NovelSisters

watching, reading, and writing stories

Feb 1

A Poem

by lydiamhill

So I was struggling with what to write today and ended up looking through old assignments from college. I came across this old poem. I had started it, but never fully finished it. Or at least when I read it, some things just obviously needed to be changed. So I fixed it up a bit and now I’d like to share it with you.

Please enjoy!

Life’s River

It only flows one way; forward,
Always towards the sea of history
Sometimes it rushes
through rapids
You can barely
hang on
Other times it is stagnant,
Like the last day of school before summer begins
At times you can see the waterfall ahead
Even if you don’t see it, you feel the current
Pulling you towards the drop
You know it’s coming
But you cannot stop
The free fall
Where it all falls apart
But you have to keep going with the flow
Knowing you will lose control and come crashing down
It comes steadily closer no matter how much you fight the current
Sometimes you get trapped in the backflow
Keep reliving that moment,
Even though everything
Keeps moving toward the sea
But eventually
You will get there,
And join the lives of so many others
Rivers lost in the ocean of eternity

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Life Poetry Writing

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Nov 6

Sutherland Springs Church Shooting

by lydiamhill

Yesterday and today I’ve been struggling through the latest shooting and it’s aftereffects. This one hits much closer to home than any one before. Some of my friends know people who were murdered. They’re sad, hurt, confused and I don’t know what to say. So I wrote this poem/prayer to God just now. I hope it brings comfort to someone out there.

Image result for church shooting

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God there is so much pain,
Every time I turn around there’s another victim,
another reminder that this world is not alright.

Why? The question I hear again and again.
How could He let this happen?
Where is He? It hurts so much.

In the midst of all the pain and questions,
part of me knows it’s in Your hands.
You have a plan,
This too shall pass.

And as I search the past, Your Word, the lives of ones before,
I see the same questions and cries.
Why Lord Why? Why have you forsaken me?

Jesus cried it on the cross,
My friend cries it in a small Texas town,
My brothers and sisters in persecution cry it too.

And You say,
I have never forsaken or forgotten you.
I was there, I am here.
I will never leave, I will never let you go.
You are mine and you must trust Me.
For when you cannot see, cannot understand,
I can.

I hold the world in my hands,
Each breath, each story, each purpose is Mine to command.
I see the connections, the problems.
I’ve felt the pain, the sorrow, the anger.
And I have not left you alone.

I entered in.
I took the full weight that you could never carry.
So don’t try to carry it now. Don’t despair.
Give it to Me, give it all to Me.
Trust Me now in the darkness, in the pain, in the hurt.

And wait.
Just you wait.
I have better plans in store.
A hope that does not disappoint.
A future that is secure.
And one day you will see what I see now.

That I bring life from death, rejoicing from sorrow, and good from evil.
I am the God who saves and nothing can stop me.
No death, no evil, no disaster, no sorrow,
No depression, no sickness, no plan.

So trust me now.
Let me hold you now.
And watch and pray.
I am coming soon.
And you too shall be changed.

Christian Life Poetry Writing

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Sep 12

Companion

by lydiamhill

I’ve been struggling with what to write this week. So I decided to look through some old work from college and I found a poem I wrote my senior year about companionship. The picture of my two cats seemed to go along well with it. So, Enjoy!

Companion

No one wants to be alone in this world
Everyone wants a friend or companion
Someone to talk to or sit beside
It doesn’t even have to be human

A cat will curl up and keep you company
A dog will stand watch and keep you safe
A bird will bring music to the silence
Even a fish will not leave you alone

But there is nothing like a real person
To laugh with, talk to, and even listen to
We were not made to live in silence
Or sit by ourselves at the table

We are social animals and we need
Others of our kind around

Life Poetry Writing

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Sep 5

Poem for Victims of Natural Disasters

by lydiamhill

Image result for hurricane irma

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There are so many people going through such a hard time right now. Fires in Montana, flooding from Hurricane Harvey in Texas, flooding in India, mudslides in Sierra Leone, another hurricane on the way to hit islands in the Caribbean and possibly Florida. With all of these disasters it can be hard to find hope, to find peace, to even know what to do.

