Making Divine Images Visable

A poem about my sons. They were loved before they were born but not special ordered. They came as gifts from a gracious God.

I wrote a poem about Lew called “His Gifts” that included the line “all of these gifts I would gladly exchange for a whole son.” Then I had to think about what in the world THAT meant. He filled my life in so many ways. He had challenges and maybe even “deficits” but so often he was a joy to me.

This poem is my answer to that question. He was whole in his unique way.

I read a Reader’s Digest article by Henri Nouwen about his relationship with Adam, a man for whom he was a caregiver. Henri said Adam gave “peace” to his life. I threw the magazine across the room! I would not say Lew brought me “peace.” So then I started thinking how I would answer the question: What did Lew bring to my life? Maybe Henri and I were trying to say the same thing and were using different words. Here’s my answer.

Today in 2009 I found this poem prompt that I filled in six years ago, in 2003. The prompt had the first few words of every sentence. Many of the things I “wanted” I now have and YOU are part of it!

This poem attempts to explain why I wrote it and why I am writing all of these stories and poems about Lew and sending them out into the world. I want people to see him and others like him.

Someone actually asked me the question in this poem.
The question prompted the poem.

Some thoughts about the dreams I had for Lew. I guess I could say that these dreams have come true but not in the way I had imagined.

A poem imagining the moment of death.

A poem I wrote in 1971 and encouraging words for those tempted to quit.