This Easter

I did not go to Iowa this Easter.

I did not sing Keith Green's song "Easter Song."

There's lots of things I didn't do

but I did a few things new

and making all things new

has been a big part of Easter all along.

Pruning

We reach up to prune the trees,
decreasing to increase,
and God with love does the same to us
and with a downward reach.
Yes, you were foolish, you forgot to think,
when you reached too far from the ladder.
But God thought long and hard and knew
that he would wisely rather
fall to the ground, like you, with pain
except more like a seed
that dies, is buried and rises again
to give us what we need.

My Bass

The two who owned my bass before me
are both in their own bands
and they have better basses now,
but mostly it's their hands
and ears that have improved,
and that's because of time.
I better solder up this bass
and dedicate some of mine.

To Not Have Any Aspirations

It would be easier to not have any aspirations.
It would feel like hanging out at someone else's house,
finally relaxing because there's nothing to get done.
We would stay there 'til eleven,
just talking and talking,
and we'd go home and go to bed and wake up in the morning,
wondering what we had talked about.

I Love to See You Move About

I love to see you move about.
I love to see you crawl.
I'm glad that you can go so quick.
That isn't true for all.
I'm glad that you can wiggle and squirm.
I'm glad that you are able.
So kick and roll and twist and go
but not on the changing table!

Elbows

Love is like a back massage
with the elbows strong, involved
pushing into muscles hard
and you say it hurts, but good.

But a Man That Old

All paint will chip,
all shingles will peal,
all siding will rot,
but your bones will heal.
And even when
you're getting old
you won't be covered
in mushrooms or mold.
All driveways will crumble,
all stairs will creak,
but a man that old
will have wisdom to speak.

There Once Was a Baby

There once was a baby
with a bunch of wavy hair
and eyes so round
they would stop and stare.
And her cheeks were smooth
and her nose was neat.
She would smile so big
and show off her two teeth.
But I would like that baby to know
that being cute isn't what it's about
and for the rest of her life she needs to be
more concerned with the inside than out.

Stall

The leaves left from last fall
are now not green at all.
They chose to stay
but died anyway.
Why did they choose to stall?

Oh Money

Oh money!
Money on the bar,
money in the drawer.
Put the money in the bank,
and hope for some more.
Money for a house,
money for our health
money for a plan,
for worry, waste, or wealth.
Money to eat,
money to move,
money to buy new ones
when you wear through your shoes.

Nothing

Nothing that rhymes,
nothing profound,
nothing new
'neath the sun we spin 'round.
No word left unsaid,
no vice left untried,
no bottle that floats
'cross this prairie so wide.

Because You Couldn't Sleep

You came to bed so late last night
because you couldn't sleep.
I understand. When I'm not in bed
I never sleep very deep.

Running on Banana

I'm running on banana
and a handful of nuts,
which is okay as long as I
am sitting on my butt.
But when I finish all my work
and get up to take a break
I will need some more food
like a taco or a steak.

I'd Rather Have

Going to stores can be dangerous,

and looking at the ads

that come in a bag on Tuesday night

can be just as bad.

I thought I had what I needed.

I thought I had enough.

But when I looked around I found

some pretty awesome stuff.

I want a high-tech tablet.

I want some cuter shoes.

I want a box to wind the hose

and paint in pretty hues.

All this stuff would be so nice,

but you know what's funny?

When I come home (and close the ads)

I'd rather have my money.

I Love It When You Sleep

I love it when you sleep.
Don't get me wrong,
I like to play with you,
and I'd spend
the whole day with you,
but
I love it when you sleep.

My Sister Is Coming Today

My sister is coming today.
We have a place she can stay.
She's bringing her laundry and a big backpack
in that college-student way.
My sister is coming by car.
My sister has traveled so far
with her laundry and her big backpack
so we can be the sisters we are.

Her Brother

When she jumped to save her brother,
she wasn't thinking about how he shouldn't have gotten so close
or the pros and cons of guardrails
or the temperature of the water.
When she jumped to save her brother, she only thought of her brother.

The Hub

The hub,
the center of a wheel,
is there to hold the wheel together,
each spoke spinning and moving
while the hub stays and stays.
Is it the hub that turns the wheel
or the wheel that turns the hub?
Either way, the hub doesn't get much outside contact,
and she has to continually remind herself
that everything does not revolve around herself.

