We sit around

A bunch of 20-30’s

Sharing what we’ve found

To be the purpose of life

For some of us, our ideas

Have slowly but surely

Shifted over the years

We realise we might not have it right 

We continue to ask questions

Seeking meaning and Truth

Learning from life’s lessons

The journey is travelled together

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I was sick last week

My body felt weak 

The food I ate began to digest 

Then it got thrown up instead

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

When it rains we sometimes say,

“The skies have opened.” 

But if the skies had opened,

The clouds would be parted

There would be nothing for the raindrops

To fall from 

When it rains we could say,

“The skies are covered.”

The clouds bunch together 

The weight becoming too much 

A submission to the heaviness

Causes release

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Some people may ask,

“Are you bitter, Paul?”

My honest answer is, 

No, not at all

I have to believe 

God is in control

Every morning I wake

I choose to be grateful

Yes, we all prayed for a miracle

Yet we hold onto faith

Even when death calls

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I missed my bus 

Because I don’t like to rush

Now I have to wait

Which isn’t so great

That’s what happens when you’re late

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

My life has gotten busier

Yet with determination and self-driven motivation

There is still time to be creative

Poems can be crafted

Dances can be danced

I will still go on dates

With my Inner Artist

This is a crucial part of me 

That I won’t let go of easily

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I’m sitting, waiting, to present my proposal

To the Kāpiti Coast District Council

I’m hoping I’ll receive

A nice chunk of money

So we can run monthly poetry

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

My dream of empowering poets to share

Has come true

It’s beautiful to hear this art-work

From so many different life-walks and 

Journeys, perspectives, experiences

We have a moment of connection 

All of us relating to failure 

To love

To questioning our decisions

The inclusion and belonging

Sparks hope for humanity

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I can breathe a sigh of relief

Gratitude brims and overflows

I am free 

From fear

I have 

Answered prayer

Peace is mine

I experienced healing 

From the Divine

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Chicken from the freezer

Perfectly cooked rice

Stir fried veggies 

Drizzled chilli sauce

We had enough to say,

“Why don’t you stay?

Eat with us, enjoy the day!”

We had meaningful kōrero 

The unplanned gatherings are often the best

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

We get to stay in Kāpiti! 

God answered my prayers 

I prayed that Dan’s job would be 

In the Wellington Region as an Engineer

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I’ve added a part time job 

Into the mix of my life 

Now I’m working out new routines 

To achieve all I want to as a wife

I want to support my husband 

To do the things he wants to do 

But fitting everything in 

Needs some working through

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

My brother-in-law arrived this morning

He had coffees in hand,

He came to do some building with Dan

Now I’m sitting in the sun

With pen and paper to write, 

While happily sipping on a flat white

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Creativity, I won’t let you go

Inner Artist, please, you must know 

That this new job isn’t going to squash you

You’ll still create and still get to soar

You won’t be put on a shelf once more 

Inner Artist, you will still have most of my time 

Your fire won’t be put out 

You’ll continue to shine 

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I get to start a new job today!
I enjoy my poet life and my creative flow

Yet I can’t hold back the excitement of delving into something new 

I will get to learn systems and processes

Interact with a team 

I’ll get to discover from what countries and whose hands 

Came all those beautiful things

It seems my capacity has grown 

I’m ready to be thrown into this next season

I love the community we live in 

It’s wonderful connecting and growing 

With this bunch of beautiful humans 

Seeing the development

The real change in peoples’ worlds

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I wish I could get rid 

Of the insistent thoughts of ‘what if?’

They make me drift

Away from this present moment

Into imaginings of other happenings

That did not or will not exist

Why do I struggle to commit

To the already-made decision

Why must I mess up being content

By the over-use of imagination

Does anyone else do this?

Where you dream of alternative story-endings

Instead of being grateful for this version

Including the middles and beginnings?

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I have new earrings that are tiny pink pearls

They are beautiful

I feel super cute wearing them 

I had my diamond rings cleaned

They are sparkling 

I feel super adored looking at them

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

When the Spirit says,

“Go slow, pray.”

You obey.

