From time to time, I like to post something from one of my children, like this poem of thankfulness. They are all brilliant. They all love God. They all blend their love for God and others with brilliance, a touch of sarcastic humor, and a biting wit. These are all some great traits of Christians who love to engage other people, and keep them on their toes. I wish I could take all the credit for their extraordinariness . . . but you’ve already seen some of the work that my wife Crystal is capable of.

This is a genuine poem of thankfulness by Cruz

Other than a couple remarks that only our family would get, it has the potential of capturing your imagination the way it captures mine. Since he wrote it I’ve read it no small number of times.

This is a free verse poem of thankfulness

For poetry lovers, I suggest that instead of trying to figure out its form (i.e. haiku, iambic pentameter, Hebrew parallelism, etc.) please read it on its own terms as free verse. It has its own cadence, although he did not construct it in any particular fashion. I believe within the cadence, you capture a glimpse of something more than a poem. You capture a glimpse of his prayer life, and you capture a glimpse of Cruz.

For more glimpses of Cruz, some of them quite hilarious, visit the list of links.[2]

Monica Bay Photography | *Cruz at the Ingle Tribe Christmas* | Joplin, MO 12.26.18

Poem of Thankfulness

Giving thanks

is a wonderful thing,

you can give gratitude

to the important things

that you enjoy most.

Things like basic needs,

I am thankful for a house to live in,

food to eat,

and fun things

that entertain me.

I am thankful for

the people in my life,

the relationships I have with them,

and the personalities each

of them has.

Like my family.

My parents feed me,

my little brother plays with me,

my older brother wrestles me,

and my pet, well, we

haven’t had the comfort

of animals around the house

in the history of the Ingle tribe.

I give thanks for

my skills,

and my abilities.

God has given me

talents and gifts,

to use for his

Good Work.

Like construction building,

and using my hands for

things like working

and helping out

at our church.

I am thankful for

God’s creation

where we live,

we see lots of snow

but some days

it is beautiful.

The snow reflects

the sun,

casting a brilliant

shine on everything

that the light touches.

I am thankful

for God’s role in my life.

He is my Creator

my Savior

my Mentor

my Friend

and he represents

everything good,

wonderful,

and beautiful

in my life.

I am thankful for

things that change

over time.

Like the seasons,

summer,

blending into autumn,

autumn,

turns a shade of grey,

and white,

creating winter,

winter lasts,

for quite some time,

then,

the world becomes colorful,

once more,

everything blooming,

sprouting,

growing,

out of the soft brown earth.

I am thankful for many things,

I have a good life,

compared to some people,

and I am thankful for the things,

that I love,

and care for,

and that are beautiful.

notes:

[1] David Cruz Ingle, “Poem of Thankfulness” (paper presented in, Language Arts, Paideia Academy, February 24, 2019). [2] These are some of Cruz’s contributions to our family fun online: