Eagle's Wings

They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;

they shall mount up with wings as eagles...

-Isaiah 40:31

Distance reigned as I grew up.

Disorder closely followed.

At times Loneliness, a friend to both,

sidled up to sit beside me

and cradle me inside her arms,

poor girl.

Sleep stole away my hours then,

with laziness and lethargy her strong elixirs,

to mask the pain that hurt too much to feel.

Yet even then, He stood--

Lord over even these--

wings outstretched to cover me.

And then, through life's crescendo,

in a flash the cover vanished.

Panic struck as Mother struck another--

not with hands but force which crumpled both

the car and driver.

Questions hovered as expectations waned.

But live she did--not just days, but weeks

stretched into years,

years later,

docile,

with gentle spirit,

dead only to

Past's accusation.

But where was I?

Or, rather, where was He?
Silenced were the voices which, earlier, had called so loud,
replaced now with a deep, deep sorrow
too great for words.
Wordless, there He stood, wings still outstretched,
with tears held in His eyes, the
darkness pushed behind Him,
awaiting orders.
Shadowed by His hand almighty,
there I sat beneath Him
protected
from the storm,
full of grief and yet
still full
of strength
to carry on
and hope eternal.

Miscarriage

A growth forms inside me,
knit in secret and
as yet
yet to be.
It bulges my circumstance
with the hint of new life, an
intoxicating fragrance.
With each affirmation
the fullness enlarges,
anticipating the merge
of two halves into whole.
Surely it's coming
soon to arrive
with its bundle of joy
everlasting.

Delivery

Birth.

Like death, it is the fullness

of requisite labor pains

of sorrow and travail,

someone else’s constant toil

to bring us

in a moment

from where we are to where we yet will be—

on the one hand, joyously,

from the unseen to the seen;

on the other, tearfully,

from the seen into the sea

which spans the sands of time,

a great Cloud which stands over and above us

full of witnesses to choices made,

both good and evil.

This Someone watches over us,

to make sure all is well,

makes sure we make it

to our destination,

temporal or 

eternal.

Funny how the way we come is very near

the way we go—

through another’s constant vigil,

brooding,

working,

striving,

toiling

to bring us safe and sound

to our new home.