life amidst the rhymes

7/23/2019 Life Amidst the Rhymes

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A Collection of Poetry and Short Stories

Monika Hardy

Life Amidst the Rhymes


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Dedicated to

Family and friends, near and far.


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Foreword

Based on memories of life and all the wonderful times with

friends and family throughout the years.

May it bring you joy!


4/20

Life Amidst the Rhymes

Who knoweth.

Shall I hit it on the noseth

Seest thou thyself betwixt the lines

Or dost thou seest another amidst the rhymes

Fermented memories becometh quite sweet

Blessed am I when thou washeth my feet

Yet sadness prevaileth on thought of another

I will miss you my dear sweet little brother

Solace in laughter and hugs from grandchildren

Each one so different yet such precious kin

Mom, Nieces, Nephews, Uncles, Cousins and Aunts

Whether ye be In-Laws or Out-Laws, you make my heart dance

The summer heat remindeth me of summers gone by

Castles in the sand, and baby oil...WHY

Summers swimming at the lake, jumping off the pier

How sweet it was to have my boys near

Rocks in pockets, round and round in the dryer they pound

Time marches onward, leaves fall to the ground

One day they are here, the next they are gone

Living their own life, and facing the dawn


5/20

A family are we as God has ordained

Some of us miles apart yet He has ingrained

A love of family for both far and near

Thinkest thou of me fondly, as I do of you all my dears

Monika Hard


6/20

The Six Little Tomatoes

Once there were five, now there are six little tomatoes

One day they all got squished, how not a one knows

Into a bottle together they went, cup by cup

A few spices and stirred, and soon became ketchup

Let us out, let us out, the tomatoes they cried

Down came the hand of the giant, the bottle he smashed

Out squirted the ketchup all over the world

Sweetness now covers the earth like a flag unfurled


7/20

El Hombre del Blanco


We love how you smile so

From ear to ear with all your might

You are such a precious sight

An Orchestra Conductor

Before the age of four

Speed Racer in your walker

As you cause such a stir

Playtime and therapy bring much progress

Now you create a toddler size o' mess


We love you so

You touched my heart when back you blew

The kisses I sent and I thought you had no clue

Of the motion and emotion sent your direction

Ah, but precious one, you shine like the sun


8/20

Consider Beauty

As I take a moment and consider the beauty before me, the business of life comes to a stand

still. Breaths become deeper and peace becomes pronounced. Deeper contemplation of the term

beauty, finds it in crisis during this Age. Plato knew that beauty was the good, the true, the

real. That each of these was equivalent to beauty.

Augustine knew the same was established in reality. Yet today we commonly sever the good

from the true and do not comprehend the power of beauty.

I find myself lacking and ask to be beautiful to You.

However, I ask amiss.

It is not physical beauty of myself You seek, as Johnathan Edwards once remarked,

but "a sweet mutual consent".

Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. As we behold the face of our Creator and come to

know Him personally, our vision of beauty, once severed from reality, now enters into the mutual

consent of goodness, truth, reality and beauty. When true beauty blossoms, it is the created,

bringing glory to the Creator.

May our days be filled with moments of sweet mutual consent with our Maker and webehold His creation.

MonikaHard


9/20

The Summer Garden

One green bean, two green beans.

Three green beans and four.

Five, six, seven green beans.

"Can I have some more?"

Of course you may!

Little fingers helped plant bean seeds within the ground.

"And now they grow on trees!"

Not trees, said I, but on sunflower stalks they wound.

It was a jungle of strawberries, green beans and flowers.

We ate some, the squirrels ate some,

And we fought the birds for what we thought was ours.

Many a day we had to water to keep the seeds wet,

If ever there was hope to have veggies on the table to set.

MonikaHard


10/20

Lightning made the peas grow tall by creating more nitrogen

If only Grandpa would allow us to have a hen,

Then there would be enough manure for the garden.

"I will build a box to hold your dirt, but we shall have no hen!"

Did I mention cucumbers? We turned them into pickles.

Little ones find them fun to eat while and fill them with giggles.

The bees they buzzed around the bright sunflowers.

Day after day we spent time outside for hours.

Sweet peas grown in a box that wind around bamboo

Who picked all the ripe pods and left none for me.... who?

"It was me you see, for I wanted too."

Omi knew dear one, just wanted to hear you.

