There once was an old man from Nantucket
Who spent his life kicking a bucket.
Then one day unaware
He had found nothing there
A garden ended his journey and arose he did just to pluck it.

...Take Time To Smell The Roses #1
Kathy S. Dillard

Once upon a monkey
In a tree so high
Lived a little baby blue bird
As blue as the sky.

The monkey oh so limber
And the bluebird  oh so blue
Lived together nicely
In a tree made for two.

So if you ever see a bluebird
Perched upon a monkey's shoulder
Just know it's only temporary
Until bluebird's a little older.

She was a little bluebird
Among the monkeys in a tree.
She sang among the monkeys
Just as proud as she could be.

And then one day the monkeys said,
"Little bluebird fly away."
Our soul is full of sweet, sweet songs
You sang of every day.

We are better monkeys now
Than we ever were before
So take flight unto the heavens
And sing forever more.

So the bluebird flew away
And sang to others she had met.
And although she sang as proudly,
Her monkeys, she could not forget.

The bluebird loved her friendly monkeys
And she knew one day she would
Return to sing another song
To her monkeys if she could.

Death hath no fear that we should know
As we take our beds each night,
Yet without the slightest thought or recompense
Do we rise to see the light.
Amen

My hope during troubled times
When my knees are firmly holding ground,
The alter pros' an Angel's muse,
From whence I poise my fortitude.

My head unbowed lifted to my hope,
My courage determined, forged the night.
Shall I regard each battle Heaven's gain,
Arrived I at fate's ironic refrain?

No nobler mind had life to live
Save the sacrifice on cross and tomb,
Delivered souls too lame to tell
The valiant heart of mine EMANUEL.

EASTER MONDAY 2015

"Where is my Monet?", I say
As I look through the blurred vision of an impressionist day.
A double paned view of reality
Swaying beauty through eyes once knew.

Where is my Monet  or be it Van Gough?
All beauty's vision framed newly printed Picasso.
Shadow me done, and once never knew
What others should have seen as they counted me too.

So now, I say no
Not of Van Gough nor Monet,
I see beauty no Rembrandt nor Picasso to sway.
I see a simple little girl with all she will need
To see the world lovely and in the midst of all, succeed.

In the briar meadow
Where the wind swings long and low,
Is the memory of a hidden path
Little women may not know.

The rancid smell of Crimson paint
Of Cupid's Scarlet Bow,
Scars its victim one by one,
A branding iron's foe.

It seals the fate of little girls
Before they come to be,
Who hide themselves to kindly peek
Upon the doe of The Briar Patches' knee.

The sweet sweet savor of blackberries
Growing wild along the lane
Delay return as all consumed
The berries from Orchid Lane.

The Whisper of the Willow Trees
That hide the Sacred Kiss
Loft the Billowing Sounds
Of a young lovers' hopeful wish.

But fate has never faltered
A Secret only the Willow know,
Why the Holy Crimson stain
Drips upon the Briar's doe.

Now the Garden only fills
The air of aged chills
Of a yearnings' life that only once
Thorned it's lovely ills.

Scarlet hushed the haunting Whispers
Made upon the Briar's Patch
While Cupid's proof kept itself softly
Far beneath the Willow's match.

Scarlet's quilted choker
Swinging in the breezy wind
Tell the blessed beauty's life
Of a dearly devoted friend.

Life once so treasured,
Now so very long ago
Leave the only trace upon The Garden's Lot
In the evenings' glow.

The Raven she speaks with a proud cry
Among the bluebird and the butterfly
Saying words whose life I knew
Near open doors and gallant bleu.

Giving life to lovers true
Beyond say the tomb,  gave life anew.
Fleeting moments too few to savor
Mending hearts two bruised to hear.

Find my name unspoken trust
Near the ore, untempted lust.
Bring to have, hearts amend
Sacred love of thine, Dear Devoted Friend.

Could there be Dear Imagery
Site or sound that could ever be
Present without minds capturing
The essence of sweet poetry?

And yet, 'tis dismal irony
That breathes such life from misery
And spins on canvas words of gold
Transcending time to ages old.

