A Temporary Blindness

You reach into your pocket
and pull out the glasses
that are always there, always
waiting for your need

for sight.

Without them, print blurs,
a sign of age perhaps,
but also wisdom
in admitting you often need help

to see.

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About the poem and picture. 

I am in my upper fifties and truly, a set of “cheaters” is never far from my hand. I tend to lose things or lay them down so I have several sets scattered around the house, and generally a pair in my pocket.

The book is my grandmother’s bible, which was given to her by my mother in 1965. It once sat on her bedside table, and now sits on mine, close to hand.

About these Lenten Poems

My friend Cathy Benson is on to something. Instead of doing without for Lent, she is doing MORE with a prayer project that is thoughtful and caring.

Giving up something for Lent is a church tradition, not a biblical command. It was designed to get our minds and hearts right as we approach the holy week and Easter. It’s a good spiritual discipline.

But I think a spiritual discipline of doing something more is also a powerful way to prepare our hearts for Easter. The Methodists, through their “Rethink Church” initiative have come up with a photographic way to do this (see below). I am going to add a poem with each image for the lent season to help prepare myself. Feel free to glom on to the idea, visit to blog and read, share your thoughts and your prayers.

If you want to read all the Lenten Poems, go to the “lent” category on the right, and it will list them for you.