Xapa to the World

Category: Nature Related

This is my Father’s world, I rest me in the thought of rocks and trees, of skies and seas, His hand the wonders wrought.

  • Poem: My Trees

    This poem…I work at a bank, right?  Right across from the bank I used to work at, there was an empty lot with some beautiful trees that grew in the plots between us and the lot.  They were so sweet.  Very soon, construction started up and the trees were one of the first things to come down.  It happened in the Spring, when the leaves were at their brightest green.  Birds were flying and flitting all around the branches.  After the trees were felled, I saw the birds float forlornly over the dying trees.  It was so sad to me.  And then, in true “Sarah” form, I began to introspect.  And this poem came out.  I hope you enjoy it.  I was under a lot of influence at the time by Robert Frost…so, you might notice some parallels in sound from him…I can’t help but mimic what I’m hearing.  🙂

    May 13th, 2005

    The tree that grows gracefully –
    Brown trunk, straight, solid
    With verdant, jagged leaves –
    Lightly tosses in the breeze
    Of this warm May jour.
    Through my window, beyond cars
    Choking the air, grabbing at the green
    From chutes overhead, I watch
    The trees shimmer in the sun.
    The greed of paper faces soon takes
    My mind and I look down at a tray of
    Keys with letters and another face of light.
    I glance up at the tall giant and smile
    At the secret of Life we both share.
    Some men out passed the rows of
    Cars, passed a silver grate of separation,
    Take plows and dig into a mound of earth.
    The trees stand tall, a tender show of
    A miracle abounding – as do I.
    And then they come, not as surveyers of
    Beauty and life, they simply do as they must.
    My heart betrays as I see their task.
    Though I know the necessity, my heart breaks
    As the testimony breaks simply. The giant
    Of green, my co-companion in glory, falls –
    Quickly, silently, through my triple-paned glass.
    How could they? How could they not
    See the green leaves, catching the sun
    And glowing bright? Could they see
    Them tremble at the break,
    Falling in a breathless heap? Or,
    Is this just my heart I see?
    This sight of splendor and craftsmanship,
    No more a tall display of a Maker’s care,
    Is this the tree or me I see?

    Sarah ><>

  • Poem: Accusation of Snow

    March 12th, 2005

    Snow, snow. Depressing snow.
    White death, I dub you.
    Will you not leave? Won’t you
    Leave us with your honor, with
    A remnant of your beauty, and
    Devotion towards you? No,
    No, you are remaining, trying to show
    Your soft and gentile side.
    Ah, but you lie. You, a coward
    Desiring not to go quietly in the night.
    Choosing not to surrender
    To peace and new sunrises.

     – Sarah ><>

  • Poem: Cold Winter 5

    5
    January 28, 2005

    Cold and my lips unmoving
    Silence filling in the voids within these walls
    Yet my thoughts are rushing
    Swirling as fast as the snow
    Caught in the dance of the Winter wind
    Tossing and thrashing
    Sweeping the sky as salt.
    Never resting to stick together
    Just flying through the air
    To strike at my face; bite my nose.
    My mind dulled by the constant
    Throw of snow and flakes
    Protected only by my scarf and gloves
    Wrapped around my neck
    A meager attempt at warmth.
    When will my thoughts feel to me
    A gentle summer breeze?
    Not until the air turns warm
    And the wind comes from the other side
    Where the sun is sleeping.

    Sarah ><>

  • Poem: Cold Winter 4

    4
    January 26, 2005

    Sickness is a reminder
    Of Winter’s lack of sustenance
    So easy to lose control of the body
    The nose, head, throat, joints,
    Heart, soul…
    Trapped in the cage of self
    Craving for release and when
    Self’s door opens and the fresh air
    Beckons on the other side,
    Too lazy to lift a finger or toe
    The desire is gone, once known
    That only cold exists beyond my shelter
    Hapless, distorted, nauseous
    Staying inside or suffer the cold
    Choices not so easily made
    Nor when my body is boggled down
    By this worm writhing free in me.
    I wish to stamp it out, discipline
    But no avail, nothing will stop it
    So I lay here, cold, unaffected.

    Sarah ><>

  • Poem: Cold Winter 1-3

    January 22, 2005

    1

    A bitter, cold and aching feeling
    Embraces me this winter.
    The soft snow tumbling outside
    Kissing the window and my eyes.
    The loneliness of the season
    Creeps in and paws at me,
    Blankets me like the snow
    Covering, burying me, cold
    My heart is warmed only
    By the thoughts of a summer
    Spent with people at my side
    And only a care to their eternity.
    I can’t completely remember
    What brought me from there to here:
    The responsibilities of pushing ahead
    A broken heart from the West
    And South
    The feeling of my hopes and dreams
    Racing away from me to the unreachable
    Or just the cold, cold wind outside.

     2

    Frigid and unfeeling in the snow
    Mind and heart deadened by the cold.
    Do I really feel anything anymore?
    Only a gnawing at my soul
    “I am alone, so alone.”
    In my thoughts, doings, body
    Alone and unaware.
    Fingers are freezing in the air
    Biting at them, red from the chill
    I beat them against my leg
    Waiting for the blood to flow
    Feeling nothing, I sigh
    Watching my breath take form
    And vanish in the steady,
    Falling snow, so cold.
    I inhale and feel the cold air
    Pierce my chest and shiver
    Longing for warmth to fill me again
    To move inside me and awaken
    The sleeping spirit buried within.

