Oh little star above my head
How safe I am upon my bed
Where I can see your friendly light
Still glowing brightly in the night.
Sometimes I wake before the dawn
To find your image not yet gone
I am so glad that you’re still there
It firms my faith that God does care.
The angels came a-knocking at the doorway of my heart
To bring me news and tidings of another days new start
And on their wings they carried caring messages from God
To tell us He remembers all His children who try hard
To do His earthly bidding and who follow in His way
With dreams of loving kindness at the close of every day.
My Nana was born June 2, 1891, at 34 Monroe, Hoboken of a Prussian mother and a Westphalian father, the 2nd daughter in a family of many sons. She began working at 6 alongside her 8 year old sister Olga in P. Lorillard factory on Henderson, hand rolling tobacco in cigarette papers. Little fingers worked quickly as they laughed, giggled, sang, chattered away mocking the adult supervision to lighten the intensity of the child labor conditions ! She had equivalent of 2nd grade education, spelled phonetically, pencilled pages of legible stories and wrote me a double-sided letter in pencil every week of my life until she died. Sadly, I never saved one yet I remember those stories as if it were yesterday ! She made my clothes, taught me my prayers, how to sew, play cards and hugged me a lot. My only sibling arrived when I was 9, it was she who several years later nicknamed me “Goody Two Shoes” which I suspect wasn’t all flattery, what do you think ? My parents were just kids themselves, I think we matured at the same rate and time like birds of a feather ( the follow up ) that flock together ! My dad used to say that I was born “all grown up”, perhaps !
Sincerely, Claire B.
My God I have sensed your light touch and realize
That you’ve lifted the veil from my frail clouded eyes
The eyes of my mind and those that live in my heart
They needed the freedom to create a new start.
In this world of false idols and evil intent
This can’t be the true purpose our caring God meant
But we’ll endure the trial so long as it does last
And pray that our goal remains strong faithful and fast.
It surprises me to a great extent
When I have queried where my lifetime went
And cannot seem to remember the space
That last I was or the name of the place.
As I grow older I will not recall
So much of the sadness that did befall
In a journey long full of tears and joys
It’s the happiness that my mind employs
And the peaceful times we were not alone
Those we shared with God in the great unknown
Knowing the ending’s the same for us all
As we clap our hands at the curtains fall !
I took a long walk in the rain today
Thanking my God as I trudged on the way
Wet feet and all splattered in falling leaves
Dodging the wind as it blew through the trees
The one thing I found that was a surprise
It lifted my heart brought tears to my eyes
Was a pair of mourning doves side by side
Feeding together as if they were tied
Skipping in tandem like steps of a dance
Across sodden grass to capture my glance
And I thought God knows best how to show love
Even when it’s in the heart of a dove.
In the dusky dawn
Of an early morn
As I raise my head
From a comfy bed
I am quick to say
My thanks for the day
To the God I love
In heaven above.
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.
Oft times I fear God may get tired of my prayer
It’s alright if He does ’cause angels will be there
To hear my plea and understand each and ev’ry word
Knowing they report to Him everything they’ve heard !
Isn’t that just how it is and how it has to be
In this world that was first made Paradise for we
To be His earthly family and cheering crowd
To sing His praise openly and worship Him aloud ?
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 ?
Without rain there is no season
Without love there is no reason
Without faith there is no wisdom
Without God there is no kingdom!
I’ve been prepared to greet my maker my whole life
I don’t need a herald, no bugle, drum or fife ,
Just a quiet reason to try to know His will
Learning from the angels who ever love Him still,
A simple sort of end that garners little space
Begging His indulgence to hold me in His grace.
Today a gentle wind must needs have carried on its fragile wings
Fragrance heavy with a tender thought new breath that sweetly sings
So like enchantment that softly pushed upon an aged door,
Pregnant hope awaits another day wherein to blossom more
While nestled in some far corner of my mind erstwhile at ease
Now waking slowly like pollen borne upon this springtime breeze .
The scented air wafts fertile dreams that for brief time had been forgot
While seeming slept almost secure slumbered long yet withered not.
And so today which thus began in silent desperation
Concluded with a future hope of newer expectation.
It takes no skill to fall down on the heap of disappointment.
But knowing wait sure time will grow with love and earned contentment.
Today is my mother’s hundredth birthday
Now how can that be, seems just yesterday
That we sat together to bid goodbye
In that quiet place you could hear a sigh.
A squeeze of the hand and a fond farewell
Are all I recall and all I can tell
Her smile was a gift and pleasant surprise
She was simple and kind, loving and wise.
How lucky was I to have her with me
She kept me grounded and prejudice free.
Miss you a bunch Mom, no matter how far
And wish you my love wherever you are.
Such a cheerful face and a ready smile
She made my young life so much more worth while
And was always there when I craved advice
With a hug and a kiss not once but twice.
Rose arrived in July of ninety-five
Born just two pounds no one thought she’d survive
She surprised them all and was fine by spring
But never grew tall, just a tiny thing.
She raised five brothers and a niece or two
Looked after her dad and her mother too
She’d knit and crochet and even tat lace
That smile we all loved remained on her face.
