June/July 2023

Hands and Heart

By Kathryn Sadakierski

Under these sun-dappled trees,

Light passes softly and quickly,

Like a hem lifted ever so slightly by the breeze,

Fabric threads carried, fluttering like butterfly wings

Across the grass, so, too, go my dreams.

I look across the horizon, yearning for what’s there,

Just overhead, there’s a promise

Of what home could be, far from the fences

In need of paint, in need of mending,

Always, something to be polished.

But this is a work of heart as much as hands,

And, if not for work, then what hope would there be

Of who I can become, and what I can make

Of this garden I’ve been given?

There’s a flowering to happen yet,

In these vibrant petals that keep reaching,

A glimpse of Heaven.

So I rest in this peace, this knowing

That the Lord is shepherding me, 

Leading my work

Where He seeks for me to go,

To spread His word, to make a difference,

Growing seeds, summoning blossoms from the dirt

Where, once, there were none.

I yearn and strive, each day passing by with the light,

Another task done, another waiting,

But, still, I keep my eyes trained on what’s past the sky,

On the One Whose dreams exceed mine,

Who makes what seeds I sow better

Under the sun and cleansing rain

Of His Wisdom 

Than I could have on my own.

We join our hands and hearts

In these labors, bridging this land, this home,

And the next, just over the mended fence,

Together, a branch corded to the vine,

For eternity, tending the vineyards to bring 

Forth the sweetest nectar,

The healing words of God,

Encouragements that no work is in vain

When done with love, in His holy name.

About the Author


Kathryn Sadakierski is a Christian writer whose poems, essays, and reviews have appeared in anthologies, magazines, newspapers, and literary journals around the world, including Agape Review, Bez & Co., Christian Courier (Canada), Edge of Faith, Pure in Heart Stories, Spirit Fire Review, and elsewhere. Kathryn is passionate about sharing her love of God through her writing, with the goal of making a positive difference by instilling hope in others. She holds a B.A. and M.S. from Bay Path University.