Tag Archive | Poetry

What if…

Jun22

What would have life been like
If I didn’t have my ups and downs
What would have life been like
If I did not cross the valley of darkness so many times?

What would have life been like
If my mind would not suddenly abandon me
My emotions keep me hostage
My creativity desert me?

What would have life been like
If the sun never set
If my energy was not depleted
And my arms and legs didn’t feel heavy like led?

What would have life been like
If competence did not suddenly depart
My laughter stayed
My smile was genuine all the time?

Why do I think of ‘what ifs’
There is no way back
What has been, has been
Can’t change the past!

Instead I should be thankful
For all that has gone well
For all the times the sun has shone bright
All the wonderful people in my life
All the places I have been
All the things I’ve done!

No one’s life is perfect
Or without trials
I know that of course
But I forget sometimes

I need to move on and be thankful
Luckily pain gradually subsides
And when it’s with us
It can be a teacher, a guide

Perhaps sadness doesn’t come my way by chance
Perhaps it’s designed to be part of my life
Perhaps suffering has its reasons
And I would not grow without these trials

Lida Berghuis
June 11th, 2014

The IV drip of e-mail and text!

Jun20

Cut off from the IV drip of e-mail and Facebook updates
It’s a throw back to the good old times
When we didn’t have instant communication at our finger tips

Do we have too much information now?
Isn’t it all too much to keep up with?
Do we need to know what someone else is doing every day?
Or perhaps hourly, as on Twitter?

Everything in moderation they say
But it’s not that simple of course
Is it something we can get addicted to?
Do we talk too much?
Have we gone off course?

Receiving texts means your phone can’t leave your side
When someone sends a text they want a response
But what if you don’t hear the ping of the text?
What if your phone is on silent by accident?

Many things can wait of course
But we’ve got used to instant communication
And can’t wait for the next piece of news

This is where discipline comes in
Where instant gratification can take a back seat
But that’s easier said than done
One can make many starts and stops

The lure of the text and the internet is always there
It’s so easy to fall back in its trap
But hopefully we can all find a happy medium
Make good use of social media and the net
But don’t get caught in their quick sand!

Lida Berghuis
June 21st, 2014

My driving style!

Jun17

image

Let me tell you about my driving style
Or lack thereof!
And before I do
I should tell you that some things
Are influenced by genes
So, I can’t take responsibility for everything!

As it turns out
I don’t have my dad’s driving genes
He was what we call a smooth driver
One of those in whose car you can sleep!
In my case smooth can’t be used
I pump the gas pedal instead of keeping it steady
I get distracted very easily

When in conversation with someone
Who is sitting next to me
My mind wonders
And I miss my exit

The other complaint I hear from my kids
Is that I use the mirror too much
They feel putting on lip stick can wait
Flossing can wait
As soon as I put down the visor now
A hand reaches over and puts it back up
My daughter used to keep her hand on the steering wheel
just in case I overestimate my multitasking skillS

Can I change my driving style
I don’t know
Can I pay more attention to the road
Perhaps!
Will I ever drive like my dad or husband
I don’t think so!

My driving style
Or lack thereof
Genetically determined or not
Can perhaps be slightly modified
But it can’t be totally overhauled

 

Thinking of my dad!

Jun15

His laughter would ring across the room
Hi radiant smile was warm and genuine
He loved to have people over
To him, friends and family meant a lot

How would hold my hand in his and would say
You have beautiful hands Lida
And he would do this often
Just to remind me from time to time

Holding hands was our thing
When I was little
I would hold his index finger when we walked
His soft warm flesh soothing and reassuring in mine

When at the dentist I would hold his hand too
So I could squeeze it when it hurt
A strategy he taught me and I later used
When giving birth to each child
Only it was Albert’s hand that I held this time

He’d always tell me to pay more attention
To my penmanship
But writing super neatly is not my thing
I hope that now he doesn’t mind

His signature reflected his flamboyant spirit
It’s still one of my favorites
It was more of sign than a signature
Not many letters to be found

And when He came to me in a dream
He held my hand like old times
His soft warm hands so comforting

I asked him if he would be with me
Through the trials of life
He nodded …
And
That’s all I needed
He is with me even though he’s not…

Father’s day, 2014

Dreaming…

Jun13

If Canada were situated in the tropics
There would be no room to stand
The immigration waiting list would be a mile long
Not to mention all the visitors swarming our land

But wouldn’t it be lovely
To move this wonderful place
To warmer climes

The peace, the tranquility
The courtesy, the humility
The diversity and richness
The striving for excellence
All of this in a sunny spot
Where winter would not make
Many of us hibernate for months

Yes, I know
We can’t have it all
But I can dream, can’t I?

