Dagger of Truth

Dagger of Truth – Triple Haiku on Mixed Media

Foxes have been considered pests, sly, cunning and clever.

In Australia they are seen as an invasive species. They have caused many problems in the country, impacting the environment and agriculture, even causing many species to become extinct because of their predation.

In ancient Israel, little foxes were considered potential threats that spoil things of value. Even in the romance book of the ‘Song of Solomon’ the woman says to her beloved, “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.”

Even Jesus called the monarch a fox, a negative term to imply he was a cunning and sly individual.

Foxes are little. They walk around on their tip-toes, as if sneaking around. They dig through gardens and scatter weeds.

It’s the same with the little things in our lives that we think don’t have any major impact. Little white lies, negative thoughts, cruddy attitudes, bitterness…

I, for one, don’t want to accept the lies. Truth is my dagger, and I know that when light is present, darkness must flee.

What are your little foxes?

Color me black

 

Colour me Black – Part 1 of a 9 part poem on mixed media

Black makes me think of death and darkness. The absence of peace and all that is good. It also makes me think of depression and moodiness. Deep inner sorrow and soul emptiness. A few other things come to mind when I think of black are evil, wickedness and injustice. The absence of God and all the contents of a Pandora’s box.

Black, however, is also a colour that is made up of all other colours, excluding white, so its meaning isn’t all bad. For example, black clothing is very slimming for the figure. It portrays an air of sophistication and is associated with elegance and even mystery.

Looking at black on an individual and very personal level, I see black as the dance of death and the dance of life. The song of sorrow and the song that produces joy. My greatest enemy, but also my best friend. As a Christian, I believe in what the Bible says, “suffering produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” I see it as a paradox. The death of self actually causes a life that is full and a peace that passes all understanding.

Black is a very real colour in the lives of all people. Suffering, pain and death are inevitable, but white and light makes it all bearable. I am thankful to be under the umbrella that rains white and protects me from pure blackness, without hope.

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What does black mean to you?

 

Butterfly Tears

Mixed media and poem

Butterflies often symbolize transformation, and rightly so. I mean, they start out as a creepy crawly caterpillar, bound to the ground. Then they hide away for a bit in seclusion, all alone. Once their cocoon breaks open, they are set free. They’re given a new colourful body and wings to fly.

I like to compare this process of metamorphosis in the natural world to my own life experience. I see myself as this sad, dark and empty girl in the artwork above. Not me today, but years ago when I was young and immature. Years ago when I was asking what the heck I was doing here on Earth. When I was living an empty, meaningless life, without direction or purpose.

When I came to my senses and decided to leave that life behind, my transformation started. It didn’t happen overnight though. I spun a good thick cocoon because it took time. A long time. I am thankful that God has pulled me through. I owe it all to Him, because I know that I couldn’t do it alone. Nobody can.

I would love to know if you can relate to this at all. Please share your own experience.

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The above painting was done on recycled material. An empty cereal box actually.

Dagger of Truth

 

Do you believe in the spirit world? Do you think that there is anything beyond matter, time and space? I do.

I know not everybody believes what I do, nor has had the same type of experiences. We are all individuals. We are all unique. Not one of us has the exact same experience in life.

When I was a child, and all through my adolescent years, I just accepted what was taught to me in school. I didn’t believe in God, nor the spirit world. It wasn’t until I started asking the questions that all humans, at one point or another, ask themselves. How did I get here? What is the meaning of life? What is my purpose in life? Why are people frightened of death? Where am I going when I die? So at the age of 20 I made a decision to believe in God? I had found Truth, or better yet, He had found me.

Over the years though, I’ve had to water that relationship. I didn’t just make a decision and leave it at that. No relationship thrives like that. It takes dedication, commitment, and quality time spent. If I don’t feed my spirit the healthy nutrients it needs, it is very easy to start believing subtle little lies. When that happens, things get dark and I need to run to the light. That’s where I hear words of life again. That’s where I am restored and refreshed again. That’s where I’m safe and sheltered from fear. I need to catch those little foxes before they dig up the garden. Before they scratch away the seeds that were planted for the growth of amazing fruit.

So, do you believe there is a spirit world? Do you think that there is anything beyond matter, time and space? Do you believe that there is good and evil? Light and darkness?