As you do,

There’s a release into the space

Freedom to be in the awkward place

A letting go of the need

To have everything look okay

A leaning into the reality

Rather than pushing away

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Oh life 

With its unexpected twists and turns

Oh grace

With its ever-expanding covering 

Oh joy 

With its strength to carry on

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I haven’t written any poems for a few days

It seems there’s a build up of things to say

After spending some time away 

I have some poetic catch up to play

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I will be paid for my poetry

Days have gone when I would perform for free

I am not a circus monkey 

At times for charity or community

I will give of myself generously

You can learn to value me 

In the way that I have learnt

To honour my hard work and creativity

I will be paid for my poetry

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I find it mystical and amazing

How places hold memories

You can return somewhere

And be flooded with emotion by just being there

The times of your past

Highs and lows

Come rushing back in

As though your body knows

It remembers walking on this whenua

The land is holding your stories

I find it mystical and amazing

How places hold memories

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Tonight we will shine 

We will bring our life experiences

Share from our stories 

Indulge in the joy of words

Tonight we will soar 

Find freedom in the expression 

Seek to understand more 

Feel the deep feelings 

Tonight we will see 

Allow our eyes to find new things

Savour the opportunity 

Open ourselves to impossibilities

Tonight we will stand 

Taller than we were before 

Set our shoulders back 

Own the space we inhabit

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

When you are a family

Even a unit of two 

There are dreams, hopes and ambitions

You must together work through 

I may desire one thing

My husband another 

So we learn to submit 

Giving preference to each other 

I’ve been wrestling with the tension 

Of passion and success

Wondering why I can’t have both 

If I’m so favoured and blessed 

If the God of the impossible

Is writing my story

Can’t I live in abundance 

While still being a missionary?

Maybe I need to be humble

Laying aside personal ambition 

Go find a regular paying job 

So we can live out the family vision 

Yet why should I have to

If this is my gift and my calling 

I don’t want to resign to normal 

I never signed up for boring

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

When the words I’m repeating 

Over and over

Suddenly have a deeper meaning 

I begin speaking

From the soul

Acknowledging what I feel

Connecting, being real

I have to constantly remind myself,

It’s ok to show my imperfections

I can be a person of faith

And still be honest about doubt

Let the questions draw me deeper

Into surrender

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

As we drive toward today’s work site

We ponder the big questions of life

Like why is there so much injustice?

How can we restore our planet?

What can we do about the mental health epidemic?

We question why earthquakes happen

Does God ever dish out punishment or discipline?

What is our true purpose on earth?

Would things look different if everyone believed

That they have intrinsic worth?

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

We wake early

It is dark and quiet

Our accommodation was well-insulated

The 3 degree temperature outside

Shocks our bodies 

As we drive 

Our eyes find delight 

The hills have been snow-capped overnight

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Paul – Pilot and Engineer

You showed me me something

While flying to Puysegur

In your helicopter

I had asked about the wind

And if you could only react to the gusts

You said there are a few techniques

That can make the journey less rough

It’s better, you said, to go with the wind

Rather than push against

As that can cause issues 

If you accidentally over-correct

So as we fly over the ranges

Buffeted by the wind changes

I think to myself, this is just like

Dealing with life’s challenges

Often if we push back, cling on tight and resist

We sit with fear and worry, our thoughts growing anxious

Yet, if we relax our arm

Just loosely holding on 

Though the winds of life are strong

Our hearts can find peace and calm

There’s a submission 

To what we cannot control

A working with the elements of unknown

So as with flying, and in life 

We arrive where we are going 

Not by force alone, but by flowing

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I don’t really count this as waiting…

I’m just being

While he’s busy doing

My feet and my mind wander

I ponder

I pray

He checks, tests, and calibrates

I enjoy a quiet day

Reading, writing, thinking

I don’t really count this as waiting…

I’m just being

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I live a pretty special life

I get to travel with my husband

View the mountains

From my picnic rug 

Next to the weather station

High vis vests work a treat

Here comes another helicopter

They’ll see me from the sky, 

Relaxing

But really I’m writing

Putting together poetry

While the perception could be

That I’m lazy 

I see this as working

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Writer’s paradise of a day

Coffee while editing

Wine while reading

Easy-listening jazz 

The background soundscape

Blue lake and green trees 

The stunning-sight landscape

An escape

From regular routine

Simply wonderful and inspiring

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I haven’t written any poems that I like lately 

But still I keep on writing 

Because I figure if I keep on churning 

Eventually I’ll write something I like 

I’ll hit a stroke of gold 

Pen something worth sharing 

Write lines that have deep meaning 

I have to keep believing 

In the power of consistency 

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I’m acting as though when the clock strikes midnight

On the final day of May 

My ability to be a poet 

Will be stripped away 

Of course that’s not the case 

I will continue to be 

One who writes and shares poetry 

Only my income streams may need diversifying

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I keep thinking that I’ve been in this space for six months, but then I count it out

June July August September October November December January February 

Goodness me, can it be nine months? 

