(A Ballad: song of exhortation
and spiritual commitment.)

Sing of God's wondrous salvation,
Declare his mighty hand.
Tell of his infinite love,
Walk in his sovereign plan.

Sing to him in the morning,
Meditate through the night.
Herald his marvelous grace,
Live in his glorious light.

Dead old seed planted.
Agricultural process -
New life generates.

Happy homestead sits
On lofty hillside – hill came
Careening downward.

Flowers dazzle. The
Sun shines. Seas mummer, Brooks sing—
But the willow weeps.

Thank you, Lord, for Christmastime
A season of love and cheer
A time to give and to forgive
And to hold one’s family dear.

Thank you Lord for Christmastime
A lovely time of the year.
A time to sing and to worship
And to cast away all fear.

Thank you Lord for Christmastime
When hope is made so clear.
And faith lights the path anew
With a message for all to hear.

Thank you Lord for Christmastime
And may its truth forever chime.

Ocean surface gleamed
In the sunlight – beneath are
The deep, dark waters.

Currently incomplete.

(Prayer-Psalm. An intercessory prayer in perilous times, during the aftermath of September 11.)

Lord, protect our nation;
In you we place our trust:
One God who is sovereign,
Omnipotent and just.

Guide us by your mighty hand,
Great God who falters not.
Preserve the freedoms of this land—
Our heritage and lot.

Incoming ocean
Tides.  The marshlands enjoyed a swim -
Roads winched with flooding.

We’re treading hallowed ground
With angels all around
As grateful hearts are bowed
For blessings so endowed.

Eyes all fixed ‘pon heaven
While ‘Thank-Yous’ are given
For deeds of kindness sown—
Both, the known and unknown.

Remembering the past
While memories still last.
Embracing our loved ones.
Recalling those who’re gone.

The thread of Thanksgiving’s
In everyday living.

(A Psalm of Trust: trusting in God's
Infallible Word.)

The Lord said, 'Trust in me,
For I will deliver you.'
And my God said,
'Look unto me and be saved
All the ends of the earth,
For I am God;
Besides me there is no other.'

Save Lord!
Send salvation from Zion.
And deliverance
From your holy heaven.
According to your sovereign word,
Do that which you
Have solemnly declared.

Oh, gentle light, shine ‘pon me.
Brightly beam in my life.

Comfort with your warmth.
Nurture me with the strength
Of your presence.
Guide my feet in this bleak world.

Impart life, and spur growth.
Fill me with your presence,
Till I am all that
You want me to be.

Oh, thou divine torch,
Burn that your glory
May be reflected in me.

(A Meditative Psalm: trusting in God.)

My every thought of you
Is comforting in trials.
In you, I rest peacefully
In life’s bleakest hours.
My faith looks up,
I will trust and not fear.
Though the day is uncertain,
You will always be there.
The strength of your love
Will see me through.
Oh, God of all mercies,
My refuge is you.

If I could sing, I'd sing for You
A song that's beautiful and fair.
A song to say how I love You
With lovely words to fill the air.

It matters not the circumstance
Tho' skies be gloomy or be bright.
I'd sing with my ‘final’ breath
To You I'd sing both day and night.

I'd sing when I'm tired and weary.
I'd give You all my heart and soul.
The song I sing when I am young,
I'd sing it still when I am old.

Within my life-song's every hue,
My heart and soul I give to You.

(A Psalm of Expectation: a prayer of hope and adoration.)

Oh Lord, who faithfully fulfills
My expectancy,
You are the hope of my life.

I come to you daily,
With grand expectations.
There is no other Deliverer—
None to call upon.
My prayers are unto you,
My faith is in you,
My worship is of you,
My service is to you,
My heart is for you,
And my allegiance is with you.

You, who are greater than
All my troubles and fears,
Are my praise and song,
And my meditation
All the day long.
You deserve my all, Lord.
I love you for who you are.

In all your mercies,
Sweet and beautiful Lord,
I want to know you.

And in every trying hour,
When I may want to cowl,
Help me to trust in you.

Father, pick me up,
Though I stumble or fall.
And with a firm hand
Help me to stand.
Oh, hear my feeble call.

Teach me your ways.
Open my eyes, Lord,
And guide my heart.
Open my ears,
And help me to hear your voice.
Teach me, that I might know you.

Peeping from behind
A mulberry tree,
The little wildflower, taciturn,
Seemed quiet and shy,
Nonetheless beautiful.

(A Meditative Psalm : spiritual commitment.)

I love to sing of the Lord
And meditate 'pon him intriguingly.

Oh, to worship
With the offerings
Of prayer, praise
And thanksgiving.

I'm honored
To speak of his name.
My mind is in awe
To think of him.
My hands fold—
In reverence.
Merrily, my feet
Dance in his presence.

