Pot of Tulips, by Kate Greenaway, is courtesy of Reusable Art. There is a special category for Kate Greenaway at Reusable Art.
Category: Hope
New Poems – May 2019
I published these poems as I wrote them on my blog, Poems From Oostburg, Wisconsin. Today they are here, in one post, in honor of Mother’s Day. When I helped with her care, for many years a long time ago, my mother often asked if I was writing. Then I was not able to write, as often, for many reasons. Now my heart is overflowing.
My study of haiku influences my poetry in general. And my goal is to offer hope. There is a lot of rest around my posts, and the new WordPress editor makes it easy for me to create posts like this small collection today.
Hope you enjoy the poems, and perhaps one or two especially. And when you are unable to create, the work is still growing, as I have learned. Health must be the first priority. Thank you.
grey stillness
evergreen branches
are a painting
and I can see
the shape
of each branch
Easter lily
continues to bloom
and fragrance
blesses the room
morning clouds
and here and there
enough light for the lily
Spring grows
afternoon shadows
on a green lawn
after a warm day
and worth the wait
forsythia
evergreen branches
dance in the wind
light on forsythia
by the old garage
daffodils and tulips
bloom in Sheboygan
and some here too
Wisconsin Spring
AGE AND PLACE
where one person may see
an empty building
I see the store that
was there before and
where I shopped
for my mother
the road may look grey
with rain today yet
I remember this road
on all kinds of days
over many years
and seasons
bookstores may have closed
yet shelves of books
to look at and perhaps buy
exist in different places
thrift stores and other stores
library discards too
one step at a time
a new life can grow
and sometimes later
we may realize that
we are more at home
than ever before
reading poetry
some blue sky among clouds
and forsythia
THEY CAN RETURN
they can return
in new and different ways
some of the things
thought lost
my mother and I were
closer in her old age
though we always loved
language and books
a past illness led to me
simply sitting with her
for hours as that was
something I could do
conversations
the trust that grows
though decades
of unconditional love
now sometimes
these many years
since her passing
I remember what she said
and the advice still applies
Ellen Grace Olinger – Spring 2019
lilacs bloom
lilacs bloom
purple and white
with grey sky
background
God’s promises
May 2012
old lilacs in fog
promises of God
still holding true
May 2013
Image: wpclipart
Poems are by Ellen Grace Olinger.
Psalm 89: 1 and Photos
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever:
with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness
to all generations.
Psalm 89: 1 (KJV)
Karl took the photos in Oostburg, Wisconsin last summer.
Generations of Faith
how quickly
another generation
grows
seems I only
looked away
for a moment
how good their work
how beautiful their art
My poem is a part of a longer post at Poems From Oostburg, Wisconsin, which we began in December 2009. The post there is Peaceful Gratitude.
Karl took this photo at the Oostburg Public Library last summer. “A Little Library Growing Every Day”
This photo by Karl is from the Cedar Grove Public Library last summer.
The poem is by Ellen Grace Olinger.
Acrostic Poems for PSALMS and PRAYER
P romises of
S erenity
A nd
L ove
M editations and
S trength
PSALMS
P urpose
R evealed
A nd
Y our
E fforts
R enewed
PRAYER
Photo by Karl – July 2018
Poems are by Ellen Grace Olinger.
sitting in the sun
sitting in the sun
with a cup of decaff
wearing 3 layers for warmth
Aunt Merc’s daffodils
warm as the sun
My great-aunt, Mercedes Schwanke, lived to be almost 100. She lived on the East Side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I planted daffodils after her funeral, years ago, as a symbol of the Resurrection.
L ove
E xpressed
T ranscending
T ime . . .
E verlasting
R emembrance of
S ouls
Acrostic poem for LETTERS
Ellen Grace Olinger – April 2012 archive
