A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Poem

People Matter

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I don’t know how this post on People Matter will go today.  I feel like I’m running late with writing even though it is still Friday when I’m writing.  This is part of the Five Minute Friday word prompt group. 🙂   Check out Miss Kate’s post to read other posts on the prompt People. 

Thoughts run through my head, making me question myself and others and some level of frustration creeps in.  Making sense of it all is a struggle.

people matter

People Matter

I heard the other day
a gramma died,
and to be with extended family important.
But those they would leave at home.
Needed care.
The question to answer was
Which people matter?

Both matter but
sometimes choices need to be made.

We are told
BLACK lives matter.
That we MUST hear their stories.
We must understand.
We must choose to listen to
the Hard stories in order to understand.

But the question is this
Why?

I don’t need to listen to the full
story of my tenant.
She’s had a hard life,
with multiple bad things happening.
Yet, I don’t need to know her whole
past to love the person in front of me.

Do only the past lives
of People matter?

We can’t fix the past,
Even if we learn about it,
and better, learn from it.

People complain that
all of our history is white-washed.
No show of colour.
Or any colour shown is in
really poor light
or needing care.

I wonder if there is a reason for that.
That conquering nations always
show themselves in better light
than those they have conquered.

Does it mean white-washed,
or simply,
Pride in accomplishment,
or the need,
to make oneself look better?
Sometimes it’s just
one claims “conquering hero”
as a title.

Though part of me wonders
if perchance
it’s just a continued need
to protect the youngest
among us.
Sheltering young eyes from
the harsh realities of life?

Do young children really have to
know the horrors of residential schools
or the Trail of Tears?
Having to see,
REALLY see, what slavery means
to those enslaved, matter so?

Patterns begun in the past
are so easy to continue into the future.
It’s comfortable.
The brave and bold,
Will see a new path.
And hopefully with wisdom,
balance their conviction,
to the needs of the younger
Generations.

Protecting young minds,
because it’s true
People matter.

Compromise Spelled Out

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Oh, compromise, what a word that is.  What exactly does compromise mean? 

As a noun: an agreement or a settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions.

As a verb: settle a dispute by mutual concession.

Also as a verb: accept standards that are lower than is desirable.

Come join me as I look more deeply at this word prompt provided by the illustrious Miss Kate. 

Compromise Spelled Out

Compromise Spelled Out

Compromise spelled out
is often what we need to do.
Seen between mom and son
When there is work anew.

Organizing a lad,
Who helpful desires to be
But also has his own plans
That’s just between you and me.

“Mom, will I have some free time?
To spend with dad and friends?”
Clarifying question results in
“Oh son, that just depends.”

Pondering my actions,
I seek to clarify
Asking deeper questions
Seeking to verify.

Reaching to out to learn,
Just what a block might be.
Fitting relationships in,
Would it work for him and me?

Oh it works!
Determining times.
During Covid
My son he pines.

Making time for family
and for friends
While work encompasses much
Compromise extends.

I see it shown
as we work it out
How like this world
This compromise is all about

Seeing the anger
The shouting too
Can people learn
To make less ado?

Experience shows that
Compromise works
It’s one of those
interesting life perks.

compromise spelled out text with two feet on yellow road lines

Poetry aside, we can always see how simple examples in the home can be extended to the world at large.  Working out what everyone needs is a matter of careful communication and the willingness to follow through.

Worth

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I saw the word prompt from Miss Kate last night, and as I did the bunny chores this morning I considered it.  Worth, such a loaded word for many. This makes it an excellent word prompt don’t you think?  

worth

How do you measure worth?
Coin?
Social status?
Power?
Connectiveness?
People following you?
Positions held?
Social media?
Attention from those that be?

Worth can be measured
in countless ways.
As many stars are in the sky
Can worth be measured.

And yet
Worth is meaningless.

It is so easily discounted
Unless it matters to
The one you speak with.

Yet God tells us this
are we not worth more
than the sparrows?
than the flowers of the field?

