Author: faithhealthandmusings

When life offers us so rich a bounty of inspiration, how can we help but to reflect in writing all that climbs into our hearts and takes up residence there?

Touchstone Tuesday: Poem X

My heart

races when I

read Scripture,

for it is my heart,

and it has been

found out.

Writing Cursive

As an ink pen,

you express yourself

in graceful, flowing strokes,

and I, your parchment,

would let you practice

your cursive

until you mastered

every letter.

(And, between letters,

I lament

that the alphabet

has only 26.)

Firestone Friday: Poem XIV

When you fall in love

with a monster,

you either become

a monster

or a monster-slayer;

what you cannot do

is remain who you were —

the former version

of yourself

was sacrified

the moment you let

a monster into your heart.

Ode to Joy

It seems

contrary to my faculty

to craft poetry

that uplifts

a reader,

rather than

pulling her

deeper into

introspection;

but it is likely

that I’m simply

overthinking it.

So, I’ve created a poem

to raise the reader

to heights of joy:

 

smooth coffee

dogs

radiant sunsets

good music

snow days

chocolate

captivating books

love notes

sandy beaches

inside jokes

new shoes

budding flowers

 

What simple things bring you joy?

 

Wordsmith Wednesday: Poem XIV

It strikes me that

we should never

be broken

or shaken

by disparaging

words;

either the accusations

are true,

and we, should, therefore,

cherish the enlightenment

and be motivated to effect

interior transformation,

or the accusations

are unfounded,

a symptom of the evil

that plagues the accuser.

When untruths are

leveled against us,

it is only the slanderer

who is made less,

deadened (somehow)

even further.

 

3 Things Harry Potter Taught Me

When the reader explores the thousands of pages covered in the magical adventures of Harry Potter, she cannot help but to learn something extraordinary, even if she is as reluctant to embrace lessons as Ron Weasley. Here are some things that I have carried with me long after leaving the Great Hall.

1. Creativity can be more powerful than magic.

Even when you’re crushed, cornered, or conquered, creativity can creep in unnoticed and trounce your oppressors. I’m thinking here about Hermione convincing Professor Umbridge to follow her and Harry deep into the Forbidden Forest, where, much to their chagrin, the Centaurs vanquish Umbridge for them. Harry and company were beaten, bested with no chance of recovery, except that Hermione had so much creativity it proved to be even more impactful than a magical wand.

2. Appearance is without value.

Of course, I would like to argue that I long knew this, but do any of us actually internalize it? What I think is unique about the presentation of appearance in HP is this: the ugly and the outcast are not always good and the attractive, alluring characters are not always bad. In fact, they’re not always anything. Hagrid is an honorable outcast, but Wormtail certainly isn’t. Lockhart is captivating, but craven and self-obsessed. Cedric is both handsome and heroic. Appearance, HP seems to say, is happenstance; character is the stuff of consequence.

3. Age?

Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore effortlessly unite to communicate a revolutionary idea: age is an illusion. So, age isn’t an illusion, exactly, but our understanding of age certainly is. We make two mistakes: we think elder people are superior and we think elder people are inferior. Yes, somehow we make both mistakes at once. We think children or young people are inexperienced fools who contribute nothing worthwhile while also considering elders obsolete. (We somehow find a way to devalue every human.) Harry and Dumbledore lay those mistakes bare. Harry and Dumbledore are two of the greatest, most impressive wizards we encounter — one a child and the other supernaturally advanced in years. It is not one’s rotations around the sun that crafts one’s ability, value, experience, or intellect — it is the composition of his soul.

What has Harry Potter taught you?

Composition of Souls

Beyond

spider’s silk,

diamonds,

and graphene,

it is the composition

of souls

that is the strongest,

most impenetrable

material,

unrivaled in its

integrity,

indomitable

in its endurance.

Ricochet

I ricochet

between

the feelings of

depravity

— the shame

of seeing God

yet still

choosing myself —

and the majesty

of there ever

being a moment

during which

self-interest

was conquered

at all.

How we

are irredeemable

and redeemed,

all at once.