Being an Hilarious Giver

My autistic son Brock likes to go to a small lake not far from our house and feed the ducks. So this afternoon we grabbed a sack of old hot dog buns and head to the park. Ducks must have good eyes because when we get out of the truck they start swimming toward the shore. They are always anxious to see Brock and enjoy the stale fare he has brought them. We walk to the shore. I hand Brock the buns and he breaks them apart and tosses the pieces in the water and the ducks scurry to retrieve them. Today Brock is in a giggly mood. With each piece he throws he lets out a chuckle. How many times do we laugh when we give something away? But today I got a gentle reminder that God loves a hilarious giver.

Laid Out in a Straight Row

Brock and I just got back from a walk in the cemetery. I noted that the graves were all lined up in a straight row. Maybe that is why the heart monitor shows a straight line when a heart stops beating. It occurs to me that I am destined to lain out, flat and still, in a straight row. That is death. Some people suggest we live that way. And some folks do. But since I will have forever to lay flat and still in a straight row I prefer to live with a few zigs and zags and curves and swirls. I choose to do a few things contrary to the norm and explore things out of the ordinary. I want to take a few risks and sometimes just land wherever the wind takes me. I might die sideways or upside down. But so what? There will be someone there to pick me up and lay me out in a straight row.

What is Love

What is Love?

                                                                   Brent Cloyd 2015

Love is a kiss

            A prelude to the dreams we hum
            A postlude of what has become

Love is a wine

            Intoxicating heart and soul
            Over the mind it gains control            

Love is a song

            A melody to remember
            Forever a burning ember

Love is a light

            Dispelling darkness in the night
            Keeping hope of morning in sight

Love is an ointment

            Soothing discomfort through the years
            Healing our wounds, calming our fears

 Love is a nourishment

            A meal giving comfort and strength
            Encouragement for the day’s length

Love is a refreshment

            An oasis along the way
            A cool drink at the end of day

Love is a Faith

            Bearing hope in the worst of times
            Always waiting to hear the chimes

Love is a Jewell

            A dangling necklace of fine gold
            Staying the same as it gets old

 Love is a perfume

            A fragrance seeking our favor
            An aroma we can savor

 Love is a curtain

            Protecting our secrets and pride
            A shadow where we can confide
 
Love is a banquet
            An emotion to celebrate
            A good reason to Decorate

 Love is a banner

            Appreciating our worth
            Expressing our value on earth

Love is a flower
            A lily growing from the pond
            Beauty that expresses our bond
          
Love is a voice
            A call to the places we roam
            An invitation to come home 

Love is a guardian

            Protecting us from things that spoil
            Watching over the fruits of our toil

 Love is a rock

            In whose cleft we obtain refuge
            Granting us strength for battles huge             

Love is a covering

            A quilt hand pieced with perfection
            Stitched with peace, hope, and affection         

Love is a garden

            A soil where our lives can take root
            A fertile place producing fruit         

Love is a spice

            Amending the ordinary
            Bringing taste to the contrary

Love is a tree

            A gentle breeze providing shade
            A place for the stories we’ve made
      

Love is a seal

            A room that captures and confines
            A lock that holds us and refines

 Love is a comfort

            A shelter from the wind and cold
            A blanket when sick and old