Beauty
Ode to a Ginkgo’s Leaves
Click for meditationRegarding "Ode to a Ginkgo’s Leaves"
The ginkgo tree is originally a
Native to China, and fossils of this tree,
Very similar to the present living
Species, go at least as far back
As 170 million years. To say, therefore,
That the ginkgo is hardy is
An understatement! In fact,
The gingko has even
Proven resistant to the
Atomic bomb! On August 6, 1945,
The United States dropped
An atomic bomb on
Hiroshima, Japan. There
Were six ginkgo trees near the
Blast center, and they are
Still alive today! Because of their
Resilience, the ginkgo has
Become known as
The “Bearer of Hope.”
And so when I was in
Sammamish, Washington
Recently, and was watching
My granddaughter
Perform some lacrosse
Drills outside a local school,
I noticed that the
Landscaping included some
Small-to-medium sized
Ginkgo trees. . . I immediately
Went over and stood
Amongst them, and let their
Ancient, fan-shaped leaves dwell
Upon my shoulders.
It was like a spiritual
Moment, and I felt their
Healing grace at once. It was as if
I had been a bystander in
Jerusalem 2000 years
Ago when Jesus entered the
City on a donkey, and
His followers laid palms
Along the route of His travel.
Such is the holiness of
The ginkgo that, in my opinion, its
Golden leaves could have
Equally served to cradle and give
Reverence to the
Footsteps of Jesus.
Believing is seeing, and
The light of hope
Is everywhere. That is
What the message of this
Poem Is about.
Leo Carroll
December 12, 2022
O yellow, sometimes e’en
Gold, but with a tinge of slightest green,
Undulating before my gaze,
Each leaf changing
As the sun o’er my shoulder
Leans, o you, dear leaves, doth arrest
Me in my tracks, because
There is something
About your countenance,
Which makes me believe you once
Cradled my Savior’s
Shadow as He walked past.
“Again I tell you: it is much harder
For a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God
Than for a camel to go through
The eye of a needle. . . ”
Matthew 19:24
At Heaven’s Gate
At last I am at the outskirts of
Heaven’s gate, and all remaining for me
Is to cross o’er this narrow,
Tremulous bridge, this bridge of
Terrifying choice – whether, in faith,
To God’s will to totally submit,
Or to throw chaff wildly
Into the wind, and, like a camel, to
Try to thread the eye of a
Needle, in the reckless hope of
Receiving forgiveness from the fingers
Of Mercy’s Seamstress. . .
“If you only knew what God gives. . .
You would ask Him and He
Would give you living water. . .”
John 4: 10
Transiting Montana
Enroute from Judea to Galilee
And so beneath a billowing
Montana blue sky,
Jesus momentarily paused
Along an aquamarine
Riverbank to rest and recline. . .
When approached Him
A burdened Samaritan
Woman carrying an empty
Jar brimming with the
Bleakness of her despair. . .
And He called out,
“Daughter, it is no longer
Necessary to cloak
Your heart in such a hardened
Disguise, but to drink
You, instead, these living
Waters, and your name will
Be washed, and your
Thirst eternally satisfied.”
Matthew 7: 13-14
“Halt, who goes there!?”
“It is I, a simple pilgrim!”
“State your business!”
“I am lost. I am looking for my
Lord and Savior.”
Matthew 5:5
("Happy Are the Meek")
Click for meditationRegarding "Matthew 5:5"
So much beauty in
Life is hidden, known only in
Its existence by the
Creator. It is often that
This beauty is the most humble
And self-effacing, for fear
It is not really beautiful, at
Least as far as the superficiality
Of the world judges…
Some beauty prefers not
To draw attention to itself.
It was in this context
That I stumbled upon an
Absolutely stunning
Crocus in my garden as I
Was crawling on my
Hands and knees.
It was almost completely
Under a bush, and I
Have no recollection of
Its being there in
Years past. It seemed
To almost recoil from
Me in shyness, thinking
Itself unworthy in
My gaze, giving me the
Feeling it just wanted to blend
Into the background,
And let daffodil, tulip, and
Iris get all the applause
Come what may…
Leo Carroll
April 10, 2022
Beneath a bush and
Hidden in winter’s lingering shadow,
A crocus looks up surprised…
For I had just caught
Its beauty off guard, when
It thought itself alone
In the chill of the garden
It resided! Its petals
Almost pleaded with me,
“Wherefore emanates
Your interest!? Other spring
Blooms will soon appear,
More pleasing to your palette
Like sweetest daffodil,
Tulip, and iris…”