My poems (mostly in alphabetical order)
America
It is the land which,
through the years, the brave aspired to;
Whose shores with open
arms have welcomed every creed and hue;
Where all ideas of
"right and wrong" our forebears could devise
Have yielded and adapted
in the name of compromise.
A place where words like
"freedom" still inspire and enthrall
All those who forsake
tyranny for justice under law.
A wise man said it is the
last best hope mankind has got:
This land of never ending
change we call the melting pot!
The Ballad of John McCain
They say there's cancer in his brain,
But that won't daunt old John McCain.
Back when he ditched his Navy jet
He told Death’s angels "Nope not yet!"
His captors tried to break his will,
They hinted darkly that they'd kill
Him if he wouldn't bend and yell,
And his reply? "You go to hell! "
In time he came back home and ran
For Congress, and was judged the man
To represent our driest state
With Cindy as his loving mate.
And then he made a White House run
But wasn't found to be the one,
And so he went back to the Hill
Unbent and proud – a maverick still.
Back there he'll serve until his end --
He'll never falter, never bend.
Not John McCain, he is the one,
He's Arizona's favorite son.
Baseball
A mighty nation’s
special game,
The world was never quite
the same
Once some guy name of
Doubleday
Taught men, and boys too,
how to play.
The rules are simple, as
we know,
To swing a bat, and catch
and throw,
To run the baselines,
never roam
Outside them ‘til
you’ve made it home.
Beneath the summer’s
golden sun
The crowd roars out at
each home run.
Each time a bat cracks, it
enthralls
The cheering fans who
watch the balls
Sail through the pleasant
summer air.
Was ever there a game so
fair?
Beggars
As
I was walking down the street one bright and sunny day,
I saw a beggar man ahead, crouched down along the way.
O’ I was young and quick to judge, and promised then and there
That I would never beg, like he, in hopes someone would care.
"Shame, shame on you," I scolded him. He sullenly looked up
And shyly raised what looked to be a rusted, silver cup.
"If you can spare a coin," he spoke, "I’ll tell a truth to
thee."
"And what, that I don’t know, old man, can you say unto me?"
The old boy smiled and answered then, "A truth you might deny.
But one you’ll understand too well when time has passed you
by."
And then his words depressed my youthful spirit like a pall:
"Time," said the ancient citizen, "makes beggars of us all."
The Bells
For Teddy Kennedy
Toll on, O’ Bells, toll
on, toll on, toll on,
Remind us that our
stalwart friend is gone…
That all he did belongs
now to before,
For he will walk among us
nevermore.
Rejoice with us that here
he gave his best
Before the angels called
him home to rest.
Tell each of us,
"O’ listen now to me,
Before you know, my voice will call to thee."
The
Big Three
A
Physicist’s Delight
It
isn’t the equations that, per se,
Play
ping pong in my head most every day.
No,
I would say the conservation laws
Are
what bedevil ... puzzle ... give me pause.
Momentum
(straight and round) and Energy
Seem
destined always just the same to be.
Like
quick change artists, changing shape and form,
Their
underlying constancy the norm.
The
other laws, ‘though priceless they may be
Pay
homage to these arch conservers three.
They
seem so fixed for all eternity ...
Momentum (straight and round) and Energy!
Blessed Baby
Blessed Baby in
the hay,
Born on that
first Christmas day
Underneath a
Nova star
Seen by wise
men from afar:
Guide us with
Your gentle light
Through the
darkness of the night,
To a new and
perfect morn
Like the one
when You were born.
Brothers
When I was young I wished
I had a brother,
The sisters that I had
just weren’t the same.
Just like my father and my
mother,
The girls couldn’t join
me in each boyhood game.
But then I learned a Man
from Galilee
Spoke of another Father we
all share.
This Man died on a cross
for you and me,
And doing so became our
Brother there.
I often talk to Him, with
countless others,
Sometimes in song,
sometimes within a poem.
He taught us that in truth
all men are brothers,
Both here and in our
Heav’nly Father’s home.
‘Bye
‘Bye, My Mom
We lunched by Narragansett Bay,
Shared memory and sigh.
We’ll reminisce again one day
When time has passed me by.
Until that time I’d like to say
You’re loved by me, and why:
You were a fighter all the way!
My gallant Mom, ‘Bye ‘Bye.
Candles in the Wind
To
my first love
Of all the memories of my youth, a special one of you …
Of that brief time when love for each of us was something new.
When in our hearts we felt our love would bloom and last forever…
That we would drift apart one day, to find another, never!
Our loving grew into a bond so passionate and strong
That you were puzzled when your mother told you it was wrong.
And yet the day came you agreed with her that we had sinned,
And young love’s flames died in my heart like candles in the wind.
Carol’s Corn
There's
nothin' on a Christmas morn
Like some of Carol's candied corn!
It's rolled in car'mel to perfection,
And is my fav-o-rite confection.
Munchy, crunchy, sweet as her,
It's guaranteed to make you purr.
The best darned popcorn in the nation,
You’d love it too, this taste sensation!
A
Christmas Message
Christmas time has come
back to the city once again.
Shopping malls ring with
the songs of merry gentlemen.
Men in Santa suits are
list’ning to the girls and boys
On their best behavior
rattling off their lists of toys.
Parking lots all overflow
with cars of every kind.
Eager folks flood into
stores with presents on their mind.
Competition’s more than
brisk for items that are rare.
Greediness fills fragrant,
piney-scented Christmas air.
In the midst of all of
this, three ragged little boys
Stare with eyes of longing
at three little plastic toys.
Sadly does their mother
watch; a tear falls from her eye.
Checking in her purse
again, there’s not enough to buy
A single toy, not two, not
three, this Christmas will be bare ...
No presents underneath a
tree, which also won’t be there.
Out of the crowd a man
steps forth, he bows and asks, "May I?"
He takes her hand and
presses in more than enough to buy
A little tree, three toys
and also food enough to feed
Three growing lads so
very, very desperately in need.
He steps away; her voice
of thanks is drowned out by the crowd.
Yet does he hear another
voice, not nearly quite as loud.
He turns to greet the
speaker, but there is no person there ...
Only a Christmas message
wafting through the Christmas air;
It’s just a whisper in
his mind, but clear as it can be:
"What you have done
here for these children, you have done for Me."
A Christmas Star
I saw a star fall
Christmas night,
Marked by a trail of
ghostly light.
From where it came, I do
not know;
I only saw its final glow.
I’d seen stars fall
before, for sure,
But none ‘til then
seemed quite so pure.
Could this be heaven’s
holy seed,
Sent down in this, our
hour of need?
Or did my sense of wonder
there
Spring from some inner,
dark despair?
We are so lost, in discord
mired
Another manger seems
required
To light the way from bad
to good
And join us all in
brotherhood.
And if He comes again will
we
See that He comes to set
us free
To build a world where He
will stay,
Where every day is Christmas day?
Clever Me
I try to sleep more than
our cat,
But in the process I fall
flat.
I try to make more noise
than Mutt,
And wifey says I am a nut.
