Sitting together

 

Sitting together 

Sitting together on the beach

End of the day

My sons and I are sitting together 

Rare times like this with no others around

We watch  the "sea billows" roar 

Cooling Breeze, the heat lessens at the end of the day 

Our favorite time of the day 

The tide is rough 

Much wind today 

Just sitting here

Trying not to fill the silence with words

Just the heart beat of family among 

We each have seen the high points of life together 

Vacations and high mountains 

Also some perplexing times when I wish they were near

Strength from them I now receive

Younger days I helped them along

Now they share an encouraging word or hand on the shoulder without a word 

They have carved their path 

Now leading their young ones to see and hold what matters

The waves crash hard today but 

I remember 

"When peace like a river, attendeth my way

When sorrows like sea billows roll

Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say

It is well, it is well, with my soul" *

So we sit quietly together 

We [pause]* together 

So hard for me not to speak so 

I say a few words of gratitude to them on their lives well lived 

Amidst exhausting times in the middle of life

I remember God

Your way ran through the sea,

    Your path cut through great waters *

"where there is life there is hope"

Dove c'è vita, c'è speranza.

I reluctantly stand and fold my chair 

They rise as well like they were waiting for me to make a move

We turn from the ocean and walk the sand back to the beach house 

packed with life and laughter and the like, the surf now ponding behind

I had brief time from the fleeting pace

"The sweetness of doing nothing"

La dolcezza del far niente

Sitting together, Glimpse poetry by Joe Holuta

About this poem:  Sitting together is a poem about sitting together with my two sons near the beach at the end of the day out of the heat with the cooling breeze. Everything cleared from the beach, chairs , umbrellas, -including family, friends, children, and we just sit there together not filling the quiet with many words, but just thinking and relaxing together. This does not happen with the three of us together very often due to distance separating us by many miles. Today we did  rest for a moment.  Thoughts of my grandparents who came from Italy and possibly enjoyed a pause of life the same. It was a "sweet time to do nothing"  La dolcezza del far niente! 

******

* "It Is Well with My Soul," written by Horatio Spafford and composed by Philip Bliss

*[pause] to life up

*Your way ran through the sea,

    Your path cut through great waters

 and still no one can spot Your footprints." 

Psalm 77:19 voice 

Two clouds now three years

Two clouds now three years 

When I think of thee
Maudey V
I think of the wonder of "two clouds" 
"two" 
now three


And the wonder of time 
Your love of reading and rhyme
So, fast the years a blink
Pictures capturing your uniqueness and how you think


About the love you have for sister and cousins and such
Starlings hovering and together so much 
Your big sister's care 
And keeping and hugs you bear 


When you question something, your eyes light up
Ready to learn and not a care where we wind up
Even when you see something unacquainted 
Lamb' ear, flowers, or tree leaves falling and fainted


We walk to see the city together
Scrapes and bruises along the way
Oh, I hope we could do this forever
Day after day after day

It’s said time flies as a breeze as lavender in the wind
As a breath, a passing mist so kind

Our prayer is for us to build more and more memories as fly the years

Our heart is to see more and hear your voice more on this spinning sphere

"No eye has ever surveyed the world and said, "I have seen enough";

no ear has ever listened to creation and said, "I have heard enough."1

About this poem: Two clouds now three years is a poem about the third birthday of Maude Veltri. Jayne and I have had the joy and blessing to see Maudey grow these last three years!  Emily Ann and Zach pour their lives into their lovely daughters Maude and Winter and it truly is taking root in their beautiful lives. 
Maudes love of reading books, her bright gestures and play time with Frozen characters with Nana warm my heart, forever! - Joe Holuta.

1 Ecclesiastes 1: 8 voice

The Smile of Winter

The Smile of Winter

"The Smile of Winter" over me all day long

But none so beautiful as the one I see so closely

But then you look and see... 

The newness, surrounding beauty

A Winter like we have never known

No snow or cold just as warm smile and warmth in her dark brown eyes 

Inclement days  or ill-nature comes over her

She smiles on anyway 

Your smile is "Like the fair light of Dawn, or summer Eve....."

"like a light that shines for you in the darkness of night"

"At some point we become our surroundings"

The fragrance of a rose

The rest of long days of summer

The first rays of a sunrise on a cool spring morning 

Sparkling diamonds of snow on a endless winter field or woods

The voice of a dear friend when you need it most

Fever breaking to bright eyes again 

The Smile of Winter that gladdens every day and every heart

About this poem: The Smile of Winter is a poem about a time of reflection on our youngest granddaughter Winter. We had the pleasure of spending a week together. Whenever our eyes met she would smile. Pleasantly content with the pace of life, the surrounding home, and even chaos.

I would glance at her and she would smile - her bright eyes seemed to smile as well!

The season of winter could have various meanings to folks. Winter's smile to me dispels any bleakness in my soul and inspires me with a deep, abiding hope. - Joe Holuta

I Sit I Wait

I Sit, I Wait

Sitting on a step, I see her as I drive by
Reading a book
Outside 
House sold, empty now 
Sitting now on a step where she did when she was young 
Home where she grew up 
Read books there before when she was young
Sentimental longings for some of the past 
Mom and dad were vibrant and young
now both passed 

Another one sits and waits

A mom with an enabled son 

She waits for the school bus to drop off her son

Last day of school

She mentions the day routine 

Early to bed and rise with no relief

Dad talks of the future and how they are perplexed on direction to go

Another neighbor taking picture of children's last day of school summer break 

She snaps the photos

Waiting with sure hope of their future,

the full summer, and busyness and years ahead

Waiting at the arrivals doors 
Oh, the anticipation to see your love
Entry of the "all is new" again 
And the baggage claim
Hoping, nothing lost
Looking for your sign, each sound, each bag 
Completing the arrival 
Some to a happy journey home
Some to a continuance of some pain Or uncertainty 
Young in wheelchairs, random factors
Young running together / mom and dad looks of exasperation 
"Mountains" of baggage 

Yet the joy, oh the joy of being home 

"I realize that everything I know is only part of the big picture,

 I see in fragments now."