The summer garden is now bare and the arctic cold wind blows.

Jars of apples, carrots and pears have already been enjoyed.

Plum sauce and pickles, sunflower seeds and more giggles,

Are memories that will last long after the snow falls.

To you my dear grandchildren I will always be grateful,

For your help in the Summer Garden, and to your Omi.

When one day you grow up and have a garden of your own,

Plant sunflowers, strawberries and green beans and remember me fondly.


11/20

Take Another Look

Down, down, down she stepped.

The sights she saw made her go lower.

How could this be?

How came it about?

A world without beauty brought many a doubt.

Will all around go deeper into the hole as it falls?

Must it really be so all yalls?

No, no, no she cries.

Enough is enough.

Stand strong and tall and don't give in.

Take another look at life.

Bring back the beauty, and live.

Bring back love and give.

Keep life simple, don't call it sappy.

Give of yourself and make others happy.


12/20

Lost in Thought

Lost in thought I found you today.

In wonderful memories of yesterday.

Can I come in and spend some time with you.

I pray my prayers bring you comfort too.

I like to remember the thoughts that were funny.

They stick to the ribs when laughing, like honey.

I know life keeps you busy while you are working hard.

So I will write this poem and send it your way in a card.

I hope it brings you peace and joy to read.

And brings back thoughts of when we planted seeds.

That continue to bloom and grow within your heart.

Just as you grew inside of me from the start.

Memories of times past remind me of life when it was simpler.

When we looked forward to Lake time from summer to summer.

May your memories of us be sweet as ours are of both of you.

But for heaven's sake don't cry like your momma when you read this phoo!


13/20

The Castle

Racing to ones seat was difficult at best,

when in a room full of adults.

There were legs everywhere and of course,

the occasional pole to avoid.

If it weren't for the hand holding my hand,

I would have made it to the row of chairs first.

I did remember that it was polite to let the girls

go first.

After my sisters and their dollies walked down

the row, it was finally my turn.

I like chairs.

I like to climb up into chairs.

I like to hide under chairs.

I like to swing my feet back and forth when I sit in a chair.

Sometimes I fall out of my chair.

But I don't like to sit in a chair too long.

My family was finally settled into our row of seats.

It would be awhile before I would escape from this chair.

There was a row of chairs and people in front of me.

There was a row of chairs and people behind me.

If I move quickly I could make it under the chair in front of me.

One quick jump and.....

MonikaHard


14/20

Papa's arms are very long.

Papa's hands are very strong.

Papa can pick me up off the floor with one hand!

He can put me in my chair really fast!

I love my Papa!

It's fun to smile at people and see so many things.

That man has a belt the same color as my belt!

That man has a brown belt.

It is not the same color as my belt.

I got a new belt for Christmas.

I also got a new castle for Christmas.

I like thinking about my castle.

My Grandpa made my castle.

My castle is grey.

My castle has lots of round things on top.

I broke one of the round things on my castle.

My castle has a red flag on top.

I like to play with my soldiers in my castle.

Mama, look, there is my friend!

Yes Mama, I will talk quietly.

But Mama, she does not yet know that I have a castle!

The piano started and the man up front started moving his hands.

We all stood up and started singing to the King.

Pastor Steve will soon say Amen!

Then I can tell my friend about my new castle!


15/20

The Hillbilly Mobile

My eyes were glued to the padded bench seat that had been bolted to the top of the

bed of a rusty old truck. I was to climb the step stool into the bed of the truck and buckleup.

Are there seat belts on that thing?

Yup, all aboard

The air was not as thick up near the Canadian Rockies today from the nearby fires,

but the rusty old truck managed to fill the area with a cloud of exhaust. My face covered

with the coat I brought along, helped me filter out the gas fumes, until the rusty old

Hillbilly Mobile made its way down the gravel road. With good ol huntin dog at our

feet, we slowly made our way to the highway. Now on the wide open road, our pacequickened which made me thankful that I had brought a coat and sunglasses, of course I

almost lost them in the wind.

The looks of shock and disbelief encouraged me to wave a neighborly wave to all

who ventured past. I felt as if I should be wearing a straw hat, overalls and black out a

few teeth just to give the viewers the full meal deal. As our driver slowed the sputtering

vehicle to take the turn off, I thought our tour was over and we were going to head back

to camp. However, the adventure had just begun.

