Long ago and far away
you came into my life one day
stayed with me - on the run
until we lost our first son.
Shotgun marriages seldom last
due to one's misguided past
subject to a quick demise
full of ugly hidden lies.
Long ago and far away
you were  doomed to never stay
I was running from your arms
indifferent to your wily charms.
Chasing after foolish hope
drinking so that I could cope
Stupid, I threw it all aside
in the event that I could hide.
Long ago and far away
loving you was only play
we couldn't stay together long
when death began its mournful song.

Mary Magdalene followed Jesus
seven devils in her past
but Jesus blessed her heart
and His blessings always last.
She came to His tomb with spices
to anoint His sainted head
but he was risen and gone
raised from His fleshly dead.
As a spirit, to his Father in heaven
to sit at His right hand
to await His earthly return
so we might understand.
To judge the righteous and wicked
to rule with an iron hand
to correct our carnal mistakes
so we might understand.
To establish His heavenly kingdom
all part of salvation's plan
to give us all life eternal
so we might understand.

There is beauty in His being
there is beauty great and strong
there is beauty in His seeing
there is beauty in His song.
There is justice in His voice
there is justice in His power
there is justice in His choice
there is justice He will shower.
There is mercy in His heart
there is mercy in His eyes
there is mercy on His part
there is mercy none can buy.
there is wisdom in His laws
there is wisdom in His soul
there is wisdom with no flaws
there is wisdom He makes whole.
There's forgiveness in His arms
there's forgiveness in His word
there's forgiveness without alarm
there's forgiveness when He is heard.

Scoffers, skeptics, fools,
too far away from God
laugh at my convictions
and often call me odd.

Because my faith is solid
because my faith is strong
I laugh right back at them
and call them wrong.

Morals have been lost
values down the drain
ethics out the window
intolerance...insane!

The devil throws the dice
and wins most of the time
most anything now goes
what's done is just a crime.

It's too late to save them
from the lake of fire
they've tossed it all away
by the flames of their desire.

You are the Bright and Morning Star Lord
Your name, above all names;
yesterday, today and tomorrow Lord
Your truth remains the same.
You are the Everlasting Father Lord
Your word is clothed in Glory;
dying for our sins Lord
in the never-ending story.
Your the Alpha and Omega Lord
the beginning and the end;
I'm at peace with all Lord
from the blessings that You send.
Your King of Kings and Lord of Lords,
and also, Prince of Peace;
the gift of all salvation
Your great wonders never cease.
Your the Bright and Morning Star Lord
of the world that needs Your light;
to bring all out of darkness
and knowing wrong from right.

New earth will be an Eden
like it was so long ago
when our parents knew no evil
and had that God-like glow;
when the air was pure and clean
when the animals were tame
before the serpent's touch
before we knew of shame;
when  angels clapped their hands
at our glorious creation
before they wept in sorrow
at the sins of every nation;
before man slew his brother
before the sin of Cain
when God protected us
when we had all to gain;
There is a new world coming
when again, the angels sing
when Christ returns in power
to reign on earth as King~!

In my den, I paced,
measured the width
from each angle;
eight by eight.
One bulb burned
brightly overhead.
The commode was a
cold stainless steel thing
projecting from a wall.
My bed was a metal one
with a thin mattress,
with two sheets and
a blanket.
I was in
disciplinary segregation,
(that's another term for Solitary)
Two weeks for refusing to
obey a direct order from a
captain.
I was in the stockade
going AWOL (in peace-time)
I was ornery and a hard-***.
They jailed my body -
but they never broke my mind.
Twice I was in solitary,
but they never broke my mind.
Yelling **** and bayoneting
a straw dummy was not
my passion.
And so I ran away from it all.
Discovering pacifism at
the age of seventeen.
Crossing the ARMY off
of my things to do list.