We sit, we wait

In so many ways and times 

Anxious waiting, waiting in despair,

Anticipation and joy, 

Waiting in good and hard times, and struggle

Waiting for the sun to set

"Infusing our souls with life"

"Long, high and deep 

Surpassing everything love"

Loving life more with every breath 

A table in the setting sun 

Gentle wind - ripples on the lake 

Fish breaks the water's surface, barriers broken 

Writing as many years before

And now, today 

About this poem: I Sit, I Wait is a poem about waiting in life as we sit with those we love through loss of family, perplexing mental and physical health challenges, dreams realized or shattered for the future for those we love. Hope is what keeps us forging ahead. As we sit, wait and pray, we gain hope and approach tomorrow! Folks like us all around are going through something we may not be aware. We take time to listen, to love, and gain strength for the journey.- Joe Holuta

Fringe of The Robe

Fringe of The Robe

Desperate 

If only I could touch the fringe 1

"What does desperation look like?

 What does desperation sound like?"

"I'm reaching for the hem of your garment" 2

River flowing in front of me

All of life passing  

The fleeting 

“to kind of hook some of those memories out of the kind of that river that, you know, that goes by with all your life in it.

And suddenly, it's passed you by.”3

"Who thought I'd find You at the lowest place?

Who thought You'd feel me in the crowd?"

...What a God, What a God." 4

"She went on trying where others might have stopped"5

Some bright days in her life 

all varieties of flowers blooming 

children, playing, and laughter heard

"What a God" -iza Elohim-

being sung in the distance 

12 years of weakness and loss of life

Then one day the hearing of a prophet and healer near

Faith rising up in her

if only I could touch the fringe of His garment, 

the edges of the robe stopping the crimson flow

"Who touched me" 

Jesus and the woman's eyes meet

She remembers her dreams from younger days

"Something like scales fell from her eyes and she could see" 6

Healing reflected in her eyes and life

Trembling, now, before Him

Joy,

Joy 

"Only God can do such things."

"Only God can do such things!" 

Reaching, touching the fringe, the edge

Consoled and covered by the robe of Jesus

About this poem: Fringe of The Robe is a poem about desperate prayer and faith when we need God to act in our lives when we've exhausted all other options. There have been times in my life when anxiety or even panic sets in and it is hard for me to see a solution or to see clearly- trusting and being in faith that Jesus still comforts and heals today and trusting the Holy Spirit to move in my circumstances in a way that reveals The Father's love and overarching care and plan. I want to have faith and be desperate as the woman who wanted to be healed knowing she had no other hope- and reach for the fringe, touch the edge of the crimson robe of Jesus. - Joe Holuta

1

Luke 8:43-48 Living Bible 
43-44 As they went a woman who wanted to be healed came up behind and touched him, for she had been slowly bleeding for twelve years, and could find no cure (though she had spent everything she had on doctors). But the instant she touched the edge of his robe, the bleeding stopped.
45 "Who touched me?" Jesus asked.
Everyone denied it, and Peter said, "Master, so many are crowding against you...."
46 But Jesus told him, "No, it was someone who deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me."
47 When the woman realized that Jesus knew, she began to tremble and fell to her knees before him and told why she had touched him and that now she was well.
48 "Daughter," he said to her, "your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

Luke 8:43-48 Amplified Bible 
43 And a woman who had [suffered from] a hemorrhage for twelve years a [and had spent all her money on physicians], and could not be healed by anyone, 44 came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His outer robe, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" While they all were denying it, Peter ' [and those who were with him] said, "Master, the people are crowding and pushing against You!" 46 But Jesus said,
"Someone did touch Me, because I was aware that power [to heal] had gone out of Me."
47 When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came up trembling and fell down before Him. She declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 He said to her,
"Daughter, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in Me] has made you well. Go in peace (untroubled, undisturbed well-being)."

https://www.esv.org/Matthew+9:20%E2%80%9322;Mark+5:25%E2%80%9334;Luke+8:43%E2%80%9348/

2 . After Your Heart

Tiffany Hudson spontaneous worship 

https://open.spotify.com/track/324EwQ35nzBOuVRKL1wFgg?si=WK1sUzsMR1eBRB3SzlHERA

3

From Kelly Corrigan Wonders: Go To - Christy Turlington Burns and Bono Talking Moms, May 8, 2026

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kelly-corrigan-wonders/id1532951390?i=1000766757365&r=685

4.

What A God

Bobby Walker / Brunes Charles / Chelsea Plank / Kenzie Walker / Roosevelt Stewart

Capitol CMG Publishing, Essential Music

https://open.spotify.com/track/5IB4ugsKzjD4hWuIEFZtAE?si=TvDrA-FvRea-f7J9hXicMA

5. *Gordon Parks speaking of Gloria Vanderbilt "She went on trying where others might have stopped"

6. "At that instant, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see."

 Acts 9:17-19 VOICE - So Ananias went and entered the house - Bible Gateway