Day turns into night
Another sunset comes and goes
Counting life’s blessings
I give thanks to God above
For the gift of another day
Tanka
Leona J. Atkinson
07-17-13
Day turns into night
Another sunset comes and goes
Counting life’s blessings
I give thanks to God above
For the gift of another day
Tanka
Leona J. Atkinson
07-17-13
Favored.
Clothed with Grace.
Stand firm in His Armor.
His child, His bride, His warrior.
No fear.
Cinquain
Leona J. Atkinson
07-15-13
69 years ago this day
A baby was born.
No one knew at that time
The baby was me.
It took all those years
To create the me I am today.
So, on this remembrance day of my birth,
I want to thank God for my life,
And praise Him for all He has done to make me–me.
Leona J. Atkinson 06-13-13

Blaze, you seemed to be the perfect rose for late springtime.
They told me you would bloom repeatedly from early summer to fall.
How excited I was to bring you home and introduce you to my garden!
Your profile showed no negatives.
You were:
Shade tolerant,
Resistant to rust,
Had moderate thorns,
And could be trained to climb.
What a keeper!
You certainly seemed to be the prize rose bush!
I planted you and waited eagerly for those profuse semi-double red blooms–but they never came…
Day after day you sat there drinking my water and eating my food
without so much as a bud appearing.
I reread your profile to see if I had missed something,
but all I saw were more amazing attributes :
Grows quickly,
Blooms profusely,
Brings forth thousands of flowers,
Brilliant scarlet red clusters,
So easy to grow it is recommended as a gardeners first rose .
Such amazing attributes do not fit you, the Blaze in my backyard .
You certainly are not a vigorous grower. What is wrong?
Each day you seem to get weaker.
I don’t want to give up on you,
but you seem to have given up on yourself.
The more I try to make you grow, the less you do.
“Talk to him more” mom said.
” Tell him you really care about him.
Encourage him to grow because you know he can.
Start listing all the attributes he has.
Tell him you believe he will become a beautiful blooming bush someday.
Try it and see what happens” she said.
I did. I tried. I talked. I cared.
You grew. You flourished. You became what you were created to be,
a Blaze of scarlet in my backyard and the first rose to bloom this spring !
(Written about Laura Jae’s little late bloomer, Blaze, rose bush.
He is a living testimony that we should never give up on anyone.
For as long as there is life there is hope and with love, care and encouragement,
people, as well as rose bushes, will usually grow and bloom profusely to reach their God ordained destiny. )
Leona J. Atkinson
05-13-13

Little yellow blossoms,
Often picked without much stem,
By little hands seeking flowers for Mother.
Children love you.
To them you are beautiful, and you’re free!
They can gather you and make crowns,
And chains, and rub you under their chins to see if they like butter.
How fun! I smile at the thought.
Gardeners and grown ups don’t like you much,
but on this Mother’s Day,
I wonder how many of you
Became yellow bouquets of love,
Gracing Mom’s dining room table,
Along with a homemade card.
Dandelions, I think God created you just for children.
Leona J. Atkinson 05-12-13
Why don’t they listen?
Why can’t they see?
Time and time again I tell them,
Why don’t they believe me?
I tell them the truth,
Things for their own good.
Yet, they ignore what I say
Or treat it as a falsehood.
I love them so much,
It really hurts me to see,
Them reject the wisdom of my way,
And receive a life of misery.
–God
Leona J Atkinson
04-30-13
Morning light has come,
Through tender mercy of God.
Dayspring from on high.
Haiku–based on Luke 1:78
Leona J. Atkinson
04-29-13
It’s late and I am seeking sleep,
Yet all that I can find,
Are “what ifs”, “whys” and questions,
Deep within my mind.
“If only” is my companion,
As I search for needed sleep.
Rest I cannot find,
As the days troubles I do keep.
Worries weigh upon my heart,
And chase the peace away,
Until I turn to God,
Give it all to Him, and pray.
Leona J. Atkinson
04-26-13
“Oh what am I to do?”
I hear myself begin to say.
God reminds me I need to pray.
“Oh what am I to do?”
God reminds me His word is true.
I need to trust Him every day.
“Oh what am I to do?”
I hear myself begin to say…
Leona J. Atkinson
04-23-13
Triolet