The peace of this small neighbourhood, is shattered as the door caves in
As masked marauders seek with guns, the criminals that hide within
But they find no deadly drug baron, Nor killer, or ****** animal
But a grey-haired lady, small and frail, in terror as she beholds them all

At gunpoint then her hands are tied, and her walking stick cast to the floor
As she is marched by mighty men, to the waiting van outside her door
Her heart skips wildly and her breath is tight, as she is bundled roughly inside
Her dignity and rights of law, are swept away and cruelly denied

And across the town there sits a girl, with kindly, smiling joyful eyes
A teen who spends her youthful zest, bringing hope and joy to other lives
But little does she know this day, that her future days are to dwell
Not in delight and dancing halls, but in a dark and lonely prison cell
        
And elsewhere stands a local hero, a man so honoured by decree
Acclaimed by peers and politicians, as a citizen of kindly deeds
Yet on this day, he is torn away, from his family who are left in tears
As this father and devoted husband, is imprisoned now for seven years
  
Who are these ones snatched by the state, and treated so unjustly
Held without cause or consideration, and despised so bitterly?
They obey all laws and pay their dues, and love their neighbours when they can
And share a hope of a future bright, even though their hope is banned    

They are young and old, black and white, and gathered from diversity
They wage no wars, won't steal or lie, but treat all people with dignity
For their crime is not of violence, nor abuse, or fraud or robbery    
But of being Christians and trying to show, Christ-like love to you and me

And what of those who terrorize them, the land where this grim drama is set
That mighty nation, so paranoid, that it considers them a threat
This pretender to the throne, bedecked in red and white and blue
Is a jealous king who hates the ones, who, to Christ their King are ever true

But as they languish in prison cells, awaiting justice from the King
The one whose commandments they obey, is smiling down and proud of them
For their hope is not in men of law, nor international decree
But their just and loving King, Christ Jesus, and in God- Jehovah's sovereignty    


Dedicated to Jehovah's Witnesses imprisoned in Russia

I know you have been searching
Looking all your life
For the missing element
For the unknown that fits the hole in your heart
I see your inner pain
Your tormented soul
I touch your scars
The invisible ones
I hear your madding thoughts within
And I feel the pounding of your troubled pulse
As the memories flood over you
Sweeping you off the terrifying precipice
Take my hand
Look into my eyes
Don't let go
There is so much I want to share with you
To heal you
To warm you
To comfort you
To refresh your mind
Your hope
Your dreams
For I have found the unknown
And it has saved me
From my madness
From my solitude
From my fears
I wish you could feel the peace I feel
Could rest in security as I do
I wish you could hear the comfort whispered to my exhausted mind
That sweeps anguish away
I wish you could know the future of hope and joy that I see
I wish that you could know the things I know
They say it is not what you know but who
I have come to know the one who saves
Who grasps my hand tightly and lifts me from the chaos
I do not fear man
I do not fear future
There is restoration up ahead
And peace
Please join me there
Hold my hand
And see a new world

Another day for discovery, another dance of fate
One that's guaranteed to please, the stars have set this date
The twins are free, the moon is high, and Mars has come in line
And on this, the 5th, my lucky day, I have to rise and shine

With fingers crossed and wood well-knocked, I leave my lonely place
The words of the fortune cookie have put a smile upon my face
With lucky penny and rabbit's foot, my future must be sound
But, just in case, when I spy the ladder, I will choose to go around

I'm lucky 21 today and I've wished upon my star
No mirrors broke or salty spills, no black cats on my path
A brand new year, to quell my fears, and act on all my schemes
Today's my day, destined to meet, the stranger of my dreams
  
But as my lucky day unfolds, and my hopes are stretched and bruised
The world continues just the same, like it doesn't know my rules  
And expectation is not met, nor new advantage gained
For though the signs are all in  place, the day is just the same

What has gone wrong, why is this so, have I left something out?
This day should be so joyful, and make me sing and shout
Yet as day's end nears and I taste the tears, of disappointment and despair
A sudden thought occurs to me, that I can hardly bear

Little rabbit, tucked in my purse, and nestled at my side
Who offers luck and promises, a life changing surprise
He paid a price for lucky feet, for that which he was bred
He hops no more, and twitches not, for little bunny's dead

And as I ponder on rabbit's fate, a new thought comes to me
About my shining lucky penny, that grandma gave to me
That trinket has daily been with me, since I was only nought
Yet, didn't stop the darker days, that life and loss have wrought