Canary puts my songs to
shame,
Compared to him my tunes
are lame.
I’m best, however, of
the brood
Providing them with tons
of food.
I hope they realize
forever
Because of this, I am more clever.
Color Us Lucky
Written on the occasion of President George H. W. Bush's Funeral
Color us lucky because our birth
Was in the grandest land on Earth.
Whose borders rest with stately ease
Between two mighty, sun-splashed seas.
Whose flag flies bravely high above
A people with undying love
For mankind's brightest, noblest aim:
That all be free, in freedom's name,
To live God's gift to you and me ...
The one we call sweet liberty.
Yes color us lucky, where'er we roam,
To have America for our home!
Dawn
On the wings of the
morning my love comes to me,
And the smile on her face
is a wonder to see.
A mug of hot coffee she
bears in her hand,
And it’s brewed to
perfection --- not strong and not bland.
Muffled sounds of
civilization are heard,
And out of a bush floats
the song of a bird.
The Sun is awake from its
long evening slumber,
Sweeping stars from the
carpet of night beyond number.
My mind is at peace, and
the dawn seems to say:
"May my breeze bring
to you yet another fine day!"
And I think to myself, in
my reverie there
I can hear my God’s
voice in the sweet morning air.
"Be courageous, my
son, do for Me what is right,
And I promise a new dawn
will follow each night."
D Day!
Remembering WW2
‘Cross the Channel,
through the air,
The Yanks are headed over
there.
Through the hedgerows,
‘cross the ditches,
Here we come, you sons
o’ bitches!
On the Death of General
MacArthur
The evening shadows creep
along the wall now,
The world outside the
window’s growing dark.
Out of the past I hear the
bugle call now;
The bullets that I dodged
now find their mark.
Like wine, the days I
marched upon the plain there
At West Point now grow
faint through sixty years.
Marred by a thousand
soldiers who have lain there
Upon the fields of battle,
fraught with tears.
It is, perhaps, a
General’s damnation
To grow old while so many
soldiers died.
They fell believing Duty,
Honor, Nation
Were worth the creed by
which all soldiers bide.
The phantom bullets pierce
deep in my heart now,
My time has come to tap
death’s fearsome door.
Yet do I once more rally
with a start now
And cry with failing
voice, "The Corps! The Corps!"
Debbie and Carrie
Debbie Reynolds and Carrie
Fisher
She
was America’s sweetheart … the movies’ cuddly child.
And
many a song she sang to us in tones both sweet and mild.
Her daughter took a different path, a Star Wars princess she,
Tormented by a mix of drugs and bipolarity.
And yet a bond of love was forged between this storm–tossed pair…
A bond which, broken by one's death, the other could not bear.
And so, when Carrie's sudden death suggested they must part,
Her mother, sad and stricken, followed with a broken heart.
Do
You Know?
Do
you know how important you’ve been to my heart?
Do
you know how I missed you when we were apart?
Did
you know when, at Duke Z’s we went out to dine,
That
I hoped then you’d be my lifelong valentine?
If
you know all of this, all of this and much more,
Then
you know why I cherish and love and adore
What
we two have enjoyed since those days of lang sein...
And
why you, through the years, have been my valentine.
A Doggerel Love Letter
I am dog, so mark me well.
I yap and bark and growl
and yell
At strangers when
they’re at the door,
For it’s my job, you
see, to roar.
I’ll be your pal and
that’s for sure,
With love that’s rarely
found so pure.
I don’t know why I love
you so.
I’d die for you,
that’s all I know.
And while I live, I’ll
be your friend.
I’ll be there for you
‘til my end.
No matter what life serves
you up,
I’ll guard you. Love,
your faithful pup.
Easter,
Easter
Easter, Easter, holy day
When God took my lord away.
Told an angel, “Roll the stone
From the grave and bring Him home.
Leave behind the Holy Ghost
For the ones who love us most.
They will join us by and by,
When the stars fall from the sky.
He will lead them home to me
Where they’ll glimpse eternity.”
Empty Chairs
They all came down to Dallas town,
A city stained by dark renown,
To honor those, through somber stares,
Who should have sat in empty chairs.
Five empty chairs that symbolize
Brave officers who gave their lives,
Who never faltered that sad day
A mad man's gun stole them away.
God rest you, all who wear the blue.
A grateful public honors you,
And dreams of joining hands with others
When men realize they all are brothers.
End
of the Trail
An Old
Cowboy Ponders his Mortality
The
wild oats have gone all burnished gold now,
It
seems the camp fire offers little heat;
The
wind along the trail is growing cold now,
The
sky is gray, the rain is laced with sleet.
Like
ghosts the elk and deer drift down the slope now.
They’ll
winter in the valley far below.
Instinctively
they know there’s little hope now
Up
here where savage winds begin to blow.
It
was a pleasant season while it lasted,
And
life was good for me and my old friend.
But
spruce, by winters past all flagged and blasted,
Bear
silent witness that all good times end.
And
so I send my pony in a beeline
Down
to the valley’s respite far below.
But
I ... this is the year I stay at tree line ...
This
is the year I dream beneath the snow.
The Eternal Dream
I had a dream the other
night
About a brilliant, radiant
light.
It danced and leapt and
flashed and whirled
Around a troubled,
battered world.
It is the dream of every
soul.
Without it no man can be
whole.
It is a key, important
part
Of every beating, human
heart.
Its name: sweet, sacred
Liberty:
God’s wish that all His
children be
Free of the tyrant’s
selfish whim...
To follow in the steps of
Him,
The humble man from
Galilee
Who taught his friends how
to be free
To run the course, to win
the race,
And leave the world a
better place.
Fireman’s Prayer
It might have been the
mighty trucks,
It might have been the
sound
Of men in fire-fighting
gear
To conflagrations bound.
It might have been the
secret hope
To keep folks from
harm’s way
That made me know I would
become
A fireman one day.
I grew up and, with work
and sweat,
The special dream came
true.
I won the right to wear
the hat,
The boots, the tunic blue.
And when my time on earth
is done
I pray my heav’nly sires
Will place the hose within
my hands
To battle heaven’s
fires.
The First Thanksgiving
To our friends and family,
Thanksgiving 2018
They trimmed their sails
and ploughed across a wild and stormy sea.
They ventured to the New World in a quest for liberty.
They landed on New England's coast… a place called Plymouth Rock,
And stepped ashore on that great stone as if it were their dock.
Already days were growing short, and Fall was in the air,
But this was their new home, and they would live or perish there.
Virgin timber fell beneath the woodsman’s shining ax,
Humble cabins rose to sounds of busy hammer whacks.
Several didn't make it through those days of ice and snow,
Their graves were wisely hidden so the Indians would not know.
At last sweet springtime came and seeds from England’s shores were sown.
By Summer’s end the seeds had changed to crops all fully grown.
They made a feast of thanks both for themselves and Indian friends.
And here, Dear Hearts, is where the story of their struggle ends.
They thanked the God of pilgrims everywhere for lives worth living.
And we remember them each year we celebrate Thanksgiving!
