As a man grows older,
Does he lose his mind?
Or does he truly wish,
He was in a prior time,

Does a man grown older no longer think,
As he did when he was young?
Why are the things that used to be,
Now to him no fun?

Are the thoughts that once he had,
The ones he held so dear,
Now just relics of the past,
In this his older years ?

If so , why must it be?
My heart longs for joy of some measure,
And for the thoughts once held so dear,
For they brought to me such pleasure,

Yes, I am much older now,
I'll never again be as quick or as strong,
But I can have in my chest a Lions heart,
If I'll carry in my heart a song.

RLB

Too tired to hold on,
Too scared to let go.

RLB

Skin pinkish red
A sparse covering of dark hair
Dark little eyes
Tender lips that turn upright in a smile
Little fingers that can barely wrap around the tip of grandpas
Cheeks as soft as a cottonball
A face of indescribable beauty
Spending the day sleeping in peaceful rest
This is Callie .
Born at 4:07 PM
Jan 12,2016

Heavens,
Star Shining,
Angels singing Hallelujah !
The Saviour has come!

Merry Christmas
To all!

RLB

A candle stands with untouched wick
In the darkness of the night
Waiting to give its gift to man
So that men in darkness might have sight

The candle wick at last is touched
The wick it turns to flame
Shining forth its light for all
And the darkness is forever changed

Now the candle gives its light
And all who look can see
The candle once hidden by the dark
Is now a guide for you and me

Christ is the candle of which I write
The light that guides our way
It is him alone we celebrate
Every Christmas Day

Wishing
I
Had
Something
Kind
To
Write
About
My
Father

A
Heart
Turned
To
Sapphire
Under
This
Worlds
Obsidian
Sky

RLB

There was once a raid
On a little Kansas town
All the raiders were killed
All except just one
He lived to tell their story
And to explain the reason why
"We was seeking glory,
We didn't mean to die"

RLB

Quietly the minutes slip away
Dying through the eon of time
Numbered as the stars of heaven
So few will ever be mine

RLB

Lord
Thank you
For the blessings
You graciously give, Amen.

RLB

Trees
Barren limbs
Dead leaves fly
Cool breath of God

RLB

A stranger once asked of me
If I would give to him my thought,
Do you believe there will be anything in heaven,
That by man's hand was wrought?

With a voice of disbelief I said
This I have heard COULD be true
Two things made by man
MIGHT await in heaven for me and you

He looked at me as though intrigued
Asking," What in heaven is made by man"?
You cannot enter through its portals
Unless forgiven of your plaque of sin

I replied that in Heaven many believe exist,
I am told these two things,
Two scars made by nails,
One in each hand of Christ the King

Immeadiatly the man bowed his head,
As he raised his hands up into the air,
Looking I could see the scars,
But then the stranger was no longer there

Alone upon that city street,
I fell upon my knees,
Crying, Forgive me Lord of my plaque of sin,
My Lord I now believe .

RLB

Our flag that freely waves
Up high above our land
Is a blessing to us all
If you will understand

The price that once was paid
By brave and willing men
Some of whom with us remain
Many never to be seen again

They are the men who once did march
In the Army of the Continental
With the belief in their heart
That their freedom was providential

They are the men that once did march
Upon the fields of Gettysburg
Their struggling feed trod also
Upon the soil of old Vicksburg

These are the men that fought
Upon ****** Flanders Field
Struggling , pushing forward
They would not fail nor yield

They also struggled to gain
The beaches of Normandy
They fought at Anzio
Against the soldiers of Germany

On the soil of Korea
American blood did flow
Blood of men who had fought before
Still they volunteered to go

They fought in the darkened jungles
Of a place called Vietnam
Under the tear filled eyes
Of the Great I Am

The American soldier has also marched
And spilled his blood upon the sand
Of a dry and barren place
Called Afghanistan

Do you know what it means?
Are you willing to understand ?
That flag that freely waves
Up high above our land.

RLB
Nov 11,2015
Thank you,
American Soldier
You are the worlds best.