And does this mean I only have three remaining? 

My year of the poet will be over before I know it

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Pen to paper

Over and over

Committing to creativity

Not letting the missed days discourage me

Pressing on

Telling the story

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Last night I had a chat with a young woman

She is just seventeen 

It seems she is growing older 

And questioning what it means 

To find her place in the world 

To know herself apart from her younger friends 

To begin to dwell on adult things 

The maturity gap grows 

Her interests deviate 

She starts to feel like she can no longer relate 

The games seem childish 

The conversations seem shallow 

The environment has shifted 

She considers her tomorrows 

Still involved and outgoing and free

Yet considering who she wants to be 

Acknowledging the season shifting

A little worried about life changing

Relieved to simply express how she’s feeling

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I’m challenged by, 

What if this is what Jesus wanted? 

What if it’s enough for him 

To see Grannys socialising 

Sticking ribbon on plastic containers

Making wedding cards 

Painting rocks

Having a laugh 

Perhaps he delights in that 

In those women having a place to be

With some colouring and a cup of tea

Maybe my vision is too Spiritualized

So much that my eyes are blind 

To see the beauty of connection 

In those ladies’ interactions 

While I can’t understand or appreciate

Their small talk chit chat, 

It’s making a difference to their week 

It’s an opportunity for them to listen and to speak

I can see why I was upset

My expectations were not met 

But I can shift what I expect 

To be simply what I prefer 

Which then extends grace to those who differ

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Expectations have not been met

I’m sitting in frustration and disappointment

What I envisioned and hoped for

Has been sabotaged into something else
This might still be good, helpful to some

But I want to see Kingdom Come!

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

“I want to be with you,”

I said,

Through sniffs and tears,

“I want to be with you, 

For another eighty years.”

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Today I’ve come for a walk

Despite the wind gusts

To say ‘hello Ocean’ 

And feel some sun on my skin

To smell the freshly cut grass

And listen to the birds sing

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Today’s writing spot is the vehicle testing station

My car’s safety will have a full evaluation 

You hope every time that all will be healthy

So you don’t have to fork out on more repair money

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I’m sitting under a tree

Sun shining

Thinking

It’s wonderful to be in no rush 

It’s lovely to just

Soak in your Presence

Know the Father’s love

Be in the grass

Hear the cicadas call

Believing you’re in and through it all

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Younger me,

I want to redeem what I held from you 

In trying to be ‘good’

In attempting to please 

I withheld many an opportunity 

You were happy and full of hope 

Yet you were plagued by so many don’ts

Restricted and relegated to your bubble 

Self-preservation learned from being sheltered

Be free, younger me 

Take risks and explore 

Dance without reason 

Give the wine bottle another pour 

I am sure the choices we made 

Were of good intention 

Yet I see that in part they were driven 

By fear of failure and disappointment

So get rid of the expectations 

Of being this perfectly put together girl 

And own the woman that you are 

Discover your place in this world

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Patches of blue sky tease us 

The wind is so strong, clouds cover those cheeky blue spaces 

Almost immediately

We remember recent beach days 

The sun’s hot rays 

It seems far away 

From where we are now 

Surrounded by mud and debris 

The clean up won’t be easy 

The cyclone caused tragedy

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I’m finding my flow

A cross over of gifts

Intersection of skills

I’m not just creating poems,

I’m creating environments 

And opportunities

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

To me, God is in everything

I will unashamedly speak of my Spirituality

Fully knowing

You may not agree and that’s okay

I don’t expect you to align with all that I say

But I won’t shy away 

From what is true to me

Jesus has been a real part of my story

At the age of six I chose Him

And 10 years later I made a public declaration

It’s been another 10 years since

And still I persist

In being a follower of Jesus

I’ve let go of some beliefs

Others have expanded and evolved

If you asked my opinion on certain hot topics 

I may say, ‘honestly, I don’t know’

I do know, however, 

That I am my Beloved’s and He is mine

The hope and peace I have acquired

Where else would I find?

