Long Gone

by Cheryl Merrick

In a day of growing darkness

when hearts have hardened past feeling,

Shouts of revenge,

born from frenzied minds,

shatter the peace,

as hoards waving banners

spill into the street

seeking to destroy all those

who refuse to follow

their current cause.

Now, the shouts have 

     died away to nothingness.

Now, the streets lie 

     shrouded in eery stillness.
Now, their causes fade, 

     forgotten, into oblivion. 
Now, only history remembers 

     this once great civilization
     sadly recounting the fatal flaws 

     of a people long gone.

Grateful for Weaknesses

by Cheryl Merrick

Blessed with an astounding intuitive ability
to see and foresee patterns of human behavior, 
I feel humbly grateful.

Preferring intuition over sensing
also makes me astoundingly weak
in handling the many details of life.

This weakness has brought me 
tears, frustration, embarrassment, 
and finally to my knees 
humbly begging God for His help
in coping with the small things
that others do so easily.

Humility

by Cheryl Merrick

Seeking acceptance and
Needing assurance of my worth,
I wanted others to acknowledge my wisdom
and allow me to teach them.

Finally, as I began to listen
to His promptings,
I found myself lead instead
to share my struggles and
reach out to others in need.

Now, feeling no assurance of acceptance,
I pray for the courage
to offer my love.

As I move forward in faith,
my prideful pressurings
are being softened into
tender humility.

Aging to Perfection

by Cheryl Merrick

Line by line,
injury and age,
experience and sorrow,
slowly the false pride of youth
is striped away
leaving, painfully bare, 
the spirit,
now prepared 
to be perfected.

Letting Go!

by Cheryl Merrick

I thought my husband wouldn’t want to do it.
I thought it was all my responsibility,
and feared failing in my duty if I didn’t do everything myself.
Pridefully, I thought only I could keep up our home;
that only I knew what needed to be done and how to do it.

Filled with a desire to feel competent, independent, 
in control of my life, and needed,
I despairingly compared my efforts 
with all the cumulative accomplishments of other women.