A Round for the kidlets...

Row Row Row your Boat
Across the Tiber Home
Merrily Merrily
Merrily Merrily
to the Dome in Rome

Storm over Omaha...

While being driven around town last June, by our son, "Jeeves" aka: Justin, in a Caddie he rented, we were witness to this immense storm that descended upon Omaha with a downpour and clatter! There was also a ~DOUBLE~ rainbow that stretched about 12 miles from near the Dairy Queen where we had stopped for some cones. The other end of it spread South along I-80 reaching directly out to the Holy Family Shrine! It was a spectacular summer show!

So yes, there IS a "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow...the "golden tabernacle" of Our Lord, where Jesus dwells on the prairie, between Lincoln and Omaha.

There is the Treasure of my heart's desire
The Pearl of Great Price, shining like fire!
More precious than silver and worth more than gold
The great wonder of God - awesome to behold!

susie melkus
03.06.07

My Valentine from Jesus...

I found the Sacred Heart of Jesus as I hiked along the trail...click on picture to enlarge

Following the Rainbow...

Stardust Twins Road Trip

Driving north from Thedford
across the Nebraska plain
traveling with a friend
of mine when it began to rain
we saw this rainbow on our way
to Smith Falls near Valentine
we made it to the campground
just in the nick of time
before the black of night did
fall making it hard to see
by flashlight beam we pitched
the tent my stardust twin and me
It was August of 2004 when
we made our road trip west and
I think we'll take another one
to the place I love the best
The sand hills of Nebraska
and the prairie thunderstorms
delight and thrill my heart
as I watch the changing forms
of towering tall thunderheads
and the dancing prairie grass
I only know when I'm out there
My heart is home at last.


susie melkus
02.26.07
©

By Miss Dickinson...

JUST so, Jesus raps—He does not weary—
Last at the knocker and first at the bell,
Then on divinest tiptoe standing
Might He out-spy the lady’s soul.
When He retires, chilled and weary— 5
It will be ample time for me;
Patient, upon the steps, until then—
Heart, I am knocking low at Thee!

Emily Dickinson
1830-1886

"My hair is bold like the chestnut burr;
and my eyes, like the sherry in the
glass that the guest leaves."

Emily
Dickinson



Thank You, Emily Dickinson

Emily, fair Emily
you were such a
talent, such a gift
a fragile flower blowing
alone in the wind
how do we thank one
so exquisitely creative
with words? I know…
We find you
and we read you
your heart laid bare
before the world
on paper sometimes
torn or curled at the
edges as was your
life, frayed at ends
only known in your soul
by you and by God
and we pray for you
that you keep on
inspiring us, and
wake up the young
to the beauty all
around them that is
found on a yellowed
page of a well-read
book and see the
heart and soul among
words crafted with such
tender eloquence that
make me feel you are
here with me when I
read your thoughts
and wonder if that
might be you at the
door of my heart's parlor?

Susie Melkus
02.25.07 ©

I love it when I come across a genius...

Spirit Stilled

Stilled by quiet ripples, fall
shades loose leaves with
stolen colored bubbles; risen
from the wet, stony stream.

Beautiful bugs adorn calm voids
near the shore, unaware
in God's pure web of Justice,
that few lives are reclaimed.

The low, distant canopy closes
ahead, dark in moist fragrance,
provided by God we appreciate
in sense that hides the spirit.

When grabbed by all sensual peace
will flesh lead our spirit, still
so warmly secure from thieves
revealed in the spirit sense.


[Mark Johnson, copyright 1997]

Please go to read more of Mark's poetry at the link above.

This reminds me of the "wolves in sheeps' clothing" that have made their way in to Christendom with New Age philosophies and Eastern religious thought. Dangerous doctrines of men/women lurk about ready to be "melded" into Christianity, seeking only the ruin of souls. That's why we pray to St Michael the Archangel to guard us from these false "christs" with their many tempting, feel-good practices and techniques. Don't be duped, be wise, watchful, sober, vigilant against the snares of the enemy, for he is crafty, sly, cunning and much smarter than we think. He was LUCIFER, after all, the Brightest, wisest of angels...and PRIDE sent him to his destruction. We're too presumptuous to think we won't meet the same fate if we wander down "enlightened paths" that lead not to GOD, but Hell.

susie

Eyes of Mercy - Face of Love...

