All Changes

“All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.”

-Anatole France (French Writer, member of the French Academy and Nobel Prize for Literature in 1921, 1844-1924)

Going to and leaving behind mostly look the same,

Depending on where you stand…

Not matter how good, or better, or best that future’s claim

The past must shrink for the future to expand.

For moving toward a future means leaving behind a part

Of our old self, falling away in bits and pieces…

The breaking and mending of a heart;

The one we were before, our heart releases.

And whether we leave a love, a place, or a conviction,

Moving from there to now is sometimes hard.

Our old ways can be like a true addiction,

Luring us back to things we should discard.

Fear, self-doubt and loathing keep us bound-

Stuck in older habits, bad but known.

Breaking away, our new self can be found

By releasing harmful ways now that we’re grown.

It wasn’t bad before, just different now

Our newer self still fears an ill-timed turn

Mistakes as we move on we must allow

To have the life for which we always yearn.

Be the one you’ve longed so long to be

Forget the ones who say it can’t be done.

Let go of last year’s pain and you will see

                                    His will for you has already begun.                                            


   Cynthia Lively 6/3/10

Summer

The sweet and faded green of spring
Gives way to bold and vibrant heat.
Adolescent Summer grows and stretches-
Sunscreen slathered
Shield the glare,
Floating rivers
Free from care.

Swimming, climbing, adventures new
A late night campfire glows and sparks.
Lazy, sprawling sultry afternoons
Hammocks swaying,
Sprinklers spray,
Laughter echoing,
Children play.

Fresh cut grass and marigolds
A blanket spread for picnic meals
Sweet words, spoken ‘neath the trees
Kisses soft,
Holding hands,
Breezes blow,
Shifting sands.


Sudden storm of wind and rain
Dancing with the falling drops
Freedom twirling with the air
Carefree days,
Time to spend,
Love before the
Summers end.

Spring

Blushing buds bursting forth
Like the rekindling in my spirit
Another chance at life blows in
With the winds no longer from the north.

The trees, once still and quiet shadows,
Erupt with chartreuse hues
Of leaves and flowers, peeking out
After winter’s death, arose.

The water, once an icy rush
Bubbles with life and melted snow
Bluer skies, rays of warmth
Nature moves from stark to lush

Reflecting hope, our spirits lift
Rebirth after a long black place
Strip off your sadness with your hat and coat
Embrace resurrection’s gift

The cold and dark, like black of night
Replaced by warming beams
Fragrance of newness, of hope restored
Reveal the solace of things made right.

Brooks and hearts again run free
Easter’s promise revealed to me.


Cynthia C Lively 4/10/09

Winter

Hardness in the ground and sky
Lifeless cold, tell Fall goodbye.

Icy fingers hanging down
Houses with a snowy crown.

Huddled together, shuffling crowds
Cocoa warm with floating clouds.

Branches barren, smooth and grey
Snowflakes swirl in disarray.

Bundled up with wool and fleece
Jingle bells and hopes of peace.

Starting out a brand new year
Puffs of breath drift up, then disappear.

Dormant, snuggling in blankets thick
A crackling fire, flames dance and flick.

Hibernating, time to think
Into yourself, your spirits sink.

Or rise, as days grow short, then longer
Warming up and growing stronger.

A crispness with the air’s sweet chill
The moon, it hangs there, cold and still.

Autumn

A gentle fading autumn brings
A softening from summer’s desolate glare.
Echoing cheers, Gridiron clash
Swirling leaves, floating ash
From flicker of campfires toasting warmth.
The wind’s direction shifts,
As does my life’s.

With northern breezes blowing true
The harvest stands abundant, horn of plenty
Spilling fruit, fulfilling need
Answering want, blessings proceed
From autumn’s season learning our own worth
We each find spirit’s fruit,
There deep within.

Autumn’s time reminds us of our bounty
And cue’s a thankful spirit in the soul.
Reflecting times, Seeking truth;
Aging well, fading youth
Like falling leaves, our insecurities drop
Revealing our stronger hopes, our branches strong.
Wisdom’s voice declaring
Sufficiency.

Before and After

Before and After…


My life before
Unsure and frail
Precariously poised a house of cards
The slightest draft
Or unsteady hand
And then each heart and diamond falls.

Years of wishing,
Fearing, running
Wanting to be faithful, steady and true.
Building a house
Without a foundation
Not knowing it would soon be through

Starting over
Building new
My security, soul and dreams
Unknown future
No map to lead
And directions vague, or so it seems

The map, I find
Was always there
Inside my timid heart and soul
The Way, the Truth
To light my way
My brokenness now again made whole.

The Fairytale

The fairytale now fades to grey
And for my sins I now must pay
I wonder how I’ve come this far
On wishes, dangling from a star
Now falling, lifeless to the ground
These dying dreams don’t make a sound.

So do I cling to hopes long past
A young girl’s dream, both deep and vast,
And continue wanting a life the most
That drifts and fades out like a ghost?
And do I really want these things
Or only acceptance that it brings?

Belonging, approval, fitting in
Keeping up with the Jones’s, a game to win
I find the journey a masquerade;
I hide behind the mask I’ve made…
Façade created to protect
From judging eyes that each dissect.

Making plans or living free
I can’t decide which I should be
I see the lives of friends unfold
And once I sought to fit their mold
But now life takes a different turn
I find the lessons yet to learn


A winding path I navigate
Distinguishing dreams from others bait
To be like them, and live their life
While inside I feel only strife
At living less than true to me
To please the ones who don’t agree.

And now I see my path more clear
The mask comes off, though I still fear
For genuineness it lights the way
To a life of richness in each new day
The fairytale replaced by a life most true
With no more pretending, we start anew.