Archive | May 2011

Onward!

May18

Aging body
Growing spirit
Eyes that need glasses
The inner eye still going strong

Ears that may eventually
Not hear as well
But will listen much better than now

A face creased with wrinkles
But ready to face what’s ahead
Hands with veins that pop out!
But these hands have been held and caressed

Hair thining and graying with age
On a head held high
Legs as strong as before
Except when I don’t treat them right!
These legs have taken me
To so many places near and far
I hope to travel with them for some time

Memory was never my strongest suit
Not much lost there!
You can tease me if you want
Been there, done that, go ahead!

A wrinkle here
A scar there
A testament to a life well-lived
Even the frown lines
On my forehead
I have made peace with

Life is not meant to be easy
Hardships come
But the lessons we learn
Are worth the frown lines

These lines don’t diminish beauty
True beauty’s inside
This body, a vehicle for me
For a short while

I’ll take care of it
Nourish it well
But it’s my spirit
That will live long

Lida Berghuis
February 11th, 2011

Staying power…

May1

There is a power that only a few of us have
And that does not include me!
This amazing power, my husband has
And my daughter Natasha has inherited it!

It goes like this:

Albert reading an hour, two hours
Three hours or four
With little breaks for lunch and snack!

Natasha working on a story
For hours at a time
So quietly that we forget
She’’s around

Natasha drawing and coloring at the computer
From morning till noon
And then returning to it in the afternoon!

Albert disapearing to the bedroom to rest and staying there all afternoon

To be honest
I couldn’’t do any of these things
I’’d last an hour, max!

Too restless to sit for hours
I need change
The scenery needs to change
And the activity as well

So, that’’s why I say
That Natasha and Albert
Have staying power
And I’’ve grown to appreciate that!

Lida Berghuis
April 30th, 2011