Tub-tub

Dec16

Tub-tub, Nicki says
I give him a kiss
Tub-tub, I say
Nicki reciprocates
Don’t know how this started
But it’s our code now
For wanting a kiss and some love!

Codes like this
Develop at times
Between a parent and a child
Like a unique handshake
Or an inside joke
They bind our hearts together
Bring delight

My dad used to
Hold my hands in his hands
And tell me what
Beautiful long fingers I had
It was his way of saying
I love you
My mom shows her love
Through food
Preparing most delicious meals
With me in mind

So many ways of showing love
Showing what’s in our hearts
Each one unique and wonderful
All that matters
Is that we communicate our love

Lida Berghuis
December 13th, 2010

Note to self!

Dec2

Cautiously optimistic
Sunny with a chance of showers
Is the weather forecast
Enjoy the sun
But bring an umbrella along

Run but pace yourself
Rest is also needed
Or your will be overwhelmed

Smile but don’t be over confident
You never know
What’s around the bend

Set goals, but know your limits
If pushed too hard
You are setting yourself
For a fall

The middle path is the best
And most important
Plan ahead

Watch out for the pothole
You drove over last time
Reflect before you decide
The stakes are high

Your friends will stand by you
In times of need
Nurture your friendships
They are life savers indeed!

Sunny with a chance of showers,
Fog, or hailstorms
Such is life
The forecast can change at any time

Lida Berghuis
November 29th, 2010

I feel whole again

Jul27

I dip my head in the ocean
The warm salt water washes the pain away
Months of sorrow
Months of anguish
Wash away

I float on my back
Listen to the ocean
I feel supported by the gentle waves

Water has this cleansing effect
My spirit feels uplifted
I dip my hair in the water
And I turn the page again

Should I forget the past?
Should I forget the pain?
No, but move on I should
A new wind is blowing today

I hear the sound of laughter
See brilliant white smiles
On dark faces
Hair braided with colourful beads
This also helps me wash the pain away

The sing song voice
The slow cadence
The gentle demeanor
The no hurry ways
This is what my soul was craving for
I feel at home
I feel whole again

Lida Berghuis
July 13th, 2010
St. Maarten

What I crave

Jul19

Some people are drawn to the comfort of the familiar
I crave discomfort

Some people want to stay close to home
Where there is certainty
I crave uncertainty

Some people run from the unfamiliar
I crave unfamiliarity

I want to stretch the boundaries of my spirit
I want to drown in someone else’’s world
I want to fly away from home
And see the beauty that awaits me somewhere else
I’ve seen the familiar
I know the familiar

I crave change

I want to see the world from someone else’s eyes
I want to listen to the stories of their lives

There is a surprise around every bend
There are so many lessons to be learned

And the more stories I hear
The clearer it becomes
I’m among my sisters and brothers
No matter what the clime

And I discover that
There is familiarity in the unfamiliar
Flight in the fall
And love in loss

Lida Berghuis
July 14th, 2010
St. Maarten

Broken winged birds

Jun29

Does it matter where I come from?
Yes and no!
No, because we are all brothers and sisters
No matter where we were born

Yes, because acknowledging
My heritage
Is acknowledging who I am
Heritage and self-worth
Seem to go hand in hand

This did not make sense to me
A few years back
But I think I’m starting to understand

I love the West and what it stands for
But if I don’t appreciate the East
I’m not balanced

East and West
Hand in hand
Wings of a bird
Fingers of one hand

If I reject the East
I’m rejecting myself
I need me
And I need others as well

A broken winged bird
Cannot fly high
I want to soar
Soar in the sky!

Lida Berghuis
March 17th, 2004

I choose love!

Jun26

When I choose love
I know there will be pain involved
So, do I let go of love
And live a life that is safe?
I think not!

I choose love
And I will take the pain
Because a life without love
Is even more insane

Without love
Life is colourless
Without love
Life is not worthwhile
Without love
Life has no purpose
Without love
Why should I be alive?

And yes, sometimes
When I choose love
Life becomes as clear as mud
Confusion reigns
And emotions fly
But in the end
It’s all worthwhile
Because without love
Life is colourless
And dark

So, colour me beautiful
Colour me joyful
Let love inspire me
Let love be my cause
And if I suffer
If I feel pain
It will all have been worthwhile!

Lida Berghuis
February 27th, 2006

Inspired in part by Khadijeh’s lament
Smith and Dragoman

Lost!

Jun19

I can read a map
But I would rather not
I can follow directions
But I often get lost!

Going North would be all right
If I knew which way North was!
And with all the one way streets downtown
If I make a wrong turn
I’’m out of luck!

The other time
All I wanted to do was to get back home
But instead
I took the scenic route!

I visited these new areas
I did not know existed
I saw new places
And tried to enjoy them

Finally I decided to ask
For directions
But remembering the directions
Was another challenge!

A GPS would be great
To tell me where to go
But for now it’s my hubby
On my cell phone!

Lida Berghuis
June 8th, 2004

 

*pre Google-map daysimage

Embrace pain!

Jun14

“The hurt you embrace becomes joy”*
Pain is necessary for growth
You don’t have to look for pain
It will simply come your way

The hurt you embrace becomes joy!
If you accept it and
Listen to its message
If you let it shape you
And build you anew

The hurt you embrace becomes joy!
Leads to understanding
Leads to emptiness
Leads to humility
Leads to accepting kindness

This is the way of the world
So don’t run away from pain
Embrace pain and sorrow
Live with them
Learns from them
Let them lead you to somewhere new

The hurt you embrace becomes joy
If you fight it
It will fight back
If you let go
It will let go too

Pain is like the broom of life
It cleans things out
So you can build again
Make a new beginning
Come to new understanding

Pain is a gift of life
So …..
“Welcome sadness
Welcome pain
I’ll embrace you
When you come my way!”

Lida Berghuis
July 12, 2010

*Rumi

No man’s land

Jun13

transitions
in-betweens
neither here, nor there
neither east, nor west

no man’s land
not my land
not your land
neither east, nor west

between cultures
between ages
between east and west
neither here nor there

not a science
not an art
not precise
neither here or there

not a child
nor an adult
neither old or young
neither here or there

not quite there
neither here
between here and there
neither east nor west

no man’s land
that’s my land
between here and there
between east and west!

Lida Berghuis
2002

One poem a day!

Jun11

One poem a day
Keeps the doctor away
One poem a day
Helps me exhale

Writing is a form of therapy
Or maybe over time
It has become a part of me

Thoughts and ideas
Whirl in my head
They bounce around
I examine them

Once they are on paper
I feel relaxed
I’’ve said my piece
I’’ve had my chance

Water that flows
Stays clear and bright
Words are like water
The river, my mind

Lida Berghuis
June 26th, 2004