The morning's dark and gloomy
chance or rain, the papers said ;
I put on rain-repellant gear
and it's off to the trails I head.
Skies are shadowed and cluttered
like shrouds, the clouds roll by;
but below me the ground is solid
brown, hard packed, and dry.
Beside me, a glow's now forming
the sun, now takes center stage;
it lightens the landscape around me
and its color now,  is beige.
But it lasts for only a moment
the shrouds come creeping back;
and in minutes the darkness returns
and is changing the color to black.
But now I've begun my return
and my hiking's on the wane;
I've gambled the odds in my favor
by dodging the chance of rain.

You broke my heart too many times
to say you're still my own -
time,  it never really heals
the wounds that I have known;
the battles never won,
the spats that never stopped -
weeds that shrank the flowers sown
grew out of every plot.
I failed to cultivate the ground
whereupon you walked
where you touched the earth;
you hid behind the shelter
of sarcasm and mirth;
buried all your tortured words
with lies and sweet deceit;
and compromise was just a word
but one we couldn't meet.
So I'm wishing you the best
you never really knew me;
though you pretended otherwise
when at last you set me free.

the world's in spiritual darkness
black shadows cover the land;
the world's dissolving before us
it wasn't part of God's plan.

It started with breakup of family
and putting God's word aside;
saying abortion's all right
filling our thoughts with pride.

Allowing all rules to be broken
putting money above all the rest;
thinking that we can fix problems
thinking that our way's the best.

Now our great nation's declining
seems like nobody's too concerned;
that we've forgotten our morals
and the values that once we learned.

The world's in spiritual darkness
God's light...it can't shine through;
now we're fading into oblivion
from things that we once knew.

Weep for a world that
knows no God but money;
that has no inner soul and
thinks crude humor is funny.
That worships movie actors
that yell for more of singers
that only speak to others
by working  of their fingers.
Weep for a world that says
same *** is fine and dandy;
that anything goes if you are
over-sexed or simply randy.
That *******'s not wrong
that a *******'s only play;
that a bit of *** is love and good
a jumping of the bones is A okay.
Weep for a world that is deceived
weep for those lost and led astray;
for those disenchanted by their life
for those misguided in their way.

When I dwelt in darkness,
I was ignorant and lost -
I paid the price of sorrow,
at my own precious cost;
I bowed to secret pleasures,
gave ground to wicked sin -
bothered not by conscience,
or by places I had been.
And then You called to me Lord,
and You turned my life around -
when I learned Your words of truth,
then I felt on solid ground;
and now I feel the presence,
of Your guiding, helping hand -
in grace and knowledge growing,
I began to understand.
Now Your Spirit dwells in me Lord,
my path is bright and straight =
going forward to tomorrow,
and through that narrow gate.

The cold comes creeping up my legs
in exposed limbs, there's a trace;
suddenly, it comes full force
and slaps me in the face!
The wind makes things much colder
what is called "the wind chill factor";
today feels ten degrees chillier
I refuse to be an "actor."
To run around in shorts and t-shirt
to show I'm unbothered by the cold;
but I'm not young and invincible
In fact, I'm rather old.
Can't handle cold as I once did,
the sun's a friend to me;
Florida and Arizona beckon
(that's my humble plea).
In dreams I lay contented
in a hammock, in the sun;
wishing I were somewhere warm
as the day is done.