Encircled in Thine Arms

I wrote this poem for my mom as an early Christmas gift, because her husband and she had been going through an especially difficult time. Happily, things are much better for them now, which warms my heart and prompts me to choose this offering for Warm Heart Wednesday.

I feel grateful when I can put together the right words and bring a measure of peace to the people I love. This is a gift I treasure, one that brings me joy because it allows me to give of myself in a unique way. The image below (Christ holding an elderly woman) was especially meaningful to me, as it made me think of my own dear mom and His ability and willingness to bring comfort and hope to her heart. 

I do love the notion of being encircled in our Savior's loving arms. There is simply no better place for healing, and I'm sure my mom agrees. After all, she's the one who taught me! =)

image from LDS Church

Encircled in Thine Arms

©2015 Susan Noyes Anderson

O Savior, thou art good to me.

Encircled in thine arms, I find

the salve for every weeping wound,

the balm to ease my troubled mind.

Thou lovest me through every trial

with grace sufficient for my needs.

Thou hast the power to heal the soul,

to soothe the aching heart that pleads.

Stay with me, Lord; embrace my woes.

I would not wander far from thee.

Thou art the Master of my soul,

my Shepherd for eternity.

∞§∞

"Therefore, treasure up these words in thy heart. 

Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God,

and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love" (D&C 6:20).

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Be Still and Grow

photo by Francesca Woodman

Be Still and Grow

©2016 Susan Noyes Anderson

Sometimes, life's colors spin away and set us spinning, too.

The air about us thickens, and we lose our point of view.

Each breath a gasp, we cling to light, unwont to disappear;

but still we feel our edges fading, blurred by swirling fear.

We call for help in urgent tones, but none can penetrate.

We spin. We spin. Inertia has become an active state.

When balance fails, we land once more in stark reality.

The truth awaits us all. Be still, and grow. Let go. Walk free.

∞§∞

"Be still, and know that I am God."

Psalm 46:10

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To Love a Child

my daughter with her little ones, 11 months old

TO LOVE A CHILD
©2016 Susan Noyes Anderson

To love a child is bliss complete…

her feisty ways, his squishy feet,

his face alight, her brown eyes dancing,

a wave goodbye while backward glancing.

All these and more combine to feed

this grandma's heart with joy indeed.

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Mother to Son

I am the mother of three adult sons, who have warmed my heart on a regular basis since the day they were born. Of course, sometimes their antics and exploits have sped it up a bit, too. Happily, increased maturity (theirs and mine) has done much to convince me that they can handle whatever life throws their way, which doesn't keep me from offering a word of counsel now and again. (I'm glad to say they don't seem to mind too much…)

Mother to Son

©2016 Susan Noyes Anderson

Face the future squarely, son.

Grace it with the past.

Learn and grow, but don't let go

of things that last.

∞§∞

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La Luchadora

image by Ed Ross

La Luchadora

©2016 Susan Noyes Anderson

Her hair is dressed in roses:

a waved trellis,

verdant and visceral,

rooted in animus

(head-as-hostile-soil).

She likes the irony,

invokes contrast.

Her eyes speak thorns

quite fluently,

scalp blooming.

for more magpies, click below

Where Is the Pavilion?

Last week I wrote a New Year's poem filled with cheer and optimism, but that doesn't mean I'm not aware of the turmoil surrounding us today. In fact, I am all too aware of it…and I sometimes find myself worrying about the future of my children and grandchildren, who (collectively and individually) secure my warm, fuzzy place in this world. With that in mind, my contribution to Warm Heart Wednesday is this poem, reminding me and anyone else who is looking for hope that it can and does exist, always. 

May we teach our children well that this is true.

Where is the Pavilion?

©2015 Susan Noyes Anderson

Where grows the tree so firm and strong

that no foul wind can bring it down,

the tree so straight and true and tall

no hunter's axe can make it fall?

Which branch, nourished by rain and sun,

still puts forth buds when spring is done

and when the earth runs dry, digs deep

to sip each drop its roots can keep?

What lily blooms beyond the frost,

once ice assails and hope lies lost?

Whose trembling hand will reach to save

such fragile beauty from the grave?

How can a forest loom so still?

The air feels empty, and the trill

of birdsong goes to silent plea,

a ghost inside a memory.

The beauty fades too fast, too fast.

Peace moves in slowly, rushes past.

Where lies the power to brave the squall,

to seek the blossom under all?

I must believe and always will––

the tree, the branch, the bloom, the trill,

and all the beauty of each soul

reside in Christ, who makes us whole.

The power is in His loving hands

to fit us for this world's demands,

sustain us by His selfless grace,

and ease us in His warm embrace.

What is my part? To plant in me

the branch, the bloom, the stalwart tree.

∞§∞

"O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that

covereth thy hiding place?" –D&C 121:1

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New Year Glee

I always get a warm, fuzzy feeling at the beginning of a New Year, don't you?

New Year Glee

©2015 Susan Noyes Anderson

Oh, how I love a fledgling year,

wiped free of gloom and haze,

where all the calendar is clear

to mark in sunny days.

With endless opportunities

flung open to my view,

my spirits rise upon a breeze

of all things fresh and new.

My mind flies high into the sky,

goes dancing 'round the sun.

As light as crisp, clean air am I,

afloat on dreams unspun.

Eventually, I fall to earth,

prepared to work the ground.

Rich, fertile soil is where the birth

of sweet success is found.

So Carpe annum! – Seize the year!

Find brand new ways to see.

The secret key to New Year glee

is possibility.

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