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. 

To my husband on our 49th Valentine's Day by Cheryl Merrick

You are my safe                     shelter from storms

 You are the quiet peace            of a desert landscape

You are the sun breaking               through the clouds

You're the comforting warmth                 of a fire on a rainy day

You are the dependability of               waves returning to the shore

You are the routines which                 provide structure to my life

You are "the listening ear" and the     "caring" heart which supports me

You are the sunshine of hope when my parade has been rained upon

You are the one who knows me better than anyone else and still loves me

You are "the listening ear" and the "caring" heart which supports me

You are the financial manager who makes sure the bills are paid

You are the person who makes sure the little details get done

You are the "Jack-of-all-trades" who keeps our home repaired

You are my best admirer and most enthusiastic cheerleader

You are the "voice of reason" keeping me tethered to reality

You are the implementer who makes my dreams come true

You are my associate in championing the true and good

You are the supplier of the qualities and skills that I lack

You are the "rocks" which fill the "holes" in my head

You are the rock which anchors me in the present

You are my "patron" supporting me as I create

You are the assurance which quiets my fears

You are the one I've chosen above all others

You are my advisor who keeps me balanced

You are my partner and best friend

You are my love and 

I am yours

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. 

Carrying Capacity

by Cheryl Merrick
After five days in a small trailer
with no laundry or dishes to do,
or house to clean, 
I relax.

Though glad to be home again,
I'm suddenly overwhelmed.
There is so much to do! 
Must I do everything?
Can I remain relaxed?
No, my headache, tight neck, 
aching jaw, and upset stomach 
declare I can't!

First Couple Vacation

by Cheryl Merrick
Apprehensive about leaving
the security of home,
but eager for new sights,
we begin down the road.

Enjoying quiet talks as we ramble
through cactus filled desert, 
we spend five days together,
but never one moment alone.

With our trailer growing ever smaller,
we share adventures,
till finally,
we are home safe again. 

Why Did We Need to Move?

by Cheryl Merrick
For clean dry air to breathe
For a warmer winter
For not needing to shovel snow
For not worrying about slipping on ice
For not being snowed in during the winter
For sunshine and clear skies
For a newer, fresher, one floor home
For great cooling and insulation
For not having a floor which out-gassed or mold in the walls
For being able to paint our walls beautiful colors
For the kitchen we always wanted with pull out shelves
For good kitchen and home lighting
For a large pantry and laundry room
For a large master suite with an ample walk in closet
For a Great Room with high ceilings

Impressed

by Cheryl Merrick

When we met at college
I noted as you unselfishly
enabled the women on your co-ed
volleyball team to score.
You stood out from the other men 
who grabbed and pushed
as they sought to show off
their prowess.

I watched when you shared your car and skills
by giving people rides to the city
and by teaching a genealogy class.
So when you asked me out,
I enthusiastically said, "Yes!"

Two Men Facing Death

by Cheryl Merrick

Knowing the end is near,
one man sits blankly in his chair,
his eyes looking hopelessly
out into nothingness.

His wife withdraws
consumed by fears
of soon becoming
"just a widow".

As the other man's friends and family
gather to say goodbye,
his eyes twinkle
as he lovingly shares
these last moments of his life.

Retired One Year

by Cheryl Merrick

Seeing retired people
as people who spend
their entire day playing golf,
or wandering the world,
I'm surprised that after
 our first year of retirement,
we remain clubless
 and travelless.

It is wonderful to finally retire
from the constant strain
 of earning a living
and raising children.

Needing Each Other

by Cheryl Merrick

He needs predictability
I need opportunity

He needs order
I need flexibility

He needs routine
I need variety

He needs time to work
I need time to think

He needs a plan
I need follow through

He needs my enthusiasm
I need his calmness

We both need each other

The Road

by Cheryl Merrick

Those on the road
rush home each evening
to waste their time,
either sitting mesmerized in front of their TV,
 or flitting from post to post,
caught like moths in their computer's glow.

Each morning they arise and begin another day
stuffed with fast food, rush hours, throbbing music,
appointments, lessons,  work, and shopping
till their closets bulge with unneeded things,
their heads spin and their eyes glaze.

The Island

by Cheryl Merrick

The couple stands on an ever dwindling island,
having removed their protecting wall of love and service,
they allow the constant waves of
selfishness, greed, and superficiality
to slowly erode their marriage.

For Us

by Cheryl Merrick

He shops, cleans, does laundry,
and pays bills "for us".
Allowing me the quiet time
I need to study and think,
 so I can write "for us".

The Perfectionist Wife

by Cheryl Merrick

Filled with anxious concerns
each day I queried,
"Have you read the scriptures?
"Did you pray today?"
My husband's terse, annoyed reply of, "No",
Escalated my fears.
"Would we be a forever family?"
My attempts at subtle encouragement
failing miserably,
I anguished over my husbands "failings".
Sure that our children would be corrupted
by their father's deficient example,
I despaired.

Trying on Hats

by Cheryl Merrick

My first was a princess crown,
glittering in the glow of indulgent parents,
shining new as I was the first child and grandchild.

I felt I could have been happy with my crown forever,
but one day my crown disappeared.
In its place was a modest dutiful daughter bonnet,
complete with two lists of detailed expectations;
  one from mom and the other from dad.
This hat became increasingly tight and restrictive,
and eventually fell apart due to stress.

Will I?

by Cheryl Merrick

Will I go back to my old ways,
merely responding,
losing my balance once again
my priority center life
fading into a dim memory?

Or will I lovingly lead and help him to
soften his critical replies,
relating to people with support and love?

Loved At Last

by Cheryl Merrick

You say you love me
as I am,
but you urge me to do
what I cannot.

Desiring to be loved,
I push beyond my endurance,
and failing to meet your expectations,
I despair.

Frustrated in my efforts to earn love,
I become resentful,
plummeting into depression.
as my strength fails.

Finally, healing comes,
both to my body,
and to my heart.
With acceptance of I who am,
I feel
Loved, at last.

Impressing

by Cheryl Merrick

Who am I trying to impress
when I recklessly declare
“I can do it!”,
or proudly tout my accomplishes
at the end of the day.

Just wanting me to be happy,
My husband isn’t impressed.
In fact he is disappointed
to once again come home to
a wife who is tired, stressed, and grouchy
after a day of pushing herself.