Christmas Magic

I have spent the past few days baking and making candy in preparation for next week's festivities. I love baking and making sweets, but this is the only time of year I truly allow myself to indulge in doing so. I am joined in the kitchen sporadically by my eldest son, who seems to believe that every step of making these things is endlessly fascinating.
This awe and curiosity reminds me of being a child and watching my mother bake cookies and getting in her way in an attempt to understand how she was doing it. I was convinced my mother worked magic at one point. She was a sorceress of the kitchen, magically taking things like flour and butter and sugar and making beautiful, scrumptious things! It was amazing!
Of course, now I know what is going on in the theater of my childhood magic show. I am the sorceress, transforming and entrancing. I had forgotten how fantastic it all is until I watched Caleb learn to mix dough, decorate a cookie, melt butterscotch, and sample the product of his work and diligence. This is my Christmas magic moment.
So, here is a brief poem that I composed to attempt to convey that feeling, the warmth and affection, involved in cooking in the kitchen in preparation for Christmas fun.


Magic

Sugar and vanilla.
Peppermint and chocolate.
Flour and butter.
Childhood memories,
Kitchen magic.
Warmth and laughter.

Messy hands.
Ruffled aprons.
Christmas carols.
Baking smells.
Smiling eyes.
Laughing smiles.
Kitchen magic.
Christmas magic.
Love's magic.
-Constance

The Humble

I know, it has been ages!!! Shame upon me! I've been without motivation and stuck in a funk of angst, creatively that is. I'm generally put out with the world and general idiocy of societal sheep and have suffered for it. I don't want to be the angry poet lady who rages at the world from her quiet corner of the blogger universe all of the time. I know that there are good things going on, merely overlooked by most or simply not given the praise it deserves.
In honor of the humble humans out there who give to others, lend a helping hand, or go beyond the call of duty in the name of kindness with no expectations of praise or acknowledgement in any form, this is for you. I wrote this several weeks ago, and now seems an apt time to drag it out of my journal and onto my blog.
I pray you enjoy it and that it inspires you to say thank you to the quiet humanitarian in your life and maybe commit an act of altruism yourself. It wouldn't hurt the world if we all did a little something for someone else anonymously here and there.

The Humble
The grandest humans
Are seldom the greatest.
The loudest champions
Are seldom true heroes.
The most generous
Are often without.
The unfailingly kind
Are often sorely used.

No parades thrown
Honoring their glory.
Few songs sung
Telling their story.
The rewards unseen,
A spiritual glory.
In other's shadows
Moving mighty mountains.
True gifts to humanity,
These ceaseless fountains.

-Constance

There you have it. God bless you all and may you all give a little to others in this season of giving.

Veteran's Day

As a wife of a veteran I see first hand some of the turmoil that a soldier can suffer. Of course, there are those who suffer less and those who suffer greatly under the burden of the things they have seen and done. I will not discuss that today. That is not what this is about. This is about honoring the sacrifices these brave individuals make. 

For the most part today's veterans are thanked and supported by the public, though it was not always so, and still is not always so. I am thankful for that, even as I wish there was more done for them and more I could do for my own husband. We don't understand them. Not really. We can listen and think over what they are willing to share, but we will never truly understand. So, we thank them, praise them, and attempt to pay them back in some small measure for all they have given or haven't finished giving. 

Keeping this in mind I attempted to write an appropriate bit of poetic homage to those who serve and came up blank. I haven't the words to express my thoughts and emotions on this topic. So, in lieu of that I rummaged into my older writing and found this. I have posted it before a few years ago during my husband's second deployment. Despite the passage of time, this still rings true. I hope you all enjoy it. Happy Veteran's Day. Don't forget to thank a veteran for their service and pray for those actively serving.

Matter of the Man

Certificates and awards
Hanging on his walls.
Medals and ribbons
Pinned on his chest.
Rifles and ammo
In his safe.
Photos of men
His men; a brotherhood.
Honor and courage
In his soul.
Duty and responsibility
Dwellers of his heart.
A paragon and a citadel
This is who he is.
A man and a soldier
That is what he is.
These are his
A soldier's things.
-Constance

Shame

I haven't really got a lot to say about this poem. It is fairly self-explanatory. I selected this from several pieces I've written over the week. Why this one you may ask? It touches on some pet peeves of mine dealing in mass hypocrisy and the rabid propagation that the general public swallows and accepts via the media and schools. No one is safe if they don't collect facts and think about things objectively! Yet, it becomes obvious quickly that most don't partake in critical thought. *le sigh. I've gone off on a soap box. Pardon me.
On with the poetry. Love it? Hate it?  Want to argue the point? Ok. I hope you enjoy the writing in either case, even if the content is less than pleasing.


