He stirs the batter,
Makes fruitcakes with Great-Grandma,
Building memories.
(This Thanksgiving break, Zakiah our grandson helped AL’s mom make her annual fruitcakes she gives out to all the families. She makes chocolate ones, apricot, ones with white and what flour. She is too weak now to make them by herself and use the electric mixer. Zakiah, age 10, did that and built a relationship with her.)
It is close, or much closer, to the end of this journey with my husband through recovery from surgery and resulting infection. He still has probably weeks or months before he is walking but he improves every day. Being of service to others is a special gift. Sometimes we have to think, “What could I do for someone today?” I realized yesterday that this journey has placed me in a perpetual state of service. I in no way uphold women being subservient to men, that is another whole ball game. But being of service to others in this life is something we should all strive for. Helping our fellow human beings.
This journey placed me
in perpetual service,
through the grace of God.
cfblack 7-15-2016
Teeming life on earth,
All attempts to stifle it
Overcome with hope.
Thousands of life forms
Squirrels, cicadas, lizards, birds,
Back porch witnessing.
We mourn the fallen,
Violence leaves an emptiness,
only filled by love.
This haiku is dedicated to my faith community. In the midst of the chaos of this world, we are encouraged to build our communities up. Build them in hope, serve those around us, though most will not be in our own faith group. Doesn’t matter. We visit people who need visits, do children’s classes on developing virtues, lead youth groups that study together and decide service projects for their own neighborhoods, and gather together for devotions to a God, no matter what your faith background. We tend to have goals based on a number of upcoming years. The one we have currently is for the next five years, to 2021. This is dedicated to their efforts.
For the next five years,
while the world comes crashing down,
We build beams of light.
Giggles laughter gone,
Companionship like shadows
Drift into the night.
This day is ending,
Nightfall descends with singing,
Locusts serenade.
cfblack, 6-16-2016, after a 4-day grandkids visit
Painful memories,
dissertation in three months,
the tortured summer.
A dozen notebooks,
my forty-six interviews,
they still talk to me.
I find your old books,
remnants of you in my hands,
your love of knowledge.
— in memory of my father as I unpack boxes. And tonight, I miss him again.
cfblack, 6-8-2016
With the summer off,
Morning is when sun comes up,
Night is cricket songs.
The healing process
wanting to be done with this
need to build up strength.
Doctor Grandma 