At the table a chair sits empty
And there’s a big empty seat on the boat.
We see a pew that’s empty each Sunday,
An empty hook where he kept his coat.

At the store his chair stands empty.
An empty handshake offers no greeting.
Empty hugs from a loving grandpa,
Just a recliner where he sat reading.

An empty bed looms at evening,
His silence amplifying the stillness.
There’s a void in the places we knew him,
An emptiness – full of his presence.

A presence of love for his family,
A love that cherished his friends.
In that presence we still hear his wisdom,
And feel the kind touch of his hands.

As in life his presence still beckons
And calls us to live full and free;
Redeemed by the love of the Savior,
The people God called us to be.

In Loving Memory of Byrnes L. Poston
©1974 Michael S. Davis

Not the oldest or the youngest,
not the first or the last,
Just like icing on an Oreo™
or a sailboat's tallest mast;
It's where two close friends will put you
as you all go into town,
Or where you'll put yourself
when those two begin to frown;
It's where bees sip sweet nectar
from a yellow daffodil,
Like a bull's-eye on a target
or an axle on a wheel;
It's the safest place to be
in fiercest hurricane
And where the grass grows greener
on the quiet country lane;
It's where Jesus hung between two thieves
to die for you and me,
So, make a difference in the middle,
it's the place you're meant to be!

©1994 Michael S. Davis

In the early morning stillness, I sit upon the shore.
As I gaze across the waters, I long to see much more.
The other side, a passing boat, a storm that’s on the way;
Oh, to see through the haze that shrouds this newborn day.

The Lake of Life is much the same; a haze makes short the view.
But, as the Day of Life goes on, the Son of God breaks through.
He lights up all the world around and scatters all the haze.
Three things He gives to light my way, as I go through this day.

The first is Faith, yes faith in Christ, to keep me in life’s storms;
To guide me every step I take, until He leads me Home.
And next there’s Hope to pierce the haze, to see the other side;
And Hope that after all is done that with Him I’ll abide.

And last comes Love, blessed Charity, the Greatest of the three;
For God is love and love He did, when Christ died on the tree
With love He died to break sin’s bonds and make our weakness strong,
So, take by Faith, with Hope, His gift of Love,
And greet life’s haze with song!

©1974 Michael S. Davis

I will not take from you.
I will receive what you freely give,
Your time, with attentiveness;
Your opinion, with deliberation;
Your wisdom, with appreciation;
Your care, with contentment;
Your trust, with meekness;
Your happiness, with joy;
Your sorrow, with comfort;
Your compassion, with relief;
Your humanness, with understanding;
Your adoration, with commitment;
Your passion, with fidelity;
Your heart, with sacrifice;
Your soul, with reverence;
Your love, with devotion.

©1998 Michael S. Davis

Enfolded by your love and care,
I can only sigh .
Oh, to express what my heart screams,
but my voice cannot utter.
Words are useless to declare the love
that your love unleashes within me.
With my life and breath
I care.
I can do no less.
I pray it is enough
to feebly, fumble with the words
and just adore you.

©2000 Michael S. Davis

To hold a rose,
to gaze upon its beauty,
brings such sweet contentment
and soothes my anxious soul.

To touch those luscious petals
to my fevered lips
by their very softness
warms my heart grown cold.

To explore the sweet perfume
that rises from its heart
unleashes precious memories
that in absence was forgot.

To hold a rose,
to cherish the sweet moment
that reverberates with love,
from when our two hearts met.

©2000 Michael S. Davis

As the days unfold
and reveal the things I know not yet about you,
I find I love you more and more, as you make each day feel new.

As the days unfold
I’m still amazed at how beautifully our love grows,
and can only compare our journey to the blossoming of a rose.

©1998 Michael S. Davis