334. Christmas Lights

Christmas lights are twinkling

Out in the frosty night,

Challenging the starlight

With their glow so bright.

Christmas lights are shining,

Bringing Christmas cheer,

Harboring our family.

Beckoning loved ones near.

Christmas lights are sparkling,

Dancing their own tune,

Smiling through the darkness,

Christmas is coming soon.

333. I Love To See The Temple

I love to see the temple.

It's very dear to me.

I'll be with my own family,

Through all eternity.

For the temple is the Holy house 

Of Christ, my heavenly brother.

Through the temple's light I'm sealed to you.

I'll always be your mother.

332. Mama Touched A Shark Today

Mama touched a shark today.

It grazed her floating hand.

But Mama has a sturdy nerve.

She didn't dash for land.

Mama touched a shark today.

It swam right past her toes.

She laughed and said "Gee, this is fun!"

A smiled crunched her nose.

Mama touched a shark today.

It wasn't hungry then.

But soon she can look back at now

And sigh "Remember when?"

Mama touched a shark today.

She'll never be the same,

'Cause now she has to move on up

And touch a lion's mane.

331. Caroline and Elizabeth

"Did you hear about the balls?"

"What balls?"

"The King is giving a festival! Three days and nights. There will be tournaments and games and food and all sorts of activities during the day and then a ball each night!"

"So?"

"So? So, isn't that exciting? I can't wait! Mother says we can go! She's going to make each of us a new gown for the balls. Mine's going to be pink. What color do you want? Mind you, it's only a preference. It all depends on what Mother can find. But there's no harm in asking, is there?"

"I don't want one."

"Of course you do! You've grown nearly four inches since last summer. All of your good dresses are too short. And you can't wear anything patchy or extended."

"I'm not going."

"Prince Edmond will be there! We have to look out best! I know he'll never ask one of us to dance, but I would be so ashamed if he were to even look in my direction if I didn't look absolutely beautiful. That's why I'm hoping Mother can find pink. I look radiant in pink. I think you should ask for blue. It brings out your eyes."

"No one would be looking at my eyes, Carly."

"It's a masked ball, silly! No one's going to see your face. You can cover up the scarring with a something stunning!"

"I'm not going."

"Well, why not?"

"I don't belong in society anymore. You know that. No one wants to be associated with someone who looks like me."

"I do."

"You're my sister. You don't have a choice."

"Sure I do. I could be at the palace right now with the other ladies. I could be riding with Henry or hunting with George. But I'm not. I'm here with you. Just like I was yesterday and the day before and the day before that."

"Then go."

"With you sitting around moping like this? No. You have to get out again. It's been months since that fire Bethy. It's time to face the world again."

"I can't."

"Yes, you can. And you should. Percy asked me today if you would come. He asks about you a lot. He misses you."

"I know."

"You shouldn't push him away, you know.  He loves you."

"He deserves better."

"Better than you?"

"He deserves someone presentable. Someone he can take to parties at the palace."

"He wants to take you to the palace!"

"He'd be ridiculed. I won't let that happen."

"He doesn't care what people think. He doesn't care about your face. Nobody cares about your stupid face."

"Yes, they do. They stare. I can see them whispering behind their hands. 'Look at the freak with the melted face,' remember? I'm just a joke, now."

"Lizzie Cartwright is not everybody. I know she's a pain and a gossip, but no one takes anything she says seriously. You're going to let her stupid comments ruin your life? You're going to let her come between you and the man you love? The court you love? The future you and Percy have been planning for years?"

"No?"

"Then go to the festival with me!"

"I can't."

"Beth, this is your chance to have fun again! It's time to move forward. Start small. Just come to ball the first night. You can keep your mask on the whole time. You'll see what I mean. If anyone is talking about you anymore it's because they miss you. Apologize to Percy. He'll understand. He wants to see you."

"Carly..."

"Please, please, please come with me!" 

330. Thankful

Thankful for marriage

Thankful for fun

Thankful for rain clouds 

Thankful for sun

Thankful for cookies

Thankful for cake

Thankful for playing

Thankful for fake 

Thankful for happiness

Thankful for help

Thankful for whales

Thankful for kelp

Thankful for friendship

Thankful for love

Thankful for Father

In Heaven above

329. Hot

Flames in the sky

Iridescent light

Reaching the clouds

Eating the night

328. George The Turkey

George the Turkey, short and fat,

Had a feather for his hat,

Feathers plastered all around,

Feathers pasted upside down.

