When You See

Wrote this tonight after watching a movie titled: The Sea of Trees. It's not a great movie, but you have to pay attention, and pick out the gold amongst the rubble. Enjoy.

Sea of Trees

Sometimes
I lose myself
In a sea of trees
Not knowing where
Life is taking me
And I don't know
Why I keep going
Because the hurt inside
Tells me to give up trying
Even though faith is here
And God is there
Waiting on the other side
To give meaning
To my suffering.

I must continue venturing
And find a way
A path to happiness
Because even though
My loss is great
And darkness falls
Loved ones are closest
Giving clues
Blooming like flowers
Just beyond the trail
And life must go on
For beauty's sake.

D.A. Wittler 16'

Passing Seasons of the Harvest

Sunlight and Shadow

We all know what it means
To walk in sunlight
Like summer
With it's radiant beams
And to slumber in darkness
Like twilight
Resting amongst our dreams
Knowing tomorrow leaves promises
In steady flowing streams.
And so we were given parents
To see us through
Into this world  of seasons
Both warm and cold
With their storms and strife
Comfort and delight
In which to become ourselves
And yet reflections still
Of those who raised us up
Like humble servants
Among the fields
Tilling earth and planting seeds
Nurturing and watchful
While a bountiful harvest yields
Another generation.
And what do we draw from

When they are gone
And we have passed from sunlight
 to shadow
In mourning of their passing?
We draw from that harvest
Those lessons learned
Those memories earned
And continue on
Doing likewise in return
For parents never really leave us
They are merely reborn
Into the same sunlight
And shadow
We have known all along

In smiles and giggles
Frowns and cries
Of children
Who become our reflections
And so the seasons renew themselves

And God sees us through
To our own passing.
Amen
D.A. Wittler 16'

In Retrospect, For The Sake Of Love

A few thoughts as I take a moment to review the past year in preparation for another as we all must do from time to time. And what have I learned through my failures, and what have I gained in retrospect by these musings? Only God, and time will prove. And so I thank my friend Jen for posting these concepts of human relationship. Here goes folks, hold on tight... it might be a bumpy ride for some. Here goes:

Much is embodied in these three words, but unfortunately many do not pause to consider what they entail.
Honesty, not only about the what for and where to,  but the how much , and how far you are willing to go to love a person. The standard for most successful relationships that result in marriage is "till death do us part."
Loyal, to the concept of staying close by, and being present in mind, body, and spirit to that one person who captures your smile, your eye, and your heart with everything you desire in a soulmate.
And finally, faithful to the integrity of exclusivity; that one person is your high ground that you would rather die for than allow anyone or anything to come between you, and the bond of mind, body, and spirit that was formed from the instant of your union.
Sound scary? Well, for more than fifty percent of marriages, this is an understatement because so few can make that commitment in these modern times. I say God bless you if you can find such a person who can take on such an incredibly humbling, and self sacrificing pledge that three simple words on a wall can conjure in the mind of a human being. Peace, and love.

Witt

A Christmas Gift

A Poet's Christmas

Before an old clock tower
Sun has set
Lights come on
Bells toll the six o'clock hour
Alone again
Christmas carols
Ring out into silent silent night
For believers
A world gathers in anticipation
For the less fortunate
Hope clings precariously
Upon the precipice of ruin
While ignorance spouts a doubtful hymn
And man continues his lonesome march
Towards realms of compassion, and sin
Coexisting in childhood-like dreams
Of sugar plum fairies, and drudgery
And among them there are poets
Dreamers of a bygone era
Whose only wish is peace
And good will to all.
Amen

D.A. Wittler 16'

For Better Or Worse...

From December 6th, 2012; my own version of "D Day."
You know the old cliché: “This is the first day of the rest of your life.” Well, a morning in court will bring a lot of things to the surface, especially when it comes to a long relationship that ends with so much emotional energy tied to it. I hate to call it baggage, but we carry so much around inside of ourselves from the time we are born to the present day that it is inevitable that snags and snares come along to test our mettle and push us reluctantly in a new direction. Today is definitely one of those life changing days.

I paraphrase a song from church:

“Come back to me, with all your heart; don’t let the past, keep us apart. Long have I waited for your coming back to live joyfully our new life.”

I don’t know why these lyrics came to me, but for some reason they say so much about the relationships we have with each other and with our creator god. Yes, there are tumultuous times that come along like a storm or natural disaster, but in the aftermath we find hope in the things that make us who we are; faith, family and friends. I embrace these anchors of strength today as I turn forward away from the wind and rain of the maelstrom and embrace the love of creation that surrounds me. I look to the wooded path and the glass-like calm of a silent lake in solitude and in hope for better days ahead. I put away the anger and frustration of misunderstanding and the hurt that resulted from its insidious nature. I pray for peace of mind and the energy to rebuild something new from out of the ashes. The flood waters have receded and the dawn breaks with sunlight to guide to a new horizon of opportunity.

I once felt so apart from the world that it made me blind to the views of others, especially to the one who stole my heart and made me whole, but now I must let go of this and be like the reed which bends to the will of the wind. As Reinhold Niebuhr so eloquently states in his well known prayer; “God, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change what I can and wisdom to know the difference.” I hope that today finds you well fed, well loved and full of the many blessings that our creator so wants for each of us to possess in life. For better or worse, let tomorrow be brighter than today and may God bless you with abundance of joy. Amen.