friends

“Trudging”

| Laura Lee Bonde

since leaving Lemon Grove
I’ve been oppressed
and let me tell you
the dark can get darker

along the road
many turned away
some remained silent
while others stood by

praying
hoping
holding
believing

many said
not to write
or at least
not out loud

but if they only knew
how many times
I held a pen
how many journals
were sent
and as I sat there
with pen in hand
only tears would
fall

when ink
becomes tears
pages become
warped

with every thing inside
I felt buried
with no where to express
parts died

but maybe they needed to
for other parts to live

when a forest burns
new life grows
because what once was shaded
now has light

to those who turned away
welcome back
to those who stayed
let’s move on
to those who were silent
I’m ready to listen

“A Fence of Another”

| Laura Lee Bonde

some know who I am
others perceive
in a moment of a poem
what they see

but do they know?

how one takes thoughts captive
may be different from another

for me
my thoughts taken captive
can be found in a poem
never entering my heart
only leaving my mind

but because of
a fence
I’ve held back
because of concern
I’ve turned away

then where’re those thoughts
kept captive
but inside

now I no longer think
of what others may say
and if they really want to know
they’ll ask

for now
I’m writing
with my heart’s consent
and before long
my spirit’ll break through

free from my surroundings
free from my soul
free from a state of mind
which is meant to be changed

but my heart stays the same
perfectly ONE with Him

“Foreign Map”

| Laura Lee Bonde

all of a sudden
time’s standing still
every minute rolling by
to the next
thinking about
Carolyn and Nathan
and their first day of school

I think of their hearts
breaking
the disappointments
from expectations

kids have it tough though
their journey not their own
their fate
in the parents hands

I can’t help but think
how my decisions led them here
where they cry from depression
where the air’s empty of hope
where their face-to-face with friends
is on Snapchat

I know…
trust God
and keep moving
but in which direction

“Amidst the Garden”

| Laura Lee Bonde

sometimes people
only read
what they want
to hear

this move
moved me
in a saddened way
too much for words

but some words
revealed a state
too much for some
to handle

where friends were needed
but not always wanted
where cries were answered
by heaven’s yes

for those who looked away
through tougher times
thank you
for not putting me down

for those who called
to leave a message
thank you
for leaving your voice

for those who rose up
from out of nowhere
thank you
for being somewhere

in the end of now
I’m able to relate
because of what
I’ve gone through

or better yet
what “I’ve” put “myself” through

A Stroll in God’s Park

| Laura Lee Bonde

In the beginning, when I’d had it planned to move out here to Texas, I wasn’t interested in finding a church right away, but because of the difficult times during packing and the drive, I KNEW I needed to find like-minded people to be around and knew I’d be needing a church.

During that first week in Harlingen, I’d been SO close to sinking into a dark depression and knew I was in trouble, if I didn’t get out and about, so right away, I began going to church. Continue reading →

“Tides”

| Laura Lee Bonde

The other evening, as I was on my walk, I looked to my right and saw the setting sun, looked to my left and saw the rising moon, thought of my friend who’s bipolar, and started praying for him. During that prayer, this poem began. #bipolar

“Tides”

the sun
setting on my right
the moon
rising to my left

two opposites
grabbing attention
two views
wanting to be seen

two poles
with one center

night and day
happy and sad
calm and irritable

is that what’s it like
to be bipolar?
do opposites fight
for attention?

the moon
and the sun
share the same sky