All For You

Can you resist so great a Love as this
Can you keep on running away from arms
That reach out for you in your darkness
The darkness that seems to grip you in
A icy cold grasp holding you in its cage,
You're able to see the light, but too
Afraid to let go of the steely bars you've
Grown accustom to clinging to so tightly
You need not fear so great a Love as His
For He came not to condemn you, but to
Set you free from all things that bind
You to a lesser life of slavery
For He paid the ultimate price, shedding
Blood so pure, untainted by sin,poured out
For you to know within your soul, your mind
And your heart forever the Divine Mercy
Of a God, who became like you, and who loves
You with a relentless passion, unyielding
As the grave and stronger than death
The death that holds you now
And keeps you in fear and shivering in
Darkness where you've remained for so long
So let go, give up, don't hide any longer
And know that no man or woman is ever as tall
As when they fall to their knees at His feet,
To be lifted up to His breast, near His heart
Higher into the realm of purest Love, where
Only light, and warmth, and grace abound
To be held forever near that heart that beats
Only for you, only for you...all...for...you

susie melkus
02.25.07
©

Out my window this morning....

This was my view sitting here at 3:00 a.m. at the computer (yeah, I'm a morning person.) I took this w/out the flash, camera right against the window pane and I love the way it turned out! It's sepia on its own, not enhanced at all. We had a bizarre winter storm here in Omaha over the night, with rain, snow, hail,thunder and lightning. I love weird weather and there's no better place for it than Nebraska. Everything you've ever heard about the weather here is true. And now it's sunny, and melting...and now it's cloudy...but I'm confident it will be sunny or balmy tomorrow for a few minutes before the next arctic blast freezes the foam on a mug o' beer.

The Dark Night

St John of the Cross
Songs of the soul that rejoices in having reached the high state of perfection, which is union with God, by the path of spiritual negation.

1. One dark night,
fired with love's urgent longings
- ah, the sheer grace! -
I went out unseen,
my house being now all stilled.

2. In darkness, and secure,
by the secret ladder, disguised,
- ah, the sheer grace! -
in darkness and concealment,
my house being now all stilled.

3. On that glad night
in secret, for no one saw me,
nor did I look at anything
with no other light or guide
than the one that burned in my heart.

4. This guided me
more surely than the light of noon
to where he was awaiting me
- him I knew so well -
there in a place where no one appeared.

5. O guiding night!
O night more lovely than the dawn!
O night that has united
the Lover with his beloved,
transforming the beloved in her Lover.

6. Upon my flowering breast,
which I kept wholly for him alone,
there he lay sleeping,
and I caressing him
there in a breeze from the fanning cedars.

7. When the breeze blew from the turret,
as I parted his hair,
it wounded my neck
with its gentle hand,
suspending all my senses.

8. I abandoned and forgot myself,
laying my face on my Beloved;
all things ceased; I went out from myself,
leaving my cares
forgotten among the lilies.

My sketch of St. Therese...The Little Flower

Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face is the Patron Saint of this blog. She was a beautiful, and prodigious child, who grew up in a very devout home under the guidance of devoted parents. She entered the Carmel at 15 years of age and suffered extreme pain and difficulty due to tuberculosis. She died at the tender age of 24. St. Therese was without any consolations from God, no 'feeling of his nearness' for many weeks or months before her death. I can't stress enough here what a blessing her life memoirs are and suggest you read a copy of "Story of a Soul." You don't have to be Catholic to find her a true friend. The one thing about being Catholic and our love for saints is this: They aren't dead and gone. We believe they only changed locales, for isn't that what we do when we "die in Christ?" They are only across a very thin veil, praying for us and cheering us on, to make it to the finish line in this 'race' for our goal, which is Christ and His Heaven. I love being able to pray to all my Saints. They're the friends of Jesus who've paved the way for us with prayer and with their own blood as they died for the Faith. We owe them a great deal, and there's no better way to honor Jesus than to honor his friends. That goes for his Mother, too, but that's another post.

Suffice it to say, I was always told that praying is only conversation, so when I pray to a Saint, I'm not "worshiping" the saint. That goes for Mary too. Catholics don't worship them, they 'venerate them. There's a HUGE difference. I simply never knew the beauty of this "communion of saints" and it's been a joy to learn from those who actually know and to put my own fears about this "curious Catholic thing" to rest. "To die is gain" so said St. Paul. The spiritual world is not like our own, and we can't see these Saints and angels all around us, but St. John did in his Revelation. His description of a "great cloud of witnesses" wasn't just the angels around the Throne of God, it was ALL who have died in Christ, Christians. We don't then "pray to the dead" as I've heard from faulty and misguided sources, so let that misconception go, if indeed you've got it. I once did, but happily it's a faded memory now.