With Wheatly's pen the symbols sound
Where rhythm of life's melodies abound
Pleading angelic praise be sent
To writers willed with Heaven's intent.

Bare all thy soul, a fool's voice cries,
That taunting thoughts be not denied.
Like seas that beakon sailors hearts,
The poet's burning fury starts.

In the quickened breeze,
My mind slips with ease
To a place of long ago,
Where little girls pranced
In a mystical dance
And stardust sprinkled like snow.

Little boys rushed to see
With what beauty and ease
Of grace that did keep them a-daze,
But none was the wiser
When the dance of Delilah
Sent their minds through a mystical maze.

To the spectators' delight
as she danced through the night
unaware of what spell she had cast,
Transfixed with a smile
They dazed all the while
As times' future had soon become past.

And hundred years of fixation
And a fine lad's dedication
To dance with his heart's delight,
Was now set at ease
As he bent to his knees
To kiss the hand of his dream goodnight.

His pulse beat slowly
And his heart felt lowly
Though this moment he knew soon had to end.
Would this dream have to cease?
Did his imagination increase
Just to allow his yearning heart to mend?

The mystery ends as it did begin
As I reflect on days then
Of a lad who danced with his love.
Like the leaves of trees
Dancing in the breeze
A silhouette in shadow to see,
The dance of Delilah and He.

This winding road I've traveled,
Once forgotten, twice removed.
Has left its mark upon my heart
Lost among the shadows, clouded by the dark.

This winding road has made familiar
Each trial I've had to bear,
Each turn a passing ray of light
Embracing me with care.

This winding road I look for
Each day I hasten now my pace
To quickly find the matter,
The secret to the race.

This winding road a test for me
To answer to the call.
God calls fourth his mighty army
To give witness to it all.

This winding road a straighter path
Familiar now it seems,
Not so deeply meant to be
A puzzlement for me.

Time spells a story that only you can tell.
Delivers your life from a soul destined for hell.
No one holding you, no one setting you free,
No one knowing how to know you, to let you be.

Then His love turned your life around
And sets your feet on solid ground.
From tears, a new life is found.
The tears of a clown no longer frown.

Should you just stop saving yourself
And leave your dreams safely on a shelf
Or should you fight and give your future new life?
Something inside restores your will and saves you from strife.

The heart, the soul, the spirit make a new song
The beat, the rhapsody, the melody now music no longer wrong.
A new song of life
Makes your new world right.

All that echoes through the night
Echoes an inner will to fight.
Step back and come correct, for all that's heard,
New life yields a New word!

Life Matters

Heros

Medallion on the spine.  A golden paper label.

When rainbows lose their color
And the sun forgets to shine
And the world stops revolving,
The spirit's ever lifting and never looks behind.

Pass the spirit slowly
Move ever closer to the shore
But always be aware
Others passed this way before.

They took no notice of the Master
As he humbly sat before
And when He walked they chose to mock Him
As He stood before the door.

So know my child who loves me
That they will deny Him twice more,
Yet history will recall those
Who walked along the shore.

If my house was a castle,
Then I would be the queen.
I'd gather all my subjects
And to them all, I'd sing.

I sing of all the wonder
I've seen in my life
And I'd try to explain
What's wrong and what's right.

But how do you show
Those who cannot see
And how do you help form
Those who know not what to be?

If I sing and you can't hear me
Is my song sung in vain,
Like a flower that drowns
In the midst of the rain?

I want to help you as you grow
Yet, I do not know what to do
But if my singing helps,
Then I will sing to you.

I don't have all the answers.
All I have is my song
So I'll sing to show I love you
So you know that you belong.

I look at you and see the most beautiful being I have ever known.
In you, I see the manifestation of grace
And it's very presence blankets my heart
With the warmth of all the love I've ever known
And I bask in a pool of love until I drown in its purity.
It is at that moment that your name turns to music
And it's melody wells up my mind until I can hold it no longer
And streams of love baptize my soul
And I know that I am saved.

Are all politicians fools,
Do they listen to what they say?
There mouths yell, "Halt, stop that spending!"
While their hands sign the check and their eyes look away.

Do all their body parts work together?
Do they function as a living human being?
Or are they controlled by another
Like a puppet being pulled by its' strings?