I’m so thankful that it is not on me to save the world, to solve all the problems or figure this all out. God sees everything, each person in need, each problem, each fear. And He promises to go with us through the troubles and provide for us in them. He has unlimited resources, patience, love, and hope. And we can trust Him to do what’s best.

I hope you join me in praying for all of these people affected by disaster and look for the opportunities He gives to get involved and help.

Before I share the poem, I want to share a verse from Isaiah. It’s one that has helped me and many of my friends through hard times in life, whether from an actual natural disaster, or difficult relationships, transitions, or problems in life.

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by your name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;”           -Isaiah 43:1b-3a

And here’s the poem I had written for Flood victims several years ago. I think it still applies today.

A Victim’s Prayer

Why do I sigh at night?
Why is this load so heavy?
I can’t be sure what’s right.
Will You lead me with Your light?

Show me the path at my feet,
make clear the terrain unseen.
Give me the courage to move,
to take a step towards the new.

O God I can’t see the end.
There’s no way that it will mend.
The night is heavy and still.
Please just give me the will.

Help me move, help me go.
Teach me to trust, and to know
that despite my fear
You are always here.

Bring me home, bring me home,
and remind me that I’m not alone.

Christian Life Poetry Writing

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May 2

I am a Teapot

by lydiamhill

So I was sitting in church on Sunday and for some reason I started thinking about a teapot. Maybe it’s because I had been reading/watching some movies and books based in Wonderland and tea seems like a big deal there. But anyway, I started thinking about how God pours His love into our lives but it’s not meant to just stay in our hearts, we in turn should pour out His love to others. It’s kind of like how a teapot is pretty useless if you just put warm tea in it and let it sit there. But if you pour it out into other people’s teacups, everyone can enjoy it. I know it’s not the greatest analogy, but for some reason it came to mind and I thought I’d write a poem about it. Also, I kept noticing references to pouring throughout the church service, so maybe God was trying to tell me something. In any case, I hope you enjoy this short poem.

I am a Teapot

I am a Teapot
short and stout.
Not meant to sit pretty
but to be filled and poured out.

God pours in His love
and I pour it back out.
And find I’m most full
when I’ve shared love about.

But I must never forget
the love that I give,
comes not from myself,
but from Him who first gave.

And so I return to be filled once again
and pour out His love that never ends.

Christian Poetry

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Apr 18

The Life of a Flower

by lydiamhill

Since it’s Spring now and I’ve been taking lots of pictures of flowers, a friend suggested to me that I should take a picture everyday of the life of a rose. I didn’t quite make it everyday. But I was pretty close. It was so cool to see the small changes over time of the rose. Usually when people get roses from the store, they look like what the first picture shows. But really, that’s only the beginning of this flower’s beauty. When still on the stem, roses open fully and slowly fade and sometimes they get darker spots before finally losing their petals. Or at least that’s what this rose did. So I hope you enjoy these photos. I’m also going to add my poem Rosebud at the end of the photo time lapse. I know I’ve posted it before, but it’s been awhile and I really like it. Enjoy!

Rosebud

 

You’d think I’d be proud.

Everyone knows the rose:

I’m always wanted for weddings,

apologies, Valentines, even the tango.

 

But you don’t know me at all.

I’m sick of that kind of attention:

I don’t want to be clipped,

pruned, removed,

sitting in a glass vase,

dying slowly.

That’s my worst nightmare,

 

locked inside, or worse yet,

hung upside down till I’m  a dry

crisp corpse, then put on display

yet again.

 

You know the real reason for my thorns?

They’ve grown to keep you away.

 

Why can’t you let me grow

and die in peace with my friends?

Simply satisfied

in smelling our sweet

scents mixing in the spring air.

 

Please find a different symbol

for love,

one that doesn’t require my death.

