Aubrey

Watching
Was a great
Consolation
Since we could
Not be there.
Hearing the worship
Seeing your joy
Was worth the wait.
We love you both
And love your stories
We love how you
Give God the glory.

Belonging

Back with us
Where you belong
We miss you
And it's been so long
But with a hug
And simple graces
The smile's back
On all our faces.

Bad Form

Why must
We treat each other
Like so much
That is
Worthless,
Instead of
Loving one another
Like we are
Something
Rare and precious?

Unwrapping

You think you are wrapped well enough in your disguise
To keep us all in the dark.
You think you're hidden well enough in a sturdy box of your helpful acts.
You sealed yourself up with reasons that gleam like packaging tape and
Thousands of staples that will take so much effort to break.
Just to be sure, you cover yourself with the finishing touch:
The attractive wrapping paper, a bow, and a tag that says all of our names.
The final layer is thin, but pretty.
So much so that you think you can distract me with your reassurances,
With your offers to personally fix what is not broken in the first place.
What you do not know is this.
You are wrapped in the see-through paper that is like your eyes.
I can see the way they swim, the way you can't stay awake.
You secure yourself with flimsy Scotch tape
That breaks when your hands shake.
There is no eye-catching design,
No smart-looking bow to hide how thin you have grown.
There gift tag beside your heart is covered with the lies you are telling.
What you do not know is that I can see you.
You are not hiding as well as you think you are.
It takes no effort for me to start unwrapping you.

Fighter

Please
Fight back
Against the demons
Holding you fast
Hit bottom
If you have to
But get up
And reclaim your life
Fight for it
Because
It is
The only life
You have

Empty-Handed

What do I have
That I can give you?
I won't be your doormat
And I'll take my own blame.
And I'll expect you
To do just the same.
So don't try to fool me
By telling me lies
I can see the truth
Swimming
In your eyes.

Only Just Begun

The holiday is over
But the giving's
Just begun
With second Christmas
Just around
The corner.
I love the gifts -
But I love the giving.
I love my life
And I love the living.

I See You

You think you have
Me fooled
But you are the one
Who is being
Foolish.
You think your flimsy
Explanations
Will suffice,
But I see through them,
To the person hiding
Behind all your lies.
I can't control you.
But I hope you know
I see what you're doing.
And I don't buy it.
I see you,
And I want you
Back.

Paper-Craving

It's late tonight
And my printer
Is hungry.
It keeps eating
The paper
And making me angry.
So now how do I stop it
And keep it from
Ruining?
Just give me my story
And stop all the
Losing!

Kayla

These days were long
But they were spent
Not in vain, but
With intent
The letters few
But contact constant
You found what we knew
Hid beneath the surface.
Though you denied it
We always knew
A courageous woman
Was there inside you.
So glad you finally
Found her.
So happy that
You're back.
Now go out and take
The world by storm
And see how they
React.

Emma

Never have I
Laid my eyes
On a more
Precious face.
If names were
Based on looks
Alone, I
Think yours would be Grace.
But whatever
Name you went by,
Your essence was as such...
A miracle
That laid in wait
For Mom and Dad
To love.

Dozen

Painful and
Difficut -
But also
Beautiful and
Precious
Years of
Blessing,
Understanding
The gift we
Have
The gift of
Time

Close By

Tonight
My thoughts
Aren't far
From you
As I hope
And I pray
Peace comes
To you.
That you shall wake
To face the day
With all your troubles
Gone away

Broke

Too eager
And excited
To make right
What I should
Have left alone.
So now I'm stuck
With stuff
That's broke
And wishing it
Was all a joke.

Hindsight

Maybe someday
I'll look back
And smile
I'll look back and not
Remember the pain.
Maybe someday
It won't haunt my
Dreams -
The way she was almost
Taken away.
Maybe someday
It will all be okay
If I can look back...

Detect

Sound the alarm
If you must,
I am awake
And I will take
The appropriate
Steps to escape
The stupidity
You trapped
Us within.

What It Means To Have Boundaries

Boundaries -
And the setting of them -
Does not mean
That we must
Force our desire
Our will or
Our agenda
On someone else.
It just means
We must live
With integrity,
Respecting
The boundaries
We have set
For ourselves.

Norton

Where is the protection
That you offer
When instead of protection
You bleed me dry?
How can you stand
Behind your words
When they mean
Nothing to me?
I'll follow your lead
Because I have
No choice -
But there is no way
I will trust you.

Mollee

Grow
Into yourself.
Dance
Out to the world.
Shine
In your own light.
Make
Your mark tonight.

She Remembers

Hanging
Laundry
On the line
When
The world
Changes.
Overseas
The world
Explodes.
Someone lives
And a family
Waits
For years
To be
Reunited.

Self-Reflection

Wake up
And see the truth
In yourself.
See that you're
Amazing
And that you are
Giving
And greatly
Talented.
Wake up -
When will I
See these truths
In myself?
Now.
Now I will claim them
And know I'm amazing.

The Christmas Card Poem

Send them all over
To all different places
To Texas, Virginia,
To wide open spaces.
Send them to Nashville,
And to Maple Valley
To North Dakota
And to my own city.
It's the time of year
To brighten up lives
With pictures and letters
Of loving and life.
So make sure to remember,
It isn't too hard.
Don't forget to send out
All your Christmas cards.

Stuck Inside

So much inside
And I can't write
A word
And that's never
Happened
To me
Before.
If I can't write it
Then I can't
Exorcise it
From the depths
Of me.

Somewhere

How can
Everything
Feel so wrong
And
So right
All at once?
It's perplexing
And confusing,
But I'll endure it
As long as there
Is some good
Somewhere.