George the Turkey, pinned by all,

Tacked onto that old white wall. 

327. Chicka Chicka Gillie Family

Al told Er and Er told Sar

"I'll meet you at the top of the Gillie Family Tree"

"Wheeeeeee" said Jim as he looked back at them, "I'll beat you to the top of the Gillie Family Tree."

But, chicka chicka boom boom, will there be enough room?

Here comes Lil up the Gillie Family Tree. And Sam and Si and that soon-to be guy,  all on their way up the Gillie Family Tree.

Chicka chicka boom boom, will there be enough room? 

Look who's coming: Jacob and Nicole.

Then Kyrstie comes

And passes out gum.

Still more, Mother here and Dad's the last one. The whole family up the...oh no!!! 

Chicka chicka BOOM BOOM!!

Spit spat spoodle moot

Slip slap sleep

Everybody's running from the piled up heap.

Grandma and grandpa and fallen down kids

Try to start again, the old, the young, the kids.

"Help us up" cried Mom without joy.

Next from the pile-up skinned-kneed boys 

and stub-toed girl, 

Sam, Lily, Si about to hurl.

Soon-to-be's ready to say hi.

J and K are about to cry.

Dad has knotted up his tie.

Mom is looped. Dad is stopped. Babies're twisted alley-oop.

Spit spat spoodle moot

Slip slap sleep

Look who's coming. Black-eyed Lexi.

And Jake and Nicole, that loose-toothed she.

Then Erin's up and wiggle-jiggles free.

Last to come, Sara, see?

And the sun goes down on the Gillie Family Tree. 

But chicka chicka boom boom

Look, there's a full moon. 

Mom is out of bed and this is what she said. 

"Dare double dare, I'll cry with glee:

When there are more to come in the Gillie Family Tree."

326. Liahona

When I woke, the desert sun 

Was slowly breaking ground.

I dressed and opened my tent flap 

And there a ball I found.

The brassy orb lay glittering

And glinting from the sun.

It's craftsmanship like none I'd seen,

From He, the Mighty One.

Two spindles spinning round the globe

Gave direction sure,

But only if we obeyed Him

And showed our hearts were pure.

To my amazed family

The ball was frightening

But I had faith it came from God,

It's presence brightening.

So now we follow faithfully 

This little globe of brass,

Except when my first son revolts

And proves he is a sass.

325. Balloons

Bubbly bouncy bags of joy

Always achingly airy and coy

Locking little ones' smiles wide

Lovingly floating at their side

Over the moon their spirits soar

Only to leave them wanting more

Never knowing the hearts you stop

Silent tears come when you pop

324. Sleepless

I napped too well

I can't sleep now

Can't close my eyes 

I don't know how

Two hours plus 

I've been up here

My toy's too fun

Sleep's nowhere near

323. Three Little Princesses

Three little princesses walking down the street,

Holding hands and giggling. My, they're so sweet.

Skipping, jumping, singing at whatever they meet.

Laughing and playing, six little feet.

322. Snow Dreams

Sometimes when you lie in bed

Next to your beloved

One of you will roll too far

While leaving one uncovered.

Despite the love you feel for him,

Rather than him whack,

Ever so slowly you start to pull

And steal the blanket back.

Mostly you are selfish, but

Snow has in your good dreams cut.

321. Happily Ever After, A History Lesson

Once upon a time young Prince Waldair, whilst exercising his youngest gryphon, came upon a young maiden. 

Never before had the prince seen a maiden so lovely and so charming. The Prince inquired of the maiden what her name might be and she informed him that she was indeed the Princess Gunfir, recently outcast from her childhood kingdom by the usurpation of the throne by the evil sorcerer Rokbair.

Prince Waldair vowed to help the young maiden reclaim her kingdom and set her on the back of his gryphon. 

Unbeknownst to the both of them, the evil sorcerer Rokbair watched from afar through his crystal globe. Before the vow was even completed, the evil sorcerer Rokbair sent a flock of flesh-eating pygmies to halt young couple.

With moments, young prince Waldair became aware of the approaching pygmies. He pulled the lady from her perch and released the gryphon to the skies, where he promptly demolished the squawking flock.

Foiled in his attempt though he was, the evil sorcerer Rokbair was undaunted. Furious at the prince's cleverness, the evil sorcerer Rokbair called a herd of trolls from the earth to pommel the royal duo. 

