Love

It is abstract
but has her face
in the hands that touch with compassion
in the eyes that seek only the face of the beloved
in the words uttered, seeking only to uplift
and not humiliate.
in complete giving
without expecting to receive
in laying down one`s life
so that the beloved may live.

Simple Jewels

An encounter
introduced by smiles,
an ear that bridges understanding,
a laughter that breaks the ice,
tears that wash away pain,
thoughts that ponder
the secrets of the heart,
hope that forgives the past
and looks ahead with sunshine.

L  O  V  E  Acrostic

L= is for life to be lived, developed and protected.

O= is order in creation of giving, receiving and  
       renewing.

V=  is a vine of network for the life to live and survive.
    
E=  is for eternity that measures time in terms
       of hope and longing in the heart.


How Do I Love You?

I love you with my own imperfection
that ignores you when you hurt me with intention.
I love you with a calloused heart, hardened
by your hard accusations and humiliation.
I love you with a faint hope
battered by thoughts of going away
if only not to be hurt
if only not to be accused
if only not to be humiliated.
I love you with the dying face of love.

The Homeless Woman at Kolding Station

To live each day
with plastic bags of all that she has
To sleep each night without a bed
to lay down her head.
To eat and chew food
without toilet and a kitchen
for her plate, spoon and fork.
To put on the same dress
unwashed through all the seasons.
To sit on a bench, only talking
to herself as her only friend
must be a lonely journey 
for this woman at the Kolding Station
whom we see everyday.

She is there even if we close our eyes.
She is there in the morning and evening
sitting and standing, walking or stopping
She is there with her plastic bags,
uncombed hair and tattered rugs
She is there night and day to remind us
of life`s simplicity and our common responsibility.
 
Elizabeth Padillo Olesen
A play of lines written on the train to Germany,
June 29, 2007

Friendship

How can I resist the beauty of friendship
when it beacons the soul to rejoice
over acts of love and mercies?
How can I be deaf to the notes  of friendship
when the act of rejoicing echoes melodies
of joy that brings sunshine to dark clouds of tears?

How can I ignore the beauty of friendship
when it is able to merge the past, the present
and the future in the common experiences in time
stamped in albums, videos and other images
reflecting our young and wrinkled faces?

How can I ever bury friendship
when it sows the seeds of beauty and joy
in the heart, when encounters are marked
by the wish of eternity in time,
of saying only hellos and never goodbyes?

(after visit to good friends in Germany
         June 29-july 3,2007)

Friendship

Friendship is a seed
that sprouts from the ground
when an open hand is extended
when smiles and laughters are shared
when exchange of stories is heard.

Friendship is a plant
that thrives on the ground
when drops of rain fall down
when sunshine breaks through
the leaves to make food for life.

Friendship sprouts and grows
when love and care are extended
when deepest thoughts are understood
when laughters and tears and shared
when wrongs are forgiven for a fresh start.

Friendship is a seed and plant
which sprouts and grows
when its common food
on the leaves and from the ground
feeds the mind and heart
to bear and sustain friendship
in all the good and bad times.

Elizabeth Padillo Olesen
February 20, 2005
(written on the train)

An Image of a Bench

On an empty bench
stands the stillness
the absence of those
who used to sit down
and hold each other`s hands
while watching the sunset.

Empty and silent
forgotten and unwanted,
this bench stands erect
beside these robust trees
that swing their branches
and cast their shadows on the face
of this empty bench.

The winter cold creates
emptiness and loneliness
Those who find this bench
a delightful meeting place
have to have to break.

And yet the shadows
of these swinging branches
that cast a spell over this empty space
will ever remind the life supporting role
this bench has served through all the years
for those who sit down, hold their hands
while watching the sunset.

Elizabeth Padillo Olesen
February 20, 2005
written on the train from a winter holiday in Copenhagen