Another Day Done
Another spot has stained the pot,
Another pan is burned.
Another day of cooking got,
Me another chance to learn.
Another flower drops it's seed,
Another day's sun is done.
Another day the same seed shall see,
Life force from the same set sun.
And I, another day have sent,
To bed with your chapter clear.
Another page of life I've bent,
To mark your memory dear.
- Brenneman T. February 1, 2002
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Love Karma
Don't look to fall in love,
But instead,
Create love, and give it away.
It will return.
It may return through the eyes,
Of the lonely old woman you visit.
Or it may come back in tears of laughter,
You shed with a friend.
Just as you gave it,
Sometimes it will be given you,
When you least deserve it.
Then, you will appreciate love.
- Brenneman T. February 1, 2002
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Will I listen?
There's a little fear inside,
Pestering me to worry.
Will I listen?
There's a pang of anxiety,
Reminding me of any insecurity.
Will I listen?
There's a measure of courage in me,
Allowing me to make progress.
Will I listen?
There's an embryo of peace in me,
Counting on me to nurture it.
Will I listen?
Yes, I will always listen to myself,
As my growth can only occur,
When I hear my own heart's crude effort at singing.
I hear you, and you are growing safe and so capable.
You are more confident and calm each day.
I will listen to you and love you.
- Brenneman T. February 2, 2002
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My Spirit Knows
My mind wants to look outside,
With thoughts of intellect and experience,
And rationalize my life.
My heart wants to look outside,
With feelings towards people and events,
Allowing emotion to rule my life.
My spirit knows peace is inside.
Solutions are inside, love is inside, life is inside,
So each day I redirect my heart and mind, and I find them.
- Brenneman T. February 2, 2002
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Sentence
Threatened aggravated assault,
Committed upon white male,
By same white male.
Punishment:
Life,
Of love and service to himself.
- Brenneman T. February 4, 2002
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Completely
A peaceful wonder in life's collage,
Placed there with infinite care.
Remnants of rainbows,
Upon rose soft visage,
More beauty would not dare.
Within the fray of bloom's bouquet,
An angel's breath sighs sweetly.
I lift the chalice,
To love's lips and say,
"Seize life and love completely."
- Brenneman T. February 5, 2002
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I Heard It, and It Now Lives In Me
Last night I heard the answer,
So clearly spoken, "love and life's fullness are in you, focus there."
I clearly understood it!
This great truth has always been waiting.
My ears, mind, spirit were finally ready and opened.
I received it into my heart.
I tried to soak it in.
I knew God was speaking to me.
I was so grateful.
At the same time,
I was afraid I'd loose the gift,
But still I heard it! In my heart I know it's true!
I know the way,
And it seemed the clarity would never fade,
But I knew it would.
Nevertheless, I heard it!
It is here, so good and real,
And a gift from God.
Most importantly,
I heard it. I believed it. I was convinced,
And am determined to build on it!
I will cling to the truth.
It makes sense.
I will not allow myself to forget it.
I must feed it, practice it,
Experience it, savor it,
And live it every day.
Then I will own what I have heard.
The seed of faith is planted.
I must and will joyfully care for it.
- Brenneman T. February 5, 2002
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Feeling Isolated?
Remember,
You have to leave the cocoon to fly.
You have to get wet to swim.
Though you won't stop dying by trying,
At least you will have lived.
Jump out or dive in!
- Brenneman T. February 6, 2002
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My Loving Me
It seems so silly, my loving me.
Isn't it understood, obviously?
Maybe I feel so uneasy, and it seems so odd,
Because I always looked outside to people or God.
To enjoy a quiet time with myself, alone,
Relaxing with a book and ignoring the phone.
Learning to find pleasure in my own company,
And from the 'outer-search' prison being set free.
To cherish the one I know the best,
And let go the judgment of the rest,
Is for me as unnatural as exciting,
But all discomfort aside, so inviting.
It seems such nonsense and so hard,
Like sending myself a Valentines card.
But maybe that's just what I need to do,
To get used to telling myself, "I love you!"
- Brenneman T. February 7, 2002
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Multi-edged Internet
Ultimate freedom,
Can be ultimate waste.
An open medium,
With or without taste.
The choice is mine,
To use it wisely,
Or spend my time,
On all my eyes see.
