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Grace Daub Poem
Beauty
Beauty is all around me, in a million different things.
The silvery haired, wrinkled face of one that has impenetrable memories
She smiles and longs for someone, anyone to bust her out of her prison of silence.
It is in the wispy, snowy white, silk of a milkweed as it frees itself of its casing
It arrives in the sound of a beautiful well orchestrated piece of music that penetrates my soul.
In the simplicity of a simple clump of wildflowers that grows freely in the ditch.
As my dog Quincy runs freely with his friend Sawyer
the beauty of their comradery and unbridled joy is unparalleled.
It is in the kindness of those who consider the feelings of others and gently encourage.
It emerges from the generosity at Christmas and unselfish acts all around from veritable strangers.
The lake on a late November afternoon with its shades of bluish greys
And a backdrop of thick denseness but a silvery light reflecting on the water
and peeking through to show me one more surprise before covering up with its blanket of dark.
The tedious overnight work of a spider who sits in wait
in the most radiant web with drops of dew sitting carefully on a strand.
In the spirit of one who never gives up
and remains grateful even after unmentionable hardships and grief.
In the words of the poets claiming words as their own
to create the most unique ways of speaking their truth.
In the love of a couple simply holding hands as they walk.
The joy of a child’s face as he sees his favourite grandpa has come to visit.
Of course, there are the generous sunsets
and flowers of every colour that decorate my outside world
The seagulls that stand on one leg,
The geese that fly to unknown destinations at the same time every day
The elaborate sandcastle built lovingly with a dad on the beach
The nest with chirping baby birds begging furiously to fill their emptiness
made lovingly with grasses and twigs and various treasures.
The smell of beautifully roasted coffee permeating my early morning
It is a beautifully crafted piece of art that is fresh from the soul’s expression of the artist’s brush
I have learned to see the beauty all around and build a life of gratefulness
Beauty surprises and comes in simplest form
Which helps to drown the sorrow that inevitably must come to us all.
Grace Daub
December 1, 2021
Copyright © Grace Daub | Year Posted 2021
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Grace Daub Poem
Forgiven
She wore a scarlet letter on her back
Tied up with chains
That strangled and kept her from being free.
She could barely breathe…
Her guilt and shame worn like a cloak around her back.
As she tries to hold her head up high,
the weight of all her stains pushes it down.
As she sits in the back row trying to be invisible.
There is talk of forgiveness and repentance…
For one such as she?
Surely not?
The man of God spoke as if he knew her.
He told a story of a women at a well
encountering Jesus.
Could this Jesus love a filthy slave like her?
As she pondered this repentance story,
She gave her mind to possibilities.
Maybe, she would give this kind of love a chance.
She felt a love surround her,
As if a warm gentle summer breeze had lifted her
and the glorious rays of the sunniest beach day
came down upon her shoulders.
She felt the weight of the heavy burdensome chains,
drop around her feet.
She felt clean and different.
A freedom that took flight in her spirit
Reminded her of the eagle
She had seen flying high above the clouds
Giving hope…
Could one really feel this clean?
She walked out that day
Onto a new path,
that went in the opposite direction.
No longer was she wrapped in chains.
The scarlet letter wiped away.
Forgiven like the women at the well,
Her head was high as her spirit took flight
Things would never be the same!
The angels in the heavenly realm
cried tears of joy
That mixed with hers,
flowing freely down her face.
Washing away all the pain of her past
A pure white robe placed upon her…
Cleaned by the blood of the lamb.
Grace Daub January 20, 2022
Written for Repent and Believe Contest sponsored by Regina McIntosh
1 John 1:9 KJV - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Copyright © Grace Daub | Year Posted 2022
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Grace Daub Poem
Reflections of the day of my Birth
On this 58th year I reflect on what is before me and, also behind me
How did I get this far with more behind me than there is ahead of me?
So many lessons learned
How to forgive, how to let go!
To love those that love you back and let go of the rest
That the love of a very, special partner can erase all the wrongs of the past (Wayne)
To not waste my precious energy on things that do not matter
To be present and enjoy the pure joys of walking on a beach and cherishing the sand between my toes and to realize that everything has a season.