The rumbling of the earth beneath the feet of the prince and princess alerted young Prince Waldair to the approaching enemy. Knowing that his gryphon was no match for the stone beasts, he sent the creature and his princess into the air and raced to the enchanted swamp, whereupon he broke a branch from a tree and threw it into the mud. Immediately from the spot sprang a new, fully grown tree. From this he broke another branch and again threw it into the mud. Before long, he had created an impenetrable wall of trees, forcing the troll herd to retreat, lest the leafy branches rub against their skin and clean it. With the trolls dispersal, the princess Gunfir landed the gryphon. She removed her riding cloak and with it collected a large amount of the useful, enchanted mud.

Once again thwarted, the evil sorcerer Rokbair raged at his disappointment. Young Prince Waldair and the Princess Gunfir were nearing the prince's castle and the army of King Hengburt. 

With no further option, the evil sorcerer Rokbair released the dragon Fafnir from his subterranean cave. The dragon reached the young couple at the gates of King Hengburt's castle. A mighty battle arose in which young Prince Waldair poked the dragon Fafnir's eye and the dragon Fafnir knocked young Prince Waldair's head off with the swish of his tail.

The Princess Gunfir, enraged at the sight of her decapitated love, threw her cloak at the feet of her fighting prince, grabbed his blindly-flailing sword, and hurled it into the belly of the the dragon Fafnir. His job finished and his pride wounded, the dragon Fafnir returned to his hardened hole, never to be seen again.

And so it was that soon after his encounter with the dragon Fafnir, young Prince Waldair fell into the enchanted mud and before long his head grew back. Whereupon he married the Princess Gunfir and they returned to her kingdom together with the army of King Hengburt, much to the displeasure of the evil sorcerer Rokbair. The evil sorcerer Rokbair attempted to place a curse on the newly wed Prince and Princess, but the attack was thwarted by the mighty knight, Sir Festof, who threw a stone at the evil sorcerer Rokbair's head. 

And they lived happily ever after.

320. Haiku to a Pre-dinner Snack

Mom I ate a roll

She told me before dinner

I looked Six were gone

319. Alabaster

Of all the things my Lord hath done

In His time on the earth

There's nothing greater to my soul:

He brought me to re-birth.

My Savior, Lord and King, He is.

He led my soul to light,

From darkest torments burdening.

He pulled me through the fight.

His gentle voice then spoke my fears: 

"I have but two days more."

My anguished heart without control,

I rushed out through the door.

The cool night air full cloaked with spice,

The feast they soon prepared.

He gave my spirit's second chance,

My treasures must be shared.

I 'gain returned to my Lord's side.

A tear escaped my eye.

I came with oils in my box.

I could not say goodbye.

"I know I never can repay

The gift you've given me,

But I will do all that I can.

This gift I give to thee."

The men were angry, scolding me,

"That can be better used.

How can you waste that on His head?"

And lovingly He mused.

"Why trouble her? She understands 

What yet ye cannot see.

Her loving care will ever be

An eternal memory."

He took me by my trembling hand.

and gave me one last kiss.

Now He is gone, but still lives on.

I will remember this.

318. Of Babies and Bagels

Thomas loves bagels. I love muffins. I'm talking those huge, super-moist blueberry  beauties from Costco. So good. Because  we got both bagels and muffins this week that's what we've been eating for breakfast pretty much every day (Thursday's poptarts in the car because we woke up five minutes before we had to leave excluded) this week. Thomas has a bagel; I have a muffin; Janey switches back and forth (but mostly likes oatmeal).

 However, the last couple of mornings Thomas has asked, in his I'm-a-grouchy-18-month-old-who-can't-say-any-words way, for some of my muffin. He happily enjoys the pieces I give him along with his bagel. 

So being the thoughtful, loving mother that I am, this morning I put Thomas in his high chair and gave him a quarter of the last muffin. I guess that was very insulting. There was screaming and crying and twisting and throwing. He mostly wept angrily into the back of his chair. I gave him water: he threw it across the table. I tried removing the offensive breakfast: he snatched it away and cuddled it. When I backed off, he put it back on the table.

So after a couple of questions on my part and whines, grunts, and farts on his part, I got a bagel out of the fridge. He watched me cautiously, deciding whether I was a friend or fiend. As soon as I set the bagel down in front of him the crying stopped. He straightened out. He smiled. He picked up the muffin and ate it. 

Yes, the muffin.

It's a good thing I got a hot shower in before breakfast. 

