The Melody of Life

If music be the food of love, play on.    

William Shakespeare

There is a melody that began in my life when I was a little girl

My melody came out of me in nonsense songs I sang to myself as I sailed through the air on my swing

It wandered restlessly through the notes of my piano as I learned to pick out tunes

and my melody scowled at piano teachers who tried to fence it in

My  melody sewed together my teenage broken heart as I strummed my old six string guitar

And was with me as I sang with bands,

\

and in churches,

and eventually to my babies

But as it happens over the years, my melody became silent- 

Perhaps it was lost in the day to day

Or it just moved on, tired of my being a grown up and never coming out to play

I wondered about it sometime...where it was and how it was faring

Yesterday, our sons picked up their guitars 

and played music that was well beyond what I could have ever played,

and even though their melody gave me great joy

 I missed my melody once again

But when our four year old granddaughter ran in the room 

with her tambourine and her wild love of life to join in the music making, I knew!

There it was! 
Alive and well and very much her own!

My melody  was alive and well and living on in my granddaughter.

Nice to see you again, Melody.

You are sounding better than ever

Today, I hope you find your melody and it makes your heart sing

And that's poetiquejustis

Fielding the Frantic

I wouldn't know how to handle serenity if somebody 
handed it to me on a plate.  

Dusty Springfield

Serenity takes work
which seems like a contradiction in terms
But you have to just take a swing at what's bothering you

So, what is messing with your serenity?

See it coming at you?  

Don't stand there and let it fly over home plate!

Take a swing at those thoughts!

Go ahead- take a crack at it

Another annoying email?

Sah- wing, batter, batter, batter

crack

The thought of a coworker who only cares about making his way to the top at your expense?

crack - take that thought and hit it out of the park!

 Soggy shoes because you stepped in a puddle

Those you'll have to dry off....

But letting it bug you...nah!
crack   

Hit it over the fence!

junk mail

noisy neighbors

to do lists that will not get done

crack                                                 crack                                          crack

see, isn't that better?

Serenity 

just take a crack at it, and suddenly, you are in the game

And that's poetiquejustis

..... whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

A Story Not My Own

History will be kind to me for I intend to write it. 

Winston Churchill

Tonight I was a part of history

Not mine
History much more important than mine

Tonight, I sat in a small inner city community center with some kids 

who want to go to college

But do not now the way around the paperwork

and the newness

 and the insecurity of it all

Kids whose parents never went to college
But dreamed of something better for their children

and we talked with those kids about possibilities
and all that could be
and they smiled
and believed

Tonight, I watched something begin that will go on long after I am gone

Tonight, it was about the beginning of a new chapter in their history

And I am so pleased to have been a footnote!

Go…find a piece of history not your own

And put a bookmark on that page that will last forever
And that's poetiquejustis
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.Philippians 2:4

Just Pickin' On You

" Success consists of going from failure to failure
without loss of enthusiasm"
~ Winston Churchill

Just one more time.....

Pick up the pieces

Pick up the parts

Put them all back together

You know this by heart

Pick up your purpose

Pick up a pen

Pick up your cause

and get going again!

Pick up a neighbor

Pick up a friend

Pick up your feet

And start dancing and then

Pick up a melody

Pick up a tune

Pick up the threads of romance

 Under the moon

Pick up the pace

pick up your chin

Pick up where you left off

And be joyful, My Friend! 

And that’s poetiquejustis

Be joyful in hope. Romans 12:12

scribblings

Excuse my scribbling, it is late, and I have a poor candle. 

Henri Rousseau

  My five year old said to me many years ago

“I knew it!”

What!!!

What had I done now in my never ending apprenticeship as a mother??

“You said my picture was pretty and I scribble scrabbled it on purpose to see what you say- and you still thought it was pretty!”

Well of course I did!

Why?

Because it was his scribbling

Scribble scrabble

to a mother?

Monet!

And when he was learning how to play the saxophone and I heard a scratchy rendition of “hot cross buns” for the 82^nd time?

I was hearing the next David Sanborn!

He is a dad now…maybe he gets it.

Love may see the scribble, 

or even hear the ....unusual note

But love loves it all and always will

My wish for you?

To have people in your life with eyes that only see the Monet in your scribbles

and only hear  the beauty in your songs

And that’s poetiquejustis

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Corinthians 13:13