Can there be any logic in their thinking?
Can there be any truth in their words?
The two play like Muzak with no harmony,
Like a piano being played on broken chords.

Do they live, eat and breathe like all others?
Do they laugh, cry and worry like most do?
Or do they just send your loved ones into battle
Without a thought of what their death does to you?

So I ask you to judge for yourself.
Take so seriously these four words I say.
Are all politicians fools?
Can we trust them to lead the way?

If there is an answer that addresses the issues,
That doesn't avoid topics as one might the plague,
Then by all means step forward, come hither,
Show us all what discovery you've made.

I truly think they're all fools these politicians
And it saddens me much just to say,
So for now I'll follow Scarlet's advice,
"After all, tomorrow is another day."

Tangerine sunsets of skies that weep
Tenderly lulling souls to sleep.
Hazing memories fade softly away
As twilight ends the course of day.

Temptations lose their wielding power
As the last drops of sand close the hour.
Salvation pleas lost in air
From pleading voices in despair.

Like painted pictures changing hue,
Life alters state too cold, cold blue.
To recreate its form first knew
And return to earth, vained residue.

As curtains rise on death's first show,
To bask in life's after-glow,
Cries and curses cut the air
With yearning hearts in earnest prayer.

Then placed in waiting eternal beds
To rest among familiar heads.
Where whales of longing slowly cease
And tired souls find Crimson peace.

Peace and  mercy share our sorrow,
Heaven open up your gates,
When our loved ones make their final steps,
We give their souls for you to take.
Amen

Walking in my footsteps
Keeping with the beat  
Movements in its memory kept
As I walk the street.

In every facet of light that's known
It's always by my side.
With every movement ever shown
Does it dare try to hide.

It bothers some,
It doesn't bother me
It keeps its place
And lets me be.

Some try to deny
That it's there at all
They question why
You can't see it when darkness falls.

It's called a shadow to some of us,
To others, I do not know.
A controversy and a fuss
The subject starts to grow.

You see, my shadow is a reflection of God in me,
A reminder from above.
The greatest assurance there could ever be
That I'm always surrounded with love.

Love crosses the color line and claims itself.  
Love listens to hear the sounds of Angels
and learns to speak in song.  

From words that hold hands,
Love spaces itself through the wind and above the sand,
Finding footsteps to fit feet too little,
That walked so far to find home.  
A Savior, a Lord, a Master.
Feet no longer left to roam.

God grant me, hear my call,
Mark my footsteps lest I fall.
My Counselor, my Healer, my every saving Grace.
Make my peace my only resting place.

Billing pages of times past kept
And times still yet to come
Hold precious thoughts of love gained and lost
And mistakes that can't be undone.

Billing pages each numbered
Like the days that number life,
Count joy and sorrow, yesterday and tomorrow,
Every day and every night.

Billowing pages kept in chapter
Tell the story of a day
When hearts where yet unbroken
And nightmares went away.

Billing pages all that's left
Of what once used to be,
Everything that made life worth living
Now just pages of memory.

Jesus

Wipes my eyes and sits me down
He lifts my spirit to higher ground.
In the cradle of His arms,
He rocks my mind,

In Him I find Peace.

The perfect life and a perfect way,
I learn my lesson day by day.  
I remember Him,
In service and in truth

When I pray.  

I find consolation in knowing CHRIST,
The sad sad yearnings I no longer fight.  
CHRIST is my Savior and Jesus was my friend.  
Peace and love I have within.

Amen
090516

It is the sole the drives the belly of man.
It hungers to be nourished,
It churns at the inability to give lay to the vision,
It fills with the gloriousness of life,
It dances to the rhythms of love,
It beats at the taste of temptation.
It rests with the Lions of fate,
It discovers the intrigue of knowledge,
And surrenders to the arms of wisdom.

Say you love them and don't forget.
Cast a stone in place of it.
On the morning when dew has set,
Take a moment to reflect.
This is a fate we all must know.
You've loved an Angel, you must let go.

My father in heaven watch over me
And forgive me for  all the wrong you see.
I've tried my best to live my life right
To try and make my light shine bright.

