Carole Smith

Use me.              Fill me. Heal me. O Holy Spirit, I am yours. Teach me. Guide me. Lead me. O Holy Spirit, I am yours. Mold me. Shape me. Fulfill me. O Holy Spirit, I am yours. Whatever I was, forgive me. Whoever I am, transform me. Whoever I shall be, reveal me. O Holy Spirit, I am yours!

"Hagar entered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba where the two soon ran out of water and Hagar, not wanting to witness the death of her son, set the boy some distance away from herself, and wept. "And God heard the voice of the lad" and sent his angel to tell Hagar, "Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation." And God "opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water", from which she drew to save Ishmael's life and her own." Genesis 21:14-19 Draw Deep When you are empty When you are spilled When you can’t ever Seem to be filled... Draw near to me Draw deep from my well I am your rest I am your fill! Look to me, I’m but only a step away You can not take your own worries away You try and you try To make your own way… But I am your rest Draw close to me Drink deep from me Water un-ending Rest never-ceasing Cleansing abounding I’ll set you free Draw d...

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…” Ecclesiastes 3:1 While I Sit Trying to think muddy, murky, deep… in my mind, in my car, in my wait. So I sit. And I write.        And I sit. And I think. And I try. And I try. I try… to make it clear, that it’s the person out there… playing her soccer, kicking his kicks, flying his punches, shooting her hoops, that it’s for. Not my time. It’s her time. It’s his time. Its youth’s time. And that realization… Clears my mind. Stops the list. Warms my heart …while I sit. ~ Copyright © 2013 by Carole A. Smith

“I will extend peace to her like a river…” Isaiah 66:12 Peace like a river, Pour over me. Flowing, swirling, Bubbling, carrying, Pushing, rinsing my tears away. Peace like a river, Be with me today… Encircling, washing, Refreshing, guiding, Cleansing, purifying my thoughts, I pray. Power and might, Strength and gentleness. Peace like a river,  Wash over me. ~ Copyright © 2013 by Carole A. Smith

L egend of Ancient times, tales of beautiful lore God of forests and fields chasing beauty…wanting more. Running, desperate-escaping-flee, Beauty transforms into ornate Lilac tree. I nnocence of purity and truth White Lilac blooms… we celebrate our youth. Brave military you diligently protect Purple confident plumes depict our honor, our respect. L egacy generously gifted from the past Lovingly planted Lilac roots grow… holding firm, holding fast. Emerging from a cold-wintery-sleep each May Sweet purple-hues “The beauty of this Lilac City!” all will say. A live at 75! Our Diamond Anniversary we sing! Like that gem, our traditions are steadfast: Durable, simple, elegant with grace Timeless simplicity… Lilac petals of lace. C ommunity spirit we proudly display A festival to honor and celebrate: Our youth, our military, our beautiful land. Seventy-five years strong…Lilac Legacy We celebrate you, Spokane! ~ Copyright © 2013 by Car...

I am honored to be selected as the 2013 Lilac Poet for Spokane, WA.   My poem I wrote for the Festival was "unveiled" at the Lilac Luncheon, at the Davenport Hotel on May 13, 2013. Lessons of the Lilac In the front yard by the grayed wooden gates …the Lilacs grew. Masking the cans of trash where the milk-box waits …the Lilacs grew. A place now only of childhood memories Sweet, sad, dark, light, full, alone… This is the spot where the Lilacs grew. Wild, untamed: Pruning they did not know. The Lilacs were left Unattended: free to grow. Overpowering in all their glory Blooms ripe and full Allowed freely to explore Shape, size, potential. Just like only a child once knew Sweet, sad, dark, light, full, alone… This is the spot where the Lilacs grew. Trying their hardest to make a mark in this world As if knowing their time would shortly fade Imprinting their essence into the heart and senses Of all who lavished in t...

It’s time to reshape The misshapen SHAPE of me. I am FULL. Influenced by this world …too much. Selfishness Pride Arrogance Materialism… I need to reshape MY way of LIFE According to GOD’s WAY of  LIFE…for me. Deep joy CAN be mine WILL be mine By deflating ME And filling with HIM. I choose to KNOW the LORD NO world! I choose to SERVE the LORD You have been SERVED world! It’s time to reshape The misshapen SHAPE of ME. ~Carole Smith 4/9/13 Inspired by Psalm 119:36-37 “Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn me eyes away from worthless things…”

Truest love is sought by all Imaginations of hearts a-flutter Though it so quickly will befall False dreams heap crushing clutter I willfully earned this elusive desire Though only through hardship and pain My hearts own crushing breaking fire T'was only through trial did I gain My sweetest loves of all my life Were won through hard fought time So now am blessed as mother and wife And all that lost was selfish mine For truest love that which we seek Comes only once your heart is meek -Carole Smith * 3/5/2013

...This poem was inspired by the Bible Study I'm in, covering the Book of Deuteronomy...  I am in a desert. I have lost my way. Oh Lord, speak to me... I need to hear you today! Remind me you are here. ...You've brought me this way. You have more for me! I need to hear you say... "You too have a Promised Land! Just look at my hand... see? Lean into my arms, gaze at my plans... Let Me set you free! Though your lost in a desert... Though you've lost your way... I am with you here, my child... I am with you today!" ~Carole A. Smith 10/3/12