I don’t need to keep searching

Looking for other methods or other ways

Jesus is enough so it’s through Him I pray

This isn’t to say your way is wrong

And my way is right

It’s just to affirm my journey into light 

My life is marked by increase,

Abundance, impossibilities 

And I credit that to Jesus advocating for me

The one true God is good

He’s kind and full of grace

It doesn’t matter what name you call Him

Or if we worship in the same place

Because what is greater,

Over and above, 

Is knowing and being known by the God of love

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

The people fill sandbags

Ready themselves for impact

The wind is rushing 

Rain flies sideways

The force of nature is incredible

Roads impassable where trees block the way

The gutters spill over 

Rivers form where roads once were

The houses are damaged 

Rooftops become an escape from rising waters

The hills crumble in slips and slides 

Regional warnings turn into a national emergency 

The cyclone 

Roars

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I did something

I created a thing

I founded an event 

I brought an idea to life!

I dreamed and then did it

Imagination alone is powerful

But imagination paired with action is unstoppable

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Your heart stopped

All seems lost

This could be the end

But it’s not

Life is preserved 

Saved

Brought back

So you may know that 

There is deeper meaning 

You come back passionate

About re-connecting

With yourself

The world

Your wife and baby girl

Relationship is made central 

It’s all about connection 

Let the beating begin again

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Am I living for comfort?

Making choices dependent 

On what feels best for me

Instead of being awake 

To a life of mystery?

Am I aware of the beauty

That can come from pain

Or do I just avoid it

Hoping to dodge and escape?

Is my resistance to conflict more damaging

Than having the hard conversation?

Is my desire for harmony

Actually causing friction and frustration?

Keeping quiet is not always the answer

Silence does not always acquire peace

Sometimes you must speak

Say what you mean

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

You can’t always trust feelings

They tell you some things but not necessarily

The full story

They’re polluted by our history

Our bruises

Our regrets and mis-steps

Our minds sometimes get things twisted

Untangle the mess of my mind

Help me to find

Shalom

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Everything about a Mama is a miracle

The way the embryo forms 

The physical body grows

Stretching, 

Making,

Space for someone new 

The birthing process 

Horrific and beautiful

Feeding, 

Needing,

Baby fully dependent  

On mum’s body

To sustain theirs 

Constant self-sacrifice 

Pouring 

Into that brand new little life 

Sleepless nights 

Tired eyes 

Strength and fight 

Incomparable love 

Everything about a Mama is a miracle

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Many a poet

Came out tonight

To delight

In the coming together of words

Some were well-versed

Others shared for the first time

Encouraged to write

Given opportunity to share

Laid their hearts bare

Left a relatable sensation in the air

We heard about fear

Grief, love, burn-out, revolution

We laughed and drank and enjoyed conversation

Artists were celebrated

All were included

We felt freedom and hope

In just being human

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

The people of my race 

Did hard damage in this place

They raped, pillaged, stole and killed

They filled Māori with hurt and hate

And failed to demonstrate

The love that they claimed

Some settlers had hearts of gold

But others were brutally cold

Those stories haven’t really been told

Just hidden in the folds 

of history

We must share 

The reality of what brought us here

We must advocate for peace,

Justice and what is fair

We must repent and replace

The hate for love

May there be hope for our children

And grandchildren

To live in Aotearoa 

Without racism

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

My darling is home! 

After sleeping alone for 13 nights 

I’m in pure delight 

To have my man back in my arms 

My head rests

Against his chest 

Breathing with his breath 

I feel whole again 

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

In Mahara Place today 

I saw three very dressed up, very attractive couples 

In Mahara Place today 

I saw two little girls become instantaneous friends 

In Mahara Place today 

I saw elderly folk lining up to withdraw cash from the ATM 

In Mahara Place today 

I saw a yellow-haired artist sing her original songs 

In Mahara Place today 

I saw a grandma get on a see-saw and make her grandchild giggle

In Mahara Place today 

I saw life happening, young and old, casual and fancy, full and free 

In Mahara Place today 

I could not see, the depth of what is happening underneath 

In Mahara Place today 

I could not see what people were feeling or thinking 

In Mahara Place today 

I could not see the struggles and challenges each person faces

In Mahara Place today 

I could not see the complex and beautiful layers of story 

In Mahara Place today 

I could not see the hopes, expectations, disappointments and questions

In Mahara Place today 

I could not see, but still believe, in the Spiritual depth of those peoples’ humanity

