Tag: freestyle poetry

Poetry

a poem on normalcy

by Laurel LuehmannLeave a Comment on a poem on normalcy

Hello, friends!✨

I wrote a poem earlier this month that I thought I’d share here. It’s a reminder I need often! What a gift it is to walk with a sovereign God through “ordinary” days.

may I not, O Lord,

despise these hidden days…

the years stretched long with normalcy,

the months framed by the mundane.

may I never, sore impatient, kick aside

the purpose You’ve disguised in disillusion,

or rush ahead of shabby Providence.

pull me ever closer, Love,

till my racing heartbeat slows

to match the steady, loving pulse of the Divine.

Poetry

spring’s gift – a poem

by Laurel LuehmannLeave a Comment on spring’s gift – a poem
spring’s gift – a poem

Hello, friends!

It’s spring in my corner of the world…on the ridges and in my soul. Here’s a new poem to commemorate these days.

the world is coming alive again,

and so

am

I…

spring is yawning green,

pushing its delicate fingers through the loam

that knew death with such intimacy…

but it breathes again,

racing to meet a cloud-studded sky

at the horizon to dance a jig

where death has died.

words flow, inky black

yet so alive

from my pen.

funny how, in the months where

the world stretched barren,

my pen was barren, too…

and now,

as the fields are wooing my heart,

my fingertips spring to life with the words

I fought to snare all winter.

a gift, a gift,

it’s all a gift…

the chorus echoes through my mind

and thunders through my ribcage.

all these God-formed hands can do is

plant,

water,

weed,

gather the increase that comes

from the heart of God and never

from my own sweating brow.

fear melts with the last of the snowdrifts, and

I poke warming fingers into the grasp

of an Almighty hand…

grateful,

eager,

in love.

P.S. I had to revamp my newsletter because I was running into some issues with my hosting site…so if you were subscribed to receive my newsletters, you’ll have to re-subscribe here if you’d like to continue receiving them!

(And, hey…if you weren’t subscribed in the first place, now’s your chance. ;))

Poetry

topsy-turvy year – a poem

by Laurel Luehmann5 Comments on topsy-turvy year – a poem
topsy-turvy year – a poem

Hello, friends!

I shared this poem on Instagram last month and still really appreciate it…so I thought I’d share it here, too.:) I hope you enjoy!

at the end of this topsy-turvy year, I find myself

crumpled, wrapping the pages of truth around my shaking body as

I brace myself for

one more disappointment,

one more slaughtered dream,

one more “no, not yet…”

and I’m afraid.

I’m afraid of crumbling

beneath the weight of all that’s missing.

why, God?

I know the words are foolish, but

I voice them with Habbakkuk,

sobbing at the feet of Christ as

I wait for His answer,

for I know that He is

good,

never late,

ever-seeing.

He has not forgotten me and my bruised heart.

I am only blinded…

blinded to the mercy of this day,

blinded to the wisdom of this way.

oh, my Lover, open my eyes so that I may see

the beauty You’ve unfurled before me!

bandage this heart and carry it along,

filling it with the strength to

love the unloved,

bind up the wounded,

carry the weary

just as You have done for me, for

even when this heart is broken, it is still

the hands and feet of Christ.

even if I’m limping, You still want my all.

oh, give me strength for today

just as You hold out bright hope for tomorrow.

Poetry

walk with me – a poem

by Laurel Luehmann2 Comments on walk with me – a poem
walk with me – a poem

Hello, friends!

I wrote this poem after reading Psalm 103, specifically verse 14. I guess this is my shoutout across the centuries to David.:)

walk with me, Father, for

I don’t know well this road I’m on.

You alone know how many times I’ve begged

for deportation,

for transplant,

for rescue…from what?

a rescue from Your will?

You know my frame, my Builder.

