In Her Mother's Eyes


She carries these images of the past
in pictures of black and white and gray
Of times belonging to the past--not of today.

She sees a part of herself in her mother’s eyes,
And longs for a place to dwell
in comfort, in safety, in warmth,
away from today’s hell.

Images frozen in a time that was
really no safer than now.
Pain, hardship, sorrow was there
and is in the here-and-now.

She carries these images of the past
in pictures of black and white and gray,
and in faded memories
that forget and forgive the pain
of times belonging to the past--not in vain,

but in longing--in a longing to be free….
Theresa M


Happy Birthday, mom

In Between Life and Death

Science comes up with new ways to extend our lives. Seems every year there’s a new pill, a new method or procedure, another study finds the Fountain of Youth!  Hooray!

   All I know is I don’t want to keep living on and on and on. Don’t get me wrong - I’m not suicidal or fatalistic. This is merely my opinion and view. Since I believe in the afterlife with God, I look forward to my heavenly world. Don’t believe in it? Fine, suit yourself.


   So life goes on, for some people it gets worse with disease, financial problems, loss, grief, maybe inability to care for self. For others life is pretty good - travel, family, work, time for hobbies, etc. And there are the “in-betweens” - life’s okay, not too great, but not too bad, “can’t complain!”

   I was thinking, joking really the other day with one of my sisters about not wanting to live so long, so I would need to stop taking care of myself. Maybe we could start smoking, or drinking. Yeah, hang outside on the patio, smoking a few cigars, toasting drinks, singing beer songs!

   Even more, smoke, drink and drive a car at the same time! Add texting too! And fried chicken! Just increase those chances of death. Long-term, incremental harm or short-term, it reduces chances to live.

   I know this sounds absurd - it is! I’m just making a point that we make both life-enhancing and death-provoking choices every day. Every day we support life or death for ourselves, and for many others whom we may not realize are affected.

   Smoking, drinking alcohol, texting while driving, diet choices are obvious. Not so obvious are stances we take on issues. I’m not here to advocate for any or tell you what you shouldn’t choose (for that refer to Twitter! lol) 

   Sometimes there may actually be no wrong or right answer. That’s just the way life is. We are all here: we teach and we learn; we help and we hurt; we live and we die.

   But let me say if you do take a stance on an issue, please think it through. It’s okay to say you’re not sure. Maybe you have no life experience with the issue to help influence you.

   But know that others are influenced by what you do. Let me just list some issues, you study your own reactions: gun laws, abortion, minorities, unemployment, immigration. Should I go on? Notice the intensity of any particular feelings? Powerful, huh? Ponder upon those feelings carefully.

   So I’m glad I believe in God, and the afterlife. I feel a certain hope within. I feel responsible too for how I act here throughout this life that I live. Probably closer to death now than to birth. It’s okay. I know I will have left a mark on the world for another generation. We all do.         Theresa M. 

     PS - No I don’t smoke, drink or text-drive. As for fried chicken - yummmm!




Fire Seed

Only a spark is what I need to begin--
Just like a seed so tiny finds its way into the earth
nestling into place--with darkness to embrace
its entire self.

Yet even in darkness and dirt nurturing can come.
When it does a power transforms this seed
into a new creation; a similar relation.

I see myself being like a seed transformed--
But although darkness is all around
it is I who brings the light to show the way--
on chilly days I warm the hearth and cook the food
to nourish those who nourished me.

Yet those who ignite me--taking me from a spark
to a flame,
to a blazing fiery frenzy of power and light--
May not always be those capable of handling my purpose
so right.
Within my own being I am neither right nor wrong--
intend no harm--
powerlessness is among my greatest strengths.

But I must yield to those who nurtured me from a spark
and use me to start
infernos raging and rushing to harm, hurt, or maim--
borne of insane ideas to bring upon themselves a means
to inflame
their weak egos--stealing my power, claiming as their own.

And thus so many talk as if I am such an evil destroyer
of forests and hillsides, or homes and buildings,
people and their materials;
or little white sticks used patiently to suck away
their breathing
leaving them coughing and wheezing,
even as they compulsively relight with the sparks
they always use to sustain this flame;
laying blame on anyone or anything else.

The nurturer continuously becomes the destroyer;
a cycle of nurturing a spark into a living fire.
Losing all control as they aspire to empower
themselves of an element
meant to be respected and used wisely.

Though they steal my power, they cannot steal
my wisdom.
Thus I extinguish my flames on down to embers,
leaving only ashes to remember--
as a small budding flower--for what it’s worth--
struggles to seek more nurturance
among the cold, dark earth.

    Theresa M

We pray for the victims of the raging fires: people, animals, nature.
May your spirits be reborn into the Light.