(image by Dung Tran, on Pixabay, modified)
The Change of Seasons
For one brief spell, I thought that spring had come.
The earth was soft, and maple tips were red,
Sweet air that I could taste upon my tongue.
And digging ‘neath wet leaves where tender shoots were seen
On sodden bank, through frost-brown grass,
More peeping tips of green.
But all too soon, a chill wind turns my fingers numb, a somber sky
Spits snow upon my upturned face.
For one brief spell, I thought that spring had come.
*
Follow the Gleam
As we search this world of darkness,
How we long to glimpse the light,
Seeking for escape and haven,
From what seems an endless night.
Fumbling, groping through the shadows,
Yearning ever for the stray
Shaft of timid, tenuous sunlight
That precedes the dawn of day.
Yet, perhaps instead of praying
For some faint, elusive spark,
We should soul-search for the true light
Here within the stifling dark.
“Light of the World,” our Savior,
Ever present, radiant, bright,
Iridescent on our pathway
whether day, or deepest night.
Let us each just be a candle,
Such a simple thing to do,
This illuminates His footsteps,
And we find each other, too!
As we turn our eyes upon Him,
Not alone now, for we know,
Every soul who kneels to worship
Is another candle-glow.
(March 20, 2019)
*
Looking Toward Tomorrow
"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12)
When we strive to turn our lives around
In search of better things,
Past errors tend to haunt us,
Their looming presence brings
Dark shadows on attempts to change,
Live a future that we crave,
Halt wrestling with unchangeables,
Consign them to the grave.
This burden of guilt we carry
Has tainted our days far too long,
If we’ve gone to the Lord with our story,
Done our best to reverse any wrong,
And when we’ve shed this “Cloak of Doom,”
Leaned hard on faith to see
A path that’s clear, we can move on,
Make life what it can be!
Ada Anne Ohnezeit, born in 1925, is a lifelong resident of Western Pennsylvania, and
has been reading and writing poetry since her youth. Throughout her life, Ada has written many short, humorous verses for friends and family and longer compositions about life, death, family, faith, nature, and holidays. These works have been enjoyed only by loved ones of all ages and the church community as she has never submitted her work for publication until now in her 99th year. Ada has recently filmed two volumes of her poetry
for her church and has been traveling to other local churches to read. She is currently writing and revising work to prepare for a third. Ada’s recorded works can be found in
the YouTube playlist “The Poetry of Ada A. Ohnezeit”: Link to playlist:
March 2024 issue