Made to Be Loved

like cracked lips in need of Vaseline
like bellies in need of food
like lungs in need of fresh air
like ash in need of lotion
like skin in need of sunbeams
like eyes in need of beauty
like winter in need of heating
and summer in need of cool air
like plants in need of watering
like ears in need of both silence and melodies
like morning breath in need of Crest
like my back in need of massaging
like windshields in need of wipers
like beds in need of blankets
like tubs in need of running water
like gas in need of release
like toenails in need of clipping
like books in need of reading
like songs in need of listening
like legs in need of dancing
is my heart in need of caring
my voice in need of hearing
my ears in need of speaking
my shoulder in need of rubbing
my hands in need of holding
my body in need of cuddling
my lips in need of kissing
my arms in need of caressing
my dreams in need of believing
my value, strength, beauty in need of seeing
I was made to be loved

Back Where I Belong

By Ashley Jataun Moore

4.29.12

You spoke

And You said

“Be still and know that I am God”*

You told me You’d be exalted,

That Your glory would be revealed

But I got antsy

Unsatisfied

Quite frustrated to exact

And from discontentment, I moved

Away from trust; away from rest

Hashing and rehashing

Thinking

Talking

Trying to figure and work things out

But YOU are SO good

You held me

You held me

While I was tossing and turning

You held me

While I was fumbling around, attempting to gather and reassemble broken pieces

You held me

Even when I refused to relax in Your care

I was picking up pieces You’d told me to lay down

Weighted and unsettled, when you’d already spoken peace

Confused and frustrated, when you’d told me to trust

I am sorry Lord...

True to Your essence,

Your remained faithful

Even when my faith faltered and dissipated

So good

So compassionate

You melt my heart time and time again

So patient

So loving

You wait for me

So I bring You back the pieces

Trading You my pieces for Your peace

I bring you back the pieces

Laying them in your hands

Potter, Creator, Resurrector

There are no impossibilities in Your hands

Your heart

Pure, compassionate, wanting the best for me

Your thoughts

All-knowing,

Wise, full of truth and understanding

I bringing you all the pieces

Laying them in your hands

Now, free from the load You had been trying to carry

I run on

I run on

In Your joy and strength

Your peace:

My helium-

My heart, my thoughts, my eyes

Lifted

*Psalm 46:10

Armor: Necessities of Life

"Helmet of Salvation and Breastplate of Righteousness"

Hope

Hope is my helium
Rising from my spirit
Lifting my soul
Buoyant
Resilient
Cannot be held down
A seed inserted long ago
Tiny in size, but dynamic in its work
Stronger than the Incredible Hulk
Indestructible
A seed within that cannot be aborted
Birthing babies of faith
And children of manifestations

Hope is my helium
It rises at the oddest of times
Whispering
Yelling
"You will LIVE and not die."

Hope is my helium
Raising me up
My alarm clock in the morning
My lullaby at night
Televising news reports of fruition of hopes once deferred
Pointing out stars
Stretching my hands toward them

Hope is my helium
And like it, I rise

Fruitful Tears

I thank God for my pen
and keyboard
and paintbrush

My tears:  ink, keys, strokes
dropping like T-Mobile's calls
too frequent
pillow there to catch them
paper there to catch them
screen there to catch them
canvas there to catch them
and transform them into masterpieces
and Kleenex for the next soul
who reads and sees my words and pictures

The View: From the Streets of Charlotte

The View: " Raindrops in Atlanta"

Photograph by Ashley Moore

"Raindrops in Atlanta"

Soaking Up His Light

Her heart and arms, solar panels

absorbing HIS light and love and warmth and identity

Lights Out Haikus

(Picture from Google Images and adl-lightbulbs.com)

Like shaking a bulb

Some things have shaken my heart

Causing bulbs to blow

Blown bulbs, hurt places

Dim vision, sadness in eyes

disillusionment

Thank God for SONlight

Better than generators 

Giving me light again

(Picture from Google Images, ocpoetry.wordpress.com)

Seasons

Hello's and Farewell's

See-you-later's and Good-bye's

Things coming full circle

Ecclesiastes 3:1-9

In a season of accepting seasons

of learning seasons

of entering and exiting 

seasons

a season of 

embracing seasons

Today is the day, I picked up my work that has been on display at Busboys and Poets since last year.