The 'dead' aren't in Heaven. In fact, they're more alive than we are on this earth, for they're beholding the beatific vision of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ! I'm not there yet and I don't know anyone walking on this earth who is also there in Heaven. Who then is better equipped to pray for us here? Only our friends? We're all bedraggled sinners, struggling everyday to grow in holiness, to even generate a prayer life, to muster up 5 minutes to read the bible. However, the Saints who are there WITH CHRIST in glory seem quite able and capable and worthy of our prayers, as we also ask our friends and family. I say, if we can ask each other for prayers, then why not include the WHOLE FAMILY OF GOD, here AND in his resplendent glory?

Whoops! The soapbox has been pulled out from under me and I've landed on my rear. Guess I'll get on out of here and move on to other things, other thoughts.

Please, READ about St. Therese and the rest of these precious, faithful souls. They're our Big Sisters and Brothers, they're not "idols."

A bump on a blog...

Sitting here like a bump on a blog
typing and yes, sometimes cussing
I must admit that I pray to quit
the cussing that is not blogging
at least I was wise enough not to
try to believe, that I could ever
learn how to clog
for I've not one graceful bone
my feet at times feel like stone
so here I'll sit like a bump on my blog.

susie melkus
02.25.07
©

In Dew Time...

Little Pansy

Fragile little flower,
Drooping as if the weight
Of morning's dew
Would bend her
To the ground forever,
Was released of
Her burden when
The sun rose
Higher in the sky
As Summer's golden heat
Reclaimed the crystal droplet
Into the warmth of day.
Yawning, Pansy stretched
Upward to wink at a cloud
And greeted a buzzing visitor.

susie melkus
02.22.04
©

A simple exegesis...

The Name of our Lord, Jesus
Is carried on gentle breezes
Blowing softly just to please us
The Truth it is that frees us
Blessed be the Name of Jesus

Susie Melkus
02.25.07
©

When a friend I need, she's one indeed...

A Friend Is She

I have a friend who's suffered much
Through many a long dark night
And countless days have come and gone
That for her, were far from bright
She's persevered through every trial
She has ever had to face
She is a friend who wears smile and
Welcomes all with grace
The love of God shines bright in her eyes
Though they sometimes wince in pain
Grateful am I for a friend like Peg
A bright star shining in the rain

susie melkus
02.25.07
©

A little bird shall lead them...

Sparrow At the Window

While praying yesterday,
For babies bound to die
I noticed a tiny sparrow,
Chirping as if to cry,
"Please don't kill your babies!"
While flapping frantically its wings
"Give them life! Let them live!
For they have songs to sing"
This sparrow who will only live,
A short while on this earth,
Seemed to know and seemed to pray
For these mothers to give birth
To the little babes inside them,
Whom God has called and knows by name,
This little sparrow at the window,
Chirping at the window pane
Is heard by God as we are,
And our prayers are not in vain.


Susie Melkus
02.07
©

for anyone who's had an abortion or has helped someone to get an abortion, don't despair, there is HELP and HOPE ...here

Litany of Humility...

I have posted this because it's a favorite prayer of mine. I pray it almost daily at Mass. I need to grow in this virtue most...because in humility, all the other virtues find their fecund soil and take root, growing strong and bountiful throughout our lives. ~ susie

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being honored,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being praised,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being approved,
Deliver me, O Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being despised,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged,
Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected,
Deliver me, O Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I,
provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

My "William Blake" attempt...

