Month: February 2023

Ash Wednesday

On By Marissa J NeilIn Ash Wednesday, Easter, faith, God, Jesus, Lent, love, poem, poetry, seasonsLeave a comment

A little rainy this morning
Clean cars getting wet
Sky gray and dark
Motivation low

Air thick
ground thirsty
hearts preparing
for a desert season

temptation
sacrifice
Sunday reprieves
because we are human

while Jesus is human and God
Leading us to
the cross and
to the tomb

and then to resurrection
Whatever that means
I struggle to understand

My heart feels hope
and assuredness though
my mind cannot quite
grasp it

That is faith, I guess
A knowing beyond
understanding.

Like Love.

Exactly like Love.

Amen.

How it started….

On By Marissa J NeilIn art, creativity, poem, poet, poetry, writingLeave a comment

I have been wanting to post more of my artwork, however, I often feel the need to provide a backstory. I went foraging for some childhood artwork and what I found, interestingly enough, was poetry.

So, here is how it started….

And no, I did not know cursive in First Grade. This was in a book of poems I put together in a later grade.
I did not know how to draw the body of a dog, so I cleverly hid him behind a wall.
I am not very good at rhyming so I am always impressed with anything I have written that rhymes.
A haiku
Another haiku
Hmmm, not bad
My first published poem in a school district anthology (1983-84)

Maybe I am a poet after all.

I Broke

On By Marissa J NeilIn breath, breathe, broken, calling, God, grief, healing, journey, life, loss, pain, poem, poetry, Seminary4 Comments

It feels like I broke.

Three years in seminary,
questioning my call,
a global pandemic,
family illnesses,
the loss of six
close family members,
physical injury.

I broke.

Not in an unfixable way,
but in a not anymore,
at least not today,
stop everything,
and take care
kind of way.

A refocus,
basics,
essentials,
breathe,
live,
heal
kind of way.

So I stopped.
I am taking care.
I am breathing.
I am living.
I am healing.

Thank you
Amma God,
for rest,
for life,
for breath,
for healing.

Amen.