I know there is more that I could do
To make  you say, "I am proud of you."
But help me Lord to do all I can
To be much better than I am.

I know you'd want much more than this
And with your help I could fulfill this wish.
For I'm only human with few words to say
And this poem is just one way I pray.

To me it means much more than words alone
When it can be engraved into plaque or stone,
But it plays even a more important part,
When words of prayer can be engraved into your heart.

My dreams, in carrousel, spinning in my head bring memories of you.
The colors seem to me a spectrum of all of you I knew.

As I spin, the wind blows in the soft whispers of your name;
Music to my ears, I too once did the same.

A crescent tear falls and it floods my mind
And I realize love is ******* the heart and sometimes unkind.

And yet it stops not my love for you,
But, rekindles your beauty like none other can do.

Unfaltering, unyielding, the carousel never ends
And likewise in it, my love for you begins.

Through God's grace I have been redempted,
By his love I am made to be free.
He looked inside my soul
And blew the breath in me.

He blew for my salvation
All the world will come to know
That my Lord is the Master,
The keeper of my soul.

He never lets us fall
Nor ever be alone.
He graced by Love and Angel,
One of my very own.

No matter where life may lead me,
He's always by my side.
A past once filled with sorrow,
Forever will be glad.

From:  Monet's impression of A Summer's Day
To:  "The starry, starry night" of Vangough's way
Finds the mystery from artistry of canvas and ink
--And gives my mind a moment's think.

What now does it render,
Of both color and spendor
What pros ever written
Might it tell.

When once unknown and now,
Never to be forgotten
Lives
That never end.

Oil spills onto paper
From an eye's Moment in time
Now rewrites its history
In rhyme.

With Monet of my right
And Van Gough of my left
Balances between the two,
Talent just known to few.

I gather my thoughts
of day and night
And place them
Whole and new.

A transference  of time and hour
Through portals of memoired pasts
Bring memorials of perfect views
That last, and last, and last.

Kathy S. Dillard
083008

When temptation takes my mind
And all the world is sinking sand
On the solid rock I stand.
Dear Lord Jesus hold my hand
Lead me to that Holy Land,
Make my Journey God's Demand
For my Soul to take a stand,
At thy table I find the Lamb
Break bread with me.
Amen

The Lord saw a  Woman one day and whispered in her ear.
Take this child and raise it, teach him all he'll need to know,
Teach him love, hope and kindness as the days pass and he starts to grow.
Raise him in the church, he said, so he'll know that God is the way
And when trouble comes or life's destiny calls, he'll hold fast to the Lord and pray.

Then came the Lord again twice more and whispered what he did before.
Each time she took another child raising it no different from the one she bore.
The years past, the children grew, and the Lord came once again.
This time he came to take a child and the mother did bare much pain.

"Why take my child?", the mother cried, "I've done all that you've asked."
The Lord replied, "I knew you would 'twas why I chose you for the task."
" You've taught him well and fed his soul with goodness and with love."
" But his pure heart could last no longer save in the kingdom above."

" And though his loss may sadden your heart for all the days he's gone,
Take what you gave to this child for yourself to carry-on."
" Keep your heart as pure as his was in the days in which he lived
And one day I'll come back for you and we all in the kingdom shall live."

When in the eve of a hallowed day
And the calm has long since come,
Where a place is made for those
Whose time has become one.

Think of he who holds the night
In the palm of his hand.
Then honor what has come to light
To define the noble man.

History tells of his goodly deeds,
His labor of his love,
His devotion is of his galant way,
His solemn vow, the moon above.

Smile when you think of me
And let your laughter reflect my life.
Don't cloud your eyes with tears
Unless I did not live my life right.

Smile when you think of me
So that joy may engulf of your pain.
I know sometimes it may be hard
For I too once did the same.

Smile when you think of me
And know I love you still,
For I long to see your smiling face
And I know one day I will.

As days go by I wonder why
The sun sets in the west.
But I needn't  worry why
Because God knows best.

And as I sit there thinking
As humbly as can be,
I think of all the good things
God has done for me.

So when you awaken
From day to day,
Think of all the good things
When you pray.