I Love You Not as a Bee Loves a Flower

In the movie Patch Adams, Robin Williams tries to read a poem to his girlfriend. He's unable to finish reading it before she dies. In a very moving scene, he reads it at her grave site. The poem is Sonnet XVII by Pablo Neruda.

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

Pablo Neruda was the pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean poet-diplomat and politician Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1971. His book Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair (1924) made Neruda a celebrity. He devoted himself to his poetry. He was also a diplomat and received
the International Peace Prize in 1950.

His piece inspired me to write a love poem to my wife to express unconditional love. I'm not a Nobel Prize winning poet, but this expresses my heart.

I love you not as a bee loves a flower
Only seeking to nourish my hungry soul.
I love you not as an infant loves a parent
Anticipating you to meet my needs and wants.

I love you as you desire
Not to light my personal fire
But to give you wings to fly
To soar into heaven's sky.

I love you not as an emerald or sapphire
A treasure to be on prideful display.
I love you not as a sculpture loves a stone.
Only to chisel you into what I want you to be.

I love you not separate and apart
But as one soul and one heart.
I love you where there is no you or me
But where two intertwine into we.

I love you that when I touch your skin
I feel your spiritual essence deep within.
When my beating heart's blood flows,
I nourish not one but two bodies and souls.

I love you not with expectation nor demand
Not by will nor duty nor command.
I love you simply because I am
And without you,  I am not.

Holding Baby

My child is now 12 weeks old. One of my favorite moments is holding her on my chest while she falls asleep. It's a moment I want to last.


I love looking at her big beautiful eyes. I really feel a love welling up inside. These experiences inspired this poem:


When you hold your baby in your hand

And stare into your child's face,

I think one begins to understand

God's unconditional love and grace.




A love wells up inside your heart

Looking into those big beautiful eyes.

A love you know will never depart

Grows whether your child smiles or cries.




Laying snuggled upon your breast

As your child sleeps away in peace,

You feel so very, very blessed

Praying silently for this moment not to cease.




Nothing reveals love's secret charms

Like a holding a little baby in your arms.


My Baby poem at Allpoetry

Still I Rise

On May 28th 2014, the world lost Maya Angelou. She was an African-American author, poet, dancer, actress and singer. I knew her best as the author of

Still I Rise.

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may tread me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll rise.




Her poem is one of courage and strength. It inspired many people including myself. I wrote a similar piece called

"Soul and Spirit."

You can beat my body.

You can break my bones.

You can heave your insults.

You can throw your stones.

Still,I am bold and I am free.

You have not broken me.

You can chain my hands.

You can put me in a cell.

You can leave me in darkness.

You can cast your spell.

Still,I am bold and I am free.

You have not broken me.

You can point and you can stab.

You can call me the fool.

You can try as you will.

You can push and you can pull.

Still,I am bold and I am free.

You have not broken me.

You can deafen my ears.

You can make me blind.

You can kill my body.

You can poison my mind

Still,I am bold and I am free.

You have not broken me.

No beating can break me.

No chain or cell can hold me.

No biting words can cut me.

No grave can keep me.

I am soul,I am spirit.

I am bold and I am free.

I am soul,I am spirit.

You can never break me.

I believe we are soul and spirit. We are spiritual beings having a body experience. One day we will shed this earthly shell and live for eternity as we were meant to be.





There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another.There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.


So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 1 Corinthians 15:40-46


This is our hope. This is why we cannot be broken. This is why we rise.


Jesus died so we could live. He rose from the dead so we would be guaranteed to rise into eternal life. We deserve to perish. God can destroy both body and soul in hell, but God does not desire that we be destroyed. We deserve to be because we fail every day to love as he loves. We fail to obey his law of love. Rather than punish us, he punished his son. His son, Jesus, died so we could live, so we could rise.

Lessons From Baby

My child is only 6 weeks old, but I'm already seeing the world through her eyes. Here are some lessons...

1. Motherhood begins a conception.When you consider all Mom went through during pregnancy, its obvious her work as a Mom began the moment this life was conceived inside of her.
2. We are all born suckers.
3. All you need to be content is to be able to eat, sleep and poop.
4. If you don't have what you want, cry, then cry louder, then scream, then scream louder.
5. You don't have to take care of yourself, that is done for you.
6. Sleep for parents is over rated and not needed as much as you think. You can survive with less than you think.
7. Sleeping in someone's arms is way better then sleeping on a bed.
8. Being held close solves most problems.
9. Passing gas is enough reason to smile.
10. Listening to the heart beat of someone who loves you is peaceful and soothing and sometimes all you need.
11. Looking around at the world is a wonder and amazement even if you can only see 8 inches in front of you because even that is enough to see the faces of those who love you the most.
12. The smallest achievement is enough reason to celebrate.
13. When excited, shake all your appendages to show it.

Being a Dad

On April 23rd 2014 my precious daughter Johanna was born and I became a daddy for the first time. I am overjoyed and extremely happy. My wife was induced because she had preeclampsia . She went through 9 hours of labor but her cervix only dilated 3 centimeters, so she had to undergo a cesarean. After witnessing what she went through, I'm convinced that the male is the weaker sex. She demonstrated tremendous strength and endurance. When she should have been resting and recovering from the surgery, she had to wake every few hours to nurse our baby.

My dad is very happy that I've had a child but says he doesn't envy me raising a child in this world. He raised five children but didn't face the challenges that exist today. Honestly, I am concerned. My solution is prayer, much prayer. I've begun by praying Psalm 139 over my child often.I pray with my wife morning and night.


Father, see my child lying here.
To me, she's so precious and dear.
I want more than anything, I pray,
For her always to follow in your way.
Give her a desire for your truth.
Help her to know you in her youth.
Grant her the ability to discern
Good from evil, so she may never turn
From your righteousness and your laws.
Help her to build bridges not walls.
Father, I love this child you gave me.
Help me and guide me that I may see
How to train her and teach her, I pray,
To love you and always walk in your way.


To prepare for the birth of our child, my wife and I went on a retreat at Glen Eyrie. We walked in beautiful creation. We prayed. We wrote in our journals. We read the Bible together. It was a great time for us both. It was very helpful to us both. I'd highly recommend doing it.

Our daughter's name means "God's Gracious Gift." That is truly what she is.

God’s gracious gift arrived today.
Conceived by the love of two
Now, forever upon our hearts will stay.
Our precious baby, we love you.
Resting upon Mother’s breast,
Baby is safe and secure in peace.
Contently she is heavenly blessed.
Our love will everyday increase.
As our baby will mature and grow
In our care in this earthy place
May she turn to God and know
For eternity, love and grace.

I love holding her and seeing her every day. I pray for her future and am doing my best to plan for it.