Extremely grateful

Privileged

Blessed

God has allowed me to experience great things in every season of my life.

Lunchbreak Haikus 5.7.5

Peace looks like a bench

Me sitting crisscrossed with snacks

Outside on lunchbreak

Dogs barking away

Sun warming my soul and face

Peace being restored

Emoji Haiku 5-7-5

Thanks for emoji

That can smile in faith until

My lips can smile too

Big Catches

Impact

I am determined 
to transform every awkward part of me
every tear
every fragment of pain
every feeling of misfit
into a masterpiece of a life
one in which
possesses power

and purpose
one that radiates LOVE
in such a way that even those
in distant lands 
feel my touch
rays of sunshine
SONshine
healing rays
warming rays
rays of hope
rays of light
dispelling darkness and all of its bondage

Fetal Position

Grown woman

growing woman

working woman

full-time and part-time

earning dollars

paying bills

dreaming dreams

hoping hopes

touching lives

envisioning visions

seeing manifestations

praying prayers

waiting...

hearing answer

planning lessons

teaching children

encouraging youth

empowering souls

washing dishes

running errands

intercessing

checking on loved ones

mopping floors

doing laundry

wiping tears

meditating on WORD

Neosporin 

painting pictures

reading words

writing letters and papers

mailing love

making mistakes

working to improve

making plans

acting actions

trying

grown woman

growing woman

and yet sometimes

I just want to 

cUrL uP

in FETAL POSITION

wrapped in love

wrapped in warmth

hats off

boxing gloves down

and just be

HELD

One Step At A Time

I Am Enough

Grapplling With Time

Sometimes I feel time is running away from me

Other times I feel like time is TAKING FOREVER!!!!!

running out of...

losing...

making up for lost...

in sync with... 

rarely ahead of...

feeling like I need more of...

trying to make the most of...

TIME

pressure building 

anxieties rising

trying to find answers and ways, words and ideas

trying to make right moves

in the nick of...

just in...

right on...

TIME

tick tocks trying to dictate heart rhythms and blood pressure

but wisdom takes a deep breath

takes a step back

then picks up the clock

and runs with it

with all its might

with all my might

with all that it is

with all that I am

making the most of what is

unmoved by what is not

unshaken by the ticking

making melodies, rhythms, recording lyrics

that refuse to be bound by the tempo of the clock

tick tock

tick tock

tick tock

grabbing hold of time

dancing with it

attentive to it

yet not bound by it

my essence exceeding its barriers

time in my Father's hands

time handed to me

to steward

to use

to spend

to run with it

in wisdom

in truth

in boldness

with power

And I Know He Watches Over Me PII

And I Know He Watches Over Me

More Than A Conquerer

This piece was created for someone dear to me at a time when my words and hugs couldn't touch the places that needed to be touched...

This piece was created when I couldn't "fix" anything...

This piece was created in hopes of encouraging him...

This piece was created to let him know I care and am in his 

corner..

This piece was created to remind him that everything was going to be alright...

Painting with Purpose

Painting to emPower

Painting to uplift People

~Ashley Jataun Moore

Pain to Piece to Peace

If I could put my pain on canvas

and walk away free

I'd do just that

If I could capture my tears in ink caplets

I'd release them in handwritten poems

and keep my pillows clean

"Band-aids can't heal a soul

but time and paint can"

~Ashley Jataun Moore

Seeing "Me in Action" Through Someone Else's Eyes

Art Night

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to facilitate an art night with New Life Open Bible Church in Springfield, Virginia.  I had the opportunity to share the message behind my work as well as usher others (both youth and adults) through the process of creating their own masterpieces.

Envision