The Healing Journey of a Broken Vessel

Whence does my hope come?
Why does faith in renewal
remain undaunted?

A broken vessel
containing my life stories
lies shattered and strewn.

New life may emerge
from the shards of brokenness.
Will I be patient?

I Prefer Smiling but ...

Inexorably,
the losses accumulate.
I feel overwhelmed.

Which to lament first?
My body’s steady decline?
Or my caregiver's?

The love of my life
battles old age and illness.
MS consumes mine.

I Marvel

I stumble onward
through a dense fog of fatigue,
managing my chores.

Ever mindful of
pain my steady companion,
I muster true grit.

It is a marvel
how much I do accomplish
despite shortcomings.

Icy Wind

An icy wind blows
in frigid bone-cracking cold,
showing no mercy.

Fleeing the harsh winds,
all living beings scurry,
searching for shelter.

Lower daylight hours
thrust waiting into darkness
even in refuge.

Kindle Edition Available

The Kindle version of my book is now available.  Peace on the Journey is enrolled in Amazon’s Matchbook program. This means that if you already purchased the print edition in the past (or purchase one now), the Kindle price is reduced by 50%.

It has been a remarkable experience for me to read my own book in this new edition. It feels as if I had published it for the first time. Also, in my Kindle library (organized by Amazon), my book “sits” alongside Thomas Jefferson and John Keats. What a thrill!

 

Future Promise

Morning hoarfrost forms
fresh dew frozen on parched grass
before sunlight comes.

A slumbering world
poised to shed its dormancy
awaits light’s coming.

What life may exist
beneath apparent stillness
holds future promise.

In This New Year

May You ... 

Have light shine away
the darkness of your valley
so you can reach home.

Meet along the way
strangers who treat you kindly
 and with a full smile.

Feel deep in your heart
the warmth of those beside you
who also love you.

Remembering

With wisdom and joy,
Patrick Leer and George Bokos
blessed my life journey.

On whatever plane
their lives unfold for all time,
may hardship be trounced.

Their unselfish gifts
bestowed on all who knew them
continue to bless.

International Distribution of Peace on the Journey: Poems

Some international readers have asked why they cannot find my book in their country. To address that, I spent a few hours in the “Academy of International Amazon Book Distribution” and have learned a few things. I have discovered that, though Amazon is working on expanding its distribution, there are still some countries where my book is not available. Among these are Brazil, China, India, Japan, Mexico, and, surprisingly, Canada and Australia. Since a Canadian friend ordered the book, I assume she bought it from the US site. Perhaps this will change when the book is converted into Kindle format in January, but I am not sure. In the meantime, I’m sorry for any time some of you have spent searching for my book.

The links for the following countries are provided:

 France: Peace on the Journey: Poems

Germany: Peace on The Journey: Poems

 Italy: Peace on The Journey: Poems

 Spain: Peace on The Journey: Poems

 UK: Peace on The Journey: Poems

US: Peace on The Journey: Poems

It's on Amazon!

The book’s available! Here is the link. It is available in both paperback and Kindle editions.

I hope you enjoy the book. Here’s part of the book description appearing on the Amazon page.

“The Peace on the Journey poems explore the theme of renewal in the face of adversity. Life challenges are confronted honestly while hope and joy are also embraced. In these poems, sometimes a smile lifts one past overwhelming struggle. At other times, sadness and discouragement trump easy laughter and resolve. Always, the intent is to handle life with grace, to bear low moments with dignity, and to blunt despair by remaining unbowed.”

If you purchase the book, I would appreciate your leaving an Amazon Customer Review. Thanks in advance.

Thank you also for sharing my publication journey. Your encouraging words have been invaluable.

Nelson Mandela

“… during all my years in prison hope never left me … I did not doubt that I would someday be a free man.”

“The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers fear.”

Peace on the Journey: Poems

My book Peace on the Journey is available in paperback and Kindle editions. 

  Editorial Reviews

“For those struggling with chronic illness, loss of a loved one, or any major life challenge, the Peace on the Journey poems affirm that one can still choose to smile and resolutely renew life. In facing hardship honestly but tempering it with hope, these healing poems light a path out of despair.”

—Dr. Joan Barice

 
“In deceptively simple seventeen-syllable nuggets, these poems convey a complexity of emotion and perspective that quite often transcends the limits of language. They are nuggets of shared humanity that find their mark squarely in the heart and soul. Sometimes in whispers, sometimes in shouts, Judith Mercado’s words resonate with wisdom and truth, and grace the reader with intimacy, honesty and understanding.”
 

—Marc Stecker, Wheelchair Kamikaze

Book Description

The poems explore the theme of renewal in the face of adversity. Influenced by the haiku form, this collection offers a poem a day for a year, though one can easily start on any page and progress in any order. Peace on the Journey is enrolled in Amazon’s Matchbook program. This means that if you already purchased the print edition in the past (or purchase one now), the Kindle price is reduced by 50%.Ten percent of net book proceeds will be donated to the Myelin Repair Foundation. 

May my poems illumine your journey.

I Aim to ...

Stop and breathe deeply.
Listen to the quiet surf.
Embrace the stillness.

This I Believe — Encore

 

I do not know how

I will manage to endure,

but I trust I shall.

I tap into roots

spiritual and grounded.

My center will hold.

Faith in renewal

anchors my spirit in hope

my life will be blessed.

Keeping It Real — Encore

 

Keeping it real means
I acknowledge my losses
and concede my pain.

Keeping it real means
I recognize my limits
while I set new goals.

Keeping it real means
I confront what awaits me
clearly but with hope.

A Moment of Peace — Encore

Sometimes one gets lost
in the hustle and bustle
and forgets to breathe.

Finding one’s stillness
becomes elusive when pressed
to match the world’s whir.

A moment of peace
restores and rejuvenates
so one can go on.

Leaving for a While

our reality
two seriously ill at home
a challenging time

a case of two halves
equaling less than a whole
life gets difficult

alternating both
care giving and receiving
we struggle badly

so we roll along
finding some joy where we can
not letting pain rule

but now my dear friends
I take a leave of absence
until stress lightens

The Happiness Formula

On my mind has been
what accounts for happiness,
how one can find it.

On my better days,
love and value are affirmed
through loved ones and work.

Researchers assert
service and compassion bring
happiness as well.

Redesign

Cleft from the mainstream,
I turned into The Other,
not quite a good fit.

Forced to reinvent
my roles and relationships,
I sought a new me.

Prompted to value
the transformation life brought,
I release the past.

A Broken Support System

I cling for support
to a broken link about
to snap off cleanly.

Rusty and flimsy,
my link still enables me
to think I am fine.

I look around me.
Are there other links to grasp?
None seem stress worthy.