Here in Texas we have a sayin
We don't call 911
We take care of things ourself
That way we know it's done

But that sayin ain't exactly true
Why, I've called 911 myself
If I had the time
And felt I need their help

911 will always come
No matter the time of day
If you have a need
Call and they are on their way

There are times their help is needed
Especially when things look dire
Such as a serious accident
Or if your house is on fire

I love the men and women of 911
Those heros do the best they can
But they just can't always be quick enough
To lend a helping hand

There are many circumstances
In which you can call and wait
For 911 to arrive
Though in our mind their always late

But there are as many situations
In which 911 is not an option
And as an individual you are forced
To take or not take action

In these types of situations
We do what must be done
And after we are safe
Then we call 911

So here In Texas friend
Know we do not run
If we can we will call
But we don't depend on 911

RLB

A new chance
A new occasion
A new day

RLB

Feeling regret
Heart heavy
Failure again

RLB

Morning pristine
Slate clean
Day untarnished

RLB

All of life's greatest pleasures
Are those created by Gods own hands
The height of the sky and the depth of the sea
And the beauty upon the lands

The shimmering stars in the sky at night
Hang weightless above our heads
Keeping a vigilant watch over us
As we rest within our beds

A sea so deep it is still unknown
It remains a mystery to mortal men
While ships and boats float above
We wonder what lies below unseen

The beauty to us that God reveals
For our human eyes to behold
Has more majesty in each new scene
Than you would think the world could hold

Gods very work we can see
It is one of life's truest treasures
For compared to the beauty God has made
Mankinds hands could never measure

RLB

After our days are lived
After our work is done
After we have loved
After life has gone

RLB

How long will the waters of lifes river flow
How many more stories as the water rages
Before the racing water stops
And flows no more past present ages

The river of life begins pure and strong
From high and elevated places
Flowing down all it meets is new
Leaving behind its carved out traces

The rushing waters swiftly run
Carrying with them lifes numbered days
Racing down the mountains face
Quickly the waters pass away

My river of life today still flows
But someday for me the waters will cease
And the carved out traces they leave behind
I hope are deeply etched traces of hope and peace.

RLB

In the struggles of life
Through the sting of death
Into the joy of inseparablness
And so we shall be with the Lord forever.

RLB

Some wore a uniform of gray
Some wore the one of blue
They were brothers from north and south
Some were sons and fathers too,

Each one was a soldier
A warrior in a fight
Now they are only ghost
Seen by men with sight,

Once their feet did march
Upon the battlefields grass
Now they are just an image
To be seen within the glass,

Many fell upon the field of battle
Some alone in a place so foreign
Now all that remains of them
Is a face on a sheet of iron,

When I look into the eyes on the faces
Of these men on iron or glass
I see not a ghost
But a man, a soldier from the past,

Though now he be only an image
He was once a soldier that in battle fell
And within each soldiers image
Is held a story he longs to tell.

RLB

What makes us dream?
Is it thoughts and memories
Plans that we once had
That are now fading entity's

Could it be our past?
The faces that then we knew
A love we felt so long ago
A hope we believe in our heart is true

Could it be the present?
Our troubles our joys our tears
Maybe our strengths and courage
Or possibly our worries and fears

Could it be the future?
The unknowns that remain unseen
The distant mystery that lies before us
Do these make up our dreams?

RLB

I stilled myself,
And in my stillness ,
Knew GOD.

RLB

The sound of the wind is empty,
When you are gone,
And I cannot hear the joy,
I know exist in the sparrows song,

The sky of blue is hidden,
It's beauty I cannot see,
The earth is dark and barren,
The trees they bare no leaves,

The stars that should shine at night,
They have lost their flame,
The moon has disappeared ,
And the sun has done the same,

The words in the book I read,
They have no ryme or reason,
All in the world is odd and strange,
It is to me an unknown season,

I can feel the wind so haunting,
It is freezing upon my skin,
And the sun it cannot warm me,
Till my love returns again.

RLB

The strength of love by God is given
It is placed within the soul
There it grows deep and strong and firm
Where it's roots forever hold

Love cannot be broken in pieces
Though the storm rages all around
Love holds true as a mighty oak
Planted firmly in the ground

Love reaches far beyond our sight
To places we have never seen
Above the mountains and into the sky
Even to the heavenly scene

Our love can touch a loved ones heart
Who now walks upon the golden streets
It gives s promise of joy true
And it gives a peace so sweet

The greatest love ever given
Came down from heavens throne
The son of God came in love
And now counts us as his own

RLB

Within these once war torn fields,
Now peaceful ,serene and undisturbed,
Soldiers of blue and gray lie in unknown graves,
Under the grass of Gettysburg.

