of night,

 and flies over the mighty river.

And the Big Muddy sweeps swiftly by:

Rocheport, Missouri 1993

Carrying debris of yesterday’s storm

Flooding  banks with upriver silt

Hiding danger below:

    Undertows, sawyers and snags,

    Wrecked dreams and shattered hopes. 

Constant and steady 

Big Muddy surges like royalty.

She demands respect as she shoves her way

through Eden.

Missouri River at New Haven (Wikipedia)

ZZZZZennias

 Peacefully sleeping

With all of my friends

We were ZZZZinnia seeds

So comfy, so cozy—-

 Suddenly the roof was ripped off our home

Fingers pinched us

and scatttered us in a row

Spaced apart from the rest.

I prefered being a part of my 

family not apart from!

I liked being as we were.

But it was time to change.

Then, we were covered with

dark soil which after a while

felt oddly comforting. 

But I am so lonely

Missing my friends,

afraid of this new unknown world.

I feel a warmth from above

moving closer.

Each day, inching my way 

toward that warmth.

Breaking ground,

I see that warmth is making me stronger

I look around for my friends

And I only see Marigolds

In full bloom

Cheering me on with their

Bright yellow pom-poms

I urge my friends to try 

this new arrangement

and one by one they follow me.

With support and encouragement,

We are content:

We are  ready to bloom.

McCrite Love

I came to McCrite broken:

weary from care-giving,

limping with sciatica,

emotionally drained.

But, here at McCrite, I found love:

the love of a neighbor checking in on me,

the love of a work out buddy who said, 

“Have a Good Day”,

the love from a resident welcoming me with a goody bag 

that included the Cardinal schedule,

the love of people in the dining rooom inviting us to join them.

the love of friends who prayed for me and Dave

the love of a support group that helped dry my tears

Now, it is my turn to return that love

with a poem or two,

a welcoming smile,

with a listening ear, and

a hug,

with a laugh at breakfast or happy hour, or

a birthday card slipped in the door.

The people at McCrite

found all of my pieces 

and helped me re-assemble myself

I’m not the same person but a new and improved version of myself.

thank you.

April 2026

Tomorrow's Back

 I have my tomorrows back. . . 

I had only lived for today. .. . 

with hesitation.

I hadn’t been alone for a while.

I grieved the loss of tomorrows

with someone I loved being with.

I was a little afraid to take a step by myself:

of breaking out of my safe coccon

You reminded me how much I loved

dancing and singing: 

It re-awakened the joy buried in my heart.

Now I can look forward to  tomorrow

With a spring in my step

a smile on my face

and love in my eyes

To have a companion to dance with and sing with,

To discuss a book with,

To collaborate on songs with

Means everything to me: 

I feel With not Without.

I love that you share your past and let me share mine.

We are what we have been

And can’t be seen without that.

I feel a little bare having revealed so much of myself

But it was necessary for a new beginning.

Shedding my cocoon, I’m fluttering my wings:

Still a little afraid to take flight,

 but soon.

Thank you for sharing your path. . .

helping me find mine.

Quiet My Soul

 

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Quiet My Soul

Morning Psalm 42

1   As a deer longs for flowing streams,
          so my soul longs for you, O God.
2   My soul thirsts for God,
          for the living God.
     When shall I come and behold
          the face of God?
3   My tears have been my food
          day and night,
     while people say to me continually,
          “Where is your God?”

11  Why are you cast down, O my soul,
          and why are you disquieted within me?
     Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
          my help and my God.

And now we wait.  The last chemo was June 28 and we should be celebrating.  We wait for another PET scan to show us if my husband still has cancer.  He is feeling better, looks good, and I am hopeful that he will soon be strong again, but I can’t shake the “disquiet” in my soul.

We are grateful for a good life, caring children and loving grandchildren.  We are “comfortable” and not in need of anything, but. . . a clean scan.  Even with a clean scan, will I be worry-free?  Probably not—I will be waiting for the next scan—waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I feel battered like a ship in a storm.  The storm has moved on, but I feel damaged as I head into the port.  Will I be strong enough to withstand another storm?  What I need is peace and only I can find that, with God’s help. 

God, please give me strength and peace to navigate the troubled waters of life.  Make me strong enough to weather the next storm.  Quiet my soul.  You are bigger than the storms in my life.  Thank you for the gift of writing which helps me heal.  Thank you for our friends, family and church who are the lifeboats.  In Your name I pray. Amen.

JaclynMorgan

Photo by Torsten Dederichs on Unsplash

Never too Old

 

Will I ever be too old to dream. . . .

too old to wonder what could be,

what tomorrow will bring.

My body may ache 

I may move more slowly

but my heart is still growing 

although sometimes it misses a beat.

Despite cataracts, my eyes see clearly

To see those who need a touch, a whisper,

a laugh

I’m not too old to dance

mostly in a chair not taking a chance. . . 

But moving my body to the music

takes me back when these feet 

could dance all night long.

I’m not too old to sing

perhaps at a lower tone

but I’m still singing.

I’d rather sing a little off key, reaching for notes

than to just listen to music.

My body may have a few pounds but it can still

Move to the sounds.

My balance sometimes falters but 

I’d rather dance with a walker

or in a chair

than to never dance at all.

I’d rather dream and hope, rather than

be in  a  television trance:

seeing the world in black and white.

I’d rather touch and be touched, 

laughing with friends,

than to be cozy and comfy on my couch.  . .

alone.

I’m still dreaming

growing

seeing

dancing

singing