#21 Backstory of The Poem “Wind Chimes” by Marla Shaw O’Neil

Can you go through the step-by-step process of writing this poem from the moment the idea was first conceived in your brain until final form?

It was a windy day (November 30, 2017) and a storm was coming. I sat down at my computer where I do all my writing. But for some reason I just sat there with my fingers on the keyboard and I waited. It is always quiet at my house. I’m retired and my husband was at work. I sat there just waiting. Then I heard the wind chimes on my front porch begin to sing…so I began to write. (BELOW RIGHT: Marla Shaw O’Neil in November 2017)

Where were you when you started to actually write the poem? And please describe the place in great detail.

I write at my desk which is located in my living room. I sit facing a window but the blinds are always closed. There is a candelabra sitting on my roll top desk with Willow Angels on each side. The room has two large canvases of oil painted angels that sit and watch as I write. My back is to my collection of books that sit on bookcases. There is much wisdom in those books I cherish them. But I don’t think about those things as I write. My heart and mind is centered on writing Wind Chimes. I write and then stop read what I’ve typed and make changes as I go.

How many drafts of this poem did you write before going to the final? (And can you share a photograph of your rough drafts with pen markings on it?)

I don’t write on paper when I write my poetry, I type it on my computer and let the words flow from my heart and mind. So I don’t have a rough draft to share.

Were there any lines in any of your rough drafts of this poem that were not in the final version? And can you share them with us?

When I type the poetry I read and reread as I go and if something doesn’t fit I delete that line and rethink it. So I don’t have a rough draft. It will take me about 30 minutes to an hour to get it the way I think it should be then I post it to my blog along with a picture and scripture that I ask the Holy Spirit to lead me in making so I make the right choice. I want all, the glory to go to the Lord.

What do you want readers of this poem to take from this poem?

I believe that the reader should interpret a poem from their perspective. To let it speak to their heart and draw their own conclusion. My desire is that they would see, that like, wind chimes, we all make music. As a Christian, we are to be bound together by the love of Jesus. His Spirit is the wind that blows on each of us so that we will make a beautiful melody with our lives bringing glory and honor to him. And that it takes each one of us touching and caring for each other to make the music heard. We are not islands to ourselves. God makes us a family community, loving him first, then others as we love ourselves.

Which part of the poem was the most emotional of you to write and why?

This line is extremely emotional for me, “Life’s a journey; we all must go”…My mother (Pearl Jeannette Holman) loved wind chimes. Every time we would go into a store that had them she had to make them chime. And she’d say, “When I’m gone, and you hear a wind chime, it’s me stopping by to say hello.” As a matter of fact my husband and I bought her the wind chimes that are on our front porch, making this poem all the more treasured to me. My mom was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue, in 2011. She suffered terribly, but her faith in God kept her strong. She was an Evangelist for more than fifty years and she never stopped witnessing to people. She shared her faith to whomever and wherever she would go. She loved Jesus with all her heart and soul.

Anything you would like to add?

Thank you for the opportunity to have one of my poems with the background story to be posted on your blog. It is an honor. I pray over the things I write that they will encourage and inspire the readers. I believe God gives us all special gifts to be used for His glory. And that is my hearts desire. To see the Lord lifted up and glorified. (BELOW: Marla Shaw O’Neill at the Day of Prayer in Hillsborough River in May of 2014).

You said you pray over the things you will write. How did God specifically lead you in writing this particular poem “Wind Chimes?”

I was feeling lonely and as I sat down at my keyboard to write. I waited for the Lord to direct me. When I began to hear the wind chimes, I knew it was mom and the Holy Spirit telling me in my spirit, that we are the chimes and he is the wind…that’s how he lead me to write this poem.

I am assuming you learned about God from your mother? What was one of the God lessons your mother taught you that helped you in writing this poem?

I met the Lord when I was about six years old. My mom wasn’t living for the Lord at the time. I would walk to a little Baptist Church around the corner from where we lived, in a rural area. I heard about Jesus from my Sunday school teacher and the pastor. At the altar call, I came forward and accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.

Years later my mom rededicated her life to the Lord and eventually became a woman pastor/evangelist. She prayed every morning and night. Her example of praying and writing her sermons are engraved on my heart and mind. I can see her even now as she would study God’s word. I’d go with her when she’d preach and I even sang solos right before she’d preach. We had joined the Assemblies of God by that time.

After I self-published Sing Sarah Sing, mom read it and loved it. She said, “Marla, you could write a story about my life.” And so I did.

Sing Sarah Sing, https://www.amazon.com/Sing-Sarah-Marla-Shaw-ONeill/dp/069227698X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1530466870&sr=1-1

Version 1.0.0

I write in the mornings and every time I’d write something for three years before mom passed away. She’d say, “Marla you need to get that published. It’s beautiful.” And so I started a blog after she died. I write every day. Knowing that mom is pleased and that it’s for the Lord it keeps me diligent and faithful. I believe it is my calling. It’s not a burden I enjoy the process. God has given me a gift and I want to share it with everyone who will read it.

Mom comes to visit me many times in dreams. I know she’s in a wonderful place. I believe with every fiber of my being…that heaven is real and the things God has revealed to me is priceless and a treasure that I long to share with others. God bless you. I pray that He will open new ideas and dreams for you on your journey. Without him, I would not have survived.

I have type one diabetes. I’m sixty-four years old. Physically it’s getting a little harder to maneuver but spiritually I’m about 30 years old. I want to serve Jesus while I can and for as long as I can, Mom died at 83. Dad will be 90 this year. There is longevity in my family. But I believe that we are living in eternity right now…and like the caterpillar the metamorphosis won’t be complete until we leave this body and begin our journey in heaven. First we have to complete our journey here. Like the wind chimes…