Sheila says life is a joy
she has a plethora of hobbies
surrounded by family and two loving dogs
she cooks and bakes to an imaginary piper
her neighbors congregate at her party house
Janice does not understand Sheila
her life ceased to exist six years ago
when her Roy died
She crawled into the grave with him
life has no meaning for Janice
we do not have to be Sheila or Janice
but we do have to figure out life
until the day we don’t
so, let’s focus on the positive things that happen
we don’t have to ignore the negatives
We have to bury them
deep in the ground
or throw them into the river
or burn them
they do us no good
life is for the living
and dwelling on negatives is not that
so, skip to work and sing a little song
wave to strangers on the highway and wish them well
say your prayers, expressing gratitude for your triumphs
focus on the best parts of you and yours
and you will be surrounded by love and light
and you will show others how to live and find their joy
I had wandered in
~the wilderness of want,~
searching for what or who
might slaughter
my shadows of desolation,
for everywhere I turned,
silhouettes of ghastly gloom
crept up on me,
seeking to swallow my spirit
whole.
Beyond the towering pines,
I chanced to spy
a clearing of lush green grass
and thriving thickets
of woods’ roses.
I imagined their
blushing petals
against my craving skin
and their beauty
filling up my soul.
How I yearned to ~wake
within the rose wilderness.~
and to be touched by
the source of the light
which shone down
all around
and now . . .
I have abandoned
the wilderness of want!
No sinister shadows lurk here
where I’m abiding.
Peace illuminates
this place
where I breathe
sweet blossomed perfume.
Heady with hope,
I revel in reverencing
a radiance
of perfect pearlescence.
I felt murderous rage and suicidal impulses
and understood:
I’ll never be better!
I’ll just be able to pretend better.
My life will always be the second option.
I’ll never be satisfied
or happy
or at peace.
But I can find it,
make it.
I can look at the destination,
Not at the road.
And I can mold it,
Shape it.
And I felt comfort.
And for once,
I did not want to die,
just yet.
I wanted to die
with a purpose.
I always felt like I have no talent,
But what if this is my talent?
To know how to die.
I search through my mind,
but nothing feels right.
The only thing about my mind—
it's darkest at night.
No sight to see;
blindness does not prevail.
Only thing I can see
is this thing called hell.
Where is the light
that shines in me?
It's somewhere on the inside,
roaming through my body.
How do I master it,
to put a hole in the darkness
and light up the space
where there are empty particles?
To increase the brightness
beyond the depths,
to remind me
where my mind was left.
I've searched, roamed, dug down deep
Turned over so many stones...yet nothing
I could feel the NOTHING so deep
I was sure it was all I am
Like a scar that has no feeling
Yet contains all the feeling abused skin
could endure
hold and mend
My body had no more space for more
Yet....I held out...for a hope I could not name
Like a bad stumble over an unseen stone
I came into a place where she was
It wasn't eyes that saw, but deep calling to deep
No way I could approach to discover
I sat as close as I could and called her name
...........Margaret.......
"Stay away...you will get hurt"
Indeed, she was surrounded in what one would call
LIVE wires...all reaching out met with no one answering
Her sweet little calls
I spoke peace to her storm and the wires relaxed
"Nobody wants me"
I said with all I AM
"I WANT YOU"
She jumped on my lap into a full embrace
Her wires faded into my very being
I asked, "What do you desire?"
She answered in a tone that yielded to home
......YOU....YOU are all I have ever wanted
TRUTH
Written by Trudy Schrader on 07-31-2026
Note: Margaret means Pearl; Trudy means All Truth
Through shifting sands and
ticking gears,
I traced your shadow down
the years.
Past falling stars and velvet skies,
To seek the welcome of your
eyes.
I vaulted centuries of stone,
A restless traveler, worlds
alone,
Guided by a timeless spark,
A burning compass in the
dark.
For what are epochs, swift or
slow,
When all my paths are
mapped to you?
A thousand lifetimes carved
in sand,
Just for the chance to hold
your hand.
I find comfort in your arms, like the sun finds comfort in the mountains
At dawn I breathed the fresh air,
a fragile hope, a whispered prayer;
the light rose slowly across the land
and grace kept finding me.
By noon the world pressed hard and wide,
yet still a calm stirred deep inside;
a strength I felt but could not see~
and grace kept finding me.
At dusk the sky turned ember-gold,
a place where weary truths unfold;
the day exhaled its certainty~
and grace kept finding me.
And when the night grew still and long,
my heart sang a soulful song;
in darkness, too, I came to see~
that grace kept finding me.
I laid waste to sin;
for wretched soul, conquered nil.
Cursed to live in death,
where joy nor grief, had their fill;
yet through Jesus, I am free!
Poem of the day
06/04/2026
I found a little picture once
On my way to work
It caught my eye and hooked my lip
and evoked a little smirk
This colourful little doodle
Struck me as profound
Amongst the hustle-bustle crowds,
Dreary sights and sounds
The entire world trudged along
With nothing new to say
But this little bit of colour
Stood out amongst the grey
There’s an artist that I came to know
Who is wonderfully inclined
To leave scraps of magic in the world
Just for us to find
I am grateful for something my parents instilled in me
from the time I was a little boy…
how the less things in life I need to be content…
the easier it is to find my joy.
Last night, I found bliss tucked inside your embrace.
I found one thousand dreams dancing in your paradise eyes.
In the traces of your touch, I found music.
And even after you were gone,
I found memories of your kisses
whispering lullabies in my ear.
Finding you,
discovering your beauty,
realizing your truth . . .
I found Love.
From the pier I found happiness in a sudden wave
this tangerine stone had a talismanic quality to it that greeted me
there was nothing super special about it on presentation
yet the minute I saw it, I felt a sacred kinship to it
this was not a gemstone, polished and primped for a showroom
This beauty was discovered by me, in my country realm
amid other stones in a hidden brook that makes tiny bubbles
I did not realize she was an amber until I had a rock hound take a peek
you have found yourself a piece of unblemished, virgin amber, he told me
He offered me money for it.
We had already bonded.
It would have been easier to sell my children.
She speaks to me, I am keeping her, I told him.
He nodded, understanding, which I knew he would.
minus the wrong words
it's simple to find what's right
if you work backward
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