My Ballerina

 

My Ballerina

When I was just a little girl

With saucy curls and licorice dreams,

I got a gift one Christmas

Of a tiny music box.

 

Whenever I was sad

Or thought I had no friend,

I could wind it up and lift the lid

To see the ballerina dance.

 

I don't know why I saved it

All through these many years,

As I left my childhood far behind

And moved from place to place.

 

But I found the box last week

On a dusty attic shelf,

The cover was all faded,

The key was hard to turn.

 

I lifted up the lid to find

My friend, like me, had aged.

Her skirt, no longer crisp,

Had changed from pink to white.

 

Her little face was streaked and cracked,

But when she heard that tinny tune,

I found she hadn't changed at all,

And my ballerina danced!

Summer Romance

 

Summer Romance

 

At summer’s dawn I see the sun arise,

To warm the earth and kiss her dampened plane,

With yawning rays that tease and linger there,

And promise tender love to gain their end.

 

The earth aroused, responds to the sun’s heat,

And gives her swain the richness of her soul.

She buds and blooms in trusting innocence,

Within his flaming arms matures,

And bursts to shameless fruitfulness.

 

When comely face begins to fade with age,

The first blush gone, her lushness brown and spent,

The fiery cad, with faithless disregard,

Abandons her to wither and to die,

And wanders far to feed his greedy eye

Upon some other budding summer land.

Three Wishes

 

Three Wishes

If I could give you three things
For me to ease your pain,
I'd give them, oh so gladly
To see you smile again.

I'd wish for rainbows in your sky
           A pastel ray of hope
           Across the heavenly blue of health
           That every day would be.

I'd wish for music in the air
           To lift your soul on high,
           The melody would be of joy
           And bring the sunshine in.

I'd wish for love to fill your life,
           Your cup would overflow,
           And spread the sweetness all around
           To everyone you meet.

Yes, all these things I'd wish for you,
If it was in my power,
But all I have I bring you now,
I'm here and I'm your friend.

A Penny's Worth

 

A Penny’s Worth

 

A penny for your thoughts, my friend,

A nickel for your heart,

 But I can't take the ache away

Or bring him back to you.

 

My image in the mirror smiles back at me

And glues the front in place,

For no one in the world must know

We've crumbled down inside.

 

“Be brave and keep your chin up,”

I tell that empty face

Don't worry about tomorrow,

For it may never come.

 

The important thing is, freeze that grin

And just get through today,

When you return and light the light,

I'll be waiting here for you.

 

I'm the only one who feels your pain,

Who understands and shares your tears

And knows your tender heart,

         Or cares a penny 's worth.

Goodnight World

GOODNIGHT WORLD 

Mommy calls me to come in the house, 

I hide and try to be quiet as a mouse. 

I don’t want to stop my play, 

I want to stay outside all day. 

 

I just love the green, green grass, 

To lay out flat upon my back 

And look up into the soft, blue sky 

Where clouds form shapes as they pass by. 

 

I love to swing and zoom down my slide, 

I don’t want to go inside! 

But Mommy says it’s dinnertime, 

Daddy’s home and says to mind 

What Mommy tells me and be good. 

 

He says to wash my hands and eat my food. 

Then it’s time to have my bath, 

I get my bubbles, duck and boat   

Lay on my back and try to float. 

 

Mommy helps me with my jammies, 

Then Daddy takes me in his arms 

And walks around the house with me. 

Of all the day, this time is best 

To say goodnight before I rest. 

 

Goodnight grass and blue, blue sky, 

Goodnight clouds and shapes passing by, 

Goodnight swing and slide and yard, 

Goodnight friends and bees and trees, 

Goodnight sun and moon and stars, 

Goodnight God and all the earth. 

 

Tomorrow is another day 

That I can swing and slide and play.  

~ Judee Stapp

God's Tree of Hope

 

God’s Tree of Hope  

 

I think that if I else could be

I would be a faithful tree.

That doesn't lean and doesn't sway

While reaching knobby arms to pray

A tree that doesn’t question why

And won’t let go and just won’t die

Obedient to God’s call each day

To stand up strong and show the way

 

A tree that gnarled and twisted grows

Surviving life’s rain and storms and woes

Season after season, unyielding and robust

Quiet striving, blessed with quiet trust

 

A tree that clings to slippery slope

And reaches up to God with hope

A symbol of faith in things unseen

And just what God’s promise means

 

When I thought I couldn’t stand

God held my branches in His hand

So that If I by single root could hold

Would inspire others to be as bold

 

We all can cling fast to God’s Word

 With confidence in our Savior Lord

To live life with joy and not just cope

And season all we do with hope

 

Judee Stapp

May 11, 2013

 

 

TREASURES OF THE HEART

 

Before I was a mother

I thought I knew

myself and who I was.

I took long baths,

I finished sentences,

books and thoughts.

 

Then God sent children to me,

Two at birth and one at five,

And through loving them

I came to know

myself and who I was.

 

I was encourager, teacher,

nurse and more important

than any other.

I was myself,

I was their mother.

 

With dreams for them

Of all that they would be,

I shared their childish world

and watched them run

On chubby legs with happy shouts,

I had more joy than any other

I was myself,

I was their mother.

 

Time went by

My children grew

Away sometimes

Yet we were close,

And bit by bit as I stepped back

They became themselves.

 

I tried to gracefully support

With love and dreams and prayers

Their flight upon the sea of life

As I was left with memories

for myself,

Their loving mother.

Now on their own they rush to meet

Their dreams becoming real,

I stay behind and struggle

to remember

Myself before I was

their mother.

 

I can’t go back,

I don’t remember

Life without their smiles.

Was I ever someone else

Before I was their mother?

 

I decide there is no higher calling

Or more important part

Than being  just myself,

A mother to these

“Treasures of my heart”.

 

 

Judee Stapp ~ May 5, 2007