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I enjoy this life that I lead

It’s one of fluidity and creativity

But what I do miss

Is seeing instant results

In other jobs

You complete tasks and when they’re done

You get a certain sense of satisfaction

You see the pay-off for your input

Right away

But as a poet 

It can be days

Weeks, months, years

Between writing, publishing,

Performance, cheers

Before pay-out and appreciation

You work in secret 

Putting pen to paper

Typing words on a screen 

And only sometimes the work gets seen

You must pat yourself on the back 

As there is no boss or co-worker to do that

You are your own motivator

Passion and calling the drive

You do it because without your art 

You don’t fully feel alive

And that’s why

On the days when I’d rather be 

In a nine to five

I remind myself, in that environment

I could never thrive

It wouldn’t truly satisfy 

So I 

Implore my fellow writers

To stay the course, remember your why

Don’t give up on your Darlings

When you’re exhausted

Just have a cry 

Let it out 

Then move forward

Carry on my friend

There are treasures in your letters

Gifts in your pen

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

My French press coffee has been on to brew 

I wait for a few 

minutes 

Then pour it into my Chelsea Winter gold-flecks mug

As I do 

The milk which has aged

Turns from smooth white liquid 

Into blotches of curdled cream

Usually this would mean

I’ll tip it down the sink

I’ll go and buy a $5.50 takeaway 

From the cart near the laundromat 

Spending more on a single cup of caffeine

Than the whole bottle of milk costed me 

But today there’s a saving grace

In a gifted bottle of oat milk 

It has a different-to-dairy taste 

But I’ll take it 

I place

My coffee 

On my Aotearoa laser cut coaster,

I continue my routine 

And use it for inspiration to type out a poem 

On my MacBook screen 

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Have you ever read a weather forecast and 

Totally ignored it?

Thinking it’ll be fine,

You pack your tent and camping chairs

Setting out for a great time

But it turns out that 

The weather people were right 

You spend the night 

In torrential rain

But the bands are worth it 

So you and your mates

Try not to complain

You settle in to make the best of it anyway

The very next day 

You’re packing again

Because the Festival organisers 

Have to send

You home 

It feels like the trip finished

Before it began

Though you’re disappointed with the early end

You still have stories to tell,

Shared memories with friends

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I felt disappointed in myself yesterday 

Returning back to hours on my phone 

Dragged in by useless videos 

Wasting time on my own 

I tossed and I turned

Rolling over on the bed

The sheets kicked off 

A mosquito bite irritating me to no end 

I miss my husband 

Thoughts filled too high 

Because of the time
Spent watching videos online

My mind spinning from a sense of failure 

For wasting my life

It’s a new day 

With new mercy 

Another chance 

Fresh opportunity

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I’m having a mango for lunch today

Before eating it

I briefly consider the best way 

To cut this yellow fruit

But the flesh clings

To the seed inside 

And will not come apart 

However I try 

So I peel off the skin

And bite straight in 

Ah bliss

The juice hits my lips

Dribbles down my chin 

No plate and no fork 

No perfectly cut little cubes 

I just use 

My teeth for what they were made 

I devour the mango 

Thinking wouldn’t it be great 

If I approached life this way 

No perfect formula 

No waiting to figure it out 

Just sink my teeth in
Without thinking about 

What other people might perceive 

Or choose to believe 

About me 

If I could have meaningful experiences

With an all-in attitude 

Instead of thinking, ‘oh gosh will they find this rude?’