THE DREAM ~ I dreamt of you last night …comforting me …listening to me …paying attention to me. Caring about what I had to say. Offering me words of kindness and wisdom. I dreamt of you being all I needed you to be …when you were alive. ~  My Father passed away September 25, 2010... I had a strange dream last night.  It was a sort of role reversal between my mom and my dad.  Instead of my dad dying, it was my mom.  And instead of my mom giving me advice and words of comfort, it was my dad.  Maybe it was because at the end of our phone call last night, my mom hung-up on me.  I am half-way wondering if my dead father visited me in my dream last night.  By all of my standards, this could be totally viable.  I awoke, by the dog, at the end of the dream at 3:18am.  3 am, I have always heard, is the peak hour for spirit activity… and apparently for dogs to go pee.  3 is the prime number for me and my dad....

I have become so thin because there is no more room in the room of me for me. In the shower the hot water washes over me. The steam loosens me and I discover an edge… On the inside and lift             and pry                         to see. What is this edge? What is under this edge? On the paper-thin             thinness of me. I see light. I sense freedom. I mercilously pull             with one tearing rip desparate to see. What I discover ...a dark shadow of an unheard child that lives deep inside of me. It fills me up and crowds my space and tries to become me. It has deceived me for so long. Has become me so well. That I didn’...

Our assignment for June from my Poetry Scribes of Spokane group was to write a poem about the West. I am not a west-ern type of girl, by any stretch of the imagination.  I don't watch cowboy movies, or read western books, or even listen to country music... so this was going to be a particularly challenging piece of work for me.  But this is one of the main reasons I love my little group.  I am pushed to write on themes I would never choose for myself.  So I dug deep and used the remake of the movie True-Grit for my muse.  I actually loved this movie and was truly moved by it.  The last 1/4 of the movie was very powerful.  So, here it goes... *** Harsh lines etch his sun-stained face. Harsh binds his heart with delicate scars, like lace.  …Woven throughout from years of alone, his horse, the land, no comfort flows-forth what he calls home. She enters, unwanted, in a drunken dream. She binds her heart to fulfill her ...

Being at my father's bedside the last three days before he passed in September 2010 had a huge emotional, mental, spiritual and creative impact on me. I got to witness the mental peace of his transition from this life to the next, as well as his body's physical struggle to remain here with us. I have some of the most vivid sensory memories of my life burned into my being from these days, which have resulted in the birth of very personal poetry and stories... many have yet to be released from within me. My dad loved football. He played it, he coached it and when he was no longer able to do either of those, he Refereed it. As a little girl, I was enamoured with my father and his role as a Ref.  Because I did not get to see him very often due to my parent's divorce, a lot of things about my father held deep mystery and awe for me. His home was somewhat of a magical place for me, as he had rooms that had names for the color of it's shag carpet. The poem below,...

  " Surrender yourself to the Lord , and wait patiently for him." Psalm 37:7 (GW)     Grip… Don’t let go. Grip… Can’t let go. Grip… It’s mine. Grip… It’s me . Grip Rip Tare Fear Hold-tight…Too-tight Grip Grab Squeeze. Cling-Stuck Grip Grab On-top, Smother Breath. … need to breath. Tired Let go …Just a little… Grip loosens. Grip undone. Grip Gone. Release-Sweet Tender-free Be free Set it free Let it be L et me be. Whatever you are holding onto so tightly …May be the thing that is holding you back. Let go of your grip. Surrender. Be free.   "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1 NIV by ~Carole A. Smith

My Prayer... Only You by Carole A. Smith Lord, Give me the will and purpose to keep my eyes only on you. Show me the path, you have laid out for my life. With your light, illuminate it… by day and by night. Guide me. Instruct me. Call me …by my name. Walk beside me Hold my hand... Carry me when I am weak. Open my ears and my heart so that I may hear your voice, Lord …speaking to me at all times. When you correct me, give me the strength to obey. When you praise me, allow my heart to receive. When you command me, give me the courage to follow your way. All that I have in this world is a gift from you. Let me hold it with open hands, facing upward …back to you. Turn my thoughts away from myself and from all the things of this world, So that I may focus upon And follow ... Only you.

I have my Poetry Scribes of Spokane meeting today and our monthly assignment is to write an Ode. "O de: (ohd) 1. A lyric poem characterized by lofty feeling, elaborate form, and dignified or elevated style; a form of stately and elaborate lyrical verse. 2. A lyric poem usually marked by exaltation of feeling and style, varying length of line, and complexity of stanza forms. 3. A lyrical poem praising or glorifying a person, place, or thing." http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/article.html?id=609 Lately I have been falling in love all over again with my soon to be 9 year old boy Zackary. We had a date last night which included Red Robin for dinner, warm chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert (for him) and then I took him to the Y to watch him swim. We played hangman at dinner and his first phrase-challenge for me was to solve 3 words... I LOVE YOU. Without asking me to watch, he dove into the deep end of the pool and swam his fastest laps up and down the pool. At each ...