RLB

My body bares the weight
Of passed and passing time
After time is used
And is no longer mine

I think that it shall be
When I am called to heavens shore
My soul will forever live
As time dies and is no more

RLB

Don't ask me why today I bought
That little balsa wood airplane
One like many I had when I was a kid
I want to think that I've grown up
But somewhere inside I never did
I saw it yesterday and I just had to have it
Though I don't know why
So I pulled out a few hard earned dollars
And bought this memory that flys
It has a red propeller
That's powered by a rubber band
And two red wheels attached with wire
To help it safely land
I can't recall how many of these
I've pioleted through the years
I'm sure at least a few or more
Way back in my yesteryears
It amazes me sometimes now that I am older
That the sight of such a little thing
Can bring a forgotten memory back to life
Like a balsa wood airplane

RLB

I have within my house
A clock that rest upon a shelf
Tic tock tic tock tic tock
This clock sings all by itself

As upon its numbered face
Turn three slow moving hands
Ever forward each one moves
But someday still each will stand

Each movement of every hand
Takes me farther away
From this world here that I know
And the troubles of its way

The clock takes me to a point in time
When the clocks work will cease
It's hands stopped in stillness
As my soul is then released

Yes,the singing of the clock
Is ever with me while here I roam
I will sing with joy when the clock is silent
For then I will at last be home

RLB

Have you ever stopped to listen
To raindrops falling down
And heard the music made
As they come to rest upon the ground

Instruments of beauty
That can only be played by God
Sent down from heavens throne
To nurish the earthen sod

As these miracles fall from heaven
They play a melody
Upon the highest rooftops
And on the leaves within the trees

A sound so refreshing
To hold within ones ear
Raindrops play a symphony
If you will only hear

RLB

Help me Lord to set my mind
On things that reign above
So that when you appear in Glory
My life is hidden with you in love

Heavenly Father put to death
These things I do not need
Immorality , impurity, evil desires
Along with idolatry and greed

I know because of these
Your wrath is soon to come
At that time I pray I am hidden
In Jesus Christ the son

Help me rid myself O Lord
Of rage and malice and slander
Help me to put away my Lord
Filthy language and anger

Lord we know here there is
No Scythian , Gentile or Jew
For we are all the same
Securly held by you

Help us to be holy Lord
Making kindness our mission
Help us ** be clothed with humility
Gentleness and compassion

Teach us to forgive
Another's wrongs we see
Let love bind us each together
In perfect unity

Help us Lord to be thankful
As we teach through songs and psalms and hymns
Help us do all in the name of the Lord
Giving praise and thanks to Him.

RLB

Looking upon my hands
My heart sees their treasured worth
Hands now bent and worn
From the struggle of their work

I depend upon these hands
For them to do what they do
I ask they a little longer hold their strength
I pray Lord they see me through

These hands to me have been faithful
Hard work has been their task
Lord keep them strong for me
This of thee I ask

My two hands are tired Lord
I know you know their aches and pains
I ask Lord if tomorrow comes to me
Renew their strength again

So that I might do my work
As I have for so many years
Useing these two hands
That know not doubt or fear

I know someday they will fold
In eternal peace and rest
That will be their reward my Lord
For these hands you have blest

RLB

I understand not the power
Of the ignorance and craziness
Of the stupid political term
Political correctness

Political correctness
Influences the feeble minded
Clouds their mind to thinking
And their eyes to truth are blinded

If you stand for what is right
No malice toward none in mind
You are labeled as politically incorrect
And are unjustifiable maligned

To be accepted by the few
Who love political correctness to instill
You must give up your beliefs
And be moulded to their will

Political correctness is a farce
An evil policy of disguise
It truly has no meaning
Just as do the politicians lies

Stand for what you believe
If in your heart you believe it is right
Be done with political correctness
It is an evil blight

Think always for yourself
Make your own decisions
Political correctness does nothing
But cause great division

We do not all think the same
About politics or creation
Let us put political correctness to death
And be a united nation

RLB

What shall I do on Sunday?
Is the question on Saturday asked
I find it is oft repeated
And to give an answer I am tasked

Could the answer be that I
Within my own selfish thought
See myself on Sunday
At home for church is naught

Or could my answer be
Next Sunday I'll make amends
Not knowing that I so mortal
May on the morrow meet my end

Could it be that I shall rest
Sleep Sunday mornings hours away
Then when told "We missed you Sunday"
What is the reason I shall say?

Why do I seek excuse?
To stay away from church
When my absence leaves me a weaker soul
And the heart of Christ it hurts

I shall change my priority
Take Jesus inviting hand
Go with him to church each Sunday
And in His presence stand

No harm can be done
Where the word of God is told
Now each Saturday I have my answer
Tomorrow to church I go

RLB

Why is Jesus condemned ?
Why is he despised?
Why is he rejected?
Why is he belied?
Why is he forgotten?
Why is he treated with scorn?
Why is he viewed as venom?
Why is his character torn?
Why is he detested?
Why is he treated with hostility?
Why is he abhorred?
Why must he suffer such cruelty?
Why is he the bête noire?
Why is he vilified?
Why is Jesus hated?
When for you he was crucified?

