Tag Archive | peotry

Writing

Oct20

I write to sort out my thoughts and figure things out

What do others do who don’t write?

I write to relax and recuperate

What do others do who don’t write?

I write to express myself

What do others do who don’t write?

I write to go to a placeless place and explore

What do others do who don’t write?

I write to breathe out, to exhale

What do others do who don’t write?

I write to bring joy into my life

What do others do who don’t write?

I write to go to my place of calm

What do others do who don’t write?

pexels-photo-518485.jpeg

October 14th, 2018

Cloudy

Jan25

img_0343

It’s cloudy in the world of my heart
The sun is hidden
Out of sight
It’s not raining yet
But the sky is getting dark

There is a sense of emptiness in my heart
Joy has gone and and left nothing behind

Bla is how some people describe it
Flat
Emotionless
Or are the emotions unwelcome ones
Creating discomfort in my heart?

Whatever it is, it will surely pass
It’s part of the human condition to feel
Out of sorts sometimes

At such times the best cure for me
Is to write my feelings down
And let sadness flow from my pen
Till it’s gone

January 25th, 2018

Ephemeral

Oct16

I try to capture the beauty of nature
Because it’s ephemeral
It will be gone soon

I have to keep a record of it
Share it with my friends
And savour the beauty until it lasts

Joy is similar
It comes with gifts and cheers us up
But I know this feeling is temporary
It’s inevitably followed by sadness or
Contemplation of the serious issues facing us

Sadness is similar
It doesn’t last
But somehow during the sad times
It’s no consolation to know that it will pass
The pain is real, the sorrow is real
And that is my reality then

I try to console myself and remind myself
This too shall pass
Yet, the shadow that the sorrow has cast
Remains, and I have to deal with it

We wouldn’t call it sadness if we were able to
Transform it into joy with our thoughts
Yet there are people who deal with difficult
Situations better
And that deserves admiration and respect

Theses are people I look up to
From them, I try to learn
The secret of remaining thankful
During difficult times

Such people have a different understanding of life
Their vision sees into the future
They don’t equate discomfort and challenges
With sorrow and pain
They find a way through the pain

Their circumstances don’t change
But their perception of the situation
Allows them to rise above it
See it in a different way
See the end in the beginning
And the beginning in the end

October 15th, 2016

Africa!

Jan27

My dream trip is three weeks away
Time to get excited?
I think so!

Zambia, here I come!
To see your beautiful people
Bask in your sunshine

Here I come!
To hear your beautiful accents
And local languages
Even the names of people makes me smile

Here I come!
To see the radiant smile
On people’s faces
To see them dance
To absorb it all and store it
In a safe place in my heart

And best of all
I’ll share this experience with my daughter
What a blessing
What joy

Here I come, Africa!

 

January 27th, 2016

The final analysis

Sep10

Sometimes emotions are so overwhelming
I don’t know what to feel
Should I be sad?
Should I be shocked?
Should I be astonished?

We put our faith in our fellow man
But so many times someone betrays that trust
And shatters the image we had built in our head

Then we have to readjust our understanding of reality
Perhaps we become jaded
Perhaps we become angry and frustrated
Perhaps we question the existence of justice and hope

But this state is not a healthy one
Hope is essential
Trust is essential
Faith that goodness exists is essential

Of course the hurt feelings will stay for a while
After all, we are not machines

All we can do is stay positive
Surround ourselves with good friends
And keep doing things that are worthwhile

Everything else is bound to work out
Because there is justice in the world
And even though some people try their best
To obliterate it, they won’t succeed

Justice will prevail
And light will overcome darkness
In the final analysis!

Lida Berghuis
September 9th, 2015

The person I’ve become

Jan16

The person I’ve become
Is more authentic, more real!
I don’t wear a mask as much
I confide in my friends

The person I’ve become
Knows her limits better
I don’t compare myself to others as much
I’ve learned to say no more often
I’ve learned to ask for what I need

The person I’ve become
Takes more responsibility
Feels more empowered to create change
To change myself
My thoughts
And therefore my actions and feelings

The person I’ve become
Sees challenges as an integral part of life
Not to run from
But to learn from

The person I’ve become
Takes care of herself
Without self care, one can’t help others
One burns out!

The person I’ve become
Sees interdependence as essential
Life is not meant to be lived in a solitary way
We need each other’s help
We need to build deep, authentic friendships and
Call on each other when we need support and help

The person I’ve become
Knows there is more to learn
There is always room for improvement
Ways to do things better
New ways of thought
Deeper understanding

The person I’ve become
Is more thankful
Seeing good in all that comes my way
The person I’ve become
Tries not to take simple things for granted!

Lida Berghuis
January 15th, 2015

Life is hard, but…

Jan4

Inevitable periods of hardship…
Inevitable, because they are part of life
And they have a purpose

I think back to the hardships I’ve experienced
Hardships that are insignificant compared to
What others have experienced

I think back to those times
And wonder how they could have been avoided
How I could have felt less pain, less loneliness, less sorrow

And then suddenly I realise that
Those periods of hardship
Have been a necessary part of my growth
And development

That I need not look back at them
And feel bad for myself
Or wonder why I made the decisions I made

I need to look back with thankfulness
Because each experience has taught me something essential

I need to remember that the life’s purpose
Is not to avoid pain and sorrow
Pain and sorrow, challenges and difficulties
Are essential to our growth

In retrospect, I’m thankful for all that has come my way
The happy times, the sad times
Each and every experience has shaped me
And taught me a precious lesson

Life is hard
But this hardship has a purpose
If we are willing to reflect on our experiences
And grow from them

Lida Berghuis
December 30th, 2014

Behind the mask…

Dec15

inukshuk

In our lives
We wear various masks
To appear ‘normal’
To look ‘happy’

So many people wear the mask of ‘normal’
That we feel we will stand out if we don’t
So many of us put on a show
That the show appears to be reality

But so often behind the mask of happy
Hides an injured heart, a despondent soul
Someone looking for love

When one of us takes off the mask of perfection
Admits to having challenges, needing support
It’s easier for someone else to do the same
And if this process happens enough times
We will feel less inclined to hide
Hide our true feelings
Hide our distress
Hide what’s bothering us
Pretend we’re fine!

Lida Berghuis
December 15th, 2014

It’s not my thing!

Feb28

Darling, what do you think
Of this poem I wrote?

Silence….

I try to read his body language
Carefully…

Is that a blank stare?
Is he overwhelmed?
Is he processing what he’s just heard?

So, what do you think?
I ask again…

Silence still!

It can’’t be that hard
To say I didn’’t like it
Or I did
I wait for the verdict patiently
Hoping that over the years
Something has changed
That he has developed an appreciation
Of poetry

The answer comes suddenly
It takes me by surprise
But,  I don’’t know why

“Darling, you know poetry is not my thing”…”

How can poetry not be his thing?
Poetry touches the heart and soul

How can poetry not be his thing?
I don’’t get it
I really don’’t!

Lida Berghuis
February 28th, 2012