Flags of Freedom
Banners flutter in the
skies,
But one of these stands
out, it seems…
Perhaps because it
signifies
The human heart’s most
cherished dreams.
Red and white, with stars
on blue,
Every time it is unfurled,
It cries its sacred
message to
A freedom-hungering
captive world:
Crush the tyrant’s
grinding boot,
Fight and perish, if need
be.
Nothing’s gained by
standing mute
In the face of tyranny.
Rally ‘neath your own
dear flag,
Keep the faith (‘though
some may fall).
Never let your spirits
sag,
Freedom is the right of
all!
Freedom’s Road
America’s a coat of many
colors;
Its cloth was woven by a
mighty hand.
The threads, a thousand
cultures and religions,
All came together in one
special land.
Arm linked in arm they
sailed across the oceans
And met the evil tyrant
face to face,
Their blood, poured out
upon a hundred beaches,
Would leave the battered
world a better place.
Assailing each man’s
right and liberty
To grow and flourish in
the light of freedom …
And thence becoming all
that he can be.
So once again we rise to
teach the despot
The lesson that our
predecessors showed:
We aren’t afraid to pay
the price demanded
Of all desiring life on
freedom’s road!
The Gift
This Christmas we received
the gift of time,
Marked by tick and tock
and pleasant chime.
Gently placed above the
fireplace,
Our new clock’s round
and Roman-numeraled face
Counts the seconds smartly
marching by.
Feebly struggle some
against the sweep
Of the hands that hours
and minutes keep,
Vainly seeking privileged
place to hide
From the rushing,
all-embracing tide
Washing over all within
its reach.
Smart the pupil who, with
practiced ear,
Does the message in the
ringing hear...
Does the lesson of the
ticking learn,
Told repeatedly each
earthly turn,
Lesson that the friendly
clock would teach:
As each day begins, so
must it end.
Seize the hour before
it’s lost my friend.
Hearken to the tolling of
my bell.
Drink the wine of life,
savor it well.
Lift your glass, for soon
it will be dry.
Grains of Salt
If your neighbor’s belly
achin’
And is always findin’
fault,
Let your joy not be
forsaken,
Take it with a grain of
salt.
If you hear some person
slandered,
Then recall what Jesus
taught:
Don’t forsake your inner
standard
For your spirit can’t be
bought.
You can find some salt in
bacon,
Buttered popcorn has it
too.
If you feel your own
gut achin’
Salt will make it feel
like new.
O’ the world has got
full measure
Of the tongues that wag
and bore.
Just be sure you’ve
laid up treasure
When you knock on
heaven’s door.
The Greatest
I
watched a show the other day
About the life of Cassius
Clay.
Known in later years was
he
A Muslim with the name Ali.
As those who knew him can attest
Of all who boxed he was the best.
In later years he had his fill
Of punches and he grew quite ill.
Yet even then he did insist
That folks of color must resist
A culture that once held him down,
Denying him his rightful crown.
We lost him not too long ago,
He left us with old Smokin’ Joe.
Although the parting made us wince,
‘Twas time to say "Good Night, Sweet Prince."
The Greatest Generation
The battleships’ big
bertha guns
Lit night like early
morning suns.
We saw the flashes of
their shells
Send Germans to a thousand
hells.
At first light we could
see the beach,
So close, and yet so out
of reach.
Our landing craft then hit
the sea,
It seemed it took eternity
For forward ramp to thump
its sound
With bullets sizzling all
around.
Our battle cries
disguising dread,
We plunged in midst the
mounting dead.
In water red as morning
suns
We locked and loaded
trusty guns.
So many of us died that
day
I don’t know what, I’m
sad to say.
My pal was one of those
who fell
In Normandy’s hot day of
hell.
Along with friends, he
lies in France
In graves where spritely
flowers dance.
They were the heroes of
our nation...
They were its greatest
generation.
Growing Old
Growing old’s a bummer,
that’s for sure.
It’s clear each time I
give my bod’ a tour.
The hair atop my dome is
history,
Where it’s all gone is
quite the mystery.
My ears are there, but
they don’t work so well,
What most folks say of
late I cannot tell.
My eyeballs’ vision’s
slowly growing faint,
The knees are well
deserving of complaint.
I can’t believe the
plethora of pills
My doc’s prescribed for
half a dozen ills.
I could fill up a dozen
pages more
Of tales of woe, but
I’ll no longer bore
You with the aches
you’ll feel when you grow old.
The good part is: amongst
the dross there’s gold.
We really do grow wiser as
we age,
There’re some might even
say that we are sage.
And then there is the
greatest gift of all...
For those with luck, a
wonderful windfall:
A partner every bit as
wise as we
Who promises, "The
best is yet to be."
Happy Birthday, Sunshine
As
this old body fails and it runs out of time,
I
would like to say something, and say it in rhyme.
As
I sang when a young boy with words O’ so true,
You
alone make me happy on days when I’m blue.
Your
smile is the sunshine that brightens each day,
I
pray to God, don’t take my sunshine away;
I
know the time shortens when we’ll have to part,
But
‘til that day comes you will lighten my heart.
I’m
yours ‘til the time comes we must say goodbye.
I
treasure and love you. Forever, Your guy.
He is the Man
He is a prince, the wise
men say,
Once sent to earth to show
the way.
They killed Him up on
Calvary,
But doing so, they set men
free.
It was His end, the
captors thought,
Not knowing that their
actions brought
The angels down to end
death’s dream,
And bear Him homeward on a
beam
Of dazzling, supernatural
light
Pure as the Easter
lily’s white.
And there He sits beside
His sire
Until it’s time to save
from fire
The men and women who
receive
Him in their hearts and do
believe
He is the Man, He is the
One ---
He is God’s one and only
Son.
He Has My Back
For all the years I’ve
been on Earth,
Yea even since my humble
birth
I’ve felt Him by me all
the way,
Protecting me from day to
day.
He’ll be my buddy ‘til
the end ...
My very best and truest
friend.
When foes would break me
on the rack
He rescues me ... He has
my back.
He said He’d give His
life for me,
And then He did, and set
me free
To meet His Father, face
to face,
When I am finished with
life’s race.
He Was the Man
They laughed a lot at
Camelot, it was a special time.
Like Guinevere and
Lancelot, they shared something sublime.
He was the hope of all the
world; she was the queen of cool.
Society around her
whirled, while he was no one’s fool.
But lurking in our midst
was one who lived to leave his mark.
Lee Harvey dwelled outside
the sun, in places sick and dark.
He bought a gun to do the
deed, and hid along the way.
A bullet sped like evil
seed and found its mark that day.
So Camelot came to an end
as life out of him ran,
We will not see his like
again: our prince, he was the man.
Homecoming
To my alma mater, Hamilton
College
Where the leaves turn to
flame
There’s a hill with a
name
That’s remembered by all
who were there.
It’s the name of a
school,
Education’s bright
jewel,
It’s the name of our
lady so fair.