Sword of Truth

He didn’t come to bring peace but a sword
A sword?
A simple question pierces my mind and heart
Making me wince
I don’t like it so I ignore it
I trudge around blindly
In a false-peace fog in this world
Hurting profoundly behind a smiling mask
I sometimes think I’ve fooled myself
Into believing I’m “okay”
Then the long blade confronts me
Do I let the stinging steel cut into my diseased heart?
Or do I keep walking in pain?
I tire of these silly questions
I look at the One holding the sword
He sees right through me, to my core
I relent, sick, afraid and alone
I yeld to the sword held in the nail-scarred hand
Of the victorious warrior Prince of Peace
Prince of Peace?
This is Peace?
If this is peace, I don’t want it
I scream angrily, but it’s too late
I cease the struggle and fall limply
On the altar with no more strength to fight or stand
The surgery has begun and without anesthesia
Then amazingly in the blink of an eye
I see clearly and understand what before never made sense
The pain I’d known is but a memory
Pain was rejecting the Truth to face myself and my own sin
I know for the first time what peace is
I know what peace is not
Yes the sword of Truth cuts deep into darkened hearts
Some hearts retreat in fear from its blinding, gleaming blade
While some hearts welcome it
But every heart will have to face it just
As every knee will one day bend before this Warrior
Who has fought and defeated all powers of Hell on our behalf
I believe only divine dissection can bring
Healing and true peace
The sword isn’t wielded merely for the twisted
Pleasure of some mad, vengeful, angry God but
It’s held in the capable, loving, wounded hands of his Son
The Great Physician
The Sword of Truth cuts to reveal the
Despised, rejected, cursed One, bloodied
By my sins and iniquities and those of all the world
Aquainted with deepest sorrow to a depth unknown to man
He bore all my sins and those of the whole world
On his bloody, raw shoulders, torn by the weight of
A heavy, rough, wooden beam
For a most penetrating and profound love willing to die
for communion with sinners, in need of healing and
Longing to pour out mercy and grace to fallen hateful creatures
He continues to step and fall on a path that common criminals
Walked to meet their deaths
That same two-edged sword is pointed at every heart today
Asking with deepest love the most probing question
The same question Love asked of Peter over two thousand years ago...

Who do you say that I am?


Susie Melkus
02.25.04
©
Ash Wednesday 2004 (When the Passion of the Christ opened)
It’s not Mel Gibson people hate. It’s Truth. Ironically, it’s the pain of Truth that sets us free from our pain, if we aren’t too proud to believe. I know from being on this planet 49 years, pride hurts more than Truth does.

Windows of the soul....

Sacramental Eyes...

sacramental eyes are needed
to see Christ in the priest
who sits across from me and
hears my confession and who
then absolves me of my sins

sacramental eyes are needed
to see that the wine and bread
are no longer wine and bread
but the very body, blood, soul
and divinity of Christ

sacramental eyes see that when
all hope is gone, all hope is
only a breath away - escaping in
an urgent gasp of a prayer that
only God the Father understands.

sacramental eyes are the eyes of
faith that see hope and find love
in the most obscure places and in
the worst of trials or sufferings
because the Eyes of Christ saw first



susie melkus
02.23.07
©

The big chill...

Frozen World

Rain spattering on the sidewalk
An empty soda can rolls and clanks
Against the wet pavement,
Moved by a cold, curling finger of wind
To the other side of the street,
Where it becomes inert at the curb,
Its sporadic dance is over.
Will it now be washed away
Into the sewer if these rains don't cease?
The last of lifeless leaves, dangle precariously
From a tree made bare in preparation
To be "fitted and dressed"
By winter snows.
Its branches stark, sparse, prickly
Reaching vainly upward,
So black against a pale, gray sky
Like ebony, skeletal hands, scratching
Frantically in the air, as if
Giving up "the ghost" of life
They knew only weeks before.
When arrayed in summer's green,
They held homes built by various birds
That have since flown away,
Departing for their "vacation nests"
In balmy, tropical destinations.
Those same branches,
Bedecked in brilliant oranges and reds,
That were so gloriously resplendent
Against a crisp, brilliant blue Autumn sky
Now hold only a few brown,
Withered leaves, clinging feebly
In futile desperation
To those dark, long, black, damp fingers
As if waving a sad and lonely goodbye
To a cruel, gray world.
As a brutal, biting bone-aching chill
Begins to seep through my
Too few layers of clothes,
My heart pierced and shattered
By news I never thought I'd hear.
I shiver,
Feeling more alone and afraid than ever.
No one knows the pain that has
Stabbed my heart,
The near suffocation of shock,
Making it so laborious,
So painful to breathe.
Gasping out a forlorn prayer,
From lips long ago
Turned blue from the cold.
On this face where frozen tears
Fall silently and mingle with the rain
That my friend,
Would be the world everyday -
A perpetual "shadowlands"
Of desolation gray -
Though not nearly as lonely,
As desolate, as lifeless, as cold,
As monotone, as painful, or as chilling
As the world without...

The Eucharist.


susie melkus
02.18.07
©

Got Wine?

The Catholic Church does.... for Jesus turned water into wine at the Wedding feast at Cana. He didn't turn water into grape juice. Really...He didn't. For how can you 'get merry' on simple juice? What would constitute the "best juice" as opposed to a lesser quality....? Bread and wine. That's the way God planned it and that's the way it should be. I'm not trying to 'start an issue' here, but come on ... when was the last wedding you went to serving Welch's?