317. Paris

Pockets of flourishing springs

Alleviated by swift wings

Roaring darkness brings

Irrevocably stings

Softly, the world sings

316. Sewing Machine

Swiftly beats the sharpened staff

Ever piercing blade

Stitching, mending, biting laugh

Look at what I made

315. Who Dunnit

There once was a body slain

Which lay on a carpet plain.

Who killed him? How?

What should we do now?

Let's throw him into the rain.

Was it Plum, the professor from WHO,

Who did things a doc shouldn't do?

His romantic whirl,

Now a telegram girl,

Is lying out there by dog poo.

Colonel Mustard the killer could be.

He stole parts from the flying army.

That negative diver

Who whacked off his driver,

Should really have settled for tea.

Was he killed by the weapon of Scarlet's

Who ran a hot brothel of harlots?

When the cop came to call,

Did she murder them all?

Because she got gypped at the car lots?

Was it Wadsworth, the man who just buttled?

Like a penguin through hallways he scuttled.

He shouted. He shouted.

And then got knock-outed.

The deceased cook later he cuddled.

Mrs. Peacock a senator wed.

So her morals are basically dead.

Wait, is she a man?

From silence she ran.

On monkey's brain she gladly fed.

Was it Mrs. White, there in the tunic?

Who made her late husband a eunuch?

Her glare ripped apart

That little French tart.

Or did she say she's from Munich?

Arrest them all! Don't say I can't.

I'll end this crazy man's rant.

I'm wearing this suit,

Because I'm not a fruit.

I'm Green. I'm am FBI plant.

314. Harry Potter ABC

A is for Albus, Harry's young son.

B is for Buckbeak, whose freedom was won.

C is for Colin Creevey: Harry, say cheese!

D is for Dobby who likely had fleas.

E is for Edgecombe, Marietta the sneak.

F is for Fenrir, now Lav-Lav won't speak.

G is for Gregory Goyle the Goon.

H is for Helga: that's badger, not racoon.

I is for Ignotus, owner of the cloak

J is for Justin, thought Harry was no joke.

K is for Karkaroff, tracked down and soon killed

L is for Lovegoods, oddballs but skilled.

M is for Muggles; they can't follow tracks.

N is for Nick who took 45 whacks.

O is for O'Flaherty, or so says Prof. Binns.

P is for Parvati and Padma, the twins.

Q is for Quirke, a Racenclaw girl

R is for Runcorn, enters work with a swirl.

S is for Stan Shunpike: Knight Bus employee.

T is for Ton-Tongue Toffee, a Dudley enjoyee.

U is for Urg the Unclean Goblin Rebel.

V is for Violet, whose friend sang the treble.

W is for Wronski, he fooled every Beater.

X is for Ex-Death Eaters; Snape is the leader

Y is for Yeti, let Gilderoy pass.

Z is for Zabini, the last of his class.

313. Haiku to My Crockpot

Do the work for me

My feet worship your great ease

I play while you cook

312. Nephi and The Boys Who Kept Returning

Throughout my life I have often heard the story of Nephi returning to Jerusalem to retrieve the Brass Plates for his family. It's one most LDS kids know and love. But I remember thinking as a little girl "why didn't they just get them on the way out? Why did the Lord wait until they had traveled for days (weeks? months?) before saying "hey, the boys need to go back to get these records" and then again later "hey, the boys need to go back to get wives." 

It seemed a little odd to me that the Lord kept sending them back for more things, like a mother who takes twenty minutes to leave the house because her daughter is missing a shoe or her son had a blowout getting buckled in. Surely if anyone could get it together, God could.

I figured there was probably a reason for it, but never really gave it a whole lot of serious thought. It became one of those unimportant "gee, I wonder" things and I moved on.

However, this week as I once again read the story (1 Nephi 2-7) I was finally struck with the "aha" moment that had this far escaped me. This could, of course, be totally incorrect, but then it could also be dead on. Add it to my list of questions to ask Nephi when I die. With that in mind, realize this is said with a whole lot of maybes and probablys (probablies?). Here goes:

Nephi says that the people of Jerusalem wanted to take away his father's life. This is what caused Lehi to pack up his tents, his provisions, and his animals and leave with his family into the wilderness. They Jews were angry at Lehi for preaching repentance at them and wanted him gone. His leaving the city of his own accord accomplished the same end goal that killing him would have done: no more preachy prophet. So they didn't bother going after him and Lehi is safe.

