Feeling Lucky?

The Mirriam-Webster dictionary defines luck as "the things that happen to a person because of chance - the accidental way things happen without being planned."

Is luck truly a matter of happenstance, something that is uncontrollable, simple fate? I think not. I believe that luck, whether considered good or bad, is an opportunity given to us to improve or build upon in our lives. Here are a few other "lucky quotes": 

“I am not lucky, but I am favoured because luck runs out; but God's favour will abide with me forever.”  ― Gugu Mona

“I'm a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it”― Thomas Jefferson

"Luck is not chance, it's toil; fortune's expensive smile is earned." — Emily Dickinson

“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”— Dalai Lama XIV

“Luck affects everything; let your hook always be cast; in the stream where you least expect it, there will be a fish." – Ovid

Here is my thought on luck:

Lucky

What is luck?

Is it by chance

or a predestined gift?

Is it something you win

or a chance gone wild?

Why do we covet lucky numbers,

Lucky stars, rabbits feet, and the like?

What if you are unlucky?

Does it stay with you all of your life?

Or is it temporary, just for the moment?

Can you change your luck

From a negative to a positive?

Is it a mindset,

One that can be willed to good favor?

I believe that to say "I am lucky"

Is like saying "I am blessed".

Luck is not what happens to you

But how you happen to it.

Prepare yourself and look for luck. When "unlucky" things happen, learn from them and turn them in to opportunities. The gateway is open - may you have a lucky life!

A Recipe For Joy

People who know me understand that cooking is not my favorite activity. I find it messy, tedious, and hard work. It's not that I'm a poor chef, my results are usually creative and edible. No one complains (outloud) and no one goes starving. Preparing meals is just not my calling. My favorite thing to make is reservations. 

I wrote the following based on inspiration from Mary Oliver's poem, "Don't Hesitate"


A Recipe For Joy

Ingredients

• Equal parts laughter and silliness
• 1 heaping heart of love
• Pinch of sarcasm
• A grain of salt
• 2 handfuls of compassion

Blend thoroughly until waves of smiles appear.
Pour into a well seasoned soul.
Bake for a lifetime.

Serves one and all.

The Blazing Soul

A desire to do more or be more in life can be analogous to a fire. It is a powerful, driving force. Although fire can be destructive, it also clears a path for new growth. Is it safe to give in to this passion, the excitement of the glowing possibilities? I will fan the flames of my heart, eager to see what it ignites.

The Blazing Soul

There's a fire blazing in my soul.
A hungry, burning sensation,
Crackling, flaming.
Not an ember but a roaring full force fire.

What is this?
Should I snuff it out or
Pour more fuel to feed it?

Should it be controlled?
Let its power grow large?

A fire has its majesty.
It can be cleansing and terrifying all at once.

Beautiful, hot, raw energy.

Yes, let my soul burn,
Forging new paths,
Preparing unexpected pleasures.

Dreamscape

What happens when we sleep, when we dream? Are our minds unraveling our waking issues? Fantasizing about what could be? It feels so real when these images visit us. Our bodies rest but I think our minds never do. Sometimes I believe I've had no dreams but then my husband will ask me what I was dreaming about because I was kicking, swatting, mumbling, giggling, or screaming. Does that happen to you? 

My poem was inspired by Mary Oliver's poem, "Sleeping In The Forest".

Dreamscape

Most nights
I dream silently
Not remembering them
When I wake.

My mind must be working though
Even when my eyes are closed.
I wake up with fingers and hair caught in knots
From twisting and twirling them in anxiety.

At times my heart wakes me up
It's beating so fast, 
It scares me.

I'm hot, I'm cold,
I turn from side to side.
One pillow, two pillows
Blanket or not.

Like the sleeping beauty princess
Who feels the pea under a mountain of mattresses,
Or Goldylocks 
Who has to try everything
To find what's just right.

Will my mind 
Just rest peacefully tonight
Before I lose my hair and my mind?

"Relax" I tell myself.
There's no monster under the bed
Nor in my head.

Or is there?