To appreciate the glory of a beautiful flower filled with colour
Or a sunset in hues of pinks and purples and orange variations
Realizing that nothing last forever on this earth
Not grief, not joy, not the love of a friend
Knowing that this is the day that you must love!
This day from start to finish…
Because tomorrow is not promised
I have learned a special kind of gratefulness and thankfulness to my creator and those created
I have learned to see the small, most simple things
Like life emerging from the crack in cement or a tree hanging from a cliff or an ant carrying twice his weight
Or the intricate beauty of a patient spider that has spun a glistening web to catch his prey
There is beauty of a life well spent or the kindness of a stranger
I have learned that everyone has a story if you care to listen
And don’t judge anyone too harshly because you have not walked in their shoes
I have learned to ask for patience and that it may not come in the way that you think
I have learned that there is a God who loves me and cares to know my name
And He can move mountains on my behalf
He gives strength when I am weary and hope when hope is lost
I have learned to expect surprises because life never falls into a tidy, controlled plan
Control is an illusion and can be filled with fear
Some days injustice overwhelms and some days, it balances on the scales
I have learned that many suffer patiently, silently and do not complain
Others are noisy and soak up all that life offers and spill out everywhere
I have learned that peace is in your mind and spirit and heart and soul
It is a choice!!
There is great joy in the laughter of children and grandchildren
I have learned it is ok to pause and be silent
Sometimes its good to blast your music so loud that all can hear
Its ok to rebel when you don’t agree and think your own thoughts
And go against the status quo
You should sing with all your being when opportunity arises
Most of all being you is all you need to be and that is good enough!!!
Grace Daub September 21, 2020
Copyright © Grace Daub | Year Posted 2020
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Grace Daub Poem
Broken Pieces
There is a rare and beautiful vessel of pottery
Moulded and shaped to an exquisite piece of work
The potter’s loving hands have taken great care
To bring it to perfection.
It is smooth and colourful with just the right amount of glaze.
When the potter was finished
he displayed it in his store
for his pleasure,
and for all to admire.
He took great joy in his creation and enjoyed its glory.
Until one fateful day…
A rather gregarious man came along
Inquiring as to its price.
The potter reluctantly agreed to sell it for an outrageous price.
As he let the lovely piece go out of his store,
He instantly knew this man was not worthy of the vessel.
He sorrowed and lamented,
wondering what had become of this fine piece.
The undeserving man brought the work of art home
At first, he displayed it and admired it
In wonder of his great fortune
to receive such a treasure.
He had an insatiable need to collect such rarities
He quickly grew bored and tired of the glorious vase
He went in search of another and then another
One day as he was moving his many acquisitions
The pottery fell, crashing to the floor
It shattered in many pieces.
The outrageous man placed it carelessly in a box.
He needed to replace it with yet another,
So, he went back to the loving potter’s shop.
He plunked the box of broken pieces in front of him
“Can you fix it?”, he said
The potter replied “no, some things cannot be fixed”
He left it in search of another.
Once the man had gone
The potter once again took each familiar piece in his hands
and like a jigsaw puzzle set his heart to repair,
What seemed impossible!
Bit by bit, piece by piece with great love,
He tenderly and painstakingly
put the pieces back together.
With great love the new piece
was even more beautiful than before!
He used a very strong glue
that would never allow it to break
in such a fashion again.
It was better,
It was stronger,
It was more resilient,
Its beauty was breathtaking to the beholder.
It was so unique.
Nothing could compare.
The potter would never allow
an unworthy man to take it again.
It was immeasurable in worth.
His love was so great for it
that he always protected it.
For you see, sometimes the potter allows
A vessel to be broken
He can and will rebuild and reshape
And fashion it to be a priceless vessel
and of such great worth!
Like a phoenix rising out of the ashes
Far greater a purpose than its beginning.
The pain of the brokenness
Forgotten by the newness of its transformation.