Art Life Poetry

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Jan 25

An Old Poem

by lydiamhill

I found this poem in my old school folder today and thought I’d share it. Enjoy!

img_0283

Companion

No one wants to be alone in this world
Everyone wants a friend or companion
Someone to talk to or sit beside
It doesn’t even have to be human

A cat will curl up and keep you company
A dog will stand watch and keep you safe
A bird will bring music to the silence
Even a fish will not leave you alone

But there is nothing like a real person
To laugh with, talk to, and even listen to
We were not made to live in silence
Or sit by ourselves at the table

We are social animals and we need
Others of our kind around

Life Poetry Writing

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May 2

A Poem for Graduates

by lydiamhill

Graduation, Profile, Picture, Circle, Silhouette

Image Source

Recently I’ve been made aware that I have now been out of college for as long as I was in it. It’s made me a bit sentimental. I really miss those days of classes, papers, and being busy but never bored. I had so many friends in college and many of them I haven’t seen in years. So now that graduation season is coming around again, I thought I’d share a poem I wrote from my senior year. Enjoy!

Graduation

When the time comes to leave and fly,
will I be happy when I finally say goodbye?
I won’t have tests, stress, or papers to write,
and my schedule will finally have a free night.

I know this is supposed to be a happy time,
but when I finally hear the bell chime,
and I walk the stage and get my recognition,
will I really be done with my education?

The diploma will claim that I’ve done my share,
I’ve gained skills and knowledge, my mind is aware.
But what comes after college is a big mystery,
and whether I like it or not, school will be history.

It’s already May, and soon will come the day
when I’ll leave to discover my own way.

Life Poetry Writing

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Mar 22

Writer Resource

by lydiamhill

Typewriter, Book, Notebook, Paper, Writing, WriteImage Source

I thought I’d share something helpful I found for getting feedback about your writings. I know I’ve posted some sections of my work on blog posts before and most feedback that you get is a ‘like’ or maybe a short comment. Though these can be encouraging, they don’t really help your work improve.

When I was in college, I was a part of several workshop classes, where we all had to do an assignment, but we also had to critique each other’s poems, short stories, or whatever we were writing. It was very helpful, and my work significantly improved from that feedback.

Since college, I haven’t really had a good place to get feedback about my writing. I’ve asked a couple friends or relatives, but let’s face it, everyone is busy and most of the time someone else’s project doesn’t take priority. But, luckily, I have another writer friend who I met at a Book Fair and she told me about this great website! I decided to try it out for myself before mentioning it to others, and now that I’ve used it, I’m a fan.

So the website is http://www.scribophile.com/ and it’s great. How it works is you have to read other’s works and give them critiques to get points, the more detailed and helpful the critique, the more points you get. When you get 5 points, you can post your own work for critique. It motivates people to actually read your work and give feedback. And it’s free, if you want it to be. I haven’t switched to the paid version, which has a few more perks, like having more than 2 posts of your own work at a time, and some fun features to get more detailed feedback. But I’m liking the free version just fine for now.

So if you’re a writer, and you’re struggling with getting feedback, check it out! Or if you would like to read more sections from my own novel, feel free to join so you can read them.

Books Life Stories Writing

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Jan 18

Poem for Roses

by lydiamhill

This winter our rosebush outside has had some beautiful roses bloom and stay on the bush for weeks. Seeing them reminded me of this poem I had written in college from a rosebud’s perspective.
I hope you enjoy it.

Rosebud

Rosebud

 

You’d think I’d be proud.

Everyone knows the rose:

I’m always wanted for weddings,

apologies, Valentines, even the tango.

 

But you don’t know me at all.

I’m sick of that kind of attention:

I don’t want to be clipped,

pruned, removed,

sitting in a glass vase,

dying slowly.

That’s my worst nightmare,

 

locked inside, or worse yet,

hung upside down till I’m  a dry

crisp corpse, then put on display

yet again.

 

You know the real reason for my thorns?

They’ve grown to keep you away.

 

Why can’t you let me grow

and die in peace with my friends?

Simply satisfied

in smelling our sweet

scents mixing in the spring air.

 

Please find a different symbol

for love,

one that doesn’t require my death.

Poetry Writing

Leave a comment »
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