Through her very long life she kept her cheer
Dear old Aunt Rose how I wish you were here!
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 ?
I miss my mom, I miss my dad
And all the friends that I once had
I miss the way life used to be
When joy and hope and peace were free.
These days are gone just blown away
With lost remains of yesterday
Oh how I pray and often yearn
For oldtime pleasures glad return.
I realise now this won’t be
Seems most of it was not that free
I’ve tried quite hard to be aware
And understand with love and care
Here in this world the future brings
Broad visions of lifes happenings.
There’s rings and blocks and crayon wax
And books and toys and balls and jacks
These all are part of children’s wares
Like cribs and quilts and rocking chairs.
How sweet it is to watch the young
Begin their lives with hope unsung
Their childish glee and joyful songs
Fill youthful days where love belongs.
I miss these years as I grow old
And wish I knew those stories told
When I was just about their size
With curly hair and blue green eyes.
I’d be so glad though it’s too late
Next stop for me, lifes golden gate.
I am consumed with a wonderment of God’s world
Its untold secrets hid, its banners left unfurled
The promise of its vision clear now soon to come
Not by the will of man or beast to welcome some
With open heart, love of God and uncluttered mind,
The courage to accept the treasure we may find
No sacrifice can be too large to comprehend
The great beauty we shall know at our journey’s end.
I’ve found one truth in all I do
It makes no sense here without you
My hopes and fears don’t change it much
I miss your voice, your kindly touch
The pleasant joys we two have shared
The happy days we’ve known and cared
To some it is the gentle grace
The glow of peace upon one’s face
I miss your wisdom and your calm
It kept me free and safe from harm
It’s slipped away into the mist
And left me here alone, unkissed.
I’ve learned once more to understand
That life proceeds at best unplanned
Yet leaves us with this last pleasure
Times relived in silent leisure!
We need to be reminded that God’s love is always there
Along some darkened corridor or up a lonely stair
Or else where on the precipice beyond all cautions call,
How can His help be summoned to protect us from a fall,
It’s with our faith and true repentance and His loving care
That we beg our steadfast God that His angels will be there !
I’ve loved you God since I was small
Because my Nana told me so.
I loved you when I grew quite tall
And heard the stories I now know.
Because she said you did it all
With kindness and a loving heart
And meant the world to heed your call
To love each other from the start.
I wish I’d learned how not to stall
I’ve tried to follow where you go
The path is long most seem to fall
I know, my Nana told me so.
I stand upon some mountain’s peak
To gather words with which I’ll speak,
Inform the world that I have learned
What wisdom bought and patience earned.
Too oft I’ve seen and much too late
That human love is laced with hate
And chiding words while meaning well
Through futile waste and time dispel
An arrow that lays deeply bound
Into the breast that it has found.
And so it is that as I strayed
I heard the ache of those who preyed,
I saw the grief of those who need
Much loving care and special heed.
I turned away and tip-toed passed
My pulse beat loud, my breath came fast
I bowed my head with hidden shame
And damned the cause for which I came
Such weariness within my soul
One endless search for self-control.
Am I not bold to travel on
To seek this myth of Avalon?
One rose does not a garden make
One blow does not a spirit break,
One wall does not a boundary build
One task marks not a craftsman skilled.
One tear cannot a river fill
Nor silence can a heartbeat still.
One hope that’s dashed against a wall
Can’t will a mind to halt or fall.
One plan that dies before its birth
Can’t cloud a life and all it’s worth.
One fear does not a coward curse
Nor anger sharpen speaker terse.
One wish does not a dreamer hail
One song creates no nightingale.
One thought that carries on its breath
One psalm to lift the pall of death
May gift to all of those that stay
Some glimpse of but another way.
Ideals are part of poet’s dreams
And linger long past use, it seems.
“ Farewell” need not make friendship bend
While death can’t force real love to end.
Am I correct in believing that Brokaw called my era the “ Greatest Generation” ? ( My mother bought me that book.) I spent more than 76 years of my life in “ incredibly “ close proximity to my mom, she was my “hero” ! I miss her everyday and live by the simple rules she valued. In German it was : Kirche, Kinder, Kochin, “loosely” translated into … God, family, duty ! Not a bad goal.
Sincerely,
Claire B.
I’m mesmerized by falling rain
It splatters on my window pane
And sings a tune I need to hear
It sounds like music on my ear,
It means my garden now can thrive
And soon God’s blessings will arrive.
You cannot know the joy I feel
Or how much ache this show will heal,
The beauty that a garden brings
With scented breath on fragile wings,
In truth this vision states somehow
God loves me, thats enough for now!
Oh, foolish dreamer, you lonely child,
They gave you a hope, and you ran wild
In fields of joy and gardens of laughter,
Simple girl, you forgot what comes after
The rain of a late summer’s discontent,
However much meaningful or well meant
He will return to the world of his past,
Deserting you first, remembering last
That you held his hand through the troubled days
And you kissed his tears, through your misted gaze,
But in their flight, most men are little boys,
And gentle girls become discarded toys.
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
Claire V. Bogdanos 