And we’ll praise
Hamilton for as long as we live,
We’ll come back home no
matter how far;
All our love and support
and affection we’ll give
To the place that is still
our bright star.
We will always be true
To the Buff and the Blue,
We will root for our own
team to win.
But in life’s greater
school
We’ll remember the rule
To play fair in the game
that we’re in.
Bless’ed Hamilton
College your sweet chapel bells
Call us back to the place
that we love.
And we hope, when we die,
that our spirit still dwells
On the hill touched by
Heaven above.
Homeward Bound
To those who jumped on
9/11
Floating downward through
the air,
From the burning flames up
there,
Robbed of any choice, I
flee
To a rendezvous with Thee.
How I Wonder
Twinkle, twinkle, little
Star,
I wondered once just where
you are.
So I resolved to check it
out
And found that you’re
somewhere about
Three million light years
far from me
Set in another galaxy.
I also found you’re not
so slight
‘Though here on earth
your twinkling light
Seems coming from a single
dot
From not so great a
distant spot.
The experts tell us that
you are
Much larger than our solar
star:
You know, the one we call
the Sun
A light our forebears
thought the one
That dwarfed all other
things in space
Before they learned that
on their face
Was egg --- (you see, our
sun’s mere fluff
Compared to other stellar
stuff).
And we, who pose so smart
and fine
Turn out not worth a
single line
In God’s great book of
things that are.
Twinkle, twinkle, little
star.
How Many?
For Chris Stevens and his
Fallen Comrades
How many more must give
their souls,
Their names etched in the
list of rolls
To honor those who gladly
paid,
That stars and stripes
might never fade?
How many more times must
we see
The caskets filled so
we’ll stay free?
How many heroes, brave as
any,
Must die for us ... how
many, how many?
How Our Hearts Flutter!
Onward and onward and
still on they come,
Blowing the brass horn and
beating the drum!
Horses and gay floats and
pennants galore,
Proud strutting band
masters marching before.
Spectators waving and
cheering so loud
Sousa himself barely
drowns out the crowd!
Gayest assembly by man
ever made…
How our hearts flutter and
love a parade!
Huggin’
Trains were made for
chuggin’,
A chimp’s ideal for
muggin’.
Ruth was built for sluggin’,
The CIA for buggin’.
Trucks can do your luggin’
And boats are good for
tuggin’.
Shoulders are for shruggin’,
But arms are best for
huggin’.
If Only
I don’t think that
I’ve ever felt this bad...
I doubt that I have ever
felt more sad
Than when I watched the
Christmas wreaths and greens
Laid on the graves of
soldiers and marines.
While we old men shed
bitter tears of sorrow,
Regretting that, for them,
there’s no tomorrow,
A fallen son or grandson
here and there
Sleeps ’neath the
peaceful, quiet graveyard air.
They say that just the
good ... the brave die young
In countless foreign lands
that are far flung.
Our planes return them
home here to the states
Far from the passioned,
mindless, awful hates
That cut them down when
they were barely grown...
The names of some
fore’er to be unknown.
Side by side as comrades
now they rest.
So honor them, they gave
their very best.
They kept our homeland
safe, our lives secure,
And paid the greatest
price men can endure.
And we, the old men, now
must welcome them
Back home, while wondering
what things might have been
If only we could be the
ones now dead...
If only we had fallen in
their stead.
If You Would Make This
Spirit Sing
To my wife on 2/14
If you would make this
spirit sing,
If you would see my soul
take wing,
If you would thrill this
heart of mine
Then say you’ll be my
valentine.
Jo
When my
sister’s horse died
She was a
thing of beauty
With her
forward pointing ears.
I grew too
old to ride her,
Yet I kept
her through the years.
More than a
horse, she was my pet,
Companion,
dearest friend,
And I was
devastated when she
Came to
life’s sad end.
I was myself
too old to find her
In her
pasture green.
They found
her in an orchard
Where, at
times, she had been seen.
Laid out
beneath the growing fruit,
She was a
work of art.
I couldn’t
at first accept it ...
That it was
our time to part.
Old Father
Time had called her home
To where old
horses go.
And though
the hurt is fading,
I will
ne’er forget my Jo.
The Kingdom
A scientist
looked up one Christmas day and surely knew
Wherever
heaven was, it lay not up there in the blue.
He knew the
sky is filled with suns and galaxies galore;
But
there’s no sign that high above lies heaven’s golden door.
And yet he
couldn’t in truth believe that heaven didn’t exist.
He had a
feeling deep within that men had somehow missed
A greater
truth ... a state of mind that Christ had spoken of
The day He
taught His followers that heav’n lies not above.
"But where
is heaven, then?" he pressed, "How shall I find the way
Where I
might offer gifts to Jesus on this Christmas day?"
And then he
heard a whisper, and he realized with a start
That
heaven’s not a place out there, it lies within our heart.
"If you
would offer gifts to Me," the whisper seemed to say,
"Then
give them to a child in need, for such of heav’n are they."
Know This
To those who hate America
All ye who hate, no matter
what your creed,
No matter how obscene your
craven deed,
Know this, and take it
with you to your grave:
You cannot crush the
homeland of the brave.
We know your kind, we’ve
dealt with you before;
‘Though loving peace, we
have no fear of war.
The mad belief that you
alone are right
Will turn to ashes in the
coming fight.
You see, too many who you
call your own
Have crossed the sea to
live in freedom’s home…
Have learned to love the
lady on the shore
Who lifts her light beside
the golden door!
Land of Invention
Land of invention and home
of "Can Do,"
Birthplace of mighty
machinery are you!
Builder of bridges and
trains and skyscrapers,
Molder of steel into
mammoth Earth shapers!
Dams taming some of your
mightiest streams
Generate power beyond
Newton’s dreams!
Yet do your scientists
broaden the quest,
Coaxing more power
from the nuclear breast!
Bold, your explorers have
ventured to go
Deep in the sea and to
poles decked in snow.
Now, having traveled to
each earthly place,
They turn their gaze to
the vastness of space!
It seems there’s no
problem science can’t solve,
Backed by the true grit of
Yankee resolve!
No place too distant, no
job too tough
For men and women who have
the right stuff!
What does the future hold?
No one can say.
But it seems certain that
you’ll lead the way,
Ever inventive, ‘though
hated by some,
Leaving Earth better for
those yet to come!
Laura at Christmastime
To Mrs. Bush
With gentle smile and
charity
She is his softer voice,
Reminding us of all the
reasons
We have to rejoice.
His the job to deal with
hatred
Ne’er before dreamed of;
Hers to whisper in his ear
"No greater power
than love."
Slowly, oh so slowly does
A wounded nation heal.
Steadfast does its leader
meet
Its enemies with steel.
No less steadfast, she
reminds us
Why we still have reason
To help one another in the
Spirit of the season.
The
Lilies
The Easter lilies bloom again
Throughout the Christian world.
They greet us every Easter morning,
Lightly waxed and pearled.
Like unseen ghosts their fragrance
Permeates the Spring time air.
It reaches into every room,
We smell them everywhere.
