People-watching
More like honoring
Waiting explicitly
For goodness
To reveal its fullness
Here we come
There we are
Dressed in jeans, shorts
And everything in-between
Some roll with smiles in the sun’s heat
Despite crawls of nearby crowds
Splashing and loud
Some sweat profusely
Seeking shade as they wander
The desert
Both young and old burst
With anticipation
Expectant souls
Chasing happy
Others, stone-cheeked
Stories unchecked
At the gate
Hiding their wounded pride
While others ride
Athletes with one crutch
Hobble
Alongside
Those moving in a groove
Groups of littles, all one color
Herded by the older, the wiser
Siblings sucking thumbs
Babies reaching for cheese
Our boys asking for ice cream
Yells, desperate to connect
Latching to avoid snatching
Screams fall down
From the rollercoaster overhead
Vibrations rattle my chest
Adults line the curbs
Claiming space
As their people race
Around
Thrill-bound
Then in the midst
Of a whole hour’s wait
I find out later
God used my boys
To hold a place
A mom with a boy
Needed to leave
The massive line
Find the restroom sign …
“We held her space, Mom”
Thank you, Lord,
For letting me know
Such kindness
Busting up blindness
Thinking of others
Besides your brother
Are moments of growth
Only to be harvested
In seasons to come
Looking up
I see
all legs
will dangle
if they can
Back and forth
Like the mama
With the bite of food for her toddler
Who can’t go slower
Not in the hour
After fuel and drink
Are we all on the brink
Of surrender
Arms high in the air
Hearts full of motion
Spilling
Beaming
Drinking the breeze
Carrying the tunes
Of the sweet
Marching band
Keeping a dancing rhythm
With their hands
Moments of perseverance
Mother’s arms outstretched
Moving the double kid holder
Up the hill
Walking slow
But moving nonetheless
Moments of rest
The grandma from the East
Slinks into a seat
Stares at the ground
Wrapped in her own
Silence
But leaps to her feet
When her grandchildren appear
Pulling her to veer
To the next corner
Where hope stands
A tall dark-skinned man
Swaying slightly
Cradling his baby
The white of his teeth
Bears witness
To his family
And to the truth
Home is any
And all places
It is love crossing ethnicity and races
It is the goodness of His grace
Found
On the ground
Floor of humanity
Full of smiles
I hope to contribute
Get up from my seat
So the mama walking miles
Can rest her feet
Breathe in a moment
Of energy and muster
Which leads me to the sister
Who snuggled
Her shorter brother
Sharing her towel
No scowl
Mothering like a hen
She, less than ten
Learning the
Power of touch
A different girl older
Can’t forget her shirt
Inside a heart
A warning
“I tolerate you”
Her freckled nose
Soft brown eyes
Mismatched the message
A pardon
From connection
When a boy
Called across the crowd
“I like your purple hair”
She turned to her mom, coy
A warm surprise in the air
Bodies broken
Prosthetic pegs
Weakened legs
The man in the wheelchair
With a motor
Helped his group
By pulling the wagon
Full of every possession and its other
Creativity at its best
Does not arrest
In heat, hunger or fatigue
When we admit I am weak
His hands steady
His wisdom bestowed at the ready
His power ever and always universal
Never judging His earthly people
All have a fair chance
To join the happy dance
In joy He gives
This brings change in us,
Because He lives!
~~~
Thankful to have these words into the blog, out of my head. May this message bless you. Spending a day at an amusement park watching people, seeing goodness erupt everywhere … God wants us to give everyone a chance because He does.
Today on the ministry page will be this poem and the vlog that goes with it. You can find and follow me at https://Facebook.com/jdibble4Him
Do you have questions about Jesus, about faith, about finding the good in people? Feel free to start a conversation in the comments.
I look forward to hearing from you.
In Christ alone,
Julie
Faith Hope and Poetry 