Photo by Keith R. Good | pictured words

‘Twas the morning of Christmas,
And Santa was spent,
Having just returned home
From his yearly event.

After taking his shower
And downing his Joe,
He awoke Mrs. Claus
With a sweet kiss hello.

On their loveseat they sat
With the best Book on earth
To read St. Luke’s account
Of the Christ Child’s birth.

“By miraculous means
A young woman conceived,
And the baby she bore
Would save all the deceived,”

“Which includes you and me,”
Santa said, his voice low;
His eyes brimming with tears
From his heart’s overflow.

“And the best gift of all
Doesn’t come from my sleigh.
No, the best gift of all?
Sacred love, in scant hay.”

© Marie Elena Good, 2020

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November 1, 2020

UNTITLED SENRYU

In these darkest times,
a healing light always shines.
The Son has risen.

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August 23, 2020

FLOURISHING

Sow seeds of love –
for their blooms
are beautiful,
and guaranteed
to reseed.

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June 28, 2020

MORNING’S OPEN WINDOW CALLS

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Photo by Keith R. Good

I see and hear the birds, the deer,
the kids that play across the way.
I feel the breeze, and watch the trees react,
and I make eye contact with Chickadee.
I smile as he rests on my sill.
Then I refill my coffee mug,
sit snug and still and know
the golden glow of morning sun,
and glorious One who made it rise
and harmonize with all I see
outside my window;
inside me.

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May 3, 2020

AWAITING WATERSHEDS

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Photo by Keith R. Good

Every crisis in my life
has left expected tinges
I wish were erasable,
but also unforeseen traces
of the embraceable.

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April 26, 2020

PANDEMIC

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Imprint in Concrete photo by Keith R. Good

We’re navigating
necessary conversions
to our way of life.

Maybe we’ve traded
trite for substance. And maybe
we can keep the change.

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April 15, 2020

GROWING DREAMS

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Photo credit: Keith R. Good

Wake up beautiful
Cute high heels, good for my feet
Feel pretty daily

No-pain fun workouts
Tasty food without weight gain
Flattering clothes, all

Snow with no slipping
Nightly beach stroll with no bugs
Flowers with no weeds

Warmth with no sweating
Nice chill with no shivering
Charcoal clouds with sun

Endless connections
Continuous potential
World with no borders

Love without judgement
Hard truths spread with soft edges
Loved. No exceptions.

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March 15, 2020

RELATIONSHIP

This is an age of unbroken connection.
Our fingertips tap into instant links.
We’ve little tolerance for imperfection,
And as our ego grows, our goodwill shrinks.

And in this age of unbroken connection,
Our face-to-face relationships have waned.
Resulting loss of physical affection
May render us emotionally maimed.

Now suddenly a time of social distance
Is thrust upon us necessarily.
Most look for ways to be of some assistance,
And find these ways, extraordinarily.

I’m thankful in this time of social distance
For God, who binds my drifting heart to His.
Our Father God pursues us with persistence.
Be still, and let Him show you who He is.

Quick note: My last three lines include words and truths from scripture, and from a long-loved hymn, as follows:

“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” by Robert Robinson includes the phrase of prayer, “Bind my wandering heart to thee.”

The Bible overflows with God’s pursuit of us, including Psalm 139.

Psalm 46:10 tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

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January 5, 2020

THE PAST IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY

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Photo by Keith R. Good, 2014

“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” From The Go-Between, by L.P. Hartley

Hindsight is a curious thing.
It can swing from delight
to fright, and anything between.
I mean, we’ve seen the ways
the history books make crooks
look chaste. But oh,
the aftertaste.
And who would know
we owe apologies for
theologies twisted,
persisted, and falsely
scripted.
As we become aware
and lay bare the lies,
our own past appears
foreign in our eyes.
Don’t bury the dead.
Look behind; look ahead.
Yearn for better days.
Find better ways.
Learn who we are.
Raise the bar.