Inspired by my friend, Michael Toy.
Lenten Wreath
Handcrafted by a teenage boy in Canada
Who gives all the money to Compassion
A way to travel through time
Journeying slowly the last days of Jesus
Lighting a candle each day at each meal
Remembering.
Not because I have to
But because I want to
Because it brings me closer to His heart
And brings His heart closer to mine
Breakfast Table
Thank You, Lord, for oatmeal,
Hemp and chia and flax seeds,
And banana to eat;
And for fresh, clean water to drink.
And for vitamins, supplements, and medication
Which most people on this planet
Have no idea exist.
Lenten Luncheon
Daily I reach into the refrigerator
And pull out plastic tubs of
Pre-washed organic greens;
Today it’s spinach and arugula.
So quick and easy
To not notice how quick and easy it is.
Add a tomato, and today some avocado,
A bit of red onion, oil and vinegar;
Nutrients of all kinds, micro and macro
Taken for granted for so many years.
Never again, I pray.
Dinnertime Feast
If anyone had told me
That a half-cup of rice
Plus a half-cup of beans
And a chicken thigh
(Today with kernels from the last corn cob)
Would be welcomed as a feast,
I might have chuckled in disbelief;
I’d have wolfed it all down in less than two minutes
And gone for seconds, maybe thirds,
Shoveling, not savoring.
These evenings have been different:
A candle lit, soft music playing,
Prayers for the hungry,
Prayers of thanksgiving.
Savoring
Each bite a reminder
I am more blessed than I ever knew.
Dessert
Cakes and pies
And ice cream treats
And candies and cookies
And all things sweet
I shudder to think how many pounds
Of flour and sugar I’ve easily ingested
And all of the money I’ve easily invested
In this thing called dessert
Each evening after my simple meal
I slowly open an orange or tangelo
It takes effort to peel
And I think of the efforts of millions of women
Lugging heavy buckets
To bring water to their families
And I bite into the juicy-sweet fruit
And swallow hard
God Just Hears a Melody 