So why do we concern
ourselves
with our worth?

What does it matter?
If in the eyes of some you are
baggage?

Does your wife love you?
Does she wear her
Pride for you full well?

Does your husband
Mind you full well?
Caring for your opinion
and how others see his beloved?

Do your children rejoice
(yes I know)
That you are their mom?
Glad that they are yours
and no others?

Do you go about your
business
with honour and integrity.
Giving to God what is his due?

Then consider this
You are worth more
than sparrows or flowers
And God cares for them too.

Imagine how much more worth
You hold
to HIM.

And concern yourself not
with
Worth.

worth more than flowers

Matthew 6:28

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,

Luke 12:7

Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

How Can It Be?

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Oh, yesterday I had a good day for most of it (not all), today has been a bit more of a challenge.  I’m thinking it was due to the tension part of yesterday. Though it could simply be I didn’t eat particularly well yesterday and my body tends not to agree with that.  Mostly likely a combination!  🙂  Anyways, I spent the day considering the word How, this week’s Five Minute Friday word.  The tension of yesterday has filled my thoughts, making me ask How Can it Be? 

How Can It Be?

Posted with picture
Rabbit for free.

I noticed a blimp
On the nose, what did I see?

The question asked
Oh, just an old bite.

So off I went
A free rabbit is alright.

A girl came out
Head bowed down low.

A white rabbit
She had in tow.

I picked him
Horror in my eyes.

Snot covered rabbit
Can’t open his eyes!

Lightweight and thin
I wondered aloud?

No vet for him?
Oh, I can’t afford.

Home we met
Diagnosis poor.

Thin, snotty,
Poor missing leg.

Then I felt
An infected jaw.

My heart broke,
Mercy Administered.

Poor suffering bunny,
The pain now isn’t.

Anger settled deep
How can someone allow this?

How can it be?

Then I stopped.
I thought, how…

People all this anger feel
The mistreatment received.

The cries, the screams,
The mutters of protest.

How many feel it?
The intensity of anger.

The sense… THIS IS WRONG!
The knowledge…action must be taken.

How can it be?

How many see it though?
The need for one on one talk.

The conversation via email.
How can this be?

The understanding,
A girl with a good heart.

Lack of knowledge prevented.
But now, Strengthened.

Humane Society to be called
a breeder unsafe they are.

And hopefully
No more bunnies

In Pain
Needing mercy received.

This one on one
with people angry.

Perhaps leads to action needed.
So no more

People in pain
Needing mercy and care.

How can it be?

How Can it Be?

Stay Connected, Safely?

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I was up early this morning, far earlier than I wanted to be, and the first thing on my mind, was “what can I write for the word stay”?   This is the five-minute-Friday prompt from Miss Kate.  I thought about stay-cations, and staying put, safety in shelter, the staying in your place thing that people of colour must often feel.   Then my Miss Lizzy thought “oh, the ma’am is awake, perhaps I can get her to pet me”.   Mild inspiration struck. 

stay connected safely

Miss Lizzy came
A caution warned
“She likes to nibble,
Just a bit”.

The first week here
Lizzy, a year-old rescue
almost returned.
Nibbles are bites, not quite forewarned.

One week in
An odd thing happened
Miss Lizzy offered
a surprise.

A bath
I expected a
Screaming, fighting mess
A battle on my hands.

But
Miss Lizzy stopped.
She stood quiet
Docile and compliant.

My fellows I told,
Miss Lizzy stays
A firm hand
Combined with Gentleness.

So now
“Lizzy! NO bites”
Finger tap on forehead
Lizzy listens.

“Lizzy wants pets?”
Tapping a chair
Up Lizzy pops,
It’s much safer up there.

As Lizzy learns,
She teaches us much.
This much is good.
THIS much is too far!

My hubby complains
“This cat is not mine!”
Every cat thus far is
His or the lads.

But my baby girl
Follows me everywhere
Indoors or out
My cat is everywhere.