Grace Daub January 6, 2022
Entered in A Brian Strand Libre Vers contest by Brian Strand
Copyright © Grace Daub | Year Posted 2022
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Grace Daub Poem
Words in a Cage
For too long now my words have been locked up in a cage
The key is out of reach
They have been stuffed down
And neatly stacked
in tidy little piles
by the powers that be
Not politically correct
Not nice enough
Not polished and pretty enough
So, they are thrown in the cage with bars on every side
The rage nicely hidden inside the constraints
Rage about injustice to children in residential schools
Rage about injustices to my fellow people
Rage about abuse of any kind
Political powers that continue
to misuse and rape the ones who elect them
rage about addiction in epidemic proportion
rage about slavery past, and today in the world
Inequality
Poverty
Damn cancer
Outrageous Covid
An epidemic that is taking away all control
Diseases without a cure
Floods
Global warming
Control gone wrong
The people who leave shopping carts
in the middle of prime parking spots
These words inside this cage must find their way to freedom
Forget about the key…
They must start seeping through the cracks
Like a smoke that fills the air
And permeates the room
They must be spoken
The cage has reached capacity
The tidy stacks can hold no more
If the door will not open
It must be blown apart
Words are meant to be expressed
Chewed upon, written, and read
Spoken
Not hidden away in a cage
Grace Daub January 7, 2022
Copyright © Grace Daub | Year Posted 2022
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Grace Daub Poem
Garden Oasis
Amongst the bees and the hummingbirds, I find my peace in my garden oasis.
My thoughts become sorted, by the peaceful purpose of eliminating weeds
The enemies of my soul.
We all have our place in the harmony of this race.
The bees are doing their part.
The hummers provide a beauty that is unmatched with their fast-fluttering wings.
My purpose, to end destruction and the choking out of the beauty.
It is a race of time and space.
The weeds entangle and wrap around all that is beautiful and must be eliminated.
Control is a facade, in these beds of glory.
As I fervently yank the torturous weeds from their seemingly rightful existence
and toss them in a bucket.
They are tenacious and unrelenting.
I see glorious Clematis vines climbing higher and higher, reaching to the top with no limitation.
They spread high and wide on their trellis
Reaching as far as the heavens, without reserve.
Colours of purple and pink and scarlet are placed all around the fence
amongst their supportive greenery.
A delight to behold in harmony and balance
the strategic placement
to splash colour like an artist’s brush on the dull grey fence.
A beautiful shiny, yellow choir of angel flowers shine
as they are made to do, in all their brilliance.
The large, red petals of the hibiscus
fill the shades of green as they are being attacked and eaten by some unseen pest.
They are impossibly large and are the survivors and the thrivers of the garden.
The leaves and stems
of the beautiful daisies
So innocent and pure
A reminder of simplicity at its best
The Hosta’s and the rock garden seem to manage with very little love…
The shrubbery and perennials fulfill their mission.
Peaceful coexistence and of shining in their due time.
Their sole purpose; to give glory and feed
God’s creation!
I find my peace in all of this, on a glorious July day!
I wage my war amongst the weeds,
Finding serenity for my soul.
Connection to the one who made it all possible!
Written by Grace Daub March 11, dreaming of summer gardening
Entered in Garden Inspirations
Contest BJ Legros Kelley
Copyright © Grace Daub | Year Posted 2022
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Grace Daub Poem
Divine Appointment
Sometimes you meet,
someone that you are supposed to meet.
Walking on a path in a strange city.
A divine appointment.
Someone who needs to bare their soul,
Who needs to share a prayer!
A friend you haven’t met is waiting there for you.
Looking for answers
That only you can give.
The Master has set it all up.
The timing like an orchestra,
waiting for the maestro
to begin the first note.
The angels gather round
Ready to lend a hand.
Moments on a path,
Brings you to this divine appointment.
To sit and reflect on beauty all around,
Of glorious wildflowers and lake views sublime,
Geese all in a row with fuzzy down of new feathers,
Marvellously swimming behind their mothers,
In an orderly fashion.
How do they know how to do that?
A greeting spoken kindly to one,
whose smile shows deep beauty within,
Revealing a life of pain and suffering,
And misunderstanding…
Revealed within the lines around her eyes.