My TV proved best,
When turned off for good.
Now's the internet test.
I'll pass if I should.
- Brenneman T. February 7, 2002
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The Slow Path
Patterns in your life,
Ways of thinking, attitudes,
Don't change easily.
But you can change them.
You can't change your height,
But you can change your weight.
You can't change your past,
But you can change your present.
What is your vision?
Are you able to make the slow changes,
That will lead you to achieve it?
If not, are you setting yourself up for failure?
You don't control anything but yourself,
And that only partially.
So fine tune your dreams to fit that reality,
And find the slow path to joy.
- Brenneman T. February 7, 2002
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An Ending Complete
Sometimes the end,
Isn't the end.
You haven't yet learned the lesson.
Your hope still clings,
To the dead vine of summer,
The true fruit of wrath.
Then one day you awaken,
Tired of the hard brittle vines,
You've literally loved through death.
You don't try to mangle, just disentangle.
You turn away and leave them to their fate,
And live your life better for it.
- Brenneman T. February 10, 2002
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Be Real
To share from the heart is smart,
For when we conceal what for us is real,
Our real life may never start.
- Brenneman T. February 11, 2002
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Warm Awakening
Answering loves call, knuckles
Gently rubbing thigh, ticking in the hall.
Easy muffled breathing, dreaming buckles
Under her sweet presence over all.
His heart opening, growing wide
Her eyes sleeping, inside the tide
Rising, warm budding bride, outside
A winter-weened world denied.
What now comforts his active mind?
The rest of spirits intertwined.
Thoughts spin out a web so fine,
And catch a dream of his valentine.
- Brenneman T. February 11, 2002
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Some of Many Random Joys
A birthday list of friends,
To remind they are special.
A vegetable garden to tend,
Vine ripe summer tomatoes and cucumbers.
A woman to love and be my teacher,
And share the wonder of life with her.
Waking up outside camping,
With only the sounds of nature.
A creative project anticipated,
And losing myself in the task.
An intentional act of kindness,
Given with confident humility.
Slowly petting the dog or cat,
Seeing how they enjoy the moment.
Making a meal for someone I love,
And having them enjoy it with me.
Reading a good book or listening to a good tape,
And having my perspective broaden.
Being grateful for what is,
And finding miracles everywhere.
The recognition that the practice of love stretches the mind,
Just as the practice of yoga stretches the body.
The even rush of water along my body,
As I find a comfortable pace swimming.
The surprises of generous hearts,
Who reach out and touch mine.
The mature green grass with sideways cut lines,
And the new bright thin grass as fine as hair.
The earth tone colors of the wire-cut bricks,
The amazingly beautiful transformation in a bud to flower to fruit.
The rush of understanding in daily meditation,
Always there for me when I take the time.
To find my truth inside, and live knowing that in all context,
My self is a separate precious spirit to be cared for and loved.
To see with open eyes, hear with listening ear,
And give the gift of who I am.
- Brenneman T. February 13, 2002
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The Jungle of Soul
In the jungle of my soul
A snake of fear and pain slithers along the ground.
It's very motion is art. It has it's place,
In the jungle of my heart.
It is poisonous, but also beautiful.
I will not kill it. I will respect it,
And leave it alone.
It will be my friend.
There are also bright birds of joy with loud social calls,
That fly between the luscious trees ripe with fruit of love.
There are too many to count, so wonderful they are.
There are also the playful monkey's of humor and fun,
That swing effortlessly beneath the canopy,
That is fed by the light and warmth of God's sun above.
This is where I choose to spend most my time.
There are so many animals, each a feeling, an experience, or thought.
Each a part of this wonderful environment of me.
I am their universe. They are my stars.
Why would I want to live in the vacuum of outer space?
My home is here among my animals and life.
With the panther I will lead my spirit to hunt,
And with catfish I will feed my soul's hunger
To live fully and know myself.
And when I lay my body to leave this place one day,
I will bless all the jungle with my continued life and energy,
In every moment and every living thing.
>From life to life. Selah.
- Brenneman T. February 14, 2002
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Sunshine Shrine
You are a temple,
A holy place of God's presence.
You are a blessing unfolding,
Into all my senses, my spirit and mind.
Your angel's presence mingles,
A light within my sunshine shrine.
