There was a man upon the road
Who seemed weighed down by heavy load
With spirits low, his shoulders sagged
And as he walked, his feet they dragged.
Another cause, another place
Perhaps another futile race
Tis sad believing all is lost
His faith and honor are the cost.
Oh Lord above, how can this be
The innocents now deemed guilty
Justice is lost, our nation cries
And all are left with compromise !
The rain just keeps on pouring down
There’s ne’er a dry spot left in town
The water’s rising at my feet
And flowing wild o’er every street.
The curbs are covered, sidewalks too
What else is there that we can do
Oh, such a mess that’s facing me
I feel as though I’m lost asea.
Please don’t complain about the wet
There’s too much water to forget
I wonder if old Noah knew
That job God gave to him to do ?
One page of life too soon will close
Beyond our fingers and our toes
‘Twill pass again this way no more
Without a tally or a score.
We must accept the burning fact
That there will be no turning back
Despite the depth or max of pain
We shall not pass this way again.
The time has come to file away
Those memories of yesterday
Let’s place them in our private space
That God and time will ne’er erase !
Our America had its birth you know
Over two hundred forty years ago
Through the thunder, lightning and fire we grew
Into this nation of red, white and blue
In the rockets great glare we won the fight
And created a star that shines so bright.
With welcoming heart and book in her hand
The Lady in Green in the harbor stands
As she holds the torch for all who will see
This home of the brave and land of the free !
I feel a chill that’s in the air
The dampness seems to curl my hair
Tis time to face another day
And push my early fears away.
How marvelous that God does share
Our heavy burden of despair
I am so grateful for this chance
To see beyond each circumstance.
I crave the comfort of His care
And feel His presence everywhere
Oh Blessed Lord, I beg of Thee
Please stay in close proximinty !
Whatever I am, dear Lord, I know
I owe it to You, You’ve made it so
You are the stars and the skies they’re in
With clouds above at Your every whim.
The rainbows we glimpse with color bright
A moon o’erhead on the starlit night
You are the dreams we are waiting for
The hopes and wishes and plans galore
That do fill our hearts and minds with glee
And create Your world this sight to see.
The birds and trees, the flowers that bloom
Assorted odors filling each room
The snow and rain, the wind as it blew
All of our treasures are gifts from You !
OUT OF CHAOS, ORDER. AMEN.
I’ve often thought how very kind
We are as we keep God in mind
How understading and complete
Our lives will be with joy replete !
It seems that life is whizzing by
With days so fast they seem to fly
While times their passage makes us cry
That’s when we must all bid goodbye !
Oh hallelujah, jump for joy
Because we must our faith employ
To keep us on the proper track
And help us get our mojo back.
Believe in truth it paves the way
To richer, finer, better days
Stand up and let your banners fly
You may reach out and toucn the sky !
The sun it rises in the eastern sky
Each day to bid the starlit night goodbye
This ancient pattern must be kept alive
For one without the other can’t survive !
What quiet signals do we send
When we’ve moved so close to the end
What simple gestures do we make
When our whole system’s doomed to break ?
The moment’s here and on its own
Wherein the final action’s known
And as the fateful hour appears
A darkness falls among our peers.
Soon angel wings waft some away
To seek a dawn that’s gone astray
Forgive us Lord for all the sin
And help us save most left within
How fortunate that each may be
Depending on God’s charity !
“MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE UNTO THE LORD”
PSALM/ 66:1 / 88:1 / 95:1-2 / 98:4-6 / 100:1-5 / 149:3 / et al.
Our faith in God counts quite a lot
As it’s the only hope we’ve got
That bides with us both night and day
To keep us safe and fears allay.
Too soon the dark moves closer in
As each prepares to lose or win
Remember always God is there
Sharing love and unselfish care !
Morning shades of drab tans and gray
Are always getting in the way
Of peach and golds to shocking pinks
That welcome most as sunrise sinks.
Oh what I’d give at last to see
The rainbow this world used to be
Where all felt a great need to share
With those who chanced to visit there.
I’ve often wished that I might find
A fairy wand, the magic kind,
To do the job tales tell it can
And much improve the state of man !
There was this time when I was young
That many words tripped off my tongue
And as those dreams filled up my mind
The future was what I would find.
