Walking in Strength

by Cheryl Merrick
Amid confusion,
lost in anger,
hobbled by fears,

a pure note is found.

Joined by others

a song warms my heart

filling it with hope and love.

Peace and purpose

now guide my 

carefully taken steps.

Balancing

my needs and others,

thought and action,

my soul is nourished.

Til at last, I walk in strength,

my light held high,

my errand to fulfill. 

A Frog's Advice on the Danger of the Slow Boil

by Cheryl Merrick

At first the cool water feels invigorating.
I swim and splash thoroughly enjoying it.
I enjoy the sense of freedom
to be able to do things 
that I've wanted to for so long.

Though it's a little warmer now,
I feel even better.
With my muscles relaxed, 

I get so much done!

Life is great!

Lessons to Learn

by Cheryl Merrick

Once again, I'm sitting here 

exhausted, sad, and frustrated.

My body's reserves gone,

I wonder how I can 

avoid "crashing" again.

What must I change?

What lessons do I need to learn?

Why do I push myself?

My Life as a Kitchen Implement

by Cheryl Merrick

Trying to find my place

    in the kitchen,

I tried whipping and stirring --

    pathic, and it took forever!

I tried rolling out dough --

    another dismal failure.

I wasn't too bad at making

    holes in pastry crust,

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?

Empty Bucket/ Refilling

by Cheryl Merrick

Regretfully, 
I gaze into my nearly empty bucket
realizing, 
in my eagerness to help others,
I've forgotten that buckets
must be refilled.