hope like honey on biscuits….

She is busy,
hurrying to make it through the list in her hands
and those long hours before the littles thronging her
grow tired and finally sigh into their pillows.

I watch her hands,
dazzled at their freedom
to tossle her children’s hair or stroke a young cheek
or whisk them up and swing them until they’re laughing dizzy

And I ache for one more chance
to drop to my knees
and quiet my ruckus
and listen wholehearted to my long ago littles
for as long as they need
and not rush it along,
smiling comfort into priceless souls
with soft, slow eyes.

Instead,  I wrestle through to letting go
and trust them to eyes that never sleep,
eyes that see them still,
even grown and gone,
with a love that can slice through any dark
like a million candles flickering
on the altar where I lay my fear down.

And when the longing bubbles up inside
to comfort my young ones again,
I skim the foam into words
and drizzle them over bites of art
like honey on biscuits
and leave them to find other eyes
that need them now
and maybe hunger for the hope
they bring.

“go ahead and keep this…..it found YOU.
Just a little love note from the universe
to nudge your hope
that it’s all gonna be okay.”

(linking with a fresh crisp breeze)

24 Comments

  1. Michele Bergh on July 16, 2012 at 10:18 pm

    Beautiful post. Such emotion and fabulous images. Love the love note:)

  2. rachel awes on July 17, 2012 at 4:51 am

    i LOVE your “you’re priceless” art!!!!!!!
    + sweet sweet bird. all is alright indeed.
    XOXOX

  3. Bren on July 17, 2012 at 6:50 am

    Oh Jen you’ve so captured the heart of any mother who’s kids have grown and gone from our daily hands but never from the reach of our hearts. Love the photo shoot to go with this powerful message. I will tell you this, it’s this kind of wisdom that you bring when grandchildren come along. You make more time, take the time to savour the moments and set aside everything else that life likes to throw at us. When I’m with my grand girlies nothing else exists 🙂

  4. Mary on July 17, 2012 at 7:38 am

    Your words and images always bring hope, and point us to the sorce of that hope!
    I love the hope that pours forth from your heart and spirit!

    I love you!

  5. Simone on July 17, 2012 at 10:55 am

    Fantastic words and a saturation of colour!

  6. S. Etole on July 17, 2012 at 12:36 pm

    The thoughts of hearts echoed through your words and images. Trusting the One who neither slumbers or sleep … He is faithful.

  7. Kathy on July 17, 2012 at 4:00 pm

    I am rushing around like crazy today…so thank you for reminding me that everything will be okay… As usual, Jennifer, I LOVE your colorful photos!

  8. elk on July 17, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    they grow so fast ..sigh … I understand .. your photos with words are fabulous !

  9. Of Petals and Wool on July 17, 2012 at 6:46 pm

    Sweet Jennifer, you haven’t lost me at all. I’ve not been on Blogger much lately because of being busy on our farm as it’s haying season and my internet connection was cutting out all the time making leaving comments very difficult. I’m still very busy as it’s haying season for us and the weather has been cooperating. Today it’s raining and I have time to touch base with a few of my favorite blogs.

    So much could be written on being a mother but one thing that a mother knows for sure is that it doesn’t matter how old or young our kids are, they will always be our kids and we are always concerned about their welfare and safety.

    It always good to have hope and prayers to fall on when we need some reassurance that everything will be all right.

    Hugs sweet friend,

    JB

  10. Barbara on July 17, 2012 at 7:40 pm

    Oh, Jennifer, your words just come alive and dance and cry and sing and hug, all at the same time. I, too, ache to have a chance to go back to when mine were young and just be still with them and try to ignore the ruckus. But the irony is I still find myself busying around when they come to visit until I realize one day I’ll be aching for these days, too. Some lessons are so hard to learn.
    “Instead, I wrestle through to letting go
    and trust them to eyes that never sleep,
    eyes that see them still,
    even grown and gone,
    with a love that can slice through any dark
    like a million candles flickering
    on the altar where I lay my fear down.” Amen!

  11. Diane W bailey on July 17, 2012 at 9:13 pm

    You create such crisp imagery in your writing! I am loving your posts. ~Di

  12. Dulcy Stewart on July 19, 2012 at 11:13 am

    Yes…. it’s all going to be okay! Perfect for me today Jennifer! What I love about visiting your lovely is blog is that I always take something sweet and wonderful away with me……..
    xo
    dulcy

  13. jean on July 19, 2012 at 7:00 pm

    that is the most beautiful post i have ever read…it describes being a mother so perfectly…i’m sending my one and only off to high school this year…sniff sniff…thanks for putting this out there…i will bookmark this when i need shoring up…

    with a love that can slice through any dark
    like a million candles flickering
    on the altar where I lay my fear down.

    that blows me away…xo

  14. jeanie on July 19, 2012 at 7:20 pm

    YOU’RE the priceless one! Love notes like that are such a gift!

  15. beth on July 19, 2012 at 8:02 pm

    they really do grow so fast are beyond PRICELESS….even when they drive us crazy 🙂

  16. Wanda on July 19, 2012 at 9:43 pm

    Absolutely beautiful Jennifer. I needed that little love note tonight! Your words and the delightful colors makes my heart smile.

  17. LindyLouMacinItaly on July 20, 2012 at 5:58 am

    You touched my heart with your wonderful way with words today.

  18. JillsyGirl Studio on July 20, 2012 at 7:26 am

    I envy your talent of making words appear like a scene before your eyes!

  19. Connie Smiley on July 20, 2012 at 11:11 am

    So beautiful, Jennifer! I love entrusting them to “eyes that never sleep”. What a comfort!
    You are priceless!

  20. Naomi on July 20, 2012 at 12:09 pm

    Ah, your words are so beautiful! Poetry and painting… yes.

  21. Susan Lobb Porter on July 21, 2012 at 12:22 pm

    When they’re young and demanding and there’s so much to do to get through the day and the wise ones say, “they grow so fast’ we don’t hear, don’t listen, don’t understand.

    Until they’re grown. And gone.

    And then we understand.

    Love to you, dear Jennifer who spreads her love with words and paint. xoxoxo

  22. Sue on July 21, 2012 at 5:32 pm

    I love reading your trailing words, they find their way into my heart.

  23. Lynn on July 22, 2012 at 7:22 am

  24. Lynn on July 25, 2012 at 8:19 pm

    Love! Love this! You have such generosity of spirit.

    Just this evening I was looking at the mess my kids had made playing and noticing how the dishes I had asked them to put away were all in the wrong places and some still had water pooling at the base. The first reaction of my hectic self was “grrrr” which I quickly changed to “it’s all good” and I looked at my husband and said, “All these little things, these little ‘annoyances’ which aren’t even annoyances, I am going to make sure to embrace every one of them because soon, I will be wishing and longing for them. They grow so fast.”

    I work hard every day to focus on the blessings of having a house full of kids. It truly goes so very fast.

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