(Over)thoughts | A glimpse into the chaos.

Sand

Posted on May 30 2015 by J.W. Richmond

Desert Hills

I’ve been reaching
for hope
for energy
for anything
life-giving.
But I keep breathing in
choking on
crunchy
thick
crumbly sand.

In between the tears
as I spit out
the neverending
minuscule chunks
I try to reach
back to you
but my fingers
slip
right through
what is left
of
what I thought
was you.

Smoosh

Posted on May 16 2015 by J.W. Richmond

I don’t mean to
pull back
or
pull away
from you.
It’s in those moments
that I should
smoosh
toward you
into you.
I’m not sure what it is
inside me
that tries to s e p a r a t e
myself

from

you
creating distance
when all I really want
is to never be
separate from you.

Radiates

Posted on May 9 2015 by J.W. Richmond

Off the Horizon

Her heart
radiates from within her.
It pulses
reaches
influences
softens
and
brightens those around her.

Though she is smart
sharp
insightful
and
thoughtful,
nothing compares
to the way
she cares for her Savior
and for others.
She has such a
selfless way about her
at the very soul of her
that isn’t hidden
from anyone.

Yet alongside
her incredible
heart,
sometimes her
brain

sparks

out of nowhere
out of line
out of syntax.

When nothing should be seized
except the day,
it is hard to accept
the wrong in
the everyday
that just is,
that she
and we
have no power
to change.

So we embrace
all we can
of what she
so willingly gives
through the pain
and
through the fear
from her quiet strength
and overflowing heart.

For Aimee

Line

Posted on April 24 2015 by J.W. Richmond

Dance of the Elements

Only you know
the exact
line
for sure.
Only you know
the moment
he crosses it
tentatively
and
blatantly.

But that line
is a mile back
for everyone else
for everyone who sees
how he treats you.

Liking you
and being
intermittently
nice to you
doesn’t justify
lessening you.

Despite your deflection
you know
you are worth
more than that
even if
you won’t admit it
or don’t fully believe it.

No one
deserves that.
No one
should ever endure that.

I’ve seen
how it plays out
and I don’t wish
any of it on you
or any future kids
you may have someday –
with or without him.

Those kids
never get to be kids.
They learn
so quickly
to be vicious fighters
because they have to be
or hopeless victims
because that’s what they know.

None of us
can sit back
and watch you
toss your life aside
when we can see something
so much better out there
for you.

If you would only
step back
far enough
away from him,
you could see it too.

Deserving

Posted on April 5 2015 by J.W. Richmond

The Fulfillment

There was no body
in the grave
when they came
to anoint him
that Sunday.

It was empty.

Later in the day
he appeared
and reappeared
to those
who had known
and loved him.

Some recognized him
immediately
and worshiped him
right there.
Others weren’t sure
who he was.
Still others doubted
he was
who he said
he was.

He showed them
the nail marks
in his hands
ate with them and
explained to them
what was written
about him
in the Scriptures.

Back from the dead,
it was a miracle
not even comparable
to the wine
he made from water
the furious storm he calmed
the thousands
upon
thousands he fed
and
the incredible healings
he had done.

Truly He is the Son of God
the Messiah
the Christ
the Savior,
deserving of all praise,
for He came to die
and yet He lives.

Matthew 1:22, Matthew 2:5, Matthew 2:15, Matthew 2:17, Matthew 2:23, Matthew 3:3, Matthew 4:14, Matthew12:17, Matthew 13:35, Matthew 21:4, Matthew 26:56, John 19:24, John 19:30

Undeserving

Posted on April 3 2015 by J.W. Richmond

Between Two Thieves

Everyone was amazed
at his teaching
at his authority
at who he was.

Crowds gathered around him
to hear him
to be near him
just to touch his cloak.

Demons pleaded
their case before him
and he silenced them.

Even those closest to him
marveled at what he did
and had no idea
what to make of any of it.

He gave sight to the blind
allowed the paralyzed
to walk again
forgave wrongdoers
gave life to the dead.

When woken up during a storm,
he spoke out and rebuked it
and the waves and wind
obeyed him.

He loved big
fully
   intentionally
passionately
   irrevocably
unconditionally
loved everyone
   sinners
officials
   tax collectors
adulterers
the shady
   questionable
undeserving
and never apologized for it.

He applauded faith
belief
and relentless pursuit.

He saw beyond the action
to the intent
to the heart
encouraging the pure while
condemning the frauds.

And they killed him for it.

Back

Posted on March 30 2015 by J.W. Richmond

Because we could
gather together,
crushes
and
acquaintances
lifelong friends
and
those we’d never see again,
walk down the sidewalk
to the edge of the woods
wander across the bridge
rest on the grass
on the other side,
skip rocks into the creek and
quietly share our secrets
with each other
and the moon,
turn around to make our way
back up the steep hill
giggle relentlessly
shoosh each other and
snicker almost as loudly,
squeeze through the chain
climb to the peak
beyond the fence to
look down
at the city lights,
then
slide
down
the
embankment
toward
the
sand
toss marshmallows
across the bonfire,
pledge promises and
remember the good times
before walking
the long
narrow pathway
past the blackberry bushes
back to the beginning,
crash on the floor
exhausted
and wake up
to a new trail
with new
and
old friends
ready to start again
because we could.

Sandals

Posted on March 20 2015 by J.W. Richmond

Resilience

From friendly
smiling
conversing easily
to entirely
involuntarily
vulnerable
when pushed to
forced to
hang your heart up
in front of so many strangers,
I saw you change.

Each hand held
in a tight
shaking
clenching
and
unclenching fist,
your lips and chin quivered
your voice shook
and broke
between the breaths
you tried
to breathe in
as you grasped
for any air left
in that hot room.

Your eyes danced
with small
and
bigger tears
that you somehow kept
from falling
as you relived the
humiliation
right there
in front of all of us.

Then I saw you change again
shift your focus
showing compassion
and empathy
toward those near you
being in their place
feeling what they felt
hurting along with them
your feet aching
and throbbing
in their sandals
as you walked in them
until we all started
to feel it too.

Brazen

Posted on March 7 2015 by J.W. Richmond

Floating
heavily
while
trudging
pushing through
all the bright noise
the glaring constancy
   the tedious repetition
the neverending
brazen blindness
   that is inescapable
   unabashed
   unforgiving
   deafening
and
deadening,
time loses sense amidst
all the smothering
all the loud monotony
all the everything
all the everyday
every
day.

Emphasize

Posted on February 28 2015 by J.W. Richmond

Reflection

When you emphasize EVERYTHING
you end up emphasizing
nothing.

It’s like over-highlighting a textbook.
Your highlights become
meaningless.

Bolding
– Dashes –
Ellipses…
ALL CAPS
Italics
Underlines
Exclamation points!!!

Each of these are valuable – to an extent…

Yet the OVERUSE of any of them –
or ALL of them –
signals that you don’t really trust your words
to speak for themselves.

Cliches
(filler words)
BIG WORDS
and
extraneous
superfluous
fluffy content…
do the same.

I am GUILTY too!

So I am
s l o w l y
learning
to let my small words
speak
on their own.