Thai Food Christmas Eve (A poem by Cathy Gruman)

Thai food Christmas (cgruman
lights shine brightly
flickering lightly
the windows reflecting
the silhouettes inside
audible chatters
dishes clatter
and a car streams quietly by
music flowing through my headphones
of favorite artists I revere
a dog barks
and a dark shadow of a man slithers in front of me
crossing the street my heart skips a beat
then he walked up the stairs for his family to greet
Christmas trees lit
flat screens bright
a woman walks to her front door
we smile mouthing the word "hello"
Miko sings
my heart rings
almost home
move my car
avoid a ticket
Christmas day?
this is LB
...that's what I say
in the door
endorphines high
my eldest son will soon be here
we'll celebrate Christmas Eve cheer
stomach growling
spirits high
walk through that door, son
let's order some Thai.

"For every man..." Huxley

"For every man the world is as fresh as it was the first day, and as full of untold novelties for him who has the eyes to see them." Huxley

Controlled Chaos (a Poem by Cathy Gruman)

meet me on the corner
by the house with the garden full of controlled chaos
orange, purple, yellow, blue and red
green and white
dirt and water
pebbles strewn
a garden shovel sticks out' the ground
weeds that threaten, not to destroy
but symbols of the wholeness path
keep the weeds as a sign
remembering when but not again
and now the chaotic garden
possessing more beauty
than the weeds could possibly have done to overcome it.

Trade As One (a fair trade shopping link)

http://www.tradeasone.com

A great way to shop for you friends and family this holiday while helping others around the world...

No Parking (a Poem by Cathy Gruman)

No parking on the dancefloor
la la la la
ya ya ya ya
have some fun
all can come.
No parking in the church parking lot
violators will be prosecuted
private property
car will be towed
but on Sundays we will park in your spot
and take over the neighborhood
and you shall park blocks away from your door
and don't forget our
neighborly slogan
that you shall be prosecuted
'cuz we don't share
or care that during the week
our lot is empty
an acre of empty pavement
while you seek and seek
and get tickets when you can't find a spot
but we don't care 'cuz we don't share
love your neighbor as yourself does not apply here.

Love Not Hate (A Poem by Cathy Gruman)

practice love not hate
before it's too late
but how to love in the midst of this
can only be left to one's own belief.

Without Resolve (A poem by Cathy Gruman)

It took her five years and four months to forget about what they did to her.
They hurt her feelings, her self worth, and she couldn't let it go,
understandably so.
How could they not see their wrong
she tried to tell them, to explain, but it only came back in torrents of pain.
Unaccepted is where she stood.
How was she supposed to forgive when they refused to see
when the cut was so deep
when she needed time to heal
before she could begin to let go?
Aren't there supposed to be equal parts between you and me?
Even if they truly couldn't see
does she still forgive
or wait until the sun rises above the clouds
making clarity shout outloud
for her to see the path bright, shiny and new
leading the way for her to say I forgive you?
When she finally understands?
When the why's and who's and how's
are finally clear in her mind,
making sense
to make it right
to make it right to forgive?

And when he was breathing his final breaths
he turned to this Jesus man he didn't know but heard about
the buzz of the town
and the cries of the people
were all around
all the carnage left behind
of what he did, unspeakable acts.
Those he hurt, the lives he took,
the lives he ruined
they would never get resolve.
But maybe I, he thought
even me, with all the rest
no one else would think it
I'm getting what I deserve now
and I'm almost gone,
but there's still time, maybe.
It's what I've heard anyway.
So he turned and gave it a try,
Would you please, he murmured
forgive me too?
And in an instant
he received
just like that.