Woodsmoke and Cardamom

So Much Love

by Lucy M. Young

I never knew the joy of bearing children.
For reasons known to God alone
It was denied me.
'Twas said that I'm not fit to be a mother;
I can't believe it's true, but then again
It may be.

I do not understand
Why all the mother love I feel
Should have to be repressed.
The love I would bestow upon my own
Was always freely given to other people's children.

I've so much love -
The more I give the more I have to give.
I pray the Father in His tender mercy
Will help me find a way to use this love;
And grant me courage to defy
Any who'd keep me from experiencing the joy of giving love
To all the children of my lonely heart.

Help Me Let Go

by Lucy M. Young

Help me let go, dear Lord, and let You lead me.
My feeble strivings
Are like a puff of smoke before the wind
Without Your guidance.
Show me Your will and what You'd have me do,
For Lord, I cannot see beyond the limits
Of my narrow selfish mind.
I close my eyes and wait
To feel Your presence near me, guiding me;
And with Your hand upon my shoulder,
I'll walk with courage, strength and confidence
Into the unknown future,
Knowing You are with me to the end.

Think Not of Tomorrow

by Lucy M. Young

Lord, let me think not of tomorrow
Or the sorrow it may contain;
It may hold either joy or sorrow,
Bright sunshine or gentle rain.

Sufficient unto this day alone
Is the evil thereof, 'tis said;
And we can do nothing about it,
We must gladly accept it instead.

So grant us the strength and the wisdom
To savor each moment today,
Let us love and be loved. May Your mercy
Keep sadness and sorrow away.

When darkness falls softly upon us,
And the stars shine brightly above;
May we rest secure in the knowledge
We're wrapped in Your infinite love.

Hope

by Lucy M. Young

When sadness overwhelms me
And troubles pile so high
There seems no way around them,
I think I want to die.
When fear and doubt are rampant,
And I want to run and hide,
There's no relief, no solace
In anything I've tried.

I stand and look around me;
The sun is shining bright
Upon the barren frozen earth,
But Spring's almost in sight.
Beneath the snow the flowers wait
To bloom in all their glory,
All nature soon will be awake
To tell the age-old story

Of love and resurrection;
For 'though our days are dark,
Beneath the pain of our despair
There is a tiny spark
Of hope. If we will see it,
And nourish it with prayer;
Our troubles all will disappear,
And joy will vanquish care.

Sleep

by Lucy M. Young

photo by Martina Misar-Tummeltshammer on Unsplash

Sleep, blessed peaceful sleep,
How it eludes me.
Today and yesterday, 'though gone beyond recall,
Return to haunt me.
Why did I do that foolish thing?
I should have thought before I spoke;
My mouth must open wide to hold the foot
So often placed there.

And then tomorrow looms
With frightening intensity
Before me.
What will I do about the broken promise
Lightly made and easily forgotten?
Which bills to pay and which to leave
Hoping no repercussions may result?

My mind rebels.
What is the use?
Today, tomorrow, yesterday
Are out of my control.
I guess I'll just forget about it all
And go to sleep.

Lord Keep My Faith Intact

by Lucy M. Young

Lord, keep my faith intact,
My courage strong;
And help me to ignore the cruel taunts
Of those who would destroy my confidence
In Your unfailing love.
I need Your strength
For I am weak and often feel discouraged.
Just hold me up, dear Lord, and keep me going
For yet another day.
I cannot stand alone, but with Your help,
I'll keep a cheerful smile upon my face
For all to see, and never let them know
There may be sadness in my secret heart.

This Lovely Day

by Lucy M. Young

photo by Behzad Azandaryan Malayeri on Unsplash

Dear Lord, I thank You for this lovely day -
The azure sky, the golden sun,
The cooling breeze.

Lord, help me make the most of every moment
Let no disturbing thoughts
Or angry words
Disturb the tranquil beauty of each passing hour.

Let me think only of today,
Not looking back nor yet ahead.
The past is gone,
The future, yet to be, held safely in Your hands.

So, with Your help,
I'll treasure every moment;
Then when I lay me down to rest this night,
I'll thank You once again in quiet prayer
For this most lovely day.

Luxuries

by Lucy M. Young

Snuggling 'neath the covers on a cold November night
While the north wind whistles frostily without,
Or listening to the raindrops pelting 'gainst the windowpane
While warm and dry beside a crackling fire;

Savoring the creamy coldness of a strawberry ice cream soda
On a hot and steamy, torrid August day;
Or a sparkling drink of water from an icy mountain spring -
These are luxuries to me beyond compare.

You can have your yachts and Cadillacs, your emeralds and champagne,
They are cold and cheerless, comfortless indeed;
And I wouldn't trade my cherished luxuries, not even one -
For all the rich possessions 'neath the sun.

On Writing

by Lucy M. Young

Whenever I see a blank white pad of paper
I get an overwhelming urge to write,
So I sharpen my pencils, make a clear space on the table,
And sit while all coherent thought takes flight.

With ready pencil poised I sit, my mind a total blank -
Where are those lofty noble thoughts divine
That filled my mind this morning while I was in the shower
And couldn't write a single blessed line?

Tonight while I am sleeping all those thoughts will come together,
And I'll write a masterpiece the world will prize;
A manuscript of high scholastic talent will be born
To be lost forever when I wake at sunrise.

The Wild Geese

by Lucy M. Young

Today I heard them in the pre-dawn darkness,
Their plaintive, poignant cries awakened me,
Arousing primitive emotions in my breast.
Earth-bound I longed to rise and follow them,
Soaring wild and free through the crisp October air
Across the windswept countryside toward sunrise.

What faith and courage they must have
To make this arduous journey every year -
Their strong wings beating through the air waves,
Following their leader trustingly.

What prompts them, forcing them to leave their nesting grounds
To ply uncharted skies?
What guides them so unerringly to their destination?
Who leads their leader -
None but our own Heavenly Father,
Guardian and Leader of us all.