early morning
sunflowers wait
for the sun
early morning
fragrance of carnations
in the sunroom
the word
I seem to say
most often
these days —
grateful
Poems from August 2018

Photo by Karl – August 2018
early morning
sunflowers wait
for the sun
early morning
fragrance of carnations
in the sunroom
the word
I seem to say
most often
these days —
grateful
Poems from August 2018
Photo by Karl – August 2018
clear night sky
plants and gardens wait
for sunrise
gardens growing
long before we came here
how deep the roots
must be and decades old
planted in God’s earth
Ellen Grace Olinger
Poems from my archives
R efresh and renew
A ppreciate the plants in all their stages
I nvite new dreams as we age and life changes
N ever without Hope
rain in dark night
refreshes each leaf
today I think of you
no longer with grief
for my father
rain before dawn
I think about the peonies
almost ready to bloom
and those in the area
already bowed to the ground
rainstorm
in the night
I sit and pray
for a longer time
today
rain in the night
and grey sunrise
soon we will see
the growth
from this time
Ellen Grace Olinger
These poems are from my archives.
I love being able to say “my archives.”
Over time, creative work grows.
tree branches
bowed to the ground
seemingly half-broken
covered with new leaves
my notebook of prayers
primroses growing
from garden to lawn
deep decades of roots
strengthen my faith
for new dreams
old photos
on my desk —
bleeding hearts in bloom
Published first in Time Of Singing (1994). Also reprinted with the poems selected for my Poet Profile at The Haiku Foundation.
country graves
silk flowers bloom
by the stones
Photo by Karl
Ellen Grace Olinger
we will remember this winter
severe cold and blessings
of shelter and warmth
news of friends from other places
and neighbors who died
I remember specific times
the visual memories clear
and the different ways
our lives grew from there
once I was new here
and now whenever
we go somewhere
there are layers
and textures of memories
the present calls me still
Spring arrives as promised
and we shall meet again
Lake Michigan
April 2016
Photo by Karl
Poem by Ellen Grace Olinger
let patience have her perfect work
from James 1: 4a (KJV)
quietly the day
begins to end
time of rest
renewal
I have done
my work for
this day
there is always
more to do
yet one day
holds what
one day
can hold
Ellen Grace Olinger