I’ll lean into the moment 

The juice all over my fingers and face 

Knowing that this mess

Is proof I tasted the sweetness

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I live by the seaside 

I wake and I walk

Down my road named Three

I see the sea

I greet her as always, ‘hello ocean’

I stroll along the shore

Sand is immediately all through 

My walking shoes 

It’s in-between my toes 

There are sand castle creations to admire

I breathe in deep 

The salty smell 

The fresh wind keeps me cool 

The air is clear and so are my thoughts 

A calm mind, a happy heart

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I usually stay strong when you go away 

But yesterday

A few tears escaped 

I don’t want to make you feel guilty for going 

Yet my dislike of separation is now showing 

I think the grace is waning 

For this type of job

Where one day you’re here 

The next day you’re gone 

It’s a lot to juggle 

The ever-shifting schedule

Also, I just miss you 

I prefer sharing the bed and cooking for two 

I enjoy your company 

The laughter when you’re funny

The adventure you draw out of me 

Right now we adventure apart 

I hope you can enjoy it 

Though at times it’s stressful and hard 

I’ll try to have fun as well 

Even without you here 

In two weeks time we’ll reunite 

And there will be stories to share

So take care

My love 

I’m praying for you every day 

I’m being comforted in knowing 

Things won’t always be this way 

While they are we’ll stay grateful 

Blessed by this work and this time 

Blessed by you, forever being mine 

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Sweet non-sleeper

Energetic game-player 

Keen fruit-eaters 

Easy smile-givers

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Distraction, distraction

My phone is an escape into procrastination

Hours spent watching life-sucking videos 

Adding nothing to my intellect or heart 

You start to wish 

For an old Nokia brick 

Because you could only play snake for so long

Before you died and got back on

With the work set out before you 

These days the over-saturation of entertainment 

Pulls us away from actual achievement 

Distraction, distraction

My phone is an escape into procrastination

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I’m sitting down to write

And I think that I might 

Try to keep it light 

‘Cause when I wrote last night 

It was about suicide

I’m doing alright 

But I know that in spite

Of shining a light 

So many are in a fight

To survive

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Dear Friend,

I haven’t walked in your shoes

But today you can choose 

To stay 

To lose your life in a different way 

Not to your own death 

But to Jesus’ 

The God-man who was raised 

There is life available to you 

Because he exited the grave 

He’s the Way 

The Life you’ve craved

The Truth you couldn’t see 

He is love incarnate 

He holds the keys 

Maybe you’ve tried everything else 

But you haven’t reached out to Him 

Today Love stands with open arms 

Offers a welcome invitation 

There is no correct way 

No exact words you need to say 

You can just let yourself go 

Stop trying to hold on

Feel yourself fall into a transcendent love

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I used to choose Bible reading 

Prayer and worship song singing 

As the first things to start my day 

But this year I’ve been waking up 

Beginning things in a different way 

I’ve been rolling out my gym mat 

Stretching out on the floor 

Getting my body active 

And it has been so much more 

Awakening to my senses 

Grounding in my core 

To acknowledge my physical matter 

To give it attention and to draw 

My mind into this moment 

Awake 

Alive

Moving 

Knowing my body needs attention 

Being okay with that coming first

After pumping and sweating or 

Lengthening and stretching 

I lay down flat on my back 

I put on a song that ushers in peace 

I slow my breathing and I rest

The inhale and exhale 

Remind me 

The Spirit is connected in every breath 

I remember my life is sustained by Yahweh 

He holds my being, beginning to end

Starting with moving my body 

Brings me into deeper connection with the Divine 

It is not less Holy than reading of Scripture

Less significant than long outspoken prayer 

It’s sinking deeper into my humanity 

Becoming ever more aware 

He is here 

Abiding in me 

In this human vessel, He resides

He’s not afraid of my flesh 

Does not condemn it or ask me to hide 

He’s inside

Alive 

In my mortal body

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

“Good morning my beautiful wife”
Is how I was welcomed into the day 
From my sweet, gentle husband 
He knows just what to say 

Sometimes we don’t say enough 
And communication gets blurry 
We make poor decisions 
When we don’t speak up honestly 

Be it fear or embarrassment 
That prevents us from saying what we feel 
It’s so important to push through that 
To be open and share what is real 

When we don’t, it leads to confusion 
We misdirect and we mislead 
Then we get angry or upset at each other 
Because it’s not clear what the other needs

May our communication get ever better
Speaking up and listening with intent 
That we can journey in love and unity 
Being grateful for lives well spent

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Though you didn’t get the best beginning
Your story isn’t doomed 
There is room for hope and wonder
The wise would say the more important matter
Is what you choose to build together