Their muted horns reminding us
Of why they bloom and flower:
In memory of Him who rescued
Us from Satan’s power.
The Son of Man, who took the nails
And drank the bitter brew,
And died upon a cross that we
Might see His Father too.
O’ child of heaven, lamb of God,
Arisen Easter day,
How lucky are we that you came
To Earth to show the way!
Love Call
The Drummer is a Ruffed
Grouse
The smell of new frost
thrills my nose
As petals fall from
summer’s rose.
A glimpse of life, another
season,
Flee with little rhyme or
reason
Like some startled
drummer.
We call this autumn,
season bright,
Of thousand colors,
dancing light.
But sounds of rustling
leaves at night
Too soon must die beneath
the white
Of winter’s snow.
A wisp of smoke, a distant
fire
Rekindle flames of lost
desire;
A yearning that I thought
had died
Awakens once again inside,
But did you know...
An Indian love call
rapidly flees
Away with the wind and
whispering leaves
Of Indian Summer?
A Love Letter in the Sand
With your thorny arms
unfurled,
You’re the biggest in
the world!
Patriarch of cactus land,
Saguaro, ruler of the
sand!
Cut when ancient rivers
swirled,
You’re a wonder of the
world!
Deep in depth and broad of
girth,
Grandest canyon on the
earth!
Full of promise, you’re
the one
With your endless days of
Sun,
Basking in our great
Southwest,
Arizona, you’re the
best!
Love’s Race
Love’s a carousel, they
say,
On which we men are forced
to play.
We chase around, on
bucking steeds,
Like knights intent on
noble deeds.
Ahead the maids, with
tossing curls,
Race out of reach despite
our whirls.
The only way to catch a
lass
Is snatch away a ring of
brass.
Apparently, to win the
race,
We must risk falling on
our face!
Lyrics for "My
Arizona Home"
Oh I’m not ashamed to
say Arizona is my home;
With its sunshine every
day, no more need for me to roam.
True the cactus hurts my
feet, and the pollen plugs my nose;
I could stand less summer
heat, and the yucca ain’t no rose.
But the desert skies are
blue, and the heat, we say, is dry,
And the mountains have a
hue that’s a pleasure to the eye.
So I’m headin’ back to
where hills and valleys are aglow
With the desert’s balmy
air, and the mountains’ coat of snow.
There are canyons
everywhere, but the grandest of them all
Is the one that lies up
there ‘long the state’s most northern wall.
True the tourists
sometimes dive down the canyon’s highest walls,
And they seldom do survive
when their guardian angel calls.
But the others love the
view of the biggest hole on Earth.
In the world there’s but
a few comin’ close in depth or girth.
Oh I’ve seen the
ocean’s foam in my travels east and west,
But Saguaro’s sandy home
is the one I love the best.
Memorial Day
A Thousand banners, nay
much more,
Sprout from our nation’s
graveyard floor.
They wave there for
Memorial Day
And fluttering, they seem
to say
Here lie our boys, our
missing sons,
Fallen under hostile guns.
They paid the price that
we might be
Safe in the home of
liberty.
Peace at last marks their
repose...
They light the way for all
of those
Yet destined for the
hallowed sod.
Who, with faith in
almighty God,
In battle fierce and
daunting strife
Give up their very hold on
life
And bravely charge into
the night
That we might live in
freedom’s light.
My Husband Jim
For Elouise after Jim’s
death
It’s been so long since
I saw him,
My friend, my love, my
husband Jim.
Too long ago he went away
And left me yet awhile to
stay.
The years alone were good
to me,
I had my friends and
family.
And there were all the
yesterdays
Jim shared with me a
thousand ways.
For years I held him in my
heart;
‘Though he was gone, we
weren’t apart.
But now, at last, it’s
time for me
To journey to eternity.
I see him there, ‘though
eyes grow dim;
He waits for me … my
husband Jim.
My Wife
On the wings of the
morning my love comes to me,
And the smile on her face
is a wonder to see.
She is the bird song and
the morning sunbeam
That banishes night like
an unsettling dream.
Her voice bids me
greeting. I hasten to rise,
Lest I lose the sweet
sight of those lovely brown eyes.
I hie myself out to a
favorite chair,
She brings me strong
coffee while I tarry there.
The humming she makes is
so bright and so gay
As to focus my thoughts on
the forthcoming day.
And I promise myself once
again that my life
Will warrant this treasure
… my sweetheart … my wife.
No Greater Love
You heard her
heart and gentle voice
Before you felt
the air.
She was your
world, your universe
As you lay
slumbering there.
The first thing
your new eyes beheld
When opened was
her face.
Through all
your years of growing up
She gave a
sense of place.
And now that
you’re a man, with luck
You’ll be
loved by another.
But son,
you’ll never know a greater
Love than that
of mother.
Ode to a Houndog
A farewell to boyhood,
written when I was young
Hound dog, floppy ears,
Aged and scarred beyond
your years,
Grumbling from my
father’s chair,
Dreaming of some wily
hare,
Mocking from its thorny
lair:
All the fun you’ve
brought to me
Since I was a boy of
three;
You’ve been such a loyal
friend,
Chasing rabbits ‘round
the bend,
But I know that it must
end.
For I’ll grow up, and
you’ll grow old.
A maid will warm me when
I’m cold …
A woman’s smile replace
your yawn …
Your eventide will be my
dawn …
Yet how I’ll miss you
when you’re gone.
Old Indian Prayer
O’ Great Spirit of the
living waters…
Of the wind we cannot
see…
Of the plants that cover
the land
And of all the creatures
in the Earth:
Give us knowledge and the
wisdom to use it.
Temper our greed and
enmity
Toward others of our kind.
Help us understand that
life
Does not begin nor end
with us.
Inspire us to treat Your
gift
With wisdom and restraint,
That our children’s
children,
And theirs, and theirs
May prosper and grow
closer to Thee
In this garden You have
prepared for us
And for all of life.
Our
Romance
To
Marge
It must have been the Lord above
Who was the author of our love.
Perhaps he saw my empty life
And sent you down to be my wife.
It’s true, when young, we lived apart,
Love but a promise in each heart,
But even Jesus was a boy
Before, as man, he taught us joy!
‘Though some would say it was mere chance
That set the stage for our romance,
I know it was a grand design
That made me yours, and made you mine.
Our Shepherd
Upon a hill called Calvary
A Man gave up His life for me.
He was like none before or since…
He loved us ‘though He was a Prince.
And we must love Him in reply
So that our souls may never die.
We celebrate His life in rhyme,
He's with us to the end of time.
He comforts us with staff and rod,
Our Shepherd, Jesus, Son of God
Pills, Cake, Shrimp and
Wine
When you’ve had too many
chocolates
And you’re feelin’
kind of ill,
Take a pill.
When the kids are actin’
crazy
And your head begins to
ache
Eat some cake.
When you’re starvin’
from a diet,
Yet you’re feelin’
like a blimp,
Eat some shrimp.
When you ‘spect your
husband’s cheatin’
And life ain’t exactly
fine,
Drink some wine.
