Woman, Wife, Mother—Wife Poems

Engagement

run freely
smiles sighingly exhausted
hair in hectic tresses
without him you innocently exist
wild

stop naively
beauty breading untouched
dimples in daring wonder
from him you timidly wait
caught

sit distantly
legs lazily crossed
chin in cupped hand
at him you silently gaze
careful

stand somberly
heart humanly guarded
feet in faltering control
for him you warily come
hopeful

move slowly
fingers flirtingly touched
eyes in eager honesty
with him you knowingly respond
tame


Pearl

Yes,
marriage is forever and
so it is appropriate to
celebrate the commitment
that you both have expressed
to each other to love tenderly
and live joyously while learning
the art of becoming one.

As soil and water combine to give life
to a giant oak still in embryo,
so will your marriage grow like a tree
as it is nurtured with gentle hands
and warm, caring words that will unite
celestial spirits
as you reach out to the world
in harmony and peace together.

So now the unique story of your marriage begins.
Record it faithfully in your journal.
It will
someday
be a
pearl
of great
price.


Commitment

Together
we knelt at an altar
and made promises
to forever remain man and wife,

Not
really knowing
the kind of
commitment it would take
to endure this uphill journey,

But
with deep
faith, we hoped
we would succeed where
others had stumbled and fallen.

Now
we sometimes
wonder if we
are strong enough for
this mountain we are climbing,

Yet
we know
we must never
look back to the
soft, green meadows behind us,

But
have faith
that the view
at the peak will
provide a glimpse of eternity.


Fullness of Joy

God
would not
be God without
the faithful love of
man and woman on earth
as they cleave righteously unto one
another while expanding their burning love into
a wonderful fullness of joy through
the creation of new bodies
for the intelligent spirits
God organized so
many years
ago.


You and I are One

Tonight, my love,
you read me
a poem and
I thrilled at
hearing your voice,
strong with emotion,
reflecting the knowledge
and the caring
of the words
you were saying.

You told me
what the poem
meant to you,
and it made
me so happy
to hear these
feelings you expressed
as you shared
with me your
joy of poetry.

Considering I am
an English Major,
it seems like
our worlds are
a little bit
closer now for
they are overlapping
in another area,
where you and
I are one.


Your Diamond Sparkles

Hands still damp
from washing dishes,
I rush hurriedly
to the store,
feeling the weight
of constant pressure
that comes from
caring for family.

“Your diamond sparkles,”
the girl at
the check stand
mentions with admiration.
“It’s really beautiful.”
Agreeing, I glance
down at that
band of love.

Floods of memories
take me back
to the jewelers
where we had
carefully compared cost
with beauty until
finally finding the
perfect affordable diamond.

“It must be
from washing dishes,”
I laughingly reply
with some fatigue.
Then sudden realization
touches my soul,
renewing again that
tenderness of truth—

It’s the responsibilities
of family that
bring out the
sought-after luster
in marriage, which
romance only ignites,
but hard work
keeps burning brightly.


Yoked Love

They
walk unitedly,
man and wife,
as two strong oxen

Yoked
as one
tightly together to
better pull their load.

Neither
oxen is
intimidated by the
strength of the other

But
glories in
what each can
contribute to the team.

And
when secure
in their individuality,
their yoke is light.


Marriage Game

Let’s
not play
hardball—breaking each
other’s hearts by being
critical, selfish, or controlling.

Let’s
not play
basketball—bouncing all
over our relationship with
indecision, moodiness, and broken promises.

Instead,
let’s learn
to play softball—
where we both win
and neither one gets hurt.


Forgive and Forget

I
could not
forgive and forget . . .

So
first I
learned to forget . . .

Then
it was
easy to forgive.


Sunsets

The
love of
sunsets is not
just in the watching

But
in the
realization that even
if our love disappears,

On
the morrow
it can once
again return in beauty

To
be quietly
nourished in preparation
for dark nights ahead.


Spider Web

Love
is such
a fragile thing
in appearance . . .
even delicate like a
spider web.

But
its
strength lies unseen
and only
later realized
when adverse forces
cease
to blow

And
the
tiny
spider
thread
is
left
intact

Refusing
to give up
what it
once claimed
for
its own.


Refiner's Fire

I must
love you
not only
when we’re
in love,
but also
when the
refiner’s fire
suddenly turns
our love
to ashes.

For out
of these
ashes, a
new love
can slowly
and quietly
rebuild itself,
stronger and
more beautiful
than was
the first.