Simply Isn't Done

by Cheryl Merrick
How can I do it?
Wives, mothers and homemakers
simply don't.

Intellectually, I know that
happy people spend their day
using their strongest abilities.

They build, bake, clean, repair,
bike, run, and 
some even create works of art or music,
but who creates ideas?

It is alright if you produce
a famous novel,
but to "just" sit for hours
thinking thoughts--
simply isn't done. 

Thirty

by Cheryl Merrick

Thirty years ago
on a cold March night
our youngest daughter
hesitatingly
joined our family.

I remember holding her.
Her beautiful dark hair
framing her face
as she blinked and
calmly looked around.

Now, so many years have past.
Years full of joys and struggles,
of sharing her life,
of watching her grow into a
lovely, competent woman
the age I was that March night;
Thirty



3/8/2010

Why?

by Cheryl Merrick

Frenzied and overwhelmed
the women bemoan their life.
There is so much to do
and so little time:
Quilts to make, errands to run,
garden to tend, food to cook,
appointments to keep,
children to run places.

Bragging of their busyness
they unequivocally declare,
“There simply isn’t enough time!”
All heads nod in agreement,
all except one.

Value of a Woman

by Cheryl Merrick

Blinded by selfishness,
the world does not see
a noble daughter of God before them.
As they myopically focus on
“What use is this person to me,”
they reduce people to mere objects.

Though they attempt to cram their life full of possessions,
they have unknowingly doomed themselves
to a lonely, soulless existence,
devoid of closeness or love.

Weaving Hearts

by Cheryl Merrick

One note at a time
Sharing experiences
Back and forth

A word of encouragement
A problem addressed
Back and forth

Concerns expressed
Understanding given
Back and forth

The shuttle goes
Weaving sisters’
Hearts Together

Sisterhood

by Cheryl Merrick

Always comparing,
the women eye each other,
till united in love,
they form a sisterhood.

Serving one another,
sharing hopes and sorrows,
age disappears,
leaving only
daughters of God

Surprise!

by Cheryl Merrick

Who would have guessed
that such a serious thinker
would have so much fun
managing a home?

Thriving on the challenge
of making all go smoothly,
expressing my creativity,
gratefully enjoying the opportunity
to nurture and study,
a new fulfillment is growing.

Preparing a Feast

by Cheryl Merrick

Like freshly baked bread,
     the book lies open 
     upon the table,
the afternoon spent
     in carefully preparing
     its ideas to share.
A few bits of food 
     are hastily added,
     and the feast is ready.    

Marching

by Cheryl Merrick

Like a call to arms
“It must be done!”
Is shouted from each front door.

Inside each busy, orderly home,
they begin their day
of caring for their superfluous possessions,
and managing their complicated schedules.

In between Age

by Cheryl Merrick

I’m at that in between age.
Though being a teen
is something I’ve not recently seen,
I am in between.

My children have grown,
and nearly all flown.
But married they’re not,
and grandchildren I have not.
So till then, 
I stay in between.

How?

by Cheryl Merrick

How can a philosopher possibly be 
a homemaker?

I don’t enjoy endless hours performing small tasks precisely,
preferring instead to spend my time pondering the scriptures.

Neither do I fold sheets, bake cakes, 
or pull unwanted plants out of the ground,
instead I savor time to write my thoughts.

A Homemaker's Roles

by Cheryl Merrick

Daughter of God
Wife
Mother
Housekeeper
Teacher
Nurse
Cook
Dietitian
Menu Planner
Secretary
Social Coordinator

Distracted

by Cheryl Merrick

“Encumbered much”
the woman busily
rushes through
her day.

Her home hectic,
she confuses
mere movement
with purposeful action,

And thus is surely led
far from the eternal course
she was seeking.

Christmas

by Cheryl Merrick

The angels proclaimed peace
and joy to the world
on the night the Savior was born.

But how far from peace is the woman
    rushing from store to store
    seeking the illusive “perfect gift”?

Christmas Questions

by Cheryl Merrick

As I attempt to do more in two weeks 
than I normally do in two months,
I begin to ask Questions

Can I really do all this?
Should I be doing it?

Peace

by Cheryl Merrick

Feeling His love,
Seeking His wisdom,
Listening to His counsel,
Following His example,

She trusts her life to
His protecting care,
and walks confidently 
into the darkness
Knowing He will guide
her home again.