I cherish my solitude
A time to reflect
A time to write
There must be no distraction
I especially like coffee shops
This hour in the day has been carved into it
Because I’ve repeated it so many times
It’s now a groove into which I happily fall
It’s an hour when I recharge
It’s a gift I give to myself
This time has brought me so much joy
I’ve spent these hours blissfully
Something so simple
Can nourish my soul
It can be done anytime
Anywhere in the world
March 10th, 2019
To climb an impossible climb
To go where no one has gone before
To look fear in the face and not flinch
To be as determined as can be
We all climb different mountains in our lives
Some are small, some are big
Can’t beat the feeling when you get to the top
But getting there ain’t easy
An iron will
Support of friends and
Sticktoitiveness
All necessary
The more challenging the climb
The richer the reward
And the more interesting the story
March 12th, 2019
The silence of the early morning
When the world is still sleeping
When the sun has not risen
When my mind is refreshed after a night of rest
When the day ahead awaits
All I hear is the tick tock of the clock in the living room
And the hum of the heater
And that’s if I listen for it
Otherwise, I’m lost in my thoughts
On a sea of tranquility
No one to distract me
No one who needs me
No urgent feeling to do things
Other than contemplate, read and write
It’s the magic of the early morning
Is my spirit closer to its source?
Is my mind not clouded with the tasks of the day?
What is the source of this calm I feel?
March 4th, 6:00 am
When I hear words that sadden my heart
sully my soul and make me feel like the
day has turned into night
When I hear words that are like awful
inkblots on a white silk scarf
I feel like I’ve plunged into a swamp
That I’m struggling to get out
But I keep being pulled back in
I feel the heaviness of the mud
Mud that has sullied my skin
I long for a fountain of pure water
To wash the dirt off of me
The swamp is insistent though
And I feel trapped
Suddenly something beautiful catches my eyes
I see a field of wildflowers in the distance
My mood changes a bit
The swamp seems less menacing
I keep my gaze on the flowers
And their beauty gives me the courage to
Continue my struggle
And eventually I free myself
From the ugly swamp of dark emotions
February 24th, 2019
Are you inherently weaker?
Not resilient enough?
Not optimistic by nature?
Unable to pull yourself up by your bootstraps?
These are questions one can face when depressed
Advice that is not helpful:
It will pass, be patient
Try harder
Be grateful for what you have
You just need to change your attitude
People mean well
But we don’t understand depression
Well enough yet
Depression holds so many of us
In its grips
No one talks about it though
It’s easier to pretend all is well
It’s easier to not answer why or why again
So we hide behind the mask of normal
And very few people know our pain
Depression resembles laziness
Lack of vigor
A negative outlook towards life
Sadness
Hopelessness
And how is one to explain
That you are trying hard
You are doing your best to feel better
You are not enjoying wallowing in your grief
That you don’t have complete control over how you feel
Good questions
The answers are not so obvious
February 20th, 2019
Laugh out loud my friend
Laugh out loud
I know there are times when we cry
When we’re sad
When the world weighs heavy on us
But when you can
Please laugh out loud
Let your laughter ring
Through the room
Let it bring joy to everyone
The days of women being
Demure is done
Laugh out loud my friend
Laugh out loud
Tears are special
When they fall
They wash the sadness
From our hearts
But when life affords you
The opportunity to laugh
Laugh out loud my friend
Laugh out loud
You need to be heard
You need to shine
You need to celebrate life
No more silent or quiet laughter
Laugh out loud my friend
Laugh out loud
November 4th, 2016
Miss Emily,
You chose your own society
Perhaps your soul, so fragile
Needed to be protected from
people who may hurt you unintentionally
Miss Emily,
You wrote about immortality
A subject close to my heart!
In this world of ours
Joy and sorrow coexist
Joy does not last very long
The world of spirit is a more sane one
Solitude was your choice
Your freedom
The birth place of your poems and ideas
Mysterious Miss Emily
You kept everyone guessing
Why this seclusion, they thought…
But if this seclusion made you happy
And was the crucible of your poems
Who are we to question it now…
Sitting downstairs
I hear the pitter patter of little feet
Walking around
Pitter patter pitter patter
I must be quick
Pitter patter pitter patter
The morning is here
Pitter patter pitter patter
Lets wake dad up
Pitter patter pitter patter
It’s time to start
Pitter patter pitter patter
He comes down the stairs
Pitter patter pitter patter
Now, I can see his face
A bright little face
With a beautiful smile
That lights up the room
And warms my heart
The pitter patter
Has come to a stop
I ask for a hug
And his arms open wide
He envelopes me
In those little arms
He gives me a kiss
That melts my heart
These are the joys
Of having a child
These are the pleasures
Of being a mom!
Lida Berghuis
Sept. 18th, 2003
Poetry is the essence of life
The things that count
The things that touch us, move us
Elevate us
Poetry is an emanation of the soul
Our essential self
Our eternal self
Our higher self
Poetry is about the intangible things
Love, compassion, curiosity
Poetry reaches where other things can’t
It penetrates our material shell
And illumines our inner self
Poetry is the expression of love
Love for the Divine
Love for our fellow man
Poetry is other-worldly
Magical, mystical, transformative
Poetry is beauty
A beauty that does not fade
Poetry is a love song
Do we ever know for sure
What the future holds?
Can we really plan everything out?
Can we see into the future
And guarantee success?
Sometimes what we thought was impossible, happens!
Sometimes what we thought was for sure, disappears!
We can plan
We can calculate
Put in safeguards
Have contingency plans
And yet, the project can fail
The trajectory can change in an instant!
We like to think we are in control
And we are to a certain extent
But as soon as we think we’re totally in control
The unexpected arrives to show us we’re wrong!
Sometimes the best things are unplanned
They just appear in one’s path
Most times intuition is more accurate than intellect
Sometimes the right people appear in our lives
And their influence is life changing, transformative in fact!
Not much planning goes into that!
Only recognition of the blessing
That has been put in our path!
Sometimes things that seem illogical work out
Plans that seem impractical bear fruit
And how is one to know?
I let intuition and prayer be my guide!
Lida Berghuis
October 3rd, 2013
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