Poems, Personal Stories, and Observations

Archive for the ‘Poems’ Category

The Storm

A burst of tears fell,
Like rain after the threatening clouds.
There had been rumblings and flashings —
Groanings —
Like a woman giving birth.

I smiled at you,
But you did not smile back.
I gave you a flower,
But it fell unsniffed to the ground.

And You Say …

As I went I went for my neighborhood walk, I saw a mom sitting in her car …

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The mom daily waiting in the car
To pick up her kids from school.
The dad going camping with his son,
Even though the dad hates camping.
And you say there’s no such thing as love?

The mom or dad who cooks dinner
After a long day of work.
The kid who makes dinner
After his mom and dad’s
Long day of work.
And you say there’s no such thing as love?

The wife who bites her tongue
Instead of nagging her husband.
The husband who hugs his wife
After her emotional outburst.
And you say there’s no such thing as love?

The therapist who listens to
Rants, raves and painful memories.
The confessor who listens,
As heinous sins are forgiven.
And you say there’s no such thing as love?

The waves lapping on the shore,
The wind moaning at the door,
The flower with dew afresh,
The wild and bounteous wilderness –
And you say there’s no such thing as love?

Yes, there’s illness, pain and sorrow,
But there’s always a tomorrow.
Yes, sometimes our hearts are broken,
But much grace — by the same token.

A baby born in a stable bare,
A healing voice in the still, cool air,
The God-Man dying for our sins,
The God-Man living once again.
And you say there’s no such thing as love?

Longing for Home

Where is the place
I can call home?

At ocean shores,
Or mountains high,
In grassy plains,
Or deserts nigh?

Near rushing streams,
By forests green,
Or just in dreams
Will I be free?

Will I find rest
Upon a path
Strewn with my tears,
Or might I laugh?

In God I must
Seek out my rest.
And then at last
Will end my quest.

The Scouring Sea

How much the ocean lifts my soul,
And fills my lungs with freshness full,
Clears cobwebs from a cluttered mind,
Breathes in new life, leaves cares behind.

In symphony the waves do roar,
They crash upon the sandy shore,
Wash, scour and sift the detritus,
And leave essential things for us.

Oh ocean, like my God so good,
Please cleanse my heart, if that you could.
Remove all bitterness and strife
And grant me peace for all my life.

When All Seems Dark

When all seems dark,
When evil seems to reign,
Take up your cross,
And look at Christ again.

When clouds oppress,
And gather in a storm,
Yield all to Christ,
And let His Spirit form.

Forget the strife,
And let Him calm the storm.
Let Him give life;
To Him your thoughts conform.

Come Down, Come Down

Come down, come down, Lord Jesus,
And feed your hungry sheep.

Come down, come down, oh Father,
Bring water from the deep.

Come down, oh Holy Spirit,
Refresh our weary souls.

Come down to earth,
And give new birth,
Let sin and sadness
Transform to gladness.

Cast doubt and fear
Away from here.

Let dark deeds die
And hatred lie
Lifeless
And defeated.

Lift up our souls
And take control.
Forgive our sins;
Bring life within.

Let parch-ed tongues
Your wine imbibe —
Refreshing pools
Bring on the cool
Of souls made bright
Within Your light.

Tale of the Rat: Two Sequels

THAT FEARFUL THING

That fearful thing did quiet lurk.
It disappeared into the dirt.

I dreaded to that thing go near;
With apprehension I did fear.

I set a trap to catch that thing.
I’d catch it good, with trap to sting.

I knew it must a monster be.
I knew it lurked to get at me.

What wonder did my eyes behold —
‘Twas not a rat, but lizard bold.

It looked benign, it stared at me.
It did not jump — sat quietly.

And now I’ve given the thing a name.
My fear misplaced — it’s not to blame.

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IN DARK SHADOWS

In dark shadows live our fears;
In half-seen pictures, fear comes near.
In hidden places lurk our doubts;
In darkest alleys, doubt comes out.

Our thoughts get twisted, tied in knots —
Contorted, garbled — truth it’s not.
Imagination — it runs wild.
We’re fearful like a little child.

Until the light of love turns on,
Until God’s truth shines like the sun.
Until we give Him all our fears —
And then He calms and dries our tears.

A Little Girl

A little girl can sometimes sing,
Can flit about on angel’s wings,
Can dance with fairies, now unseen,
Can be so sweet, or contrary.

A little girl loves daddy’s whiskers,
She doesn’t mind that they are ticklish.
A little girl sits on his lap;
Head on his chest, she takes a nap.

A little girl has wondrous dreams,
On unicorns she’ll catch moonbeams.
She gathers starlight in her hands,
She dreams of being a princess grand.

A little girl in time grows up.
She gives up dolls and other stuff.
But every woman’s heart can tell —
Inside, the child is living still.

An Ache Inside

There’s an ache inside
Which we try to hide.
A great abyss
which can go amiss.

An empty hole
Inside your soul,
Where something cries
“Do not deny!”.

Where children’s eyes
Are full of wonder.
Where dreams and schemes
Are torn asunder.

In which we know
There’s something more.
A cavern, cave
In which we rave.

And if you want
That hole to fill
You must bow down,
You must be still.

Spring Emerging

Bird songs billowing from the hedges,
From meadows, grasses, trees and sedges.
Twitter, toot, and hoot, and tweet,
Their song and melody so sweet.

Flowers timid peep from ground;
Will the warmth still be around?
Frogs in creeks at night do croak,
Parents take walks with little folk.

The sun can warm us as we walk,
But clouds are good to cool us off.
Still a chill in morning air,
But new life battles all our cares.