SPIDER WEB

It caught my eye as soon as I saw it,
I couldn’t get by it. I had to stop
and stare? I wondered:
what else am I not seeing?
Do I realize I’m somewhere
on this web being woven -

this web called me. How much

more is there to my life story

before I'm broken, before

I catch what I'm trying to catch?

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010

LEAF, PETAL, SKIN

The look and fabric of leaf, petal, skin….
Touch it. Feel it. Study it.
Could a forger or a counterfeiter,
come even close to
creating a perfect imitation
of leaf, petal or skin?
Worse – in time comes the wrinkle,
the fading, and the crumble
of leaf, petal and skin.
Some are scared to touch that?
Be quick! Life has term limits.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010

HUMILITY

Moth and butterfly, silently, softly,
fluttering and flying, seeming
to be so completely oblivious of me.
How self centered for me
to think they would think of me?
Silently, slowly, these thoughts
flutter and fly through my brain.
And yes, bees and bugs,
except mosquitoes,
treat me the same way.
Sort of stings my ego.
Dirt and earth, from which
I came, they too pay me
no little attention. So I assume
there’s a message here somewhere.
I guess I need to become quiet
and learn from what’s beneath me.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010

A NASTY NOW

Ouch! Now that was nasty.
Now, what do I do?
You set me up.
You weren’t asking me a question.
You were making a statement
under the guise of a question.
You were trying to trap me.
Now, what do I do?
Now, what I have to do,
is not be nasty in return.
Now that’s difficult.
But I’ll try – because
that’s what I now know,
You Jesus, are saying
in your Sermon on the
Mount – chapter 5: 38 to 48:
to turn the other cheek,
to go the extra mile,
to end the revenge,
to pray for those who hurt us.
Difficult Jesus! Difficult!
See you on Good Friday,
better a week after Easter
and then let’s compare notes.

© Andy Costello, Reflections, 2010

Painting - Jesus Faces Pilate, Greg Leach

ALMOST BUT

I almost did it,
but I didn’t.
I almost finished
but I didn’t.
I almost said, “I love you”,
but I didn’t.
I almost forgave you,
but I didn’t.
I almost spoke with God,
but I didn’t.
I almost got caught,
but I didn’t.
I almost won,
but I didn’t.
I almost was happy,
but something went wrong.
I almost bounced back,
but I didn’t.
I almost said what I really think,
but once more I didn’t.
I almost let go,
but I didn’t because it was too difficult.
I almost died,
but I didn’t.
So, I guess,
I have a second chance,
but ....

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010

THE PAST

The swirl of poop and paper,
the flush, the downward spiral twist,
the thrust and spin of waste and water –
and then: all clean clear water.

Would that it was always that easy!

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010

EASTER SPRING

Spring has a mind of its own:
one day sunny till suddenly
it’s rainy, windy, damp,
then the next day all gray,
then the next day flurries,
then the next day back to sun,
without one word of apology….
Then snow, oh no,
then, oh good, it wasn’t snow,
just a dogwood tree shaking
its tiny white flowers everywhere.
Gardeners on their knees
look up and around
every once and a while,
but most of the time
they know this is how spring
works every year,
not worrying, smiling,
not concentrating on the sky,
but only on the ground below:
spading, planting seeds,
seeing buds and bulbs,
new life ready to spring.
Mary Magdalene didn’t know
gardeners, but she knew
how to hug: Resurrection.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2010