You know that this atmosphere

should have crushed me long ago…and yet…

Your breath in my gasping lungs is

the only oxygen I need to survive

in this world that’s so foreign to

this blood-washed soul…

so I plead,

not for rescue,

nor for transplant,

nor for deportation, but for

more of You within me.

melt my inward dross with Your holy flame,

and weld this identity to Your name until

I know

I am nothing without You,

and all that I need is within You.

Poetry

Three-Year-Old Poem

by Laurel Luehmann4 Comments on Three-Year-Old Poem
Three-Year-Old Poem

First of all, the photo has absolutely nothing to do with this poem. But who doesn’t like knotholes on old doors?:)

As the title says, I wrote this poem three years ago this spring. At the time, it was my pride and joy. While I can now see many of its flaws, it still holds a special place in my heart. One of the reasons I love it is because it points me back to simple truth. I hope it can be a blessing to you, as well.

I don’t understand.

I don’t.

There are times, Lord,

When I,

The pen in Your hand,

Long to

Spring from Your mighty

All-knowing

Grasp, with a cry of,

“No, no!

That isn’t the way!

Here!

Let me show You how!”

But that

Is as silly as a toddler

Grasping

The brush of a masterful artist.

A clock

Does no good without clockwork

And so

I do no good without You.

With no

Master I lie here, my ink pouring

Out

A miserable, meaningless

Blot.

But in Your loving hand

My life

Is a song – a beautiful witness

To You.

So here – take my tears, though many

There be

And do what You will with them.

And here –

Take my years, though few they may

Be

And use them to glorify

You.

Poetry

In Love – a Poem

by Laurel Luehmann3 Comments on In Love – a Poem
In Love – a Poem

Happy Monday, all!

Please know that this story – this incredible love – is absolutely real, and extended to you. God loves you more than you can fathom.:)

How He can think

I’m

Lovely

Is a

Mystery to me.

That He would

Choose

This

Wobbly soul

To fight for

Him and

His

Seems like an act of…

What?

He knows I’m not

Enough.

He knows that I’m not

Strong.

He knows the

Winds

That pound this

Heart

Near steal its beat

Some days

And yet

He chooses me.

Seems like an act of…

What?

He feels each

Hurt

More deeply than

My own heart

Ever will.

He weeps

When

Self-love

Steals

My heart

And yet…

He wants me still.

Clothes catching on the

Brambles

That are tearing at His

Skin

He fights

For me

And takes me as

His own.

He stays.

This is an act of…

Love.

It leaves me

Breathless

Tearful and

Completely forever

In love.

Poetry

The Pen in Your Hand – a Poem

by Laurel Luehmann1 Comment on The Pen in Your Hand – a Poem
The Pen in Your Hand – a Poem

I know… poetry ranked lowest on the poll I posted a couple of weeks ago (a huge thank you to everyone who answered that!). But my mind has felt like Jell-O recently, so I’m drawing from the reserves today.:) Hopefully my brains will be back soon, and I’ll have a little more to offer you guys!

Anyway…

This is a poem written by my fifteen-year-old self. It came into being one night when I was really struggling to accept what God was doing with a situation in my life. Now, in volatile 2020, it’s a blessing to come back to this poem again and be reminded of where God wants my heart to be.

This is one of the first freestyle poems I wrote… and though it’s not quite as fantastic as I used to think it was :), I hope it’s a blessing to you today.

I don’t understand.

I don’t.

There are times, Lord,

When I,

The pen in Your hand,

Long to

Spring from Your mighty

All-knowing

Grasp, with a cry of

“No, no!

That isn’t the way!

Here!

Let me show You how!”

But that

Is as silly as a ditch-digger

Grasping

The brush of a masterful artist.

A clock

Does no good without clockwork

And so

I do no good without You.

With no

Master I lie here, my ink pouring

Out

A miserable, meaningless

Blot.

But in Your loving hand

My life

Is a song – a beautiful witness

To You.

So here – take my tears, though many

There be

And do what you will with them.

And here –

Take my years, though few they may

Be

And use them to glorify

You.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash