the Monarch

You rest upon my hand
a monarch butterfly
gently flexing your wings
such fragile beauty
perfectly designed

You listen, watch, wait
for that precise moment
a gentle zephyr
a sun warmed kiss
a call from the Universe

I scarcely breathe
my eyes fixed upon you
longing to keep you forever
so delicate, so precious
love catches in my throat

but you are not mine
and never were

In this brief time together
we taught each other
love
beauty and truth

now
I must let you go
trust
that one day
you will return

yet while you still remain
the merest touch upon my skin
you have my whole attention
I dare not breathe or blink an eye
lest you disappear

and I realise with great sorrow

that I missed my chance
to say  - goodbye.


Amanda Edwards (c) 2013

A tragic loss

 

Nature's Fury

A leap of faith
results in tragedy

life cruelly taken

by the mighty Waikato
a river harnessed by man
its latent power unleashed
when the flood gates open

nature's fury
undercurrents, whirl pools, a swift
life-giving, life-taking force

the taniwha holds its breath

golden youth
invincible yet so vulnerable
throwing dice
         playinng with life
                       this time he lost


Let your spirit flow free
you are tangata whenua
connected to Papatuanuku
mother earth

her mountains, her lakes, her rivers

in her loving embrace once more
perhaps waiting to be reborn

know that you will
be always remembered
with great love

Aroha nui
             God bless.

Amanda Edwards (c) 2013

 

God doesn't play dice .... Albert Einstein

I threw some dice today
and frowned to myself
for they refused to add up

every way I counted
every way I looked
I'd lost

I long to pick them up
juggle them, jiggle them
roll them again

but I am afraid
what if they never add up?

Is life a game of chance
an exercise in luck?

or can you take control
you choose the way
the dice will roll?
 

Should I try
just one more time
hold them loosely
shake them up a bit

or toss them aside
say a prayer
and this time, Trust?


Mandy Edwards © 2013

A lazy afternoon

the sun warms my back
as I sit and drowse a little

composing a poem

a symphony of sound
accompanies my thoughts

the hum of my laptop
tap tap tapping of the keys
the drone of distant aircraft
a purring refrigerator

firewood waits patiently
outside
in the trailer for me

you like your fire don’t you?
well then?

the freezer automatically makes ice
it doesn’t know it is winter

a pumpkin sits moulding away
at the kitchen sink
won’t turn into soup by itself
pity

the bananas blacken, sweeten
nicely maturing for a cake

perhaps tomorrow

today
there’s just enough time
to warm my back
drowse a little and dream.


Amanda Edwards 2012 (c)

A little church in Tarras, Otago, New Zealand

Tarras Church

 

I drove to Church today
and discovered it empty

 

alone on a hill

 

surrounded by autumn trees
a few sheep grazing peacefully

 

I stood on the steps
touched the walls of stone
prayed for love and forgiveness

 

longed to go in

 

saddened that on a Sunday

a Church could stand empty

 

I felt its loneliness
echo in my Soul
then gazed at the sky

 

a brilliant cobalt blue

 

and realised God was here
all around me
deep inside me

 

a Church could be unpeopled
on a Sunday
alone on a hill

 

surrounded by autumn trees
shedding their leaves like tears

 

yet never truly alone, nor lonely

for God is always near.

Take a chance ... dare to believe ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=p04TYk4j0zQ

 

Billy Joel sings ... New York State of Mind, with a young man, who dared to ask a question ... may I accompany you .... and magic happens as a result.

Let the genie free.

In my secret forest
at the bottom of my garden
I discovered a shell

It was empty

Yet when I held it
to my ear
It was full of life

The swirling ocean
rushing, roaring, crashing
to the shore

The shriek of a gull
soaring, gliding, searching
with watchful greedy eye

The whistling of the wind
whipping up the sand
salty grittiness stinging my eyes

Oh no!

I quickly dropped the shell
and all was calm again

I licked the salty tear
dislodged by the sands
of my imagination

Rubbed my red rimmed eyes
which dared to believe
I had swam in the ocean

held my face up to the breeze
swung my arms and danced
along the beach

rejoicing in my freedom

In my secret forest
at the bottom of my garden
a shell lay silent

a gift from the sea
longing for me

to pick it up once more
and let the genie free.