Monday, April 29, 2013

Déjà Vu


A torrent of voices heard across the still brook

Ripples of water flowing over the pebbles and broken rocks

A myriad of birds singing their daily news

Beams of sunlight warm the boulder upon which I rest

I look out over the mountain-tops and down to the valley below me

I see the streams of water, the fallen leaves upon the ground

I close my eyes and breathe in the warmth of the sun, the smell of earth

My hands run across the ruggedness of the rock, feeling every crevice and ridge

I’ve been here before but maybe in another life-time

I recall the feeling, the wonder of it all, and I’m not afraid.

Maybe I was scared before, of the height, the depth, the existence,

But now, fear is my enemy, warmth and peace take its spot.

Leaning back, I look up at the clouds and smile as the breeze rustles through my hair…

I know this feeling, it’s not an illusion… it’s a miracle taken place, a dream come true

Gazing again at what lay ahead, I understand what the mystery entailed, history was written…

In this very spot, hundreds of years before and I lived it….déjà vu…

 

 

Thursday, April 25, 2013

This is ME

      My name is Elizabeth Hamm....I am me...I am a writer, a muser, a thinker, an author. My words flow like the sea...my words cease from being. At times they fly like the wind....other times, they are frozen like the tundra. I am a lover, loyal, free, strong and random....I won't fight unless it's for someone I love or what I believe in with my whole heart. I hate angry words. I hate sinister conversations. I despise confrontation. If I feel like I'm being threatened, I shut down like an electric generator on empty. If I don't know how to respond, I am silent. If I know you are irritated or upset, I feel this sudden need to make sure you are calm and feeling better. If you are crying, I am a shoulder to lean on. I never feel it's the wrong time to cry. I never see you as a failure just because you make a mistake. I am my biggest critic, and I'm sure I punish myself more than you ever could. I have this need to help the broken, to fix the lost, to restore the out of service. I listen with everything I have, and you have no doubt I care. I explain myself over and over until you begin to think I am apologizing, but in reality, I am just trying to convey what I'm thinking. I am silent....I am shy. In social gatherings, I listen, observe, smile, stand still. I have the ability to be adventurous and random, to laugh until I am crying and to make everyone around me laugh with the same fervor. I am goal-oriented, but sometimes I become side-tracked. I will get back on track if motivated, and often-times, I am self-motivated. I write poetry at random times and share them with my best friend until I'm sure she is rolling her eyes like, "Another one, Liz?" (just kidding!) I imagine what life would be like if I made certain decisions, and that I make those things happen. I used to sit still...for a while I was stagnant. I was afraid to move for fear everything would fall apart, but in doing so, I was slowly drifting away. I may be the quietest one in the room, but in reality, I know I probably have the most to say. I would have to say that I am romantic at heart, and that with time, that hasn't changed. Each and every day that I am married to the greatest man on earth, I thank my God for bringing him to me. He has patience and understanding and a sense of humor not many can forget. He is my other half, and I am sure we have many adventures ahead of us. My kids make me proud...my daughter is the greatest gift of a girl God could have ever given me. She has shown me what it means to love. Her smile and her heart are convicting. My son is the brightest boy with the biggest eyes and a heart to match. He challenges me and the most like me, it's scary. I am who I am, but I am a work in progress...a canvass not completed. If I have ever loved you, I will always love you. If I ever was your friend, I will be your friend until the end. I am ME.

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Never Have to Say Good-bye

       This earth is just a temporary place
       Where we live and love and laugh
       You lived here with such a grace
       So loved until your final breath...
       You suffered heart-ache, found love and joy
       Through life, you travelled far
       All with a smile that radiated light
       Your presence, we all adored...
       You fought a good fight, you finished your race
       You kept on loving God
       The peace you had, with others, you shared
       We are thankful on this earth, you trod...
       We never have to say good-bye
       For you've reached the other shore
       Our tears are just temporary ones
       We love you forever more...
       You're walking streets of gold up there
       You've seen our Saviour's face
       Your loved ones who have gone before
       You've seen, their pain erased...
       We'll see you later, over there
       Our work down here's not done
       We'll miss you sorely, your precious smile,
       Your new life has just begun.

*written for Grandma Ruth R. Garten, gone on to her new home, 3/28/13