Shame

Shades of ignorance
Painted far and wide.
Cathedrals of learning,
Where it all hides.
Bountiful knowledge,
Wasted on stagnant minds.

Think on your own,
Lest you fall behind.
Swallowed by hordes
Claiming to be "your kind."
All the same ideals,
Thinking themselves diversified.

Minority thinking to
Majority thinking.
The old now spurned.
The new now crucifying.
Your superiority
Turned hypocrisy.

Shame.
-Constance

little boys and their joys.

I am the blessed mother of two fantastic (in my humble opinion) little boys, of 7 and 2. This comes, like most things  in life, with rewards and drawbacks. There are many days that the drawbacks seem to far outweigh the rewards, but as the majority of mothers out there will tell you, it's worth it. A toddler especially likes to test the limits of one's sanity, on an hourly basis usually.
I am reminded of these joyous rewards when I hold one of my precious boys and they smile back at me without hesitation. Pure happiness in a single facial expression and I am reassured of my place in the world. Those gorgeous blue eyes and bright little smiles make my heart swell with pure, unadulterated love.
So, I true to wrote a poem to embody this phenomenal depth of emotion. It fails, of course, to capture the depth of feeling I want to convey, but I simply couldn't ignore the urge to attempt it. I hope despite its shortcomings, you enjoy the sentiment behind the piece.

Ode to My Boys

This is my love,
Tangled up in your eyes.
Childish joy I see
Is your toothy smile.
Magnificent blue
Reflecting my joy.
Precocious little boy.

You drive me mad,
Straight up the wall.
No matter the crazy
Still, I love it all.
The tears and pain,
They make the joy sharp.
Laughter sounding like a harp.
-Constance

Quick!

I haven't a great deal of time to do this today. My eldest son is out of school this week so alone time is a bit more difficult to obtain at the moment. Because of this lack of time I will be leaping right into the poetry.
I chose this piece from some things I wrote a few weeks ago. I liked it best so, here it is on my blog. I hope you enjoy it and find a measure of peace in the lines or more importantly in the Great Comforter, The Holy Spirit, whichever name you choose to go with. He is there after all.

When doubt rolls
Deep in your soul.
A thick fog
Blocking all hope.
Faith holding on
By a thread.
Hope in your heart,
All but dead.
I Am here.

Like thunder
Rolling across the land.
Lightning flashing overhead.
Rain cleansing everything.
I'll hold you.
Offer cleansing comfort.
Awesome love.
Majestic hope.
I Am here.

Waiting.

I Am here.

Responsibility.

I am incredibly sick of people running around doing things for themselves, giving no thought to the consequences that may result from them. Then, when faced with consequences, choose to point fingers or pawn off their involvement! Grow up people! You are not the only person on the planet to be set upon by difficulties, strife, or woe of some sort. This does not excuse you from taking responsibility for any harm you may cause to those around you.
I am by no means saying that one cannot seek redemption and forgiveness, in fact, please do! I encourage everyone to apologize and strive to do better. I too, try to do this. I by no means always succeed in doing so, but I do try. We should all reach for improvement of our characters, shouldn't we?
So, this poem if for the selfish, who go about hurting others and taking no responsibility for it. Get it together or just leave others out of your messy, "me me me" life.

The air around you
Reeks of selfishness,
Thoughtlessness.
Look around you.
So many hurts,
Broken hearts,
Beating in broken eyes.

Reach inside yourself
Touch your own humanity,
Thoughtfulness.
Reach our and touch
Mend those souls.
Go where your sins go.

Responsibility,
Take some-
Have some-
Or leave us all alone.
-Constance

There I have done a little venting. I hope you enjoyed it, and if you didn't maybe next time!

Progression!

So, I have returned! It has been entirely too long since I have been here.

I am returning now, and I am working on a whole new me! I'm trying to get in shape, getting out and doing things, and having fun doing it! I'm back writing poetry and it should only follow that I start sharing again.

In following with my self improvement I will attempt to be more consistent and post at minimum once a week. Starting today. Hooray!

So here it is! A new poem. It's fresh, never seen before, one week old, and without a title... I know, it is sad. I still struggle with that particular part of things. It is my most frustrating failing when writing. I think this one is appropriate for this post as well since it deals with complacency and shaking it off.

How long have I slept?
Belly full of complacency
Heart full of fear
Going nowhere...
If it isn't here.

The fire in my gut
Banked for the night.
Still not stoked up.
Where is the sunlight?

Look up!
See through wiser eyes!
Rip off the blinders!
Disbelieve your own lies!
-Constance

What do you think? Isn't it appropriate?