I Can See You Clearly

At some point, most people will need glasses to see better. Maybe just for reading, maybe for nighttime driving, or perhaps to see the world in crisp focus at all times. How wonderful to have this simple tool to bring clarity to our lives!

My creative writing class used a table of eyeglasses as its prompt. This is what I "saw"...

I CAN SEE YOU CLEARLY

Whether nearsighted

Or farsighted,

I can see you clearly.

Tortoise shell

or wire framed,

Your face is always just right.

Dark tint, no tint,

Bifocal or monocle,

You are always in focus.

I may misplace my glasses,

I might sit on and break them,

But you are never forgotten,

Seemingly indestructible.

Right in front of my face,

Always on my mind,

Like my favorite eyeglasses,

I can see you clearly.

The Master Plan

The Master Plan

Time is marked by moments of happiness.
I say "moments" as life is not a continuum of joy and peace.

Thankfully not.

For, if our time here were only gentle and awesome,
We would never want to leave
For the Kingdom above.

Why should we if we have heaven on earth?
That is not the Master plan.

We are to know sorrow at times,
To suffer down deep,
In order that we may trust in relief,
Be consoled by faith,
Give thanks at all times.

Without sadness we cannot have gladness.
Thankfully so!

Treasures Of The Heart

Hearts are the life force of all beings. It ensures that the body gets what it needs to survive. It can fail at times, both physically and spiritually. We should do what we can to feed it in order that we may be healthy and strong.

This poem was inspired by a grouping of lacquered boxes.

Treasures Of The Heart

Like a small box,
My heart holds secrets and shame,
Pride and purpose,
Light and love.

As with a key
I keep some of what is stored inside locked away.
It's just between God and me.

There are drawers that slide open with ease
Ready to release the laughter and joy,
The sorrow and sympathy, 
The anger and confusion.

With felt-lined pockets
I lay my soul within.
It is safe here.
I have room enough for you.

Dig Deep

Inspired by Mary Oliver's poem, "When I Am Among the Trees"

Dig Deep

It is said that a tree whose roots are deep
Never the wind will fell.

I need to know how deep is deep?
There are times I feel my soul is
Ready to snap, 
Ready to break.

Wouldn't it be simpler just to lay down?
Let pain and sorrow breeze right over me?

How much can I take?
How far must I bend?

Not a mighty oak but a weeping willow.
Deciduous not evergreen.

I will tell myself, "Keep growing, dig deep".

Life's Badges

Old age is for the lucky who make it there. Our outer appearance changes, we may forget where we put our keys, or mismatch our clothes. But the inner soul remains youthful and eager to proceed in life. 

My poem was inspired by Asian wooden figurines, one being an old man stooped over but looking to be walking on a path.


Life's Badges

My spine is curved forward
And I walk with a cane.

My beard is white
And my head bears no hair.

My teeth are false
And my eyes are a blur.

At times my hands tremble,
My mind draws a blank.

I don't sleep through the night,
But nap in the day.

I can remember being a child
As if it were yesterday,
But today I have trouble recalling your name.

These are the badges
I've earned with my age.

I'm old but not broken,
A little tattered and worn.

My time in this body
May be drawing to end,
But I cherish where it has taken me.

This is a gift.
What a wonderful life!

Stuck On You

Life hurts sometimes. It may be a physical, emotional, or spiritual "boo-boo" but these can be healed and made new again. We are fantastic beings!

My poem was inspired by a box of band-aids.

Stuck On You

Like a band-aid,
I'm stuck on you.

I will do my best to protect you from further harm,
Keep you safe, keep you warm.

I will guard over you,
Stand by you,
And never let you fall.

With so many things that can get under your skin,
So many things that can go wrong,
I will stick with you, my love.
Nothing dare pull us apart.

Count on me, 
Trust in me,
I've got you covered.
________________________________________

Everyday, it seems like there's something to report, 
a new sympton, ache or problem. So many troubles visited on a single soul. I am deeply troubled and sorrowful for you. I wish that our lives were different today, that there were more of the yesterdays, that a simple band-aid would patch the pain. I hate to see you suffer. 

Come what may, together we can.