There is one truth of which I’m sure
The infants heart is good and pure
His innocence exists innate,
While growing he is taught to hate.
A child that’s raised in wisdoms care
Is one who learns to give and share.
His kindly deeds and honest ways
Will closely shadow all his days,
And if we shower him with cheer
One day may lead us out of fear.
My heart cries out, the pain intense
What life is this devoid of sense ?
Are we all mad or lost our mind
As time moves on what shall we find ?
Is peace a word we’ll disregard,
Which human traits shall we discard ?
I think we’ve had enough of this
The loss of faith and lack of bliss,
It’s time for us to lift our eyes
Ask God to speed mans just reprise !
It seems to me as our frantic life moves on
There’s one book of wisdom we can lean upon !
I am so sad I’ve lost a friend
Much too soon for ones life to end,
Seems time had only just begun
Replete with love and joy and fun,
And now to bid this last goodbye
Ere the angels teach her to fly !
Children, children, they start out small
Quickly growing and getting tall
Children with vision in their eyes
They dream vistas great with surprise.
To find their way in all this joy
What is it that we must employ,
What kind of future will they see
As part of their own destiny ?
What glowing visions there would be
If dreaming were reality !
I’ve no dreams of great eloquence or grace
My heart just sings to view your laughing face
Such joy it carries to my simple heart
Enough to give my day a blessed start.
I’m sure this love that spreads is whole and real
And feeds the courage of the hope I feel
That you’ll turn out to be the finest lad
With kindly thoughts and deeds as did your dad.
Is there some place that we may hide
With God to keep us calm inside
Free from the fear of aging pace
Another trial or pain to face,
Or distant battle to be fought
Within this web in which we’re caught ?
We’d like to think there is an end
In which both fear and hope will mend
To keep us whole and safe from harm
There in the crook of God’s vast arm !
Just one simple act in the course of each day
To keep hope alive and chase sadness away
A moment to pause and spend time with old friends
Sharing our love for God on whom life depends.
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God has not lost us, we have failed Him
And all the angels and cherubim.
How did this happen, what could it be
Is this a puzzle or mystery ?
No merit how hard we really try
Who can determine the reason why !
While striving to do the very best
We need to put our faith to the test
And help to discover gentler days
Lead us again to walk in Your ways.
We must embrace humility first
Ere we may fill this essential thirst
Seeking forgiveness for trust that’s lost,
We’ll gain His love small matter the cost !
Of all the stars that shine at night
This pulsing orb shone ever bright
So far away that’s where you are
How vast is that, oh distant star ?
I’d often thought when older grown
That stars were made of ancient stone
No soul that lives will ever breach
The journey there, too far to reach.
I’d like to trust that I may grow
In times of peace not those of woe
Too high upon some mountain peak
Convene with angels as they speak.
Aware that I am not alone
Keep to the path with end unknown
Assured that God will still be there
To light my way no matter where !
I’d  like to be a pachyderm with trunk so ever long
Or if I was a nightingale I’d woo you with my song
And if I were a camel I might cross the desert wide
But if I was a pony I could give each child a ride.
Now if I were a seagull I might fish upon the beach
Or if I were an eagle on a treetop I would screech
Yet if I were an owl I might just be the wisest bird
But most of all my wish is that each prayer I’ve said is heard !
While echoes of my words seem overdue
Some whispers of my thoughts keep pushing through !
Within my heart there is this hole
To fill its void becomes my goal
What shall I do if efforts fail
I’ve tried my best to lift the veil
That weighs so heavy on my chest
I cannot spare one moments rest
Until I give this empty space
Some purpose that will chance embrace
All those I’ve loved and I am sure
That without God there is no cure !
You can’t believe that man is all alone
If exiled to some isle of rock and stone
There is no spot on earth that’s out of bound
Know God’s been there before we touch the ground
We need avow that He has set the rules
Our role is learning care with proper tools
And keeping faith profound within our hearts
Lest we should miss the blessing God imparts.
I know the summer’s gone to rest
I feel the sun upon my chest
I am a part of natures race
I feel her breeze upon my face.
The gushing dawn assails my eye
My heart so full I want to cry
While tiny creatures rush around
My ears are blessed with mornings sound.
It’s strange to see leaves downward drift
These roustabouts my spirits lift
The dreams we’ve lost may chance survive
Because we’ve learned how to revive.
I hear the wind brush through my hair
The smell of fall now fills the air
With each crisp gust my spirits fly
As moments rise and heave and sigh.
I sense the chill that’s not yet there
I shall partake of this worlds share
My spirits grow so full of cheer
I laugh because God’s love is here !