    3

    A tree once green now captive
    To the white clinging to its branches
    The colors in my mind are
    But a phantom of what used to be.
    Exactly as I feel in the bland,
    Colorless world I see before me:
    No grass to run through,
    Nor tree to climb,
    No flowers to pick or make wishes on.
    My feet trapped within these shoes
    Long to be set free and breathe.
    The red of a cardinal lights on a tree
    Set for a moment and mocks me
    Laughing at my petty thoughts
    And arguments of injustice
    Then flies away casually
    As if to say, “It’s not my problem.”
    Just a memory added to memories
    Of color and conversation
    Absent in this cold, cold winter.

    Sarah ><>

  • Poem: In Her Eyes

    This piece was written in response to the 2004 tsunami.  I think I’ve explained this poem before, but since I’m going through all my work, I better go through this one as well.  I didn’t really have a particular person in mind, except for a small Indian girl.  In my mind’s eyes, she was standing amidst rubble and refuse that had been brought up by the floodwaters.  The look of sadness has permeated every part of her, but especially her face and her eyes.  The eyes of a child that young should never be sad, and she has experienced some of the deepest sadness in the world.  I don’t know if she lost someone who she loved, but more than likely she did.  If anything, she is torn apart by the sadness surrounding her.  Here’s the poem.

    January 18th, 2005

    In Response to December 24th, 2004

    My Child, why are your eyes
    So sad and low?
    The water flowed and washed
    All your joy away.Once deep and tranquil,
    Two drops of love
    In a sea of brown,
    Now murky and red.Where have all your tears gone?
    Back to the sea
    Inside your heart where they
    Stay behind the wall.Grow, my dear, to smile again
    And laugh with glee;
    Dance beside a gentle sea rocking
    Now calm and serene. – Sarah ><>

  • Poem: Dandelion

    November 17th, 2004

    Dandelion, dandelion
    What are you there?
    Just like a rocket
    About to burst in flame

    Dandelion, dandelion
    What are you there?
    The king of the jungle
    With a bright, yellow mane

    Dandelion, dandelion
    What are you there?
    A tiny drop of sun
    In a green, waving plain

    Dandelion, dandelion
    What are you there?
    A crown in golden locks
    Tied up in a chain

    Dandelion, dandelion
    What are you there?
    A delicate snowball
    With nothing to gain

    Dandelion, dandelion
    What are you there?
    A wish and a whisper
    To chase away the rain

    Dandelion, dandelion
    What are you there?
    A little girl’s diamond
    And an old man’s pain

    Dandelion, dandelion
    What are you there?
    Today, you are special
    And tomorrow, not the same

     – Sarah ><>

  • Poem: Dive

    October 25th, 2004

    Looking at this pool
    So deep and so broad
    Yeah, the waves look rough
    And the bottom so far,
    But a glimmer and shine
    Sparks a light in my eyes
    My heart skips a beat
    But I sit back and sigh

    I can sit at the edge
    Throwing my feet in
    The foam tickles my ankles
    And beckons me in
    But just when I feel
    It’s time to begin
    You’re pulling me back
    From the waves once again

    Oh why can’t You let me dive?
    Why can’t I run and try to reach for the sky?
    Why can’t I just fly?
    I know it’s Your heart
    I know Your command
    But why not now, Papa,
    Why can’t I dive?

    I can see the field
    Parts white as snow
    No one is gathering
    So I grab my bag to go
    But a wall comes between me
    And the wheat sitting there
    So I toss it back down
    And watch the wind blow

    Oh why can’t You let me dive?
    Why can’t I run and try to reach for the sky?
    Why can’t I just fly?
    I know it’s Your heart
    I know Your command
    But why not now, Papa,
    Why can’t I dive?

    I just want to serve You
    I just want to go
    Though You hold me back now
    Someday, it’s Your plan
    You’ve got it much better
    Than I comprehend
    And yes, Lord, I’m anxious
    But with You, I’ll stand

     – Sarah ><>

  • Poem: Anticipation

    September 29th, 2004

    Waiting on You
    In expectation of Your glory
    The warmth of Your love
    Brushes my cheek and arm
    This weather-eye
    Is getting tired
    Worn from straining to see
    Your light on the horizon
    Are You really coming?
    Will this sound deep inside
    Like the beating of a heart;
    A knocking on the door,
    Be realized?
    It’s always right on the edge
    Like racing over a hill
    Stomach rebels and body in motion
    Flip inside and laughter out.
    Or after the rain
    And a drop on the leaf
    Grows and stretches
    Then final release
    Splash on the ground.
    Are You really coming?
    Like the shell from the shore
    And waves in my ear
    Feet in the sand
    Dig in and the water
    Seeps in and covers
    Yeah, this is You.

     – Sarah ><>

  • Poem: Little Lightning Bug

    This is another one of my children’s poems.  I love lightning bugs, and they usually start coming out in June (which is another reason it is my favorite month).  This poem is just my tribute to them.  The rhyme scheme is: abccb adccd etc.  Enjoy!

    June 16th, 2004

    Hello there, little lightning bug
    Can you help me find my home?
    I’ve lost the way
    Through fields of gray
    Looking at this bright blue dome

    Don’t be frightened, little lightning bug
    I don’t mean you any harm
    I meant to say
    I’d like to play
    For this night is very warm

    What’s that? Little lightning bug
    Are you glad you found a friend?
    Just for today
    In my hands you’ll stay
    I’m afraid the light should end

    Can this be, little lightning bug?
    We’ve found my home at last
    The moon lit the way
    I’ll be back to say
    Goodnight when the night has past

    Sarah ><>