Poems, Personal Stories, and Observations

Everybody’s Talking

October 2, 2014

Everybody’s talking,
Fighting all the time.
Think that their opinion
Is wise and so sublime.

Have their own perspective,
Think it’s the only way,
Can’t listen to another,
Must jump into the fray.

Can’t see the other viewpoint,
Don’t let others have their say.
Must always be the winner
Must always have their way.

They never ask another,
How do you see things?
How does your perspective
Fit all that’s happening?

We’ve got to learn to listen,
Each one of us has guilt.
Let’s use our ears more often,
Our lips have got to chill.

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Poems

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Blest by Believing

October 1, 2014

“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Luke 1:45)

Blest by believing,
Blest one of faith.
Blest in her offspring,
Blest by God great.

Blest in the morning,
Blest in the night.
Blest in her dreaming,
God took away fright.

Blest in her suffering,
Blest in her pain,
Blest in her offering
To God unrestrained.

Bless-ed be Joseph,
Her faithful betrothed —
By angel visited
And Mary took home.

In faith going forward
On roads then untrod,
To unknown beginnings,
They gave all to God.

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Fragrance Fair

September 24, 2014

Like lowly flower
Along a path —
Be glad

When you can give forth
Fragrance fair
When trod upon

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Camp Freeway

One early morning this summer, I was driving past a freeway on-ramp, and I noticed a camping tent amongst the trees. If I hadn’t known that I was on a freeway, the area looked very much like a campground, with lovely pine trees, but of course without picnic benches, running water, showers, or toilets. But the place did look a lot like a typical California campground.

A few days later, there were two tents. Word was getting around.

But after a few weeks, no more tents. It would be interesting to know the stories of the people involved.

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Commentary

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Spirit’s Freshness

September 2, 2014

The misty morning,
The sea-salt air,
The flowers blooming,
Without a care.

A fresh beginning,
The day starts new.
Our spirits filling
With purest dew.

The freshness waning
As day grows old.
With faith sustaining,
We must be bold.

When sadness threatens,
When fear seems strong,
The Spirit will come
With fresh’ning song.

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Faith, Poems

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I Dreamed That It Was Raining

August 20, 2014

[Written during the California drought of 2014 and during the Ferguson, Missouri, riots.]

I dreamed that it was raining
And streets were wet again.
The cars went by
And gave a sigh
As water splashed on them.

I dreamed that it was raining
And children laughed aloud.
With gleeful hoots
Their muddy boots
Through puddles gaily plowed.

I dreamed that it was raining
And clouds burst forth in flood.
Their waters calmed
The violence strong
And peace could now be found.

I dreamed that it was raining
And living water sped
From streamlets high
To rivers dry —
The thirsty land was fed.

I dreamed that it was raining
And black made friends with white.
The past was healed,
Their friendship sealed,
With harmony in sight.

I dreamed that it was raining
Upon the wasted land.
The thirsty earth
Could now give birth
To many seedlings grand.

I dreamed that it was raining
And cleansing tears were shed
O’er mem’ries deep,
I now could sleep,
Could rest upon my bed.

I dreamed that it was raining
And God forgave my sins.
He calmed my fears
And dried my tears,
And I could live again.

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Don’t Throw It All Away

August 15, 2014

Don’t throw it all away …
So you’ve messed up,
You’ve screwed up —
Keep your head up.

Don’t throw it all away …
In your anger, in your pride,
Don’t allow the pain inside
The truth to override.

Don’t throw it all away …
Life’s too precious,
Infectious;
God’s perfecting us.

Don’t throw it all away …
God still loves you,
He’ll protect you;
Don’t listen to what others say.

The backbiters,
The infighters,
The naysayers,
The faith slayers.

Don’t listen to the “no” sayers.

It’s not up to them or you.
Surely God’s word is true.
Don’t believe lies
And don’t compromise.

The fact that He loves you,
The truth that He died for you,
His heart surely burns for you,
You must let Him live in you.

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Christian, Hope, Poems

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Only a Shadow

August 14, 2014

Today I see Your beauty,
An ever-changing sight,
But really just a shadow —
Creation mirrors Your light.

The wonders You have fashioned
Are merely slightest glimpse
Of Your majestic glory,
Your awesome pow’r intense.

The roaring river waters,
The waves that rise and fall,
The quietness of shallows,
The soaring eagle’s call.

But sure Your greatest wonder,
The utmost height of all,
Is how You love Your creatures,
Though oft’ we gravely fall.

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Nature, Poems

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Clear As Mud

August 8, 2014

The things I thought
Meant quite a lot
Have come to naught.

I’m from another world.
My life is quite absurd,
Except for God’s good Word.

It doesn’t seem to matter.
There’s nothing here to flatter.
I’m only getting fatter.

No feedback nor response,
No nod nor mere nuance,
A muddy ambiance.

This feeling of confusion —
Can it be delusion?
I need a blood transfusion.

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Poems

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Shrinking

Life — beyond my comprehension.
Am I from another dimension?
I give my acquiescence
To those of wiser ways.

Life seems at times nonsensical.
My mindset is impractical.
I go about within a daze
While others, nothing seems to faze.

There’s nothing accidental;
God’s plan sometimes impenetrable.
Yet through it all I see
He has a plan for me.

I must become so small
That it won’t hurt to fall.
So simple I must be,
And humbly I’ll be free.

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Poems

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