Pills, cake, shrimp and
wine,
All of these, and more
Can keep a gal a-goin’
‘til
She knocks on heaven’s
door.
The Potter’s Wheel
If God is our Potter, then
we are His clay,
He shapes and He molds us in many a way.
We sit on His wheel from the moment of birth
Until our time comes to return to the earth.
From our very conception He colors and fires
Our souls with a rainbow of wants and desires.
But not all the same from His pressures and paints,
We exit the wheel as both sinners and saints.
And how can this be, we might wish to inquire,
"Why aren't we all perfect, O’ Heavenly Sire?"
Is it true that the evil
one covets our souls,
And keeps us from reaching our heavenly goals?
The truth of the matter no mortal can say.
Yet God, in His wisdom, has shown us a way:
To atone for our sins ‘ere the potting is done,
We can pray for forgiveness to Jesus, His Son.
A Prayer for Our Time
It’s
out there waiting. An infinite universe. Countless stars with strange new worlds
in tow. Ours to explore, to reach out into the cosmos and touch. Will we make
it? Will our space ships carry us across the void? Or will others seize the
grand adventure from our grasp ... plunge us back in time ... destroy all we
have built? Why, why do we hate one another so, while heaven itself awaits? When
will the people of the world realize we are all in the same boat --- this tiny
ship, orbiting a minor star --- our home, our planet, our Earth? Please, dear
God, give us the wisdom to leave the garden you have prepared for us, and to
explore the brave vastness of space. Guide us through the valleys of death, and
save us from the greatest danger we have ever known:
Ourselves.
Precious Years
Dedicated to Gold Star
Families Everywhere
With brave young hearts
they marched away
To join the never ending fray
Of nations locked in deadly war
We've known so many times before.
Many would return to home
In boxes, never more to roam
The neighborhoods they knew when young
Before the call to arms was sung.
Now parents weep and reminisce
Of faces they so sorely miss.
Slowly does the grieving ease
In the tortured minds of these
Who heard the knock upon the door
And heard the dreaded news of war.
Slowly they'll grow less bereft
Till only blessed love is left,
And broken hearts recall with joy
Those precious years they had their boy.
The Prize
Born in struggle, blood
and strife
Waged by men who dreamed
of life
In the light of liberty
Free of hated tyranny.
Bravely was the battle
fought
For the hallowed prize
they sought:
Land of Opportunity …
Home for all who would be
free!
Purpose
Pretty leaves outside my
window, feathers for a favorite tree,
Wafting, waving, gently
testing breezes from the distant sea:
Brief the time you spend
among us, scarce’ a season (not much more)
‘Til the call of colder
weather draws you to the forest floor.
While you’re here you do
your duty, toiling uncomplainingly,
Binding sun and earth and
water into fiber for your tree.
Comes the fall you’ll
turn to crimson, drop in waves as north winds blow,
Drift to earth in numbers
legion, vanish under winter’s snow.
Even in your passing,
though, is purpose, part of nature’s plan;
For you’ll leave a
richer earth for unborn members of your clan.
Pretty leaves outside my
window, living life so purposely:
When I fall to earth one
autumn, will the same be said of me?
Resolutions
Resolutions! Resolutions!
I’ve sure made my share!
Dreamed up burdens that no
super human being could bear!
Learn it! Do it! Eat it!
Lose it! Work out every day!
Be more social ... more
successful! Win in every way!
Every New Year strewn with
failures, every vow a joke.
Be a vegan? What, no hot
dogs? Sure, and why not croak?
After all the years of
soundly falling on my prat,
Here’s one I can handle:
Lose the muscle, keep the fat!
Roles
If you will do your very best,
Then fear not, God will do the rest
To get you where you're meant to be
In His great book of destiny.
He sets for all of us the roles
That we must play to reach His goals.
It's up to each of us to pray,
To learn the roles He'd have us play.
Semper Fi
Anxious mothers, wives and
children,
Fathers, brothers, sisters
too
Eagerly await the choppers
Bringing home the proud,
the few.
Hugs and kisses, tears and
laughter…
Families once again made
whole.
Missing: all the ones who
perished,
Etched in freedom’s
honor roll.
Through the years you’ve
bravely left us,
First to fight and first
to die.
Proud marines, God guide
and keep you.
Freedom’s heroes, Semper
Fi!
Silence
Silence is golden, the
wise people say,
And I’m in agreement in
every way.
It’s only when silent we
hear the Lord’s voice,
Giving us reason to praise
and rejoice
For all of the gifts He
sends down from above.
Yes, His love is silent;
His silence is love.
Sisterly Love
They called her Mary,
Queen of Scots,
A bonnie lass was she.
She felt that England’s
throne was hers
By right of heraldry.
But Liz, old Henry’s
other girl
Employed her royal power
To lure fair Mary from her
lair
And lock her in the tower.
"Kill her, kill her,
she’s a threat!"
Her ministers did hiss.
But Liz was loathe, for as
we know
Fair Mary was her Sis.
"Kill her, kill
her!" still they railed,
"It’s best if she
is dead."
And so, at last, Liz gave
the order,
"Roll her papist
head."
Sonny
We lost our best friend
yesterday,
God came and carried him
away.
While here he never did
complain,
‘Though at the end he
was in pain.
We were his pack, he
yearned to stay
To guard us for another
day;
We had him since he was a
pup
And trained him during
growing up
To be our loyal, stead
fast friend ...
Protect and guard us
‘til his end.
The smartest dog I ever
knew,
And brave, courageous,
noble too.
I know this grief that
makes me sad
In time will die, and
I’ll be glad.
We had him for a little
while
To make us laugh, to make
us smile.
Perhaps when grieving’s
time is up
We’ll get ourselves
another pup.
But though he’s brave
and smart and funny,
There’ll never be
another Sonny.
Special Time
A Paean to Middle Age
It’s that special time
of year again
When Halloween is nigh.
The trees are turning
color,
Flocks of birds are on the
fly.
One day is gray and
overcast,
The next one clear and
bright.
The crops are mostly
gathered,
Jack Frost visits in the
night.
Another year has passed by
And I find myself still
here...
Three-sixty-five days
older
(Not much wiser for’t I
fear).
But does it really matter,
When you take things
overall,
If a man has missed the
Nobel
‘Ere he’s seen another
fall?
He travels down a stretch
of time
The distance of a life.
With luck he has some
young ones
With the aid of comely
wife.
His body goes from boy to
man,
From man to older gent.
His days, like pennies
squandered,
All too soon are mostly
spent.
Yet who would turn aside,
Lamenting seasons come and
gone,
When crimson-bowered
country lanes
Invite the traveler on?
With dazzled eyes we press
ahead
(‘Though winter snows
draw near),
Bewitched by all the
beauty of
This Special time of year!
Spring Fever
When I was young…
O’ luscious, throbbing
verdant season,
Full of promise, void of
reason!
Rolling hillsides greenly
blushing,
Snowmelt sending streams
a-rushing!
All my senses drunk and
reeling,
Loins afire with ancient
feeling!
