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. 

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?

You Can't Take It With You

by Cheryl Merrick

Nobly, wearing their suffering
like a metal pinned on their shirt,
They rush here and there,
stressed, tired, and cheerless,
Doing the things that “need” to be done.

With no time for thought or planning,
They scurry around finding
No time to build relationships,
not even with the Lord,
No time to nurture themselves or others,
No time to notice the many gifts
they have been given,
or even any time to enjoy life at all.
Obsessed with “shoulds”
They dash and run, muttering,
like the poor white rabbit
from Alice in Wonderland,
“I’m late! I’m late!”

As day after day is consumed in
amassing and caring for things,
and constant but purposeless movement,
They completely forget that
You Can’t Take It With You.

Work!

by Cheryl Merrick

What I do well and choose to do
is WORK.
It is necessary toil
and MUST be done.
It is essential activity
that contributes to
the well-being of society.
It is what all
SHOULD be doing.

Many Voices

by Cheryl Merrick

Cheery calls
announce their busyness
as they bustle past one another.

Martyred sighs
proclaim
their myriad responsibilities.

Modulated tones
innumerate
all the tasks to be done that day.

Marshaling shouts
rally troops
to get the job done.

And Appreciative voices
raise in praise
of those who’ve helped work.

Boxes

by Cheryl Merrick

Hunting through his boxes
     of prepackaged solutions,
he seeks an answer to his problem,

But if one isn’t found,
     he definitively declares
     “It can’t be solved!”

Taking the challenge, another,
     with goal and parameters
     clearly in mind,
rummages through
     assorted piles of resources.

In time,
a  new solution
is created
and carefully
     boxed.