The Red Hen

The red hen is the loudest.
She bosses the others around.
The red hen wants to be
the loudest chicken kept in town.
The red hen wants to be a rooster,
crowing atop the coop.
The red hen won't be satisfied.
The red hen will be soup.

Get Well

I'll bring you water, herbal tea,

and orange juice to drink.

I'll tell you "Drink it all,

you are thirstier than you think."

And if you don't drink it all,

I'll be able to tell.

But most of all, I just want

you to please get well.

Just Things

When the floor is clear and I can walk,
my head is clear to think and talk.
When my computer runs out of space
I feel so full behind my face.
When the snow begins to melt,
I feel alive as I've ever felt.
I feel like I'll explode or sing
depending on these things– just things!

Seven Every Week

I may not write a poem each day,
but seven every week.
Some people hardly say a word,
but they make up for it when they speak.
I hope I too have something to say,
some thoughtful point to make,
something that makes you think, something
that's worth the time it takes.

Nada, Pero Todo

La manera que la sangre goteó, goteó, goteó
no tuvo nada, pero todo, que ver
con el latido de su corazón.
El agua del grifo hace lo mismo.
Y la manera que fluyó en un hilo por su piel
no tuvo nada, pero todo, que ver
con su color.
El agua se vería igual.

The way the blood dripped, dripped, dripped
had nothing, but everything, to do
with his heartbeat.
Water drips the same way out of a faucet.
And the way it trickled down his skin
had nothing, but everything,
to do with its color.
Water would look the same.

She's Playing

She's playing on the floor by herself.
She just put the elephant in the bucket and she's tapping it on the door.
She's happy, I'm happy here writing.
But what if someday she doesn't need me anymore?

My Mind Is Not Staying The Same

I can see what you are saying,
but I'm not saying the same.
I hear where you are coming from,
and my mind is not staying the same,
but neither is it changing,
at least not in the sense
that I agree with you now.
Although you speak some sense.

By the Time I Am Done

I'm on page eleven of a four-hundred-and-fifty-five page book, and three of the pages I had to read again.
I'm sure I'll have learned a lot by the time I am done but what I really want to know is– when?

Poems

There are lots of poems in my head.
Most of them are songs.
If I were to write them here, though,
that would be just wrong.
The words would all be true and right
and smart, and witty and wise.
But these poems are by a band I like
and they'd be plagiarized.

This Here Poem

There are eleven poems that I have to write today.
I'm sure that they exist if I can find the words to say.
Sometimes its hard to think of something meaningful that rhymes,
but the hardest part of all today will be to find the time.

Yesterday I probably could have written you a poem,
but my husband had a day off. He was actually at home.
And even if I had the time to write a poem again,
I certainly did not have time to write the needed ten!
The day before was Sunday, a restful writing time.
I could have written one poem, but not the needed nine.
On Saturday I had ideas. They probably were great.
But I did not write them down because they were one poem, not eight.
The day I needed seven poems, that sounded like a ton.
So, overwhelmed, I couldn't even write a single one.

But wait! The day I need to write just seven poems is now, today!
I was looking at the calendar-- I looked at April and at May!
February's shorter! Just eight poems late! What fun!
And now I'm down to seven because this here poem is done.

Wouldn't you like to know?

There's lots of things I'd like to know.
There's books and books and books
and articles on the internet.
Like how to grow and cook
the most nutritious herbs,
the conjugations of five hundred
common Spanish verbs.
I'd like to know more history.
I'd like to learn some Greek.
I wouldn't mind knowing every
language people speak.
I'd learn how to lay carpet
or how to sew a suture.
But most of all I'd like to know
more about my future.

Daddy's Back

The baby is happy
she's on daddy's back.
She's playing pretend
and she's a backpack.
She's watching him work.
She's learning a lot.
She's on daddy's back,
one of her favorite spots.

Comments

In the local, big-town newspaper,
with its articles online,
they let the people comment,
to say what's on their minds.
And sometimes it's just scary.
And sometimes it's just sad.
Sometimes they start an argument,
and everyone gets mad.
But sometimes they show kindness
if not humility.
And the comments stay there always
for everyone to see.