His Arms

I want to fall into arms that open to hold me
I want to feel them wrap around me tightly so that I feel safe
I want to hide there to escape everything
I want those arms to be home
Home is where the heart is
These arms I see in my dreams dry my tears
Im nestled in an embrace that protects me
When I'm there nothing can touch me and nothing else matters
Im there breathing him into my soul
Im there thanking God for bringing a knight to keep me safe
I'm there appreciating these arms that hold me and work so hard to provide
When I'm there my past is forgotten
I can only see forward into a future of happiness
In those arms I find the peace and joy that I've sought forever
Those arms hold me so tightly that my body remembers and I can feel it even when he lets go
I'm better in those arms
Once I'm in them I intend to never let go
When I'm wrapped tight in those arms my lips rest against his heart
I whisper to it everything I feel
Not only do these arms provide a shelter from everything in the world
He creates a little corner in his heart for me to hide
This security is something people long for
Everyone wants to see the extension of arms
Open arms display vulnerability and expose the truth
Open arms display trust and loyalty
You see as I'm wrapped in these arms mine are open and wrapped around his back
Thats where I intend to always be
Right behind him supporting him as he leads me
He leads me because he is the man I've been seeking
For that I will forever be submissive to his every want and need





  

Retreat Needed

 

Have you slowed down long enough to breathe lately? I was looking at this pic that my sister and I took last summer on Navarre Beach and I realize I haven't taken a moment to breathe lately. It’s beginning to wear on my psyche. I remember the moments that I stopped and took things in. I remember sitting in the cool grass back home looking out at the cotton fields for miles. I remember taking in the beauty and the pride I felt of being raised in the small farm community called Leesburg, MS. I remember my grandfather backing a full cotton trailer under the barn to hold until the next day because the gin had closed for the evening. I would run out to the barn in barefeet and my long gown and climb up to the very top of the trailer then free fall backwards into the warm dusty cotton. I slept there many nights staring up at the moon and making up songs. I’ve always been that wide eyed dreamer. I remember enjoying walks in barefeet down dusty roads that led into the woods. I would find bugs and leaves. I would swim in undisturbed creeks. I loved watching the clear water flow over the top of my feet wondering where it was traveling. I would sit under trees and read Tom Sawyer and daydream about his carefree gumption.  I remember as a teen I would visit the same scenes for the same experiences yet I would also visit them to cry. I’ve always searched for hidden places to release my pain. It was never enough just to cry in my room with the door closed. I needed to get as far away as possible and conceal any possibility that someone could find me. I remember taking trips to Lake Washington with my parents and walking down the delta backroads in awe at the Indian Mounds there. I visited abandoned plantation homes imagining the history and stories the walls could tell. I remember sitting in the library at school for hours looking at books that no one had ever considered reading; mostly poetry and historical reads. In high school I remember taking a spring break trip to Gatlinburg. I was walking and shopping one evening and I remember this silver dodge pull up beside me as I walked and this beautiful blue eyed boy charmed his way into a date the next night. I met him and we rode around in the mountains for hours singing “Lifes a Dance”. He held my hand and we walked along the water. He looked in my eyes and said he wished he hadn’t joined the Air Force but he had to go away. He kissed me and we said goodbye. I don’t know what we expected to happen there but it is such a beautiful memory of being young and carefree. I remember flying on spontaneous trips to visit my best friend in Austin, TX. We would simply sit on the balcony drinking beer and laughing. We would go to the gypsy festival downtown and sit on the grass having drinks and listening to music. Those moments were so carefree. I remember being on a weekend getaway alone in a quiet bed & breakfast in Vicksburg, MS. I sat in the courtyard reading and writing. I enjoyed the smell of gardenias around me. I loved how cool and crisp the fall air was. I remember not wanting to leave on Sunday morning. I miss taking those trips alone. There was no wild agenda planned just simplicity and quietness. These retreats were nourishment for the soul. So often people want to break silence. Silence feels awkward to most people. I enjoy the quiet moments where nothing needs to be said. Just breathe.

The eyes are the windows to the soul

 

What do you see when you look into my eyes?

 

I walked into a store this morning and an older Indian man stopped me as soon as I handed him my money and he said that my eyes were deep. He could tell that I had seen many sorrows in my time and that he’s never seen someone so young with eyes that held many stories like mine. I was frozen for a moment. I have never encountered anything like that before. I didn’t know what to say. I stood there for what felt like minutes but probably only a few seconds and I told him they have but I’m a spitfire. I’m not sure if he knew what that meant. I told him to have a nice day and I got into my car. I drove away looking in the mirror at my eyes. I searched for what he saw but I couldn’t see it. When I look into my own eyes I feel pain. I don’t know where the source is but it was a weary feeling. Am I truly a broken soul? Is it possible that I am a marked woman? Here I am feeling like I’m on the verge of experiencing passion and romance again in my life and standing on my own two feet as a single mother of two little boys. Is it possible that people see through my smile and laughter into my life further? I felt as naked as the day that I was born. I feel so vulnerable and exposed. I feel like there is nowhere to run and hide right now. I can suppress all the pain I’ve felt. All those stories he referred to are tucked away. I need for someone to create a little corner in their heart for me to hide and feel safe for a while. I need to not be so strong right now. I need someone to be strong for me. I’m waving the white flag and I’m saying that I do need someone. I do need to just be held and purge the tears I’ve been fighting. I need to cleanse my eyes of the secrets they are revealing. Tears cleanse the soul.