Woodland
A forest of hardwood and pine
whispers calm to my soul
as we stroll its quiet path of leaves
and fine needles
with the occasional call
of small birds,
conversation of crows,
or tune composed of
breeze strumming the trees
to the rhythm of woodpecker’s tap,
even as our own whispers overlap
woodland’s song —
one I wish to carry lifelong.
© Marie Elena Good 2025
“Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.” ~ Anonymous(attributed to St. Francis of Assisi)
Sonnet for Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace
Of many writings I wish were my own,
this certainly resides among the best.
And while this poet’s name remains unknown,
their heart’s benevolence is manifest.
And oh to be an instrument of peace
And oh to harmonize with God’s great grace
No dissonance released from my mouthpiece
No notes omitted, wrestled, or misplaced
God likens clanging cymbals and loud gongs
to those who harbor hate within their soul.
I want to spill His love where there are wrongs –
the love that brings us peace and makes us whole.
Don’t want to be a cymbal or a gong –
Just long to harmonize with Him in song.
© Marie Elena Good 2025
THE POET
In the beginning,
The Poet spoke creation
into being. He,
along with His Son,
effortlessly began all
with only Their voice.
All that is, was, or
ever will be, was simply,
easily, declared.
All creation sings.
It even began with song.
Now THAT’s poetic!
© Marie Elena Good 2025
As for me, this is the desire of my heart: “And I’ll be the poet who sings your glory – and live what I sing every day.” ~ Psalm 61:8
“The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” ~ Job 38:4
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, and the Song of Solomon are poetry books in the Bible. If you believe, as I do, that the Bible is the inspired word of God, God is a poet! I LOVE that!
They come
from distant lands,
escaping war,
famine, natural disaster,
unlivable conditions, persecution,
economic instability, etc.
They arrive
carrying whatever they can.
Perhaps a photo or two.
A key to a house
that may no longer exist.
Only the clothes on their backs.
One very dear Syrian friend had to leave
suddenly. Flee.
Her family,
in the middle of a meal,
left pots and plates of food
years ago.
Ukrainian friends we now consider family
arrived with one school-type backpack
for their family of four.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Some aren’t even that lucky.
Dowla chose one item to bring:
A wooden pole, balanced on her shoulders,
with which to carry
her six children
when they tired of the 10-day walk from Sudan
to a refugee camp in South Sudan.
Aboubacar fled Mali on a donkey cart
with his wife and two children.
The one item he chose to bring?
His goat.
“The goat brings me hope, joy, and a sense
that things can change for the better.”
After dealing with several months of air raids,
Magboola and her three children finally left Sudan
the night soldiers came and opened fire.
The most important item she chose to carry:
a small cooking pot.
It could be easily carried,
and used to feed her children.
102-year-old Omar is blind.
His item of choice was his lati
(his walking stick).
“If I hadn’t had my lati,
I would have crawled to Bangladesh.”
The situation in the village he loved,
yet had to flee,
was dire.
The journey,
unimaginably hard.
A quote I relish from him is this:
“If you laugh, others will laugh with you.
And if you stop laughing, you will die.”
Elizabeth fled war in Angola.
52 years later, she still struggles
with the feeling of not having a real home.
The one item she still has with her
is her Bible.
“In this world, bad things happen,
but in the Bible you can find words which help you.”
The stories
are endless
unimaginable
heartbreaking
staggering
awe-inspiring.
The people
are strong
courageous
thankful
giving
hopeful,
in spite of it all.
It is my honor and great blessing
to look into the eyes of those
I am privileged to personally know.
To hear their stories.
See their smiling eyes.
Feel their arms around me.
Their kisses on my cheeks.
To taste their food.
Receive their time
and their love.
THEY
are life-enriching.
© Marie Elena Good 2025
(Stories of those I don’t personally know are from UNHRC. The photo I chose is from Pexels.com.)