June 9th, 2014

The dance of life

Jun12

From the desert sun
To a rainy clime
To a land covered with snow
It seems like I’ve experienced it all

From the restrictions of tradition
To smelling freedom in the air
To being able to express my feelings and thoughts

From a shy girl in Shiraz
Too serious for her age
To gradually opening up
And making laugher a part of my life

From relative ease
To the violent storms of life
Interspersed with sun

From thinking to feeling
From science to art
From hesitation to creativity
From black and white to all the shades
In between in life
It’s been and eventful journey

Sometimes I still feel the insecure
18 year old in me
Many times the need to please
Still overtakes me

Have I changed and grown?
I have!
Have I stayed the same?
I have!

Have I been battered and bruised
I have!
Have I been showered with grace
I have!

And what do I see at this point
In my life
As I look back
As I look forward?

That life’s challenges will always be there
But the sun always comes out from
Behind the clouds

That being in control is an illusion
That change is a constant
That happiness is in appreciating the simple things in life
In helping others
In nurturing our talents
and in drinking deep the beauty of art

From the desert sun
To rain, to snow
I’ve experienced a lot
I’ve started over many times
I’ve laughed
I have cried

What the future brings
Remains to be seen
But I’ll try my best
To remain thankful and content
And greet each day with open arms

Lida Berghuis
June 10th, 2014

The human condition!

Jun8

 

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Emotions all bottled up
Though the surface is serene
But there is sadness
That’s hiding deep within

The human condition
The human emotions
Can grip me in their clutches
Sometimes they squeeze and squeeze
And breathing becomes harder

At such moments
I feel like throwing away my heart
It’s the only way to stop the pain
The only route to respite

But sadness is part of life
Confusion is part of life
The only thing that brings us peace
Is reliance on God

That’s easier said than done
The ego does not want to let go
Of the illusion of control that it has
Cultivated over time

We tend to forget we’re not so powerful
A breeze can blow
And set us off course
And life can change dramatically
For better or worse

But perhaps worse is not so bad
If we learn the lessons we need to
And better is good
But it won’t last in this world!

The soul’s journey in this life
Full of ups and downs
A smooth road this won’t be
I’ve come to realize

There is a lot to be thankful for
This we should not forget
Our blessings we tend to ignore
If the ego has its way

Don’t have all the answers
My emotions at times rough me up

But I’ve learned that friends
Can be saviors during the trials of life

June 6th, 2014

My Shield

Jun2

Fragile,and art is my shield
It saves me in the battles of life
I still get bloodied and bruised
But have the strength to carry on

When the world and its mundane things
Its troubles and toils
Try to bring me down
I seek refuge in art

When the physical world becomes like a cage
Art is the hand that opens the door
My spirit can then roam in the ethereal world
It can be refreshed and renewed

Poetry, music, the beauty of art
Connect my soul to the spiritual world
Where joy abounds
Where it’s peaceful!

Miss Maya!

Jun1

Miss Maya
You are gone…
The caged bird is finally free
Your spirit can soar and circle around!
Come here, circle around me!

Give me your courage and optimism
Give me your passion to create
Let me be helpful to others
Let go of ego, let go of fear

Like you, I have cried many times
Like you, I have laughed a lot
I have walked in shadow, walked in the sun
I’ve been drenched in rain many times

My friends and loved ones
Have been my solace
The beauty of art has saved me!
The spirit world where my mind likes to roam
Has been a source of consolation to me!

Miss Maya
From wherever you are
Come around once in a while
Bring me inspiration, and good cheer
Miss Maya
You are still phenomenal!

My shadow!

May22

I have a shadow and her name is Shoosh
Shoosh goes wherever I go
She sits next to me on the chair when I read
She naps on my bed when I nap
I go up the stairs and Shoosh follows
I go back down and so does Shoosh

I’m still not used to being followed everywhere
I’m sure the kids would rather be in my place
But when I’m home Shoosh is by my side
When I leave they get her to themselves

Luckily Shoosh is a chill dog
She likes to relax, sleep or just lie down
Who knows what goes on in that head of hers
Who knows what she’s thinking when she stares

Soft places are her favorite
A blanket, a pile of clothes, a duvet!

And true to form, she’s here next to me
I’m sitting on the patio and so is she!