Unsung Heroes

Unsung Heroes

they're everywhere around us

doing most heroic things

like staying in a loveless marriage

when they could just "spread their wings"

maybe caring for a sick parent

or a child too ill to speak

not seeking any credit

just doing "the next thing"

not requesting recognition

or anyone's applause

they're too busy being heroes

and helping "just because"

the sports stars making millions

while playing games these days

and self-absorbed celebrities

most often steal their praise

but unsung heroes just don't care

they're too busy . . . being brave

susie melkus
07.06
©

Go where you're fed?...

Fed By the Bread of Life

I'm not fed by the music or the songs we sing
I'm not fed by the videos shown on the screen
I'm not fed by the eloquence of a homily

I'm fed at the Eucharistic offering
I'm fed by the Bread of Life broken for me
I'm fed by Jesus my Lord and King

His body, blood, soul and divinity is
True food and drink and Life for me
It's why He came and why He died
On nothing less will my soul be satisfied

Susie Melkus
10.02.05
©

Ragamuffin Memory... we miss you, Rich...

Ragamuffin Memory

He walked onto the stage
Of an Omaha church
In faded blue jeans
And an old flannel shirt
His smile lit the place as
He said "hello"
I was glad to be there
That night for the show
What I heard next
I'd been longing to find
A word of grace spoken
He was one-of-a-kind
Heaven's angels were singing
Through this one lone voice
And I knew Someone Higher
Played a part in my choice
To go hear a singer I didn't know
Yet I was glad to be there
That night for the show
As a dulcimer chimed
And the music grew loud
A holy hush filled the room
And grace touched the crowd
I knew then that this was
More than a show
And I'll always thank God
Who allowed me to go
To hear you sing
From God's heart, Rich,
And this much I know
You showed Jesus to us
And never put on a "show"

© susie melkus
08.28.99
Dedicated to the "ragamuffin memory" of Richard Wayne Mullins

For George...the quiet Beatle...

A Guitar Gently Weeping

there's a guitar gently weeping
with the news we heard today
a guitar that won't have gentle hands
holding it to play a haunting melody
with tender lyrics sung
this guitar has lost it's master
the "quiet one" is gone
but he's playing a new song
in heaven's hall tonight
and Jesus is all ears
as He listens with delight
He welcomes home this brother
who searched long and hard for God
and now has found his resting place
play on, George, play on.

susie melkus
11. 30.2001
©

It's like this...

It's...

it's the flicker of our flames

it's the sorrow of our soul

it's giving Him the reins

it's relinquishing control

it's the moon rising high

it's the gentle fall of rain

it's stars that fill the sky

it's the joy amidst the pain

it's the thunder in the distance

it's the wind howling wild

it's the flower's smile to Heaven

it's the laughter of a child

it's the antics of a my dog

it's the smell of new-mown grass

it's glowing embers of a log

it's the wine poured in my glass

it's the songs i've yet to hear

it's the books upon the shelf

it's the music in my heart

it's the dying to my self

it's the way of weary pilgrims

it's the path beyond the hill

it's the narrow gate of holiness

it's the small voice ever still.

it's the seasons as they change

it's the rivers flowing free

it's the snow across the plains

it's the mountains and the sea

it's the Life found in our Father

it's the Son who sets us free

it's the Holy Spirit's comfort

it's all His Love for you and me.

susie melkus

02-06-05

©

Be Not Afraid...

Be Not Afraid

The god d' jour may be a new car,
more money, a bigger house,
a new mate, a material-palooza of
consumerism run amok
with fleeting "things"
that in and of themselves
can never satisfy
our aching souls,
the god d' jour never waits
he's impatient and intrusive
and demands attention and your life...
from a darkened and perverted love
he lustfully leers at you and beguiles you
while the true God
the light of God is inside each of us
if we've allowed him to be born in our hearts
waits patiently for our call
for just a breath of a prayer
never imposing upon us
but yet constantly wooing our hearts
to his open arms, his fattened calf,
new and luxurious garments
he's fashioned himself and desires
to wrap around us
To kiss our prodigal faces with so many kisses
hundreds of kisses to welcome us home
and to embrace us through the long night
and into the glorious "forever day"
whispering these words in our ears
with such great love:
"Be not afraid!"

susie melkus
01.16.06
©

Dont sit under the Poetree...

"Don't sit under the Poetree
with anyone else but me
with anyone else but me
with anyone else but me

Don't sit under the Poetree
with anyone else but me"

Said the Lover of my soul to me.
Jesus, my beloved, is he.

susie melkus
02.24.07