Words of encouragement,
desperately needed!
Loneliness on hold for another day!
This day is chosen from above,
To join two hearts as one!
For a moment in time,
To share experience in common,
far from judgement, seasoned with love,
Remember THIS day…
That you too could be
Sent to a divine appointment!
You’ll be on time, there is no doubt!
In the right place at the right time!
Grace Daub June 21, 2022
Copyright © Grace Daub | Year Posted 2022
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Grace Daub Poem
Election 2021
Sometimes I wonder and try to make sense of it all
Why do the corrupt get to stand and not fall?
Why does arrogance and pride continue
as the humble are stepped upon and trampled
like the dust under their pompous feet?
Wealth is squandered on meaningless things
while the hungry beg for some of their crumbs
Powers that rise remain to see another year.
Institutions meant to protect
become the very things
that destroy the innocent.
Wisdom comes with age and experience
The past sneaks in like a crack in the cement
It gets bigger and more pronounced as time goes on
Until the cavern is undeniable
You can no longer sweep dirt over it and hide it
Will justice prevail?
Will children’s lives matter?
Will the lives of those lost in an epidemic of addiction
ever be important?
Those that are poor in spirit…
Poverty of spirit is ravaged by greedy wolves
Those that can look the other way
They let the corruption caress their ears
They pretend not to hear
The cries in the streets
The cries in their newly opened graves
Yet another election and millions wasted
It will look good on paper
More wasted time… while the silver spoon
Gets passed around
The gauntlet of plenty is shared among the few
Will justice prevail?
The people have spoken once again
Will they ever really hear?
Written after the Canadian federal election in September 2021
Grace Daub September 22,2021
Copyright © Grace Daub | Year Posted 2021
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Grace Daub Poem
To Willingly Let Go
To willingly let go
Of all the things that cause you pain
The entanglements of life
The things that cause you strife
Choose to cast it at His feet
Don't pick it up
or retreat
Allow the water of His word
To wash away
The tears
The time we waste
When we hang on
The peace we forfeit
Joy we lose
Surrender to the will
of One who knows
Restoration will occur
The ocean of His love abides
Replaces all the pain
To let go
Is gain
To hang on
and keep this pain?
Give grace
To Willingly let go
Grace Conn Feb 3, 2010
Copyright © Grace Daub | Year Posted 2020
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Grace Daub Poem
Who Am I?
I was born the eldest of seven children
I had to fight to be heard and to be loved.
There was very little money for extravagant things.
This gave me the fight and power, that I would someday need.
I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a grandmother
A poet, artist, photographer, garden tender
Doggy momma, beach Lovin, long haired hippy type
Child of the 60’s
A triumphant victor of abuse
I have many flaws that have been polished
With a cloth that purifies
from the One
Who purchased me with a great price,
A God who loved
me in my mother’s womb.
I am redeemed
Well loved and heard,
never alone…
Filled with peace even when storms rage all around me,
And they do… inevitably.
I have clawed away the thought that I am never good enough.
I know that I am!
Perfectionism thrown into the sea!
I have lived and been loved,
I have sinned and been sinned upon,
I speak my truth in a simple way.
I am a good friend!
I stand up when wrongs have been committed.
I fight for injustice.
I spend my life giving away the best that I have
Sometimes not leaving enough for me
I try to forgive the great wrongs of the broken
I use these simple words to tell you
I know who I am
Its as simple as that!
I am a lover of beaches and flowers and sunsets
And beautiful poetry and canvases of colour
Always seeking out the next beauty that is often hidden
I am a broken-hearted mother for those that are lost
In addictions
I am a sister and a menopaused woman.
I love the colour red above all other colours.
I see the glass half full most days
I have been to the depths of despair but have risen like a Phoenix.
I am neither rich, nor am I poor, but have become content with what I have.
This is a glimpse of who I am!
Grace Daub January 11, 2022
Written for the “Who am I Contest” sponsored by the Unseeking Seeker
Won 4th prize
Copyright © Grace Daub | Year Posted 2022
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