He could've made two—
Another just like you.
But, then, He took
A second thought,
And said, 'Just one would do.'

And so, for your loveliness—
Your uniqueness too—
There is no other
Quite like you.
There's just no other quite like you.

-Walterrean Salley

Violin sitting
‘Neath my window.
Wonder does it sound
As it did before?

It looks all right.
The strings—intact.
Wonder do I
Still have the knack?

Violin sitting
‘Neath my window.
Can I still play
As I did before?

Oh, how soothing
Too the ears.
I still can play
After all these years.

And the violin sitting
‘Neath my window
Sounds as good
As it did before.

-Walterrean Salley

Charles Schulz brought us Charlie Brown,
Who rarely smiled, joked, or sang.
A troubled soul—always down,
He hung out with the Peanuts Gang.
Lucy, Patty, Sally, Linus,
Snoopy—the whole nerdy clan
Tried to cheer ole Charlie up;
But sadly it was all in vain.

Life has many a Charlie Brown,
We see them come as well as go.
For, as in Schulz's masterpiece,
We tend, somehow, to love them so.
Too, we try our hand at luck,
Tryin' to cheer ole Charlie up.

-Walterrean Salley

Dear Lord, as busy
As You must be,
Don’t forget
The elderly.

By Your mighty,
Powerful hand,
Protect seniors
Across the land.

Provide in this
Economic storm—
Food and shelter.
Keep them warm.

And when past-
Echoes chime,
Preserve them
In lonely times.

Quell their fears
Night and day.
Hold their hand,
Guide their way.

Thanks for hearing
This simple plea
And remembering
The elderly.

In August 1997,
At a Parisian site,
Fate ****** the world to mourn—
Just past the stroke of midnight.

A beautiful princess
At soaring height
Suddenly lost
Her earthly light.

Sunday ended
Her mortal plight—
She breathe her last
And then took flight.

A kindly woman—
Full of life.
A doting mother,
And longing wife.

Her adorable sons,
Two young lads,
Were left, solely,
In care of their Dad.

The world noted
The touch of her hand—
The generous heart
She shared with man.

Heads of state—
Moved with tears—
Honored the Princess'
Fruitful years.

America, France,
Africa too—
Reflected upon
The Diana they knew.

She touched lepers,
Which royals forbade,
Embraced the homeless
And victims of AIDS.

An image of beauty.
A charming dove.
A woman of courage.
A token—beloved.

In the eyes of children,
Diana stood tall.
She won their hearts,
And loved them all.

With plenty to offer,
She traveled a lot—
‘Twas everywhere.
Then, she was not.

A pilgrimage came
Day and night,
With oceans of gifts
For tribute sites.

They stood for hours
In sorted lines,
To leave expressions
In books signed.

On September 6,
Fans of Di
Flooded the UK
For a final goodbye.

The jammed cortege
Was over three miles:
Kensington to Abby.
At Saint James she lie.

Many knew her
And many did not,
But all mourned
The fate of her lot.

Cher'shed impressions
Upon the world.
A legacy of hope
By a British girl.

A precious jewel,
A towering steeple.
Forever the 'Princess…
Of the People.'

-Walterrean Salley

Motherhood, an awesome task,
Does not come with
An instructions manual.
There’s no Step One.
Step Two.  
And Step Three.
But that’s okay,
Because in spite of all the obstacles,
Somehow, by God’s grace,
You’ve managed to do well—
Even without a manual.
And for this alone,
We celebrate You.

The highly-charged-festive spirit
Of Christmas all aglow.
Food, garland, gifts and lights
Songs and trees, the whole show.

Orchestras and cantatas.
Heav'nly bells sweetly rung.
Fife, cello, mandolin, violin.
And lovely choruses sung.

But the carolers, now, are silent
The ornaments are on the shelves.
All the gifts are opened
There’s no more need for elves.

The candles are blown out
And the gleaming lights unplugged.
The heavenly bells sit silent;
Gone is the Christmas bug.

Decorations all packed up
And the tinsel taken down.
Stores remove their displays.
Family has left town.

The Christmas Season’s over
The festivities are done.
‘Tis time to leave the Arena,
Ahh. It’s time to move on.

Though life reverts to normal,
Still, keep the Spirit alive;
Remember why we celebrate.
Let Christmas ever thrive.

(Revised 12/2015)

Seasons come and the seasons go
There is a time to reap and a time to sow
All things may change  under the sun
God don’t ever change, He’s the only One
Come what may, His Word is true
God will  keep His promises to you.

Men may fail us, great and small
The mighty mountains may crumble and fall
Friends may come and friends may go
But there is one thing you should always know
Come what may, His Word is true
God will keep His promises to you.