Whence this unfamiliar
aching,
Filling chest and heart
a-breaking?
Might the robin’s
purposed quest,
Weaving grasses, building
nest,
Offer clue to this strange
yearning
Coursing through my veins
a-burning?
Will yon window box’s
crocus
Bring my problem into
focus?
Could the eyes, through
curtain peeking,
Hold the answer I am
seeking?
There! A shy smile now in
view!
Behold, the cure for
spring is YOU!
Stumbles On The Way
Like pages of a favorite
book, the leaves of time drift by,
Impossible to grasp and
hold, like breezes or a sigh.
The faces from the halls
of mem’ry visit when I sleep,
The dreams persist and
haunt me in the morning’s stealthy creep.
My heart was broken once
or twice, I answered in return,
Met many a dainty offer
with a callous, thoughtless spurn.
Perhaps regrets that haunt
me now will serve as meager pay
For sins of youth that I
must answer for on Judgment Day.
Like those who err and
then must stand before a mighty seer,
I seize upon a miracle
that softens all my fear:
A gentle soul died on a
cross so that on Judgment Day
A fool can be redeemed
despite his stumbles on the way.
Talk to You Later
A Farewell Message to My
Sister
"Talk to you
later," I would say
When ‘ere we said
goodbye,
And now I do it in a poem
With memory and sigh.
You were unique in all the
world;
You had a way and style,
And even now, though
gripped by grief,
Your memory makes me
smile.
Your daughter said you
went in peace
To sounds of angels’
wings,
And I believe there's
truth in that …
In that and other things.
For when you said you
didn't believe
In Jesus, God's Dear Son
I knew right then that
your
Creator’s work was yet
undone.
For as you left He met you
And He gazed at you and
smiled,
And told you with the
voice of Angels,
"Welcome home My Child."
A Thanksgiving Epiphany
I had the buck
square in my sights that cold Thanksgiving morn.
I’d been so careful not
to step on twigs, lest they should warn
This noble stag, this king
of kings, this patriarch of deer
That man, the dreaded
enemy of all things wild, was near.
We were so close I all but
smelled the musky scent of fall
That signaled time for him
to seek the does, with antlers tall.
Perhaps it was the thought
of them that made him easy prey
For my stout gun, now
poised and set to take his life away.
But then he turned his
handsome head; our eyes met through the brush,
And then and there I knew
my weapon would not break the hush.
Instead I bowed to him, my
rifle lowered as I smiled
And vowed thenceforth that
I would be a friend to all things wild.
I’d spend my life waging
a fight to let them go on living.
With joyous heart I turned
and headed homeward for Thanksgiving.
The Time for Reason
The end of days will not
be mushroom clouds,
‘Though many died and
many more yet may.
It will not visit cloaked
in famine’s shrouds,
‘Though many fall from
hunger ‘long the way.
Its cause will not be ills
that have no cure,
‘Though these may
decimate us one sad day.
The end of days, quite
simply, is obscure…
Its cause no man with
certainty can say.
But this we know, if we
but pause and think
(‘Though some would urge
us headlong t’ward the brink):
Our end is not a promise
carved in granite;
Our days need not be
numbered on this planet.
Although a brighter
future’s ours to lose,
Extinction need not happen
if we choose
To be the wise ones God
Himself designed,
And use His gift to us:
the human mind.
The choice is ours, it’s
given us to be
The masters of our fate
and destiny.
For all things there’s a
time and there’s a season.
And now it would
appear’s the time for reason.
The Sign Post
There is a sign post from
the past, but one we still can see.
It speaks its sacred
message ‘cross the years to you and me.
The Man who stained it
with his blood two thousand years ago
Left it to guide each one
of us because He loves us so.
Death could not hold this
gentle soul. He left Earth Easter Day,
But we can reach Him any
time. His sign post shows The Way.
So Long
On
my terminally ill father-in-law’s last departure from Phoenix
So long, my valley in the sun,
My Arizona days are done.
My daughter, Marge, will tarry there
To flourish in your desert air.
For me, it’s back to Lincoln town
To lay this weary, old head down.
It has its Arizona dreams
Of verdant links and putting greens
To warm it during coming times
In broad Nebraska’s cooler climes.
A
Thanksgiving Blessing
Lord,
bless our family, every one,
Mother,
Father, Daughter, Son.
Thank
You for this special day
When
our country men can say,
“We
are safe and we are free
To
be all You wish we’d be.”
Show
us how to keep this right
Through
each future dangerous night
‘Til
sweet liberty is won
For
our brothers, every one.
Their Songs on Earth
Forever Mute
Every time I hear the news
Another soldier’s lost
his life,
Deep in my soul I sing the
blues,
It cuts my heart like
whetted knife.
I slowly raise an aging
arm
In hopes to send him on
his way
Where, safe at last from
battle’s harm,
He’ll sing God’s
praise one bonnie day.
So many falling yet once
more
In lands which I have
never seen,
Across the sea on foreign
shore,
Trapped in the old,
familiar scene.
Please, God, grant that
I’ll nevermore
Be asked to give that last
salute
To young lives sacrificed
in war,
Their songs on earth
forever mute.
Those Who Fell
Those who fell on 9/11
Sing your songs of
sadness; take your leave now.
Cry for those who left us
that dark day.
Bow your heads, weep angry
tears and grieve now.
Pray that time will take
the hurt away.
Fathers, mothers, sons and
daughters taken…
Senseless acts of hate
swept them away.
All our hopes and dreams
for them forsaken,
All our hearts so broken
that sad day.
But we know…experience
has taught us
Freedom isn’t free;
we’ve had to pay.
Down through hist’ry
evil ones have fought us,
Tried to steal our liberty
away.
Once again we’re asked
to stand the test now,
Meet the foe and triumph
in the fray.
Lift your heads, resolve
to do your best now;
Those who fell live on to
light the way!
Time’s
Thief
Life is Short
The list is long (too long, perhaps),
the list is long, my friend,
Of men (and women too, no doubt)
who pierce and dash and rend
Their hearts asunder on a cause
full lost for many years ...
A fact quite clear to all but they,
their vision blurred by tears.
Maugham’s ‘Human Bondage’,
Wilbur Mills’ disgrace and fall,
Countless more less famous,
all ensnared, forsaking all
On a fruitless quest,
denying that their love’s been spurned ...
Squandering their precious years
on passion unreturned.
To Thee We Sing
A salute to our veterans
You
took the points and led the ways,
You felt the bullets, led
the charge
In all your country’s
deadly frays
Beside a friend, a guy
named "Sarge."
The bravest ones didn’t
make it back,
They’re buried in some
foreign lands,
Their bodies riddled by
the flak
That strafed a thousand
beaches’ sands.
Of those with wounds, some
found their way
Back to a special placed
called "home."
Too many maimed one
dreadful day
To list within a grateful
poem.
Know we salute you, every
one
Who answered to your
country’s call.
We honor all who fought
and won,
And, yes, the ones who
still will fall.
The world is yet a
dang’rous place
Where still we feel the
despot’s sting.
