Prayer for Tornado Victims (Repeat)

I am praying for the people in Joplin Missouri and elsewhere in the Midwest who have been affected by the recent tornadoes. I haven’t heard anything about my cousin who lives in Minneapolis, which also had tornadoes. I just read on the internet that this is one of the deadliest tornado years ever. The following is the prayer I wrote last month for tornado victims.

Dear God,

Please, enfold in your loving presence all those affected by the recent tornadoes. Comfort those who have lost loved ones, homes, businesses, and a sense of security. Heal those who have suffered physical or emotional trauma. Send courage and wisdom to help everyone rebuild their lives. In the midst of incredible devastation, help them to know that there is still something they can depend upon. A-men

Neglecting My Cadence Blog

Lately I have been unintentionally neglecting this blog and focusing on Kata Chimes In, where I have been writing about my experiences reading the Hugo Award winning novels. I have now started reading the Hugo Award novel nominees for 2011 and some of their prequels. Once I am caught up, I expect to be spending less time reading and more time writing.

So many books, so little time,

I have been neglecting my rhyme.

Reading, always a faithful friend,

Conspires to set my world on end.

Last June a thought said in my head,

“All Hugo winners can be read.”

Science Fiction and Fantasy

Awards given over half a century.

While my mind is in an unknown land

No lines of verse have come from my hand.

Soon the trend will run its course

Cadence again the main force.

Reinvention

They never tell you about the blank, white paper.

From first memory, the paper has lines
Thick and black.
A box of crayons at your side
Neatly lined up in the box.
You must always put them back neatly in the box.
You must always color within the lines.
You must teach your body to obey the lines.
You see the frowns, the head shakes
The “No! Inside the lines!”

So you are good.
Soon you do not need to see the lines on the paper
You reproduce them from memory.
You make neat, tidy strokes within the shapes.
Soon you are given a bigger box of crayons
Markers, pastels, even brushes if you are especially good.

No one tells you about the shock of that day.
Perhaps no one you know has seen it.
Perhaps they scrunch their eyes shut
No longer see the paper
No longer move their hands along its flat surface.

But, you may see it.
The crayons are worn to stubs or broken.
The markers are out of ink.
The pastels are smeared on the floor.
You cry and cry and cry.
Someone tells you to shut up.
Big girls, big boys don’t cry.
You will upset the others.

But you cry.
You find a big barrel.
In it you put what you cannot use on the paper
Then, if you are daring, you put what you do not want.
A day comes when you wake up.
Light is glaring off the blank, white paper
Like sun rays reflected off smooth metal.
It is too much for anyone to bear.

You could tear up the paper
Leave the room
Even forget that the room ever existed.
It is a choice.

But you do not choose to leave the room.
Instead you remember an even earlier time
A time before the lines
When your little hands gripped the crayon uncertainly
Struggled to make the marks stay on the paper.
Color began to appear.
You were amazed.

You move around the blank, white paper to a new spot.
One cannot call the new spot comfortable.
You look for something to put on the paper again.
Perhaps you find something close at hand.
Perhaps you must find something new
Searching the cupboards
That you never knew existed.
Perhaps you take the edge of your fingernail
And make grooves in the paper.

All that matters to you now
Is that you see and feel the blank, white paper.

Prayer for Tornado Victims

Dear God,

Enfold in your loving presence all those affected by the recent tornadoes. Comfort those who have lost loved ones, homes, businesses, or a sense of security. Heal those who have experienced physical or emotional trauma. Send your courage, strength and wisdom to help everyone rebuild their lives. In the midst of incredible devastation, help them to know that there is still something they can depend upon. A-men

I Am Willing to Feel Gentleness

I am willing
Willing
Willing to feel
Feel
Feel gentleness
Gentleness
Gentleness in my heart
My heart
I am willing to feel gentleness in my heart.

After a long time of creating walls
Walls
Walls between myself and others
Walls
Walls between the parts of myself
Walls
Walls between my body and my mind
Walls
I am willing to feel gentleness in my heart.

After months of building walls
After
After numbing with food, books, TV, hurry, crisis
After
After feeding the frost of winter in my soul
After
I am willing to feel gentleness in my heart.

I am willing to feel gentleness toward myself
Gentleness toward imperfection and weakness
Gentleness
Gentleness toward strengths and gifts
Gentleness
I am willing to feel gentleness in my heart.

I am willing to feel gentleness toward the world
Gentleness toward the sick and the well
Gentleness
Gentleness toward the weak and the strong
Gentleness
Gentleness toward those who want to give up
And toward those whose overreaching harms others
Gentleness
I am willing to feel gentleness in my heart.

Ernest Homes Affirmation

I liked this affirmation from 365 Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes and wanted to share it with you.

God’s Love always embraces us,

His wisdom is always within us,

And His Joy is ours to share.

Abundance is everywhere

The Blessing of Luck

You reach into the blessing bowl and pull out a small metal token embossed with the word LUCK. Why has it come to you today? What does it mean to you? My first thought was of the recent lottery winners in New York, a story that speaks of good luck.

When your ship comes in, may you be waiting at the dock.
May happy surprises to you often flock.

May events frequently go your way.
May the blessing of Luck grace your every day.