I used to wish that I could be
Some nice young man’s true destiny
It ne’er did happen I must add
Perhaps that made me rather sad.
Now as the road is winding down
I keep on smiling, seldom frown
So that my life can be pure bliss
Those dreams I’ve seen end with a kiss!
The sun peeks out from behind each cloud
A chorus of birds all sing aloud
While the air about still smells as sweet
The wind has mellowed and is discreet.
What a perfect day just fore the storm
Where life as we know it is quite norm
Let’s carry on as we have before
And pray the Lord stands Guard at our door !
There is this part of me that cries
As tales of sadness doth arise
Or when someone has a great need
To find some peace or to succeed.
We’ll seek a measure to impart
Our loving help for ailing heart
Perhaps one moment to remind
Each other that we should be kind.
There are these special words we’ll keep
That as ye sow thus shall ye reap
Always remember He’ll be there
To help us each our burden bear !
I see the rain now tumbling down
Like teardrops rushing to the ground
The Power it accompanies
Is Parent to all plants and trees.
How splendid is the light He brings
To all of this world’s living things
For even mountains rise with time
While valley levels will decline,
How wonderful it is to be
Creations of God’s Entity !
Time moves on more slowly now
As every minute counts somehow
We savor all as hours pass
Because we know these are the last.
There is no choice we can make
To hope to end or stop the ache
What is to be, ’twill be so
But until then tis status quo !
The air is still, one feels the heat
This life we know faces defeat
The rule of law used as a pawn
Will disappear before too long
The change will come more silently
As we accept reality
Let’s bow our heads, pray fears depart
And beg of God a brand new start !
How little do we know of life
Its loss and gains, its joys and strife
How soon before we all must find
The courage to all fears unwind ?
DO NOT FORGET TODAY 9/11/2001.
How often now I chance recall
Those olden times when I was small
And all those relatives I knew
That sheltered me my childhood through.
There’s been so many I could love
To aid me in my dreaming of
A life blest with both good and bad
Mongst all those joys I’ve known and had.
I need to thank each uncle, aunt
For every dream they helped to plant
And all that wisdom they taught me
To live life with integrity !
The wind, it whistles through the trees
Staccato bristling in the breeze
The air is crisp, its clean and clear
Sounds of autumn fall on the ear.
The Ides of March have come and gone
And Labor Day has since moved on
Ere long it will be Halloween
With other days squeezed in between.
All lives serve seasons in their turn
Each with some lesson we need learn
Our victories may have no date
Sometimes we simply have to wait !
See our blest flag at half staff flown
Whence seeds of valor there were grown
To honor heroes who have died
For God and man and nation’s pride !
AMEN.
T’was once upon a time ago
When we were full of life aglow
Before emerged this need to know
With tiny impetus for show
Our lives were truly less confused
Filled with days both calm and diffused
May all that anger be excused
To find ourselves in turn amused !
The pages of the calendar do fly
Like storm tossed leaves across a windy sky
Days of our lives now swiftly pass us by
Their hours, minutes all whispering goodbye !
With all her hair piled on her head
Her cheeks so pink, her lips true red
Her running shorts cut at the thigh
With measured trot while passing by.
She is a picture of content
Angelic smile from heaven sent
As daily I observe her pass
From my front window’s pane of glass.
Her running shoes and steady pace
Are ne’er distracted by each race
She’s happy jogging every street
Controling life while on her feet !
Seems truth keeps getting in the way
Of all the wisdom known today
I can’t accept just how things are
World ignorance has gone too far.
If this is all our lives shall be
I’ll opt for lack of parity
And pray that God who’s Judge of all
Comes to our aid before we fall !
There was a place we used to go
When I was small so long ago
A spot straight out of storybooks
Beside a beach with coves and nooks.
A happy home for waves and sand
Of salt and sea aside the land
My childhood summers I recall
They were the very best of all.
With mom and dad, pop, nana too
Those days of summer quickly flew
I learned to swim right off the dock
Clock hands grew wings, tick tock, tick tock.
Oh, how I wish I had a way
To live again that yesterday
Without the need to say goodbye
Real love’s ne’er built upon a lie !
Claire V. Bogdanos 