To me she is connected
Like a toy on a string
Stay connected safely
It is a really good thing.

I wonder as I look
at the world we are in
Can lessons from Lizzy
Be a possible thing?

The world with it’s riots
Protests, hatred and more
Screams THIS TOO MUCH IS TOO FAR
We can’t take anymore!

What will it take?
For connections to stay?
Say this much is good,
With safety for all?

Stay safely connected,
with firm hand combined
With gentleness guiding
Can we now abide?

Miss Lizzy

To be honest, I don’t know.  I don’t know what it will take to change the world.  There will always be divisions.  People like to put labels on things and situations and each other.  Once labels are applied, division happens.  Sin causes division. 

Can people own up to their own sin?  Their sin of lumping everyone together?  Whether it be police officers, people of colour, individuals with special needs, the elderly, the young etc. How do we own up to the sin we often just can’t see?   Seriously, I think it comes down to more people need to see the firm hand of God.  A hand that he lovingly combines with gentleness, helping us to stay connected to him.   Can we look past our sin to see a person we can connect with?

Angst and Birth

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The topic for this five minute Friday post centres around the provided word born.  Miss Kate puts up a word challenge for us weekly, it’s rather fun to participate, you should join us!  🙂   Anyways, I’ve entitled this post angst and birth as it rather fits my day.  🙂 

angst and birth

Angst and Birth

Taxes and the filing
I hate it don’t you see.
Not the easy T4’s but
All the business end that be.

In many ways so sweet
the government delay.
I thought twas til the end of June
Imagine my surpise the other day.

Hubby says NO June 1st
The deadline darling one.
Panic and angst
Came with the setting sun.

My job it is you see
The taxes so to do
I don’t begrudge the needfulness
The money must accrue.

The government needs it
To care for citizens
The need to save a dollar
Makes me want antihistamines!

When all is said in one
Delight fills my soul
It’s almost like how I feel
like being on Parole!

A duty done
Some hairloss felt!
and hopefully nothing I did
Will ever be misspelt.

Please no audits
My little heart cries.
Let me have made no mistakes
Made no inadvertant lies.

So this year
Midst angst and pain
Birth of newness
Fills my windowpanes

The rain falls down
Watering the earth.
Bringing life to my flowers
Giving them birth.

Pinks, yellows,
even some black.
Hopefully in a month
Bare earth will lack.

Angst and Birth

Move Forward?

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It’s five-minute-Friday and again Miss Kate has given us a word prompt.  Today has been a good, but very busy day and I find myself sitting here feeling very tired. I think about how people are wanting to look forward, to when Covid-19 restrictions lift. I listen as I hear of suicides, see depression in action, and tempers flare, and I wonder… are we truly able to move forward?

feet walking, text move forward

The Story is Told

The story is told.
A baker, a musician and barber.
Losing their businesses as
The restraints of Covid-19 cause
Economic collapse and despair.

The Story is told
of a young man, 30 years old.
Visiting with tears, telling of
Desperate loneliness and wanting
It all to end.

The story is told
Day trips to parks are available.
But then next day we read
More tests, more positive results.
Caution and masks advised.

The story is told.
Death has occurred. A teen mourns a cousin
but no closure is given.
Friendships threatened
as Emotions erupt.

The story is told
Street Front businesses may open again.
One or two in a store at a time
Frowns and anger
Hurry yet wait.

The story is told
Wait
This story is not yet told
Or perhaps it has been.
Just not fulfilled.

The story is told
The day of the Lord is at hand.
Wrath can not be held back forever.
A time when God says “this is getting old”.
And acts.

The story is told.
Wrath is coming.
But in the midst of it all.
Grace is offered.
Return to me.

The story is told
over and over again.
Grace before wrath.
Do you see it?
Respond.

Move Forward

So how does it happen?  The way to move forward in the midst of all these stories?  Will this be time filled with regret be remembered or will we be in too much of a rush to move forward that the stories will be forgotten?  Time will tell as we move forward.