A few of my favorite things
What makes me happy are simple things
Reading, writing, talking to friends
Laughing and being silly sometimes
Walks with Albert
Hugs from my kids
Early mornings
Sitting in the sun
Learning new things
Meeting new people
Traveling
Nature walks
Flowers
Beautiful things and
Art!
Lida Berghuis
July 11th, 2013
I care about the news of the world
But not today!
I pay attention to my to do list
But not today!
I have my daily routine
But not today!
Sometimes I need a day
Like today
When I can leave my cares behind
Think of other things
Or nothing at all!
My duties and responsibilities will be there
Tomorrow and every other day
So, today I choose to forget them
Set them aside
Take a break from them
Banish them from my mind!
Because without days like today
I will bend and sometimes break!
We all have different limits of endurance
The load you can easily carry can break my back
I now know that I can’t and should not compete
With those who can carry heavier loads
Or have unrealistic expectations of my own
I hope I’ve learned how to take care of myself
I hope I’ve figured out what rejuvenates me
And so today…
I write myself into my peaceful place
The place of serenity and calm
The place of tenderness and love
The home of joy and peace of mind!
Lida Berghuis
May 11th, 2013
Sometimes we search for our identities
Especially if we are transplants in society
Born in the East
Bred in the West
I used to feel somewhere in between!
I felt at home in the West
But I was not sure
What to do with my Eastern roots
Eastern and Western
We are all one
But it took me a while
To reconcile these two parts!
It started when I began to read
The ‘translated’ poems of Rumi
The West made this Eastern jewel accessible to me!
For the first time I was really drawn to poetry!
This was not any poetry
It was mystical, and touched my heart!
It helped me understand!
It helped me heal!
It helped me see things more clearly!
Perhaps poetry is the great equalizer
It lets us know that we all have the same struggles
The same questions, the same fears and doubts
And we all need to love and be loved!
Perhaps poetry is all about love
Love for the Divine
Love for our fellow man
Love for the noble beings that we are
And then I put pen to paper
And wrote down my thoughts, my feelings
My experiences in life
Writing poetry was healing
Somehow feelings that were bottled up inside
Were allowed to slowly flow out!
The Western me and the Eastern me
Mingled and
The poems were the result
Lida Berghuis
March 23rd, 2013
Stillness
Like the serene surface of a lake at Dawn
Stillness
Where words come from
Stillness
Where I seek refuge each time
Stillness
Where movement originates
Stillness
Where excitement comes to rest
Stillness
Where great ideas emerge
In my busy days
I seek the stillness of solitude
Daily life with all its demands and
Needs come to a stop
I go deep within myself
I connect to whats out there.
Stillness feeds the soul
Stillness attracts thoughts
Stillness is essential
Lida Berghuis
January 20th, 2011
Now I know why I love poetry
Because I can be free a as a bird
I can rhyme or not rhyme
I can be serious or silly
I can discuss material or spiritual stuff
I can discuss anything, or nothing at all
Now I know why I love poetry
Because it sets my spirit free
I can travel anywhere
I can meditate on anything
I am free to be who I am
There aren’t many rules to restrict me
Now I know why I love poetry
Because it saved me when I was lost
It consoled me when I felt lonely
It made me realize what’s important in life
It brought me joy and helped me fly
I felt enclosed in the cage of tradition at times
Always yearning for freedom
Poetry is what opened the gate
And let the bird of my spirit out!
Lida Berghuis
August 17th, 2011
Oh, to be passionate about something!
Oh, to have found that something!
You will hear the birds sing!
You will see the sun shine!
You will smile a radiant smile!
You will know why youre alive!
It took me a while
To find that something
The clues were there
From the time I was young
But it took a while
For the fire of passion to ignite
Id see a little spark here
A little spark there
And as they were nurtured over the years
A few fanned into flames
I felt the warmth
It saw the light
It felt love
And the night became bright
Things Im passionate about make me smile
Make my heart sing
They are things I cant do without
Now, I try to keep fanning the flames
Because there is nothing more beautiful
Than seeing this bon fire burn
Lida Berghuis
May 29th, 2011
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