"Land of the Promise"

The land of the promise

The land of their hope

The words of Jehovah

That help them to cope

The world is now passing

A new one stands near

A place for all peoples

Where no one will fear

To those who will listen

The pathway belongs

The land of the promise

Where all will be strong

*

- 4-24-92 - Bro. did reiview of Bible reading and I wrote this about it -

"The Phantom of the Opera"

The writer of the Phantom

Is a genius at his best

He has brought to life a love story

And we are now it's guest

Seated at his banquet

Surrounded by his word

Music now assails us

The Phantom can be heard

He sings of love so tender

That your heart will ache for him

For his heart is full of sorrow

And his spirit has grown dim

As his life now fades to darkness

His shadow will take flight

For he knows it's all over

The music of the night

*

- I finally got to see the "Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway in October of 94 - it was wonderful -

"The Shadow's Guest"

Shadows of the evening

Chase away the sun

Dissolving now the the sunset

The nighttime has begun

Through the tide of darkness

Where all the stars abide

The moon in all her glory

Around the earth will glide

Peace and her contentment

Within your soul will rest

Dream away your sorrows

You are the shadow's guest

*

- I thought about the shadows of the night and thus wrote this - 5-2-91

"Feeding Time Is Near"

The flowers of her garden

With blossoms, birds and such

Outside her kitchen window

What birds will have their lunch!

Mixed amidst the flowers

Feeding time is near

Perched upon a blossom

Birds you now will hear

Pretty little fellows

Searching for the seed

Hummingbirds that hover

On purple blossoms feed

Butterflies all over

Fluttering their wings

Sitting on a sunflower

Oh what joy they bring

Seasons as their passing

Different birds will come

Perching on the feeder

Always in the sun!

*

- about my mothers kitchen window, her flower garden and bird feeders - she used to sit there in her rocker and watch them -

"My Little One My Dear"

I've watched you as you've blossomed

Become the girl you are

You're someone who's quite special

A bright and shining star

Yet, within this young woman

I see before me here

My little girl is present

Remembered and quite dear

And always she'll be with you

Ahead throughout the years

Your past, present and future

You'll mix with joy and tears

Your life will bring you tumbles

From many stumbling blocks

For mixed within lifes pleasures

Are many hidden rocks

But as you've grown I've noticed

My young ones wings appear

And daily they'll grow stronger

As you soar from year to year

I'll watch you from a distance

And yet will hold you near

And always I will love you

My little one, my dear

*

- Selina asked me to write a poem for Brehana who is graduating tonight (5-25-04) - asked me to say something about how special and unique she is and how she will always be her little girl - this is what I came up with -

"Chase Away"

I wish that I could chase away

The shadows that I see

The hurt I know this home contains

The pain there now must be

The ache is heavy deep within

And daily seems to grow

And time with all its passage

At this time will be slow

Yet, time is still the healer

For with it will come rest

Jehovah will bring blessings

As time alone attests

So, lean upon each other

Thus you'll begin go feel

That time with all its passage

Has helped your heart to heal

*

- my friend lost her father so I wrote her this - time is still the only thing that at least eases the pain of losing someone - we all have the heavy hearted ache when we lose someone near to us and time is the only thing that takes that terrible ache away -

"Resistant Materials"

Material is needed

The challenge is near

The building, direction

construction is dear

How strong the foundation

How solid the wall

Will our children conquer

Or stumble and fall

Resistant materials

Are needed today

For wisdom, discernment

And knowledge we pray

(Pro 2:1-6)

Our children are learning

Examples they need

If zealous our actions

They'll follow our lead

So build for resistance

And teach them with care

Of fire all consuming

They're thus made aware

If love and direction

Discipline remain

A child thus resistant

To fire we'll attain!

(Heb 12:7)

*

- 10-2-05 written about public talk entitled: "Parents Are You Building With Fire Resistant Materials"-

"Put It Back Aright"

I wish that I could take away

The pain you feel tonight

And turn your world around again

And put it back aright

A sorrow deep within your soul

That's difficult to bear

Is tearing at your heart I know

And fills you with dispair

The words I seek to write to you

Cannot your pain appease

For time is what you need my dear

To bring your sorrow ease

With family now surrounding you

Their anguish too is clear

But now together you will make

A unit strong appear

And as a family you will find

The pain you will subdue

So lean upon the ones you love

And they will lean on you

*

- I gave this to my Uncle David when he lost his father -

"Painting With Words"

With words she's been painting

Expressing her thought

Emotions all gathered

Until they've been caught

An artist is working

With paper and pen

With words she is striving

A picture to send

With the stroke of her "brush"

A stanza is born

A page filled with wonder

That her words adorn

You'll see by her message

A wonder filled day

She's "painting" with pleasure

Her words will now say

So off in the chasing

Of words and their sound

A picture is forming

A poem will be found!

*

- I loved the article in the Awake entitled "Painting With Words" as I always wanted to be a literal artist - thus was thrilled when brothers said a poet was painting with words! -

"Needing Comfort"

Now my friend I seek your comfort

Soothing words from you must flow

Spread it on quite thick and heavy

For my self-esteem must grow

For at present it is resting

On the floor beneath your feet

Take some time and spread your comfort

Help me rise up from the deep

Thus we then can walk together

Help each other through the day

And for strength and help and guidance

To Jehovah we will pray

Thus in turn I then will be there

As the heavy days you greet

When your self-esteem has crumpled

To the floor beneath my feet

*

- I was feeling so low during one of the meetings - so I wrote this and gave it to a friend who has always been there for me -

"The Voice of My Father"

The voice of my father

In song he would sing

The words of endearment

The tears they now bring

He sang to my mother

Such words from his heart

He sang to his children

With love on his part

The dance he would sing of

The Tennessee Waltz

A voice that was tender

With all of its faults

He loved to sing sad songs

Or funny or grand

For You Are My Sunshine

Was sung by this man

Yes he was my father

And I miss him still

And old country music

Will make my heart fill

For he loved the old songs

He gave them his best

And I hear him singing

In my heart it rests

*

- I watched a Country Music Hall of Fame program and they sang The Tennessee Waltz and You Are My Sunshine and I thought of my Dad and how he sang them to us so I wrote this as a result -

"Ice of November"

The trees of the forest

Are coated with glass

The ice of November

Has buried the grass

Descending with anger

It covers your path

For winters arrived with

Impatience and wrath

The storms of December

Are lurking ahead

And each day that passes

Means one less to dread

Temperatures plummet

The warmth's left the land

The start of the new year

Is now close at hand

January's presence

Is outside the door

With cold so unpleasant

That you've felt before

So cover the windows

Then turn up the heat

And taste of the winter

Now placed at your feet

*

- I drag this one out again as the winter season is back and all the ice and snow that accompanies it -

"Rafter"

I cannot understand

The rafter in my eye

No matter what I do

Or just how hard I try

It always seems to grow

Though I keep working hard

I pull all straws I see

With love and deep regard

So if I always help

Remove the straws I find

Why does my rafter grow

When I have been so kind?

*

- written several years ago about Mt.7:1-5 -

"He Never Faltered"

The pressures were heavy

The sacrifice great

His time was upon him

It would not be late

He followed direction

His father he served

The time was upon him

But he did not swerve

He loved all his brothers

And worked for their sake

For life everlasting

He died on that stake

The torture and suffering

The pain in his heart

But he never faltered

He would not depart

His thoughts were of others

He spoke of this too:

"Forgive them my father

They know not what they do"

*

Luke 23:34

*

- watchtower study 3-1-92 - first study article - written 4-5-92 -