Of Stars and Little Ones
O sweet little one,
you’ve reached as high as you can,
but can’t touch the stars.
But don’t you worry.
All this talk of reaching for them
is just that: talk.
You don’t have to strive.
Just “be,” little one. The same
God who made the stars
and gave them their names
and placed more than we can see
more than we can count
in a universe
He made, in a space and time
only He can know …
This very same God
made and intimately knows
you too, little one.
He knows you by name.
He knows the exact number
of hairs on your head.
You’re more precious than
all the stars he knows and named —
billions and billions.
Listen, little one,
you don’t have to reach the stars.
God made you higher.
© Marie Elena Good 2025
Hundreds of billions
of stars in the universe
pale when compared to
the tens of trillions
of nonexistent dollars.
American debt.
© Marie Elena Good 2025
one trillion = 1,000 billion
Taking Time
Attraction came fast,
but our first kiss took some time,
and I’m glad it did.
First came playful pokes,
but I don’t think folks were fooled.
They saw the romance:
How his blue eyes danced,
and he would conceive a way
to leave together.
Attraction came fast,
but our first kiss took some time,
and I’m glad it did.
First came the warm smile,
with smiling eyes that crinkled
on the sides, and seemed
content as they gleamed,
holding a gaze long enough
to raise my heart rate.
Attraction came fast,
but our first kiss took some time,
and I’m glad it did.
First came the strong hand
that tenderly caressed mine,
and didn’t wander.
First came the strong heart
that tenderly addressed me,
and made me feel safe.
Attraction came fast,
but our first kiss took some time,
and I’m glad it did.
First came what makes me
feel prized. Believe it or not,
it's rubbing noses.
First came music that
always made me think of him.
First came spending time.
Attraction came fast,
but our first kiss took some time,
and I’m glad it did.
First came the months of
proving the worth I thought I
saw. The honesty.
Seeing how his dad
treats his mom opened my heart
to both of these men.
Attraction came fast,
but our first kiss took some time,
and I’m glad it did.
The first kiss took time.
When it came, it came from a
heart of tenderness -
a heart that took time
to make sure it was ready
to say, “I love you.”
Attraction came fast,
but our first kiss took some time,
and now he is mine.
© Marie Elena Good 2025
PUMP THE BREAKS
The whole week is jammed
with to-dos and to-don’ts,
so now is the time
for I can’ts and I won’ts.
I can’t do that thing
I’ve been wanting to do,
when clearly too much
is crammed into my queue.
I won’t take a nap,
‘cause I can’t squeeze it in.
My schedule’s so full,
don’t know where to begin.
To just lollygag
is unthinkable now.
Where once I could loaf,
now my time won’t allow.
No time for some rest,
and I’ve no time to rhyme.
A stroll with a friend?
I’m so sorry – no time.
I think what I need
are some scheduled blank days;
some nothing-to-dos;
some okay-to-delays.
Then maybe my head
and my heart will be free
to do all I need do,
and still spend time with me.
© Marie Elena Good 2025
“The whole week is jammed with to-dos and to-don’ts” from “Lollygagging,” by Bob Odenkirk
REDEEMED
Not a trait from birth
nor my own making, but an
unmerited gift.
This gift describes me.
It labels and defines me.
It tells you I’m a
sinner-deemed-sinless,
ransomed by innocent blood —
a debt I can’t pay.
I’m liberated.
Rescued. Emancipated.
Bought back. Paid in full
by Jesus my Lord
with a love beyond measure
for me, and for you.
© Marie Elena Good 2025
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” (From the Holy Bible’s book of Ephesians 1:3,7, and 8.)
The Last Time Joy was Here
The last time joy was here
was in the center of sad
among the angry
in the midst of misperception
and the hub of hunger
during discord
in intense illness
and within the worst worry,
for my Lord never leaves me
nor forsakes me,
and in His presence
lies fullness of joy.
© Marie Elena Good 2025
pictured words 