To thee who ran sweet
freedom’s race ...
To thee, brave hearts, to
thee we sing!
Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier
A trip to
Arlington National Cemetery
Most sacred shrine in all
the land,
They come here from the
battle’s scourge ---
From Iwo Jima’s bloody
sand ---
From cannon’s roar at
Valley Forge.
Cut down while in their
prime of life,
We bring them here
‘neath flags unfurled,
Their bodies shattered by
the strife
Of wars fought ‘round a
troubled world.
They lie in graves without
a mark
‘Neath grass all neatly
clipped and mown,
From whence their souls
may now embark
For heaven, where their
names are known.
Toward the Bye and Bye
My sister, Patty Dawn is
gone. My Mom and Dad are too.
My Aunts and Uncles all
have left. My Cousins? Quite a few.
Like Ring Around the
Rosie, players falling to the ground.
Once tied to life by
subtle strands, they are no longer bound.
The end effect on me I
must admit can’t be denied:
Too soon, too soon my name
must join the list of those who died.
Am I afraid? Perhaps a
bit, but really not a lot.
For I was blessed with her
… a better friend no man has got.
My fervent prayer is that
she’ll hold to life until I die,
And only then will come
and join me in the Bye and Bye.
Unstoppable We
When snow blows horizontal
to the ground,
And stars are hidden by
the scudding clouds,
I lie and marvel how the
creatures ‘round
My cabin duck
death-angel’s dreaded shrouds.
I could not last a single
night like this
Outdoors, ‘though garbed
in all my warmest togs.
And yet, before I hear the
teapot’s hiss
The coyotes welcome dawn
like carefree dogs.
I wondered at such things
once to a friend.
A philosophic type … a
Greek was he.
I’ll not forget his
words until my end;
And here in verse is what
he said to me:
A thousand generations in
these parts
Has made the savage,
winter winds to seem
As normal to their
stalwart, robust hearts
As Summer’s breeze and
morning sunlight’s beam.
It’s we
who are the marvels, don’t you know,
Who with our wits and
brains so bright and smart
Have learned survival
through the months of snow
Far from the tropics where
we got our start.
And as I pondered on my
wise friend’s words
I saw what special
creatures we must be:
We cannot float unaided
with the birds,
Nor swim on breath alone
beneath the sea.
Yet even these strange
realms we’ve made our own
With planes and aqua-lungs
and other gear.
And now plan out in empty
space to roam
Far from the safety of
this biosphere.
What strange and hostile
places we find there
Will test us once again,
but we’ll not fail
In time to make our homes
in other air,
On other worlds to which
we boldly sail!
A Warning?
Nobody saw it coming
‘ere it streaked ‘cross Russia’s sky,
"It is the end,"
the people cried, "we all are doomed to die!"
It smashed into the earth;
left many wounded in its path.
It seemed to give an evil
world a taste of heaven’s wrath.
It had a bigger brother
which, thank goodness, missed us all.
The scientists had warned
of it ... an imminent close call.
The smaller one surprised
them though. It hurtled to the ground,
Destroying all at point of
impact and for miles around.
Giving even wizened men of
reason room for pause,
Whether it was simply
chance, or was there other cause?
Could this be God’s
stern warning that we’ll reach the end of days ...
That we will join the
dinosaurs if we don’t change our ways?
We the People
As elections draw closer
and all had their say,
Then like it or not, at
the end of the day
Freedom insists, ‘though
some hearts may be broken,
"The contest is over,
the people have spoken."
Once more we’ll join
hands, a nation united ...
A process on earth that is
too rarely sighted
Of voters electing their
rulers of choice,
Then welcoming winners
with one common voice.
And after the winners have
governed awhile
We’ll get to choose new
ones, democracy-style.
It’s what makes us
special, and can’t be denied:
In liberty’s home we the
people decide!
Wedding Memories
On my daughter’s wedding
day
Chuck was there to greet
us and suggested by and by
He’d play some Hearts in
earnest if we promised not to cry.
Gene and Carole were busy
taking photographs galore,
With daughter Cheryl
rounding out the album, snapping more.
Charlie boy and Vincent
had become good friends and pards,
Dreaming they’d outfox
and beat the master playing cards.
Ted, the groom, was
dressed up from his head down to his toes,
And Stephanie was busy
scatt’ring petals of the rose.
Adrian was tasked with
bearing all the wedding rings,
And Marge was busy tending
me, among some other things.
Sandy played the ivories
and Julia sang so nice
It warmed our hearts and
spirits like spring sunshine melts the ice.
Melissa looking beautiful
in many-ruffled gown,
And David helping out by
leading her the aisle down.
And I was acting bravely,
vowing that I wouldn’t cry,
My head awash with
memories of her in times gone by.
But in the end I broke my
vow and honestly must say
I shed a tear of sadness
when I gave my girl away.
Where Did It Go?
On our golden anniversary
It seems like only
yesterday,
Yet fifty years have fled
While leaving only
memories
To linger in their stead.
We once were young and so
in love
I took you for my wife,
Convinced it was the best
thing I’d
Accomplish in this life.
Our youngsters came,
brought with them joy
They left the nest when
grown,
And now in married life
they raise
Sweet babies of their own.
And you and I, with time
and luck,
Have comfortably grown
old.
But summer’s breeze that
warmed us once
In autumn’s growing
cold.
And yet, as winter dims my
eyes
I do not miss the beams
Of young love’s sun when
I embrace
The woman of my dreams.
Why?
Why have the gray hairs
Grown thick on his hand?
Why has adventure
Turned boring and bland?
Why have his eyebrows
Grown hoary and white?
Why are the clothes that
Once fit now so tight?
Why do his knees feel
So stiff on a rise?
Why for no reason do
Tears fill his eyes?
Why’s he grown fearful,
The man once was so bold,
Cowering now
In a body grown old…
Why I Celebrate Thanksgiving
When leaves turn gold and feathered friends
Take leave the arctic air,
Thanksgiving rolls around again
And once again we’re there.
America’s one special day
When free men everywhere
Give thanks to God for all the gifts
We lucky Yankees share.
Most precious gift of all, for me,
Is freedom, for you see
It’s only when we’re free to choose ...
It’s only when we’re free
That we dare hope for happiness,
For lives that are worth living.
Yes, most of all our freedom’s why
I celebrate Thanksgiving!
With Proud Hearts Now We
Whisper
All my heroes leave me and I can't help wondering why.
The latest: one who in his
boyhood prayed that he would fly.
The dream came true, he
flew our fighters during World War II,
And later carried into
space the red, the white and blue.
Later still he went to
Congress, served for many a season,
Always ready, in the din,
to ask for quiet reason.
At 75 he was the oldest
yank to orbit Earth,
And once again, as
scientist, he proved his grit and worth.
He left today at 95 and
flew up to the sky.
With tears of thanks we
waved to him and bid him fair goodbye.
As with all heroes, we
must wonder where we get such men.
With proud hearts now we
whisper in our souls,
"Godspeed, John
Glenn."