Category: haiku

2015.08.14: hardness of heart

He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. – Mt 19:8

the hardness of our heart lies
within the emptiness from inside
made up of countless empty vows
and broken promises. we fill our
altars with gods of our making and
idols that we fashion. we fill our
scrolls with rules that make “us” feel
holy and make “them” infidels. we
seek to control everything except the
one thing which we can: our choice.
that which grace has given we do not
recognize and do not appreciate until
something or someone takes it away.
yet we worry about the things of this
world that must give way and squander
our chance at a life filled with joy
in abundance. we seek to divorce our
spouse when it is our self which
we seek to separate. the hardness of
our heart is the hollowness of our
soul. there is only one cure.

2015.06.24: gratitude

I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works!
My very self you know. – Ps 139:14

when i stop to realize
the creator of the universe
and all things seen and unseen
stars and nebulae
atoms and quarks
also created me
how can i be any less glorious

when i stop to recognize
the artist who painted
the glowing sunsets and rosy cheeks
the colorful flowers of the fields
and fashioned the feathers and wings
of the peregrine falcon
and the sinew and muscle
of the galloping cheetahs
also molded me
how can i be any less beautiful

when i stop to notice
the companion
who was present in the beginning
is present now to me
in this moment
how can i be any less loved

when i consider all things
how then can i respond
to one who is most generous
the only response that is
genuine and authentic
and only i can give
my gratitude