They say the most beautiful gems are the hardest to grow:
They are rare, precious, and unique
Their journeys are long, hard, painful and slow
But their beauty is of greatest value

They begin as any other rock, average and ugly:
Rough, pointed, and unrefined
Then circumstances pressure them, hold them snugly
'til in the heated heart of earth they are purified

Once formed, they must surface, they must be found:
Rooted, probed, and undermined
Rugged rocks from the cold underground
Are saved from the dark to be seen in the light

The sparkle is there, but still under the surface:
Remote, perdu, and unknown
Cut and ground to reach their true purpose
The glittering gems are at last revealed

When I look at this process, I see my own story
Fallen, broken, and remade
First dying inside, then raised up to glory...
You see my little gem beginning to show

Isn't it interesting...

How the trees reach up
And the stars fall down

...as if heaven and earth were meant to intersect?

I tried to approach, but you walked away
I wanted to love you, but you wouldn't stay
You wanted your heart out-of-reach and alone
So the warmth of touch wouldn't melt your cold stone

You stand there so near, yet so very far
You don't want the appearance of your "inner strength" marred
You laugh with your voice, but your eyes are still dead
The idea of feeling anything fills you with dread

Because you don't want the pain, you can't feel my hurt
You don't like to laugh because smiles disconcert
You'd rather be logical, right, and made out of stone
Than know how to love and how to be known

When the shadows deepen, the light is that much brighter.
When joy is scarce, how much more beautiful the laughter?

Darkness sweeps around me
Like the train of a robe
My footsteps tread the black sea
Of wooden planks that hold countless anaerobes

The smell is rich and potent
When I breathe deep the air
Filled with love, sorrow, and excitement
That brings back time from elsewhere

Every nerve inside me tingles
My heart beats a wild tattoo
My throat with my heart mingles
As my brain flashes last-minute reviews

Deep breath in, deep breath out
Suddenly, the lights are up
And without a shadow of a doubt
Nothing in my face betrays the buildup

Once upon a time, there was a young mother
She held her newborn in her arms
And being careful not to smother,
Kissed the face that held such charms

That baby grew into a child
And the mother savored every smile
Though sometimes sweet and sometimes wild
The mother was close through every trial

Then adolescence came and grabbed from behind
And the child began to change and grow
This new being was with many anxieties lined
But the mother slowly began to let go

The teen bloomed into a woman
Who one day married her true love
The mother looked on at the gentle man
And smiled through her tears as she thanked heaven above

Not long after, the mother did see
A new infant with face so soft and so sweet
Mother looked on daughter, who now would be
A mother who caressed small hands and feet

And once upon a time there was a young mother...

Contentment: a state of happiness and satisfaction

Here again I find myself
Always longing, always seeking
Trying to add myself to life's bookshelf

Even when I obtain what I think I want
And it seems I should be happy where I am
Some OTHER longing shows its face and taunts

I ever find myself straining at the bit
Seeking something I cannot find
Forever feeding the fire ambitiously lit

But maybe what I have is beautiful to see
Maybe I should pause a moment and reflect
On all the joyous blessings already given to me