January

The Words

Blessings
Death
Friendship
Hopeful
New


The Vision



The Poetry

New smile growing warm
Feeling, tendrils weaving, fear
Is this shifting real

Hopeful, careful smile
Reaching, yearning, guarded, calm
Will it bear the weight

Friendship growing, close
Darkness lifting, parting slow
Is this feeling real

Death unasked, unwanted
Rending, shredding, screaming souls
Can I bear it now

Blessings waiting, his
Seeking, searching, warming light
Stepping forward, slow



The Motivation

New Year, new blog. Pressure. The five words I provide will be the impetus each month for two very creative people to do what they do best, tell a story. One with words, the other through a picture. So what five words do I choose? Naturally, I chose words that have some bearing on the world in general, as well as in my own personal world.


Last month was stressful; as I’m sure it was for a lot of people. The holidays tend to do that to people. Through the stress, my friends were there to lean on. I am fortunate to have reconnected with some old friends, and to understand what true friendship means.


The holidays also can be a time of reflection on the blessings that we have. A loving family, full bellies, and a warm bed, to name a very few.


Though it’s the birth of a new year, two experiences with death hit very close to home this month. The first was a colleague who passed away just two days in to the new year. I can’t do justice to what a kind, vibrant, and beautiful soul he was. But this article can. He will be greatly missed. The second is a reflection on what it must be like to near the end of your life. Recently, my grandmother got very sick and was hospitalized. When visiting her, I couldn’t help but wonder what she is thinking about her own mortality. Wondering to herself, will this be it? This hospital and these machines will be where I spend my last days? And what happens after that? It scares me to think about getting old and nearing death. I am hopeful that she is on the road to recovery, and I am thankful that I have Faith.