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Where I am 
Where I am going 
The potentials and possibilities
I am constantly
Looking at the next step 
I want to learn to stay grounded, instead 
What does it look like
To be content
Right where I am 
Yet to still be future-thinking 
Plotting out ideas and plans 
How do we dream and hope for better
While not missing out on this moment 
How do we hold the tension 
Of imagination and focus

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

You are designed with motives, ambition, drive 
You have a pre-destined purpose 
Aligned 
With your set of skills and talents 
My function is not the same as yours
My responsibility is different at its core
We are a team
Completed by one another

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Let the seeds fall in good soil
Not choked out, scorched or stolen
Rooted deep in ready hearts
Where fruit can be grown

Thirty, sixty, one hundred times
May the harvest be plenty
Multiplication taking place
To reach and feed many

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Body alive
Active, moving 
Body aware
Aches, bruises 
Body unsure 
Critique, judgement 
Body affirmed 
Caressed, admired 
Body thanked 
Working, useful
Body acknowledged 
Healthy, beautiful

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Imagine with me
A powerful and poetic people
Those who speak with boldness
Who share the fire from their bellies

Imagine with me
A passionate and fearless people
Those who pursue their dreams
Who are relentless in their giving of self

Imagine with me
A strong and confident people
Those who stand true
Who are always learning and growing

Imagine with me
A unique and unashamed people
Those who live freely
Who know their purpose and embody it

Imagine with me
A vulnerable and honest people
Those who have no time for lies
Who share with grace and truth

Imagine with me
A compassionate and caring people
Those who meet the needs of others
Who don’t seek praise for their generosity

Imagine with me
A world you want to live in
Whose people live from love
Whose people live from love

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

A conversation with a friend 
Brings us back to being centred
Expressing the journey
Sharing the heart
To just talk with someone 
That you trust
To say the things you before kept
Now opening up to the depths
Choosing not to hide
The goings-on that are inside
You may find
Freedom, peace, release
Even if nothing changes
Just being heard is sometimes enough
In someone hearing and holding 
Your story
You feel seen and are sure
You’re not alone
Hope is welcomed once more 
In the connection 
Through the conversation
With a trusted friend

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

I want to pen perfect poems 
Each line falling into place with ease 
But it seems 
That although I am a writer 
A poet 
The writing and poetry 
Are sometimes still hard work 
I still draw blanks 
Hit a wall 
Have no words to say at all 
But still 
I write 
I write that something might 
Come together on the page 
That the journey of penning may lead us somewhere
And at some stage
Could take us from stuck 
To taking one step 
Forward 
Then another 
Then another 
And so movement and momentum increase 
And suddenly it seems 
I’m twenty-three lines into 
A poem of sorts 
When the fingers hit keys 
It seems 
That I am a writer 
A poet

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Summer rain falls
Interrupting our plans
Giving a much-needed drink
To dry and thirsty land

We tend to find interruption frustrating 
But really it’s just life happening
The world giving her offerings
Us choosing if we take them
Will we see opportunity 
or disruption
In the on-going interruptions

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

A blinking cursor stares back at me 
As I wonder if I have anything worth saying 
Something of meaning 
I’m thinking 
And think only of Jesus 
Lover of my soul 
The one in who all things are held 
Together 
This I know 
I am not without a Saviour
Which gives me something to speak about 
One thing worth saying 
Jesus saves

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

The satisfaction of weed-pulling
Removing what shouldn’t be there
Clearing the space for the fruit to grow 
Giving the plants room 
To flourish and bloom 

In the unknown and seeming chaos 
When I can’t organise what will happen next 
I instead tidy, clean, pull weeds
Making a difference where I can 
Releasing control of my life’s plan 

Placing the meta-narrative in Yahweh’s hands
I am grateful for today
For this daily bread 
For the roof over my head 
For the honour of being an usher 
Of the Kingdom of God

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

Strength doesn’t come 
From doing what you’ve always done
It builds under resistance
It multiplies when there is intensity

Staying in the easy 
Keeps you stationary 
Pushing through to the next level
Grows you toward your potential

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE

A new day dawns
A new year yawns
Stretches and wakes 
It stares at the days
Weeks
Months
Ahead
And holds out a hand 
Of opportunity 
Welcomes an exploration 
Of possibilities
Offers a journey

SONYA COSSEY CREATIVE