Our accent on the gravel washboard of a road, winding up the side of the mountain,brought some fearful moments. Looking down the ravine was out of the question and

looking up just reminded me of how far it was to the top! If I closed my eyes I knew from

experience that those on either side of me would not be happy with my motion sickness.

Needless to say, I called upon God.

I am so thankful that I am Yours and You are mine, and if I dont make it through

this ride, please take me home quickly, and if You are open to suggestions...painlessly

too.

Breath in, breathe out, I kept reminding myself. I know I was strapped in with a

seat belt, but a lot of good that was going to do me if the old rusty truck goes rolling

down the steep ravine.

"No! Dont look down," kept running through my brain. "Why is the driver smiling?

Why is he looking back through the window, and why isnt he looking at the road?"

Alrighty, we've done made it to the top", announced our driver.


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I let out a deep sigh of relief.

Then I heard, hang on to yer hats while I turn this thing around.

Turn around? Here? There is no room to turn around, ran through my mind.

Holding my breath again, the Hillbilly Mobile slowly backed to the edge of the

ravine side of the road behind me. At least I didnt have to look at the depth of my

possible grave.

Finally the vehicle came to a stop, the gas fumes cleared, and the motor was turned

off.

The four of us, and ol huntin dog, remained still in the incredible silence atop the

huge mountain, staring at the majestic Canadian Mountain Range.

Be still my beating heart.

Waves of thankfulness flowed through me, the haze of area fires still filled the air

and blurred the view, and chocked the air, but nothing could diminish the sense of awe

that overwhelmed me. Range after range of jagged earth jutted high into the great

expanse. It just thrilled me to think about what God had created with dirt and breath, just

by speaking it into being.

Speaking of breath, I lost it a few more times coming down the windy mountain

road, but we did indeed make it back home, safe and sound, after our adventures that day

atop that mountain in the Hillbilly Mobile.


17/20

One Day Soon

She will grow out of it one day soon.

On went life a little different than planned.

Oblivious to the fact that things had not changed,

On flowed the grains of time sand.

Life flowing from beginning to end,

Trapped and a bit slower in the middle.

On went the song of life, and love on the mend.

A few bad notes played on the fiddle.

Soon the song slowed and became a theme.

Stuck in the refrain which came to a halt.

Help me I'm hurting I'd cry and I'd scream.

The repeated reply, it's your own fault.

Turns out I was sick, but who's here to hear?

Most fallen away for the times were too rough.

Not the self I once was before I fear,

But still refusing to drown in this stuff.

Up stands this soul, upon the Rock.

Though my foot slipped, He picked me up.

To Him I still listen though others may mock.

He keeps me close and fills my cup.


18/20

Still making progress slowly in His strength.

Thankfully moving onward without those essential parts.

A retelling of history will at length,

Hopefully one day bless willing hearts.

When hope becomes reality Slow Mo will live in that far away land.

But at present at the pace of a snail, too slow for those who were around me.

Why are you so slow?

Move faster was the command.

The plodding pace became the norm as none other knew she.

The frustration it brought to companions and friends made them ponder.

Could this be real or make believe?

We can only wonder.

It must be told that sorrow for self for some time went on.

Now no longer needed, for in Him I am strong.

When the time comes for this tent to be gone,

You will find me safe in His arms, all eternity long.


19/20

Curtain Call

No Theologian or scholar I be.

No one of consequence is the key.

A servant by choice yet here I am, free.

No longer locked in sin, says He.

For all the world's a stage we've heard.

Where two are gathered there is a promised third.

Truth displayed on pages of His Word.

Fly away, fly away, free like a bird.

Cry like a baby, grow to be a man and die.

Life on stage passes quickly and we ask why?

The grass withers, the flowers fade, we sigh.

The soul that loves Jesus lives forever. bye!


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Entire contents protected by U.S. Copyright 2014 Monika Hardy

All rights reserved.

All artwork and poems and short stories are the work of Monika Hardy.

No part of this e-book may be reproduced, scanned, resold, or distributed

by or through any print or electronic medium without written permission from

the author. This e-book solely for the non-commercial use of the original

authorized purchaser, subject to the terms of use under which it was purchased.

Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials.

Interior Design: Monika Hardy

Artwork: Monika Hardy

Photographs: Monika Hardy

Proofreading: Brad Hardy

Editing: Monika Hardy

All inquiries: [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

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