Oak trees
From acorns
To majestic form
Burly and tall
With birds and squirrels
Green leaves
Change reluctantly
In the autumn
To brown
Refusing to fall
Cling almost
Desperately
Friendship, too
Starts small
And grows
Despite storms and
Ongoing problems
Relentlessly clings
To what is
Almost afraid
To let go
Hopeless
But then again
Solid
Dependable
Tested
Rested
Stanski
November 4, 2020 ^
A poet thinks about where he is and where he has been
There is much to dwell on especially when we consider
how conditions change, sometimes dramatically, in lives
Even over a short amount of time
Awareness of what is about him now and when as a child growing up
To remember how things were, things that happened and
various situations that exists and existed is reached
in the mind and an emotional impact takes place
Life is shaped to some extent by these experiences
The poet by nature is aware and observant and
knows from within that he must speak for
himself and others who have stories to tell
A poet normally does not have an agenda
but tells the story of what is relevant, usually
in the speck of time in which he exists, allowing
his life’s events to form the words that tell the story
It is like a seed beginning so small, nurtured in
The usual way and through time blossoms into
Something lovely to observe; minor miracles
A poet is responsible for many of these
Stanski
November 3, 2020 ^
As we sit conversing
On this early morning
Watching the light paint
The tall birch tree
My spirits are lifted
The brush of God for sure
The coffee’s aroma
Arouses my sense of need
To accomplish something large
Rather than waste my day
In some mundane way
What am I going to do?
I point upward
I read “Jesus Calling”
He speaks in the first person
“Don’t forget My presence”
When I dwell on this I will discern
Easily the things I have to do
The path unfolds before me
When day is done I look back
How did I manage all of that?
The birch tree is still lit
This time from the west
Stanski
November 2, 2020 ^
Hungry for months
Probably years for
Fulfillment of the inner being to
Quiet all of the fears
After sitting down to a dinner
And eating until we’re filled
Then walking away feeling empty
Wondering about God’s will
Leaves fall from the tree
In keeping with the time of year
Letting go of so-called possessions
Which we hold so dear
Enticed by the aroma of coffee
Thrilled with the magic of wine
The afterglow of fine cognac
Are you sitting with the Divine?
Candle glow and singing waves
Have a connection with the flow of time
How easy it could be to free oneself
From the prison to the sublime
Empty oneself of foolishness
End service to false idols
Put energy into serving
Change the “I can’t” to “I will”
One must empty to be filled
Listen for your direction
Prepare in a joyous way
This is your resurrection
Stanski
November 1, 2020 ^
Steve Haarman 