As I reflect on our lives today
I query where we have gone astray
I miss the hymns that the choir sang
The peal of bells as they rang and rang,
The quiet charm of a Sunday morn
A veil of silence that welcomes dawn
Where have these signs of our grace now flown
To leave us here with vision unknown ?
I’m dreaming here with all my might
From early morn to darkest night
My courage failing like some child
Who’s seen his hero’s fame defiled.
Oh small sad sight, I worry much
That I will lose my magic touch
And miss the hope that will be gone
If there’s no star to wish upon.
Just as a single ray of Gods bright light rehearses dawn
And one single thought or moment full of love inspires morn
There is a way in which the sun glows brightly in the dark
To roll aside the shallow pall that hides in vision stark
And frees us from this sadly silent corner with His grace
When tears and fears and other losses beg to be replaced
Then shine within the depths of all the darkness of the mind
With Gods bright eye to light pathways to peace that you will find !
My heart is like the engine of a train
I don’t know why and hope I can explain
I do believe that all the hurt and fear
And time so full of joy and love live here
Together and may prove that life can be
A complex ride of wide diversity.
This little train of mine may chug its way
Along the rails we count upon each day
And find its voyage full of stops and starts
Touched by the strength and pace of beating hearts
Unlike my shiny train that’s made of steel
How does this muscle love and ache and feel ?
A simple turn my life has taken
Does promise me I’m not forsaken
As a thousand thoughts do fill my mind
With forgotten dreams my heart will find
And the hope grows stronger day by day
As I try to live the modest way
Where a second chance is not that rare
With the promise faith will end despair
I’ve put away those days of regret
And trust in a cause I won’t forget
Life will be all I hoped it would be
Remembering that God’s love is free.
Each morning as I brush remains of sleep
From eyes that age with time and easy weep
About the path this life seems bound to keep
In our lost world that values truth too cheap
I pray the God of kindness heeds us soon
To save our simple souls from endless ruin
And bring us home again to life in tune
With virtues shared beneath His sun and moon.
A little bird has sung to me
How glad he is that we are free
If I should join him in the sky
Do you believe that I might fly ?
What would it take to soar above
In search of God’s enduring love
Some miracle that will take place
When we have had that final race ?
There’s a sound that wakes in the early dawn
With a still that breaks into coming morn
And promises us one complete new day
To carry our cares and sadness away
Soon we begin again to hope once more
That we may chance upon life’s second door
A beautiful thought and wonderful dream
Believe it fits in the ultimate scheme !
Without rain there is no season  Â
Without love there is no reason   Â
Without faith there is no wisdom   Â
Without God there is no kingdom! Â Â Â Â
The thought occurs since I have found
This other world that won’t be bound
By false ideals which have no weight
And judgements deemed obscure too late,
Pray life may draw hope through that door
With courage bold new goals explore.
Are we sharing again ? One hot summer day, August 14, 1935, my mother and I were   Â
walking hand in hand on Zabriskie Street in Jersey City.  Windows were open everywhere  Â
curtains moving in the slight breeze, some parted, some knotted on the rods. You could   Â
hear the Philco radios blaring static and sound within, suddenly the windows filled with   Â
people yelling, shouting hoorays! In the streets they laughed and danced and sang “Happy
days are here again!” Â I turned to my mother, she squeezed my hand tightly and said “Mr. Â Â
Roosevelt passed the Social Security Act “.  “Thank God !”  I couldn’t forget that day, it   Â
was like the biggest party I ever saw, no balloons, no ice cream, but a lot of whooping it  Â
up and delirious people.  It’s a memory that still lives happily with me but what I most  Â
remember is that tired old house dress my mom was wearing and how joyous she was. Â Â
Some memories are worth keeping, don’t you think ? Â
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Today a gentle wind must needs have carried on its fragile wings
Fragrance heavy with a tender thought new breath that sweetly sings   Â
So like enchantment that softly pushed upon an aged door,
Pregnant hope awaits another day wherein to blossom moreÂ
While nestled in some far corner of my mind erstwhile at easeÂ
Now waking slowly like pollen borne upon this springtime breeze .
The scented air wafts fertile dreams that for brief time had been forgotÂ
While seeming slept almost secure slumbered long yet withered not.
And so today which thus began in silent desperationÂ
Concluded with a future hope of newer expectation.
It takes no skill to fall down on the heap of disappointment.Â
But knowing wait sure time will grow with love and earned contentment.
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If love had wings, I then would fly
Into your arms to say goodbye
I’ve no more time to gift to thee
This precious breath that’s left in me.
I close the door and bow my head
Too soon the hour I will be dead
Enough here now to say farewell
With some regrets I need to tell.
Can this life be my last resort
Or shall I gain another port
That waits for me to finish here
Ere I pursue this virtue clear ?
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Claire V. Bogdanos 