Gratitude #20

I am grateful (one day I will stop trying to spell that greatful...oh bother) for poetry.

I have always been absolutely fascinated by poetry and have always had an urge deep inside me to write my thoughts...but I don't have a fabulous gift for it.

Every now and then I will get lucky and get my thoughts just right, but it doesn't come without some help.
My little sister and I have been emailing back and forth some poems we are working on and in this way we give each other comments and suggestions.
Thank goodness for email....Maci and I are both very strong willed and we think we're right the first time, every time, so it can be difficult for either of us to give the other constructive criticism right to their face. Email is the perfect media to have some distance between us when we tear each other apart haha

I think one reason I love poetry so much is because it's a very musical form of writing.
In honor of this Thanksgiving season, here is one of my favorites:

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed
When you are discouraged thinking all is lost
Count your many blessings, name them one by one
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done


Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly
And you will be singing as the day goes by


When you look at others with their lands and gold
Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold
Count your many blessings, money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high


So amid the conflict whether great or small
Do not be discouraged God is over all
Count your many blessings, angels will attend
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end

All That I Can

The other day at work I had the line "I'm gonna do all that I can" pop into my head and I couldn't get it out for several days.
I decided that the only way I could get it out of my head was to get it on paper, so I wrote a draft of a poem and emailed it to Maci.
Over the course of the next couple of days she critiqued and I rewrote it until we were both happy with it.

I'm having some mixed feelings about posting it because it feels so personal, but I don't want to keep it to myself. I don't think that's what poetry is for...so here goes.

All That I Can

Little boy, arms 'round my neck
He's suffering pains that won't relent
Stuck in a world that's all his own
Left behind as others have grown

I don't understand the pain you feel
But what I'm seeing is, oh, so real
Little boy, I swear it's my plan
So I'm gonna do all that I can

Mother, with tears welling in your eyes
Sometimes your boy is hard to recognize
No day's the same, but still you push on
'Cause each day leads to a brighter dawn

I don't understand the pain you feel
But what I'm seeing is, oh, so real
Mother, I swear this is my plan:
I'm gonna do all that I can

Savior, Ruler of earth and sky
You know my pain, I see it in your eyes
I'm reaching out to find your hand
'Cause, Lord, I've done all that I can

~Emma-Leigh Owen (with lots of help from Maci Owen)

To the Woman I Took For Granted

Today has been a strange day.
Work was cancelled until 3 for me,
so I had a lot of extra time to do anything I wanted.
 I could have gone on a walk or read a book or taken a nap (my personal FAVE), but I found myself doing the dishes...
             Then sweeping the kitchen...
                                       Then cleaning the living room
                                                Then vacuuming.
I remember how hard mom had to fight to get us to do our chores.
There is one time in particular I remember duping mom...
When I was seven or eight I was in charge of sweeping the kitchen.
Mom and Dad were out of town for the day, and what did we do?
Put off our chores until the very last second.
Most of them didn't get done.
I knew mom would find out that I didn't sweep...
But then I had an idea.
I grabbed the broom and swept only under the bird's cage.
With the most noticeable part of the room looking good,
I lazed around for the rest of the day.
I felt good about everything until Mom and Dad came home.
They scolded everyone but me for not doing their chores.
The worst part was, all the kids knew that I didn't finish...
I was EVERY BIT as guilty as they were...but I didn't speak up.
Up until now, my mom has never been let in on this little secret...

Even after I finished all the cleaning I still had two hours before work
So I sat down and wrote a little poem...
I call it:

To the Woman I Took For Granted

There were many mornings
You woke up with the sun
And though you were tired
The dishes were always done.

There were many days
When I was feeling sick
You would give up your time
And you always came quick.

There were many days
When I needed to talk
A lot of that happened
When we would take a walk

You never asked for payment
You never asked for more
And even when I shut you out
You never locked your door

And now I'm on my own
I think of what you've done
I'm cleaning by my own accord
So thinking back, you've won

I may have fought,
Been anything but calm
But in the end, I know it's true
I love you, my dearest, Mom.

To Carley

I have always really enjoyed writing poetry, even though I'm not the most talented person when it comes to the...putting words together and them sounding good...thing.

I was able to scrape together a couple poems that I wrote to my dear darling best friend Carley and I figured that I would share them with all of you :)

To the Eternities

It still amazes me,

This friendship that we've made

All the good times and bad

Those memories won't soon fade

I went from Mckenzie to Emma

And much to my surprise

You went from just a friend

To the best one, in my eyes

You help me when I need a laugh

You help me when I fall

I know that when my day's been bad

I only have to call

Sure, we've had our times

When the hurt could not be masked,

And holding us together

Was no simple task

But we made it through

And we'll make it to the end,

Even to the eternities

As each other's best friend

The part that says, "I went from Mckenzie to Emma" refers to the fact that one of the first things she ever said to me was, "You look like a Mckenzie to me. Can I call you Mckenzie?" She gets embarrassed by that now, but I still think it's funny.

My Best Friend

You're not perfect

There are many mistakes you bear

But you're my best friend

So I don't care

You say silly things

And often show the color of your hair

But you're my best friend,

So I don't care

You and I

We make the perfect pair

This thing that we have

It's got to be rare

And when you're in the nursing home

Racing up and down the halls

You can bet I'll be there

Helping if you fall.

I was going to be all creative and try to write another...but I don't think I could :( I wouldn't be able to write it down effectively. 

I seriously love this girl!