I am taught by you to cherish all truth,
Finding peace with the past, present, and future.
Learning to experience my life as it is,
Not as I would have it be,
And to be grateful for the precious gift.
I accept, and learn all is as it should be,
Because what should be is reality.
My perceptions are not always real.
They are my power and my weakness.
I choose to love, and that is what matters.
- Brenneman T. February 15, 2002
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Our Driving Can Teach Us Something
It's an easily missed perception. It's human nature.
We're good at something, like driving a car,
So we drive fast, and our timing seems great. It's fun.
We dart in and out. We only slow down at the stop sign,
Because we can already see no one's coming, and
We don't want to put unnecessary wear on the brakes.
So what's the problem? We haven't killed anyone, and we're late.
The problem is denial and self-absorption. How late is late enough to
Put other people who share the road at risk? We are an example to them.
We aren't 83 and going to the eye doctor. We aren't upset
About just losing our job, or our mother. We aren't the carefree
Teenager who forgot to put on her seat belt. We aren't a baby sleeping in the back.
We aren't all these people today, but we could be, or might have been.
we are fortunate. We are alive. We can drive. Let's treat it as a privilege.
Other people matter, and so do we. Take care, and feel good about it.
It's true. We are all drivers on one road in life. Some of us have big,
Fancy cars with onboard computers, and some of us have two of five lug nuts
Remaining on our '66 Plymouth Valiant slant six cylinder unintentional antique.
Whatever we have, we choose how we drive, and how we are to affect others.
We all hit bumps, and some of us will have head on collisions beyond our control.
Let's be caring and kind while we can. Isn't that what matters wherever we are going?
- Brenneman T. February 19, 2002
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Sour Apple
There is no cause for alarm.
The foul apple is rotting,
But you have removed it from the others,
And thrown it in the bushes. This you had to do,
Lest all go bad.
You cannot stop bad fruit from occasionally appearing.
You can try to eat it while it's fresh,
And take more time selecting the best,
But sometimes you'll just get a bad one.
That's OK. Get rid of it and learn from it. Fruit is still great!
- Brenneman T. February 20, 2002
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Fertile Ground Awaits You
The quiet mind,
Rested body,
And kind spirit,
Are open and fertile ground,
Awaiting you.
Plant your dreams.
Plant love,
And find the joy and peace,
In co-creation with God.
Watch your vision grow.
Observe the truth.
Be connected.
Thrive among the rhythmic,
Pulse of your life.
Be content.
God is loving you,
And it is so good,
To be alive to the preciousness,
Of your life.
- Brenneman T. February 22, 2002
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Wasted Worry
An invaluable lesson is this:
Your worry is simply waste.
You already know this,
But worry still.
Yes, but were you to see,
The precious hours piled together,
At the end of your life,
And the worthless pain they caused you and others,
You could stop. You would stop.
Be encouraged to change,
By imagining this lesson learned too late.
Then recognize your duty to yourself,
To fight the fear and insecurity,
That steal your life's essence.
They are not powerful,
Unless you feed them your soul's energy.
Feed faith instead. Feed love and hope,
Living fully in the true gift of this day.
- Brenneman T. February 25, 2002
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windchime
i hear your gentle chiming
in my heart
the breeze with sun is shining
to impart
sweetness of an angel's sigh
in my ear
the gift of your love comes nigh
tingling clear
Brenneman T. February 25, 2002
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No Kidding
Humor is most of life's purpose.
The serious is primarily filler.
- Brenneman T. February 26, 2002
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Body's River, Internal Air
Water is one gift of which I have plenty.
Why do I so often go thirsty?
Water is my body's river,
Carrying the essence of my life,
From fine hair to crusty heel.
Water is my body's internal air,
From which my very cells breath.
Rain to cleanse my insides.
Rain to grow the flower of my being.
I have the power to make it rain,
Beer, coke, whisky, milk, or juice.
I'll rain pure water in my body today.
- Brenneman T. February 26, 2002
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Blanket Nest
I'll play you, sweetness,
And you play me.
You build a blanket nest,
And I'll your eagle-love be!
Our own game of passion,
In our own imagined world,
Rises in reality's fashion,
With sweet fantasy twirled.
- Brenneman T. February 27, 2002
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