In God’s Country

I walk barefoot in God’s country
Lost in thought
Only the screech of seabirds
Break in
Waking me out of my grief
Shaking me out of my half-dead state

I sit down in the sand
And look to the sky
Watch the birds circle
And circle and circle
Without a care

I close my eyes
Squeezing them as tight as possible
I long to be one of those birds
I wish to fly high in God’s brilliant sky
I want to feel weightless, floating on a breeze
Wings never tiring
Fresh air filling my lungs
Sunlight warming my back

The fantasy lasts only a moment
And then I’m grounded
Back to my weary mind
Back to this heavy body
Back to reality and questions
Of why there is so much suffering 
In the world and why
We must lose those we love.

Recipe for a Peaceful Mind

Start with 2 cups of Patience, enough
to forgive all small annoyances. Then
add a dash of Kindness to soften the
blow of each offense. Mix in 4 heaping
tablespoons of Goodwill to cover any
lingering harsh feelings. Stir until all
ingredients are well mixed. Set container
to the side and allow to marinate.

Next, find a medium-sized crystal bowl. Make
sure, it is not made of plastic (we use only
the best materials here). Toss in unlimited
sorrow, each tear drop cried, envy and resentment,
then whisk mixture together. Take said
bowl over to the sink and pour contents
down the drain, you no longer need them
(and they never served you well anyway).

Finally, gather a bunch of loving words and layer
them, one on top of the other. Place layers
into a loaf pan and bake. Upon cooling,
slice, no dice, loaf into small pieces. Share
a little (or a lot) daily with everyone you
meet. Let this be your calling card. Peace
of Mind will soon be at hand.

 

Bio:

Arlene writes poetry, flash and song lyrics. Additional poetry may be found at Foxglove Journal, Little Rose Magazine, Your Daily Poem and Amaryllis.