If The Dragon. {Poem}

Kneeling Knight photo by Ryan Myer

During a dark time in the life of our family, several years ago, I wrote this poem for my children (teens at the time) to help them heal. They felt grateful and moved, and one of them taped his copy inside his school locker to read every day. Now, I share it with you, with love.


If The Dragon


If the dragon were a heartache
Would you fight it to the end
Brandish every sword you own,
Each weapon to offend


Would you but spare the innocent,
Forgive the guilty, too,
While conquering the frightful foe 
Now ruling over you


—Or would you cower in your armor
In the corner of your life,
Let the dragon go on dragging
Hearts through agony and strife


If the fire on the mountain
Were the anger in your chest,
If the enemy surrounding you
Refused to let you rest,


Would you face the mountain bravely,
Grit your teeth and set your will
—Or lie down among the wild rose
Upon the quiet hill


Would you fall upon your sword
With a final anguished cry
—Or slowly, steadily live to save
The soldiers left to die


Would you be the hero of the tale
Your soul so longs to tell—
If the dragon were a heartache
—And your quest were to be well.    ♥

A Balm For Our Home (A Winter Homeschooling Story)

(Winter Wonderland photo by Ryan Myer)

February 1996 found the inside of our home as blustery as the snowy wind outside.

My 8-year-old daughter's cystic fibrosis had taken a turn for the worse and our time was consumed with administering treatments and medications and hashing out insurance problems on the phone. My 5-year-old responded to the chaos with daily temper tantrums, and my 3-year-old constantly cried and begged to be held. In the midst of this storm I was trying to homeschool.

We can't get behind, I exhorted myself. Our math program called for daily drills, our spelling workbook demanded a page a day, our terrific science curriculum required frequent nature walks with detailed journal entries and research, the planaria we were raising had to have their water changed daily, and our engaging history unit studies were full of elaborate projects. We had to keep learning, keep doing. Not only because it was good and right, but because we lived in Pennsylvania.