RLB

I am just a flag
I do not mean to cause discontent
All I did was wave
Over men who into battle went

The motives of those men's hearts
I could not see
But from what I observed
It was a fight for liberty

I am just a flag
I cannot **** or hate
Let me wave again
My presence reinstate

It truly makes no sense
For me to be taken down
When the reason for the hate
Within men's hearts is found

You men should find within your heart
The need to love and to forgive
I'm just a flag that waves
Above land on which men live

Simply just a symbol
Only cloth and thread
Let me leave you with some words
A man I knew once said;

"A house divided against itself cannot stand"
President Abraham Lincoln
Springfield ILL,
June 17,1858

RLB

Mankind can no longer discern
Between the night time and the day
There is no black there is no white
Black and white have turned to gray

Isaiah 5:20
Please read this verse and think about what's happening in our world today.

Why do we grieve the heart of God
With the things that we men do
If God audibly spoke
He might say these words to you

Men talk about intolerance
Yet I still give mercy and grace
Men change the definition of marriage
And slap me in the face

Men bicker and argue and fight
About a waving flag
With all that's still to be done
About enough I've had

Men **** unborn babies
Yet I hardly hear a prayer
But the pleas of the unborn
They rise to me through the air

Men have taken me out of school
No longer there am I allowed within
Men have left me at the door
Of a place where once I had been

This list goes on and on
Men know the things I mean
Why can man not read my word
And from its pages wisdom glean

There is on the horizon a day
When every man will understand
When I come down from heaven
To give justice unto men

So go upon your merry way
Push the truths of God aside
Your guilt is not upon me
For to gain your obedience I tried

I will give unto men more time
I've an abundance of mercy and grace
But know within your heart o man
You will someday see my face

RLB

From the distance I can hear
The glorious drumbeats roll
Far far away
In the eternal home of my soul

I can feel the air
It is warm as in the spring
I hear the golden bells
As in praise to Christ they ring

I can smell the scents
Of flowers of honeysuckle on the vine
And of the pine trees standing tall
Aromas so divine

I can taste the sweetness
Of water clean and pure
In a land that knows no night
Of this I am sure

I can see the beauty
Of mountains rising high
Piercing through the snow white clouds
Up into the azure sky

Looking into the horizon
I see the things which I seek
My saviour, love and joy
And heavens eternal peace

In the distance I also see
Loved ones that I have known
With JESUS our precious Saviour
In their far away eternal home

These things to me are real
And I cannot wait
For these things I see
Through my eyes of faith

RLB


I was thinking of heaven today and what it must be like there and how I can't wait to see it.These thoughts came to me so I wrote them down in a poem.I know that heaven is far beyond anything I can attempt to imagine or describe, but the things I love I can't help but think will be there pure and untarnished by sin. The thought causes me to think how beautiful heaven must be, and with each passing day I long for heaven more than the day before.
Thank you Lord Jesus.

Should I cover up my sadness
With a cherry facsimile smile
Should I hide my tears
Caused by my wearily travelled miles

Should I put aside
This feeling of hurt and pain
Let you think all is well
As inside I go insane

Should I talk to you
And say to you all is fine
While within my heart I ache
And anger floods my mind

Should I just be quiet
Endure the pain and slowly die
Or should I become exposed
And let you see me cry

I do not know exactly
What to do or say
I just wish these troubles
I have would go away

I do not like being this way
It's such a burdensome task
To hurt so bad inside
And be expected to wear a happy mask

RLB

Why are our minds so filled
With worthless useless thoughts
Things that have no worth
Things we should think not

Why can we not focus
On what is good and kind and right
Think on thoughts that edify
And escape the dark thoughts of night

The things we let into our mind
An image a word a sound
Are sown as seed and planted there
Growing till only those thoughts abound

Be ever mindful of the crop
That in your mind you grow
For what it is we think
Over time we shall surley sow

Life is made up of so many emotions
It is a twisted and mangled scene
An intertwined ball of what is good and what is bad
Full of confusion and things serene

It's so hard for my mind to understand
This mixture of love and hate
This combination of polar opposites
These intersecting marks upon lifes slate

Yet I know within my heart
Both good and evil make up this life
And there is no way to seperate
For there is no peace without the strife

So I struggle within the storm
My heart always knowing what is right
I've accepted there will always be a battle
Between the lies of darkness and the truth of light

Pain in life will always exist
Comfort to has its space
These two will always be in a struggle
In this pain verses comfort place

RLB

So much time has past
So little time now left

I
Was
Going
Under,
I
Reached
Up
To
You,
I
Needed
You
At
That
Moment,
And
You,
You
Let
Me
Drow­n,
I
Thought,
I
Thought
You
We're
My
Friend.

RLB

My
Joy
Is
Tempered
By
My
Saddness,
Both
Reside
Within
My
Heart
Today.

RLB

Faint
Retreating
Ignominious
Embers of;
Never
Disturbing
Shadows