And what of horsey, free and fair, who wants to run and neigh?
But lost his shoe and was tethered to, become a human's slave
My breath was short and my face was wet, as I sought the truth to see
That planets were indifferent and not aware of me

No clover found, no lucky star, no bad luck from spilled salt
And the dreamcatcher above my bed, also nightmares caught
And even old Saint Christopher, who was meant to protect me  
Didn't help the day I crashed my car into a tree  

And suddenly, I knew the truth, with my future plain to see
That all these things were not in control, that it was up to me
That sometimes we have accidents and illnesses and such
And objects would not be for us, a prevention or a crutch

That stars and numbers just exist and birthdays will come and go
And sometimes we will make mistakes, and life will ebb and flow
And realizing all these things, I suddenly felt free
And vowed then to prepare myself, for future misery

For all the rituals and the charms, and lucky numbers too
Had not produced a happy life, or made a future new
I would take control and steer my life, by my own deeds instead
For rabbit's foot could not help him, and sadly, bunny's dead

Like puppets dancing on strings
Are Presidents and princes
Prime Ministers and politicians
And the tune they dance to
Is older than their kingdoms
Behold the King of this world
Hidden away from the public eye
Yet commanding nations with a whisper
He was glorious and beautiful once
And he walked among the innocent
But, in one moment of vanity
He stole rulership of the world
His personality is stamped upon mankind
For he sets the pace
While most men follow
He spoke the first lies
Inflicted the first casualty
And he has never felt regret
Has never shed a tear
Though his wars have taken millions
And his devotees have enslaved nations
He is the author of confusion
The instigator of Hellfire and hatred
The creator of trinities and tribulation
He accuses you and I of cowardice and selfishness
Yet is himself running scared
And clinging to power and life
He is the excuser of unholy child abusers
And the inspiration of Jihadist bombs
He speaks lies about the innocent
And glorifies the guilty
He hunts all good men
As a lion hunts the deer
He will tear at your throat
And consume you
He is the Resistor
The Slanderer
He cajoles those who consider his existence
And paints himself in mythical proportions
He would destroy the earth rather than surrender it
Would rather ruin if he cannot rule
Yet the whole world is in his hands
But not forever
Because forever does not belong to him
And not life
For the gift of life is not his to give

Our life together is often linked by golden songs
Of moments captured, warm and true and rare
Those songs that carry memories, they often speak for me
Sewn into words reflecting how we care

Crazy Mr Bowie could always rock our world
And John's sunshine voice always warmed us so
And Fern knew that together we were beautiful
Though we were all revved up with no place to go

And they lifted us with their own dreams and visions
And we smile and dance and fall around the room
And recall the joys that wove us close together
But after all this time, and after all those songs
Someone else's words just won't do

For 40 Decembers, I sang with someone else's voice
I let so many strangers declare my love for you
But now it's time to tell my girl what she really means to me,
And on this day, someone else's words won't do

So, I recall the winding roads of expectation
And the First Class sound of brass in summer sun
And feel the drizzle of mountainside while we lay in each others arms
And that crazy mixed up joy of being young

I'm ever grateful for that day I saw your smiling face
Expecting someone else to grace my view
And I never shall regret the paper ring I forged
Or the beautiful adventure it led us to

And though I'm grateful to the poets for their sentiments
And the thousand vibrant voices that have shined
Using someone else's words to speak to you today
Won't be enough to speak for me this time

Remember.....

It was cold, but it was sunny, the week of Christmas, that aint funny!
I was hungover, like a ****, stood nervously, before the clerk
But you were there, and you were fine, so beautiful, and you shined
That was our day, we'd be one, though they said we were too young
We faced the world, and we signed, your slender hand, warm in my mine
And there it began, our mystery ride, with my girl, my love, my bride

You're my lady of the Rhododendrums, don't you know?
The Prettiest nurse that ever nursed me through
And though the pretty valleys always captivated us
Gelert's graceful beauty always bowed to you

You are my friend and my ambassador
The beauty of the beast
You're the mistress of my madness
And the the Princess of my peace

For my lady of the Rhododendrums dancing in your hair
Thank you for always being at my side
With sparkling smile and giving soul, and a heart that is laid bare
My precious wife, my lovely blushing bride

So please accept this humble song with love from me
After 40 years I finally came through
It won't make sun shine down upon your shoulders
But I'm the only one who knows the inner you

And it's not someone else's words
Not other people's words
But this song
This simple song
Is only for you
I sing this song for you