Monthly Archives: January 2015

Heinous Disease 2015-05

Posted in Contemplation by

This poem is about Alzheimer’s disease or (AD), and was composed in remembrance of my business partner’s wife, Mary, and in memory of my father who came down with this disease. I have found that this disease has more than one victim, the one with the disease and the caregivers that deal with it also. It is indeed a heinous disease, like many others.

Heinous Disease   2015-05 

A heinous disease that slowly arrives,

One you can’t see, but know is there

That brings tears to your eyes.

How cruel, how cruel, when the mind

Starts to go, when others can see

You are not quite in the know.

When you stare into space with a

Far off look, a remembering of the past.

The shock of horror on your face,

Not knowing who, what or the current place.

The unnatural acts done with no malice,

Not knowing why, just done; how cruel.

Those taking care of you, trying to understand,

Loving, but thinking – why, why, OH why?!

The mind, such a fragile thing – subject to hurt, to

This disease, to the whims of nature so.

DDB

 

Senses 2015-04

Posted in Contemplation by

I like this one!  It ties in the  senses we have, with life, in a simple way. It uses the senses to help realize there is so much around us to experience and understand. It’s not too heavy to read and it gets across what I was feeling at the time about living and what I believe in. Not much more to say about it.

Senses     – 2015-04

Take a sip from the spoon of life,

and taste the nectar of living.

Drink from the cup of wisdom,

experience the feeling of knowledge.

Breath the air of freedom

smell the freshness of independence.

Touch another with tenderness,

and  feel the spirit of love.

Look at the world around you

and  see the complexity of creation.

Eat from the table of the Lord,

and know the opportunity of eternity.

Den Betts

Wind Chime 2015-03

Posted in Nature by

Too many words, at times, does NOT make for a good poem, whereas, simplicity is sometimes the key to a better one. I wrote this poem after sitting outside at the farm where we lived at the time, listening to the wind chimes and hearing the “ting, ting, ting” that they made. When the wind blew the sound carried across from the pine trees, where they were hung, further across the meadow, then the pasture, and finally up to our bedroom window at night.

Wind Chime  2015-03

The wind chime sings its music,

Sending its notes in a circle of sound.

Soft whispers of tingling cascades,

With echoes like falling glass.

Den Betts

Recycled Life Blood 2015-02

Posted in Nature by

It was relaxing, sitting on the porch, at the farm house, watching nature happen in the form of a soft summer rain. How enjoyable it was to see the clouds wander by, going someplace and knowing that the rain was nourishing the ground below.

Recycled Life Blood   2015-02

The sun burns off the fog

as the Earth bakes dry

in the morning

Lakes rise into the sky

becoming an entity with

a silver lining

Heaven weeps to those below

as the recycling of life’s

blood continues and goes

Den Betts

Presence 2015-01

Posted in Religious by

The Presence     2015-01

I use the words, “The Presence” in my essays and poems at times, and when I do so, I am relating to the Presence of God. The Triune God of the Christian faith that is. The one God of the Universe who reigns over all people, that are on Earth.

He can be the Father Almighty, the Son, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit, but still each (or as one) is the one that comprises The Presence.  Many have a problem with this concept of One.  I would think that it would be easier to just plain accept it as fact that is unproven, but is.  That is hard to do, I realize, but in the process of trying to understand the concept, it is like the word Faith, it cannot be proven by anyone on earth; just is, or so I say now.  If you do not believe in the Presence, the Triune God or even in Faith, then it really doesn’t matter much then and I would suggest you just move on with  your life; no problem.

But, if you DO have Faith, then consider these words.  God can be all of one and being one, then is all. It is like the equation 1 x 1 x1 = 1.  Even I can understand that mathematical calculation. Let me move on with this thought.

Thinking of the presence again and the three in one concept, how are they related?  I would like to tie in the two with basically this statement.  When we talk about God, I relate to the One God and the essence of God being one.  In discussing the Presence, it is better to just think of it as God and not worry about the form or who exactly we are mentioning.  When I pray to God, I sometimes put names to Him, by saying “God in Heaven, maker of the Universe, or Lord Jesus, I ask you for ——, or Dear Holy Spirit, help me in what I am trying to do.” That is OK, in my mind, and I think with God, that it is also ok. He is God, and it doesn’t matter the exact title or term you use for Him.

I said the Presence, God, is with us always.  Not sometimes, or special times, but always; not when He feels like it. That can be daunting to think about. God is watching us when we eat, sleep, pee, do great things and not so great things. He knows all that we do and when we do it. That is not easy to comprehend for some.

Do we really want God to know when we do things that are not exactly those actions we want Him to know about and have Him realize just how we are at the time?  When we cuss out someone with words that are vile and especially use words that are using His name in vain, do we want Him to hear? Probably not, but sometimes we do. The great thing is, He does forgive us for swearing and doing those terrible or not so Christian/religious actions that we do. I would think asking or praying for forgiveness would be the thing to think about then.

His Presence, in the form of one of the Triune essences is with us when we have to contend with the horrors of life also. He is with us even though the act done is unimaginable to us. That is hard to fathom for some also. I remember someone telling me, “If He was there, why didn’t He do something to prevent what happened?” He was asking me? I can’t answer that question, but do believe He does NOT prevent all the things that happen in the world. Why doesn’t he stop a hurricane, a tornado, a flash flood or other natural calamity from happening? Maybe, I will ask Him when I die, if I have a chance. Why didn’t He prevent my mother, father or brother from dying? Hey, death is part of life, I heard one time, so it is also a natural occurrence that just happens.

I like to think His Presence is with me always. Not just when I need it, but all the time. I can pray to God at any time and know He hears me. That is the neat thing about having God with us always. We have Him to hear us all the time, both at good times and bad. He can laugh with us when we have a light moment in our lives and console us when the bad times arrive. The one cost of having His Presence with us might be our love for Him and it would be great to let Him know just how much we do love Him, because I believe He loves to hear us say it to Him.

Some could bring up weird things that can be thought of that would preclude having God present when we are doing something, but let me state that He is capable in the seeing, hearing and knowing what ALL we do, and nothing can surprise Him in our actions.

I like to think of God as the being that created us, died for us in the form of the man Jesus Christ, and is with me in my soul as the Holy Spirit and is near me, so close to me, always………..

Think about what I have said and like or comment if you wish.

Peace be with you,

Den Betts