Sapling seed

Oh sapling who thinks themselves a tree
Do not deceive yourself any longer
Just because you are no longer a seed 
Know you must still grow stronger 

Yes, you now have roots 
But if you try, you can spread them so much further
You're starting to show your fruits
But you must find who your fruits are meant for

It is one of our greatest follies, to think our growing can be one day be done 
So grow, grow little sapling. Beyond even the tree you were meant to become.

***

Another shared poetry challenge with my good friend seashine.footsteps on Instagram, on the theme "growing strong" (I'll link to their interpretation once they have it up)

For Tom and Emily

Marriage isn't just the celebrations, it's the moments in between
The gaps between the breaths, the things you truly mean
The uptime and the downtime, all of it together
Standing tall in sunshine and in rainy weather

And, in a way I can only say to a housemate and companion of many years
(and maybe future junctures, where lucky chance appears)
I want to say thank you Tom, for being a good friend
We managed to stand together when the world seemed about to end

Memories don't disappear, even if they slightly fade
Watching sports and eating haggis were fun ones to have made
So go make many memories, keep him busy Emily
Good luck to you on your next steps together, whatever they happen to be

Enjoy your union forever, especially this biggest day
But treasure the other seconds too, in every single way

Being different

Other than being different to everyone else, what is wrong with dressing colourfully?
Embracing a spectrum that doesn't seem permanently wintery?
Could it just be, you saw me dressed different, and wanted to have something to say?
Try a little light humour to help the conversation on it's way?

I have said a lot of wrong things, from just wanting to say something
It's not a bad inclination, but there's trouble it can bring 
Trying to force a thought or four into an uncertain situation
When the person in question wasn't seeking validation

There's points in life when you're not trying to cause a fuss
Just being yourself, rather than being something to discuss
Rather than being the centre of someone else's life lesson
You have to defend yourself from a well-meaning question

Now, I like dressing in colours and I have a lot of reasons
We all have a proclivity to dress towards our favourite seasons
And I've had wonderful discussions about aesthetics and philosophy
From people who think and dress a very different way to me

But do take a second, and consider whether your query is just cover
For the discomfort you discover when we embrace our differences from each other


***

For clarity, I almost always enjoy discussing my aesthetic with people - as long as it's genuine. But there are times when I feel like I'm on the defensive in what should be a friendly conversation, and that can feel uncomfortable. I've also been on the other side many times, when I've spoken up about something that seems odd to me and not realised I'm making someone defend being themselves. 

Choices and outcomes

It's the most beautiful and dangerous thing we ever realise
Sometimes, the right choice, doesn't lead to a good result.
And a bad choice can end up working out for the best.
It's a saving grace, and a curse to us all.

How, in the weaving and changing world, are we ever supposed to figure anything out at all?
When randomness can govern the strands of fate, is it even worth building a foundation?
We deeply want there to be a philosophy behind it all
Some feeling that it's not just chaos which strings us along

A lottery ticket with a last dollar could actually be the correct decision
Procrastinating and then finding out it's raining anyway
The world gave you imperfect information, and you tried your best
But your best didn't end up being the option you needed that day

It helps us relax, by knowing there are things outside of our control
Teach us that it's good to leave some room to breathe
But it also helps us become complacent
Let's us think we made the right choice, but actually that one wasn't fate, it was you

Policy and governance cannot solve the disorder within humanity
But that doesn't mean there aren't better options
You will never solve the whole equation, but maybe under certain conditions
You will gain some sense of how things work

So, dear friends, let us pledge to keep trying to understand that which we can never know
Gain some familiarity with where turbulence make take us
So that, when navigating these tricky waters
We may sail a little longer on our journey

Remembering good friday

I feel guilty, when the greatest story ever told
Feels overly familiar, stale, and cold 
Maybe because I first heard it when I was a child
So I didn't appreciate that it was truly wild

Let me not stop feeling grief
For a sad story I've heard a hundred times
Let my feelings of injustice never cease
For those falsely accused of crimes

Familiarity can lessen empathy
But only if we let it
Just because something was always meant to be
Doesn't mean we should forget it

So let your eyes well with many a tear
Let the story be alive and live right here
Understanding the weight of the greatest sacrifice
Driven by the greatest love, of the saviour Jesus Christ