Time goes by, they happily forget about the troublesome Lehi, and the people move on to other problems. Suddenly Laban is found dead in the streets, a scriptural record is missing (do they even realize that the plates are gone?) and one of Laban's nobody-servants has disappeared in the night. They search a little for the servant, but he, too, has disappeared. He's a nobody. He's gone. There's nothing they can do about it, nowhere to look. They search the city for a few days but if the murderer is gone, no use trying to bring him back, is there?

Now, if Lehi, a publicly hated figure, had disappeared the same night that Laban had been killed and his records stolen, there would have been heads rolling (pun totally intended). They wouldn't have just let Legi and his family slip off into the night. They would have chased him down and slaughtered him and possibly his whole family. I'm sure the Lord could have whipped up some firey pillar or angry sea-serpent or something equally cool if he'd wanted to, but there was another, simpler way here, with the added bonus that it accountably strengthened Nephi's and Sariah's faith. 

The same logic applies to the retrieval of Ishmael's family. I assume that Ishmael was a righteous and religious man like Lehi, or he wouldn't have been chosen to go with Lehi to start a new nation. If they had been fetched at the same time as the plates, they could have been accused of being the murderers/thieves and been hunted down. But since the three events occurred at separate times, the people of Jerusalem didn't put the puzzle pieces together and the soon-to-be-Americans were able to ride off into the desert in unpursued peace.

But don't take my word for it.

311. Night Smiles. Night Wiles

Night time. Night lights

Night fears. Night fights

Night air. Night rain

Night love. Night pain

310. Onward Comes the Warrior Bold

Through tears and anger, riddling strife,

We bear the breaking pains of life.

We know not whence the sorrow comes

But onward push though fear is rife.

Onward, forward, mightiest strike,

Nothing breaks the stalwart pike.

And though the battle ever comes

We are warriors, souls alike.

Our hope is heavenward shining bright

Blaziing shadows of the night.

We onward press: our strength soon comes

And leads us to the earnest light.

309. 20 inches

20 inches can be found.

20 inches all around.

20 inches crown to crown.

20 inches upside down.

"20 inches? What?" You said,

The length around my baby's head

308. Barbaric

Bear-baiting is bad.

Cock-fighting is crazy.

Gladiator battles are ancient history.

Public hangings got the noose.

We look back at history and think "those guys were a bunch of crazies. They went to these events for fun? This was their entertainment? We're so much more civilized now."

But are we? I read an article this morning about a new superhero movie coming out next year. The author and interviewees were praising it for being "filthy, comical, hyper-violent fun." The author mourned the fact that this film has taken years to get going because the main character was so "filthy, he's so nasty." So much so that studios have refused to make it before now. But what changed their mind? A short clip featuring only a small portion of the violence described was leaked to the Internet and we, the people, screamed for more. 

This time we can't blame the studios for producing trash. It wasn't them. They tried to stop it. But the voice of the fans called for blood. And like Pontius Pilate, they have the people what they wanted. 

Have we really progessed so little as a society? Why do we wonder that teens and youth are taking up arms and mowing down their peers without a thought? Why are we surprised when a person's response to a policeman's arrival is to shoot and run? Why are we surprised when our children bully at the playground? 

Is it anyone's fault but our own?

We no longer fill arenas to watch slaves fight each other to the death. But we still find entertainment in watching "heroes" with foul mouths destroy henchmen en masse without a care. We laugh as the police are evaded, hindered, and mocked. We cheer when the villain meets his demise.

"But it's not real," we say. "They're just actors."

The morals taught are real. The lessons learned are real. The attitudes accepted are real. Art imitates life, and life imitates art.

Have we truly become more civilized? Or do we just tell ourselves so to make ourselves feel better. 

Or are we still barbaric?

307. Flees the Soul

"Are they gone? Not so," he said.

"For though the body is long dead,

The soul lives on, 'thout fear or dread."

The babe's soul's strong. It withers not

But flutters on, no longer caught

'Tween pain and hope, 'tween cool and hot.

"Is't Heaven or Hell the place we'll go?

Is't neither or both? I do not know.

But all is told at Peter's toe.

306. Tomorrow

Tomorrow is today but it's also yesterday.

Tomorrow is the thing we fear and the hope we pray.

Tomorrow is the dream you think and all the words you say.

Tomorrow is the present, past, and future of today.

305. He Loves All The People

He loves all the people

He loves everyone

He gives us dresses

I love the purple one

He loves all the people

He gave me home

He gave my good food

And now I want some

He loves all the people

For Him I will serve

He taught me about earth

The world has a curve

He loves all the people

His light is not dim

He loves all the people

I'll be just like Him