With You

by Cheryl Merrick
With you, my love,
nothing seems impossible
as we walk with God.

Together, Change can be fun,

Challenge is an adventure,

Disappointments are only temporary,

Projects are doable,

and all things become 

opportunities for growth. 

My husband and I are at Valley of Fire in Nevada. Our first outing since I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer.

Valentine

by Cheryl Merrick
Delicate cards made from

lacy romantic hopes

slowly lose their fragileness

as years of sharing,

supporting and growing

temper our love into

something strong enough 

to withstand even the gales

of catastrophic illness

and endure forever.

Written during our 50th year of marriage after a year fighting stage 3 ovarian cancer which is now in remission. 

A New Year 2021

 by Cheryl Merrick

Many are rejoicing today

hoping that the New Year

will bring an end 

to their pandemic woes,

and that the mere turning

of a calendar page

can bring a return 

to our old "normal" life.

During this past year 

some have lost family members,

and we have all felt the longing

to be with those we love

and just give them a hug.

Time to Be Myself

by Cheryl Merrick

Over and over again,
I push myself
to meet the needs
of those around me.

Each day, the struggle
to be what I'm not
weighs on me,
til tired and grouchy,
I finally collapse 
into an exhausted heap.

The love and support
I've bestowed on family and friends
becomes just a memory
as I withdraw into myself to recharge
before my light extinguishes,

and it is only after days of healing,

that I am able to reach out again.

In Appreciation to a Special Father

by Cheryl Merrick

To a special father 

who shares with his children

his enthusiasm for life

as he leads them up

boulder strewn hills,

or takes them exploring 

the world one fun 

experiment at a time.

A father who

encourages them 

to savor both the flavors

of each dish created together,

and the sounds 

of good words read together.

How did it happen?

by Cheryl Merrick

When did I become overstressed?
How did it happen?
Was it in all the hours I held
     my colicly newborn grandson?
Was it when I moved our things 
     out into the garage,
     so we could paint our home?
Did it happen during all those summer 
     months living in our garage?

Saying Goodbye- For Now

(Death of a Parent)
by Cheryl Merrick

How can I say goodbye?
This is too soon.
I'm not ready to live
without you.
How can I go on
without your support?

You, who have unfailingly been there
loving and supporting me,
have left an emptiness in my life
where you have always been.

When I look into the mirror,
how can I not be filled with 
reminiscences of you?
How can I not see reflected 
the heritage you have given me?

Sunlight

by Cheryl Merrick

Into the cold dark corners

where despair and fear cringe,

Sunlight floods

filling my soul with hope

and surrounding me

with the joyful warmth 

of His love. 

Sacrifice

by Cheryl Merrick
Giving up something of lesser value
for something of greater value
is an expression of great wisdom
and ofttimes the offering 
of a loving heart.

Giving up something of greater value
for something of lesser value
is an exercise in stupidity 
which myopically reflects 
a self-absorbed life.

They May Never Know

by Cheryl Merrick

Thanking me, 

the widows express appreciation

for my remembering them.

I smile, 

knowing that they may never know

how much I also need their friendship

and long for the support 

of mothers and sisters.

Seeing What I Have

by Cheryl Merrick
Seeing tender love in my husband's eyes,
Feeling the warmth in friends and family's hearts,
Experiencing opportunities to love in return,
to teach, counsel, and inspire,
I feel loved.

My words of gratitude
reach upward as
His love fills
my soul.

A Woman in Winter

by Cheryl Merrick

Shut in her home,
the woman huddles
in her ever darkening room.
Cold and lonely, 
she spends her days lost in viewing 
old photo albums and scrapbooks;
memories of summer;
a time when she basked 
in the warmth of having
her husband and young children
surrounding her; needing her. 

Now it is winter,
her husband, long dead,
has left her to continue alone.
Her children, now grown and far away,
have little time to spend with her
for they are busily raising their children
and enjoying their own summer.

Soaring and Rocks

by Cheryl Merrick

Like a bird soaring
high above the ground,
I see patterns below me
and am warmed 
by the light from above.

Not built for rock moving,
I collapse in exhaustion
beside my the pitiful pile
-- my full day's work.

Having chosen the earth
where his strength is needed,
the powerful draft horse
sees my plight.

In a few hours he has
all my rocks neatly piled
where they need to be.

Satisfied with his accomplishment,
he listens to my tales
of the view from the sky. 

Wings

by Cheryl Merrick

Finding wings a hindrance
for life on the ground,
I give them up
to live with him.

Clumsily, I hobble over to the window.
I look up, pining, into the sky
longing to soar with grace again.

He comes,
presenting me tenderly
with a large white box --  
my wings!


*husband freeing me of details so I can study and write

The Binding

by Cheryl Merrick

Dragging my exhausted body along,
I force myself to do what others need;
     not what I am good at,
     not what I need.

Depressed, I continue on 
feeling my love
as a heavy chain
binding me to a life
of drudgery.

Lower and lower I sink,
my weariness growing heavier
as I allow myself 
to be bound to the rock. 


*as a dominant introverted intuitive I have little ability to handle details

Upside Down

by Cheryl Merrick
Doing what I felt
    I should;
Doing all the 
    "essential" nurturing things
I thought they needed, 
I lived my life --
    upside down

Only realizing later,
that what they remembered most 
was the time I spent with them,
listening and teaching--
right side up.

Yearning

by Cheryl Merrick
I'd rather read a book,
     than cook.
I have no desire to 
     "shop till I drop".
I haven't run an errand
     in years.
For birthdays, I bake
     poems not cakes.
I enjoy an orderly home,
     now that we have 
     few possessions.

Another Day

by Cheryl Merrick

Another day passes
     full of good things;
helping and serving.
A life lived for others.
A life lived caring for 
everyone's needs, 
but my own. 

Shining Brightly

by Cheryl Merrick

Afraid of appearing different,
I pause,
tempted to cover my light
with a politically correct basket.
I look up. 
As I do so, 
reflecting the Savior's great light,
my small light shines brightly,
its glow merging with the glow 
from myriads of others
who light the path home.

Why Wasn't I Healed?

by Cheryl Merrick
I pled for healing,
but it didn't happen.
I had children. They grew up,
and now I'm a grandmother.
Was I ever healed?

Yes, the Lord is making me whole,
but not by correcting some
defect in my body.
Instead, He is healing my soul,
by helping me understand
and accept who I am.

With this understanding,
I can set the limits I need,
avoid becoming over-stressed,
and, at last,
be healed.