I bow to his majesty
And yield to his authority.

My eyes sparkle for his glory.
My ears tingle to hear the story
Of the almighty Rock of ages—
The Lord God of old.

Soul wandering in
The rain, outwardly soaked—but
Inwardly is dry.

My friends
Deserve more than
I can possibly give.
And, so, I pray for them as best
I could.

Bless my
Friends, oh God, each
One according to their
Kindness, and their many selfless
Merits.

(Psalm of Divine Commitment: God is
committed to his people.)

God comforts his people
As they cry unto him.
He will deliver them
From fear and affliction.
God loves his people;
He fulfills their
Good expectations.

And keeping nothing
Wholesome from them,
He willingly supplies
All their needs.
For they are ever the
Apple of his eye.

I will sing praise, and honor.
And meditate ‘pon the Lord.
And will tell of his goodness.

Sound of birdsongs. Sound
Of motors passing by - and
The scream of silence.

(A Psalm of Worship.)

His scepter is unto me;
I will enter his courts
And cherish the moments.

His throne is the reservoir
Of life and blessings
From which a river
Of abundant sustenance flows.
Lord, quicken me;
In you I live.

Hours are only seconds
In your presence
Where time is but
A fleeting moment.

(A Psalm of Purpose.)

God ordained the seasons
To be determined by the elements.
He made them for a reason—
To bring him glory.

In spring, God gives the farmer
Seeds to plant.

In summer, he gives rain
To water the crops—
Bringing them to maturity.

During the fall (Autumn), men
Graciously reap the harvest.

And in the winter, everyone enjoys
The fruit of his own labor—
Consuming the increase thereof.

Spring is the resurrection of life,
And summer is its peak.
Fall is the waning of life,
And winter is its demise.

A continuous cycle;
As long as the earth remains,
Spring, summer, fall and winter,
Shall never cease to bring God glory

Went to the frig
For a boiled egg.
At the veggie tray—
Not looking for veg.
Didn’t see what I wanted,
But knew it was there.
My question then:
The eggs!  But where?
Then, before my eyes,
In spite of myself,
Boiled eggs in a bowl
On the bottom shelf.

FOOTNOTE: It’s important to look in the right place for the right thing, at the right time.

Lazarus was a beggar
Somewhere in space and time
As others fared sumptuously
In their life sublime.
Homeless and full of sores
He laid at a rich man’s gate.
No one to love and care for him.
His poverty garnered hate.
At the mercy of others
Was how he would survive
Till that fateful day in which
The beggar was to’ve died.
And since he was a pauper
(No riches, fame nor power)
There was no lavish funeral,
No wreath, nor card, nor flower.
But at this world’s departure
The angels took his hand
Off to Abraham’s *****—
That bright, fair holy land.

While in the rich man’s hand,
His riches were an art.
The beggar held the love of God
Deep down within his heart.
Ah, in heaven he has friends
And family galore.
There he wears a regal robe
And not the rags he wore.
His earthly pal was the dog
That often cleaned his sores:
A mutt, now remembered,
In heaven—evermore.
The rich man held to riches
That he dreaded to depart.
But within the beggar’s *****
Was a truly humble heart.

Of all the bustling that’s a part of life
Help me to focus on You Lord this day
That I might perform that which I should do
That I may relate that which I should say.

Dear Lord, watch over my soul by the hour;
Let me not wander from the path and stray.
Keep me from danger, both, seen and not seen.
Let me not idle, but to watch and pray.

Lord, as I humble my life now ‘fore You,
Please do look upon this *** of pure clay—
Ah! Keep me today. And as well each day.
E’en when in twilight, and I’m old and gray.

Dear Lord, for whate’er in front of me lay,
Grant it that always with You I will stay.

This tent of temporary abode,
Gives way, becoming
More fragile by the degree.

The color fades.
And in aging, it rips, tears,
And painfully trembles.
The best repairs are only
For a short while.
And, soon, it shall fold.

But, ever, my faith is in God,
Who has assembled for me
A new and lasting abode.

I must
Remind myself
Constantly—the beauty
Of life outweighs its …. And believe
It’s true.

Amazing is Your gift of grace,
That You should even think of me.
I am convinced Your love is true
‘Tis by Your concern, I can tell.

Grace. Oh, marvelous grace divine
All wrapped with love-- a thing sublime.
A grace that gives and gives and gives.
With sweetness of a pealing chime.

And oh, that You should give to me
Such gift so beautiful and free—
A wondrous thing. A mystery.
How grateful I shall ever be.

And I, in turn, with rapid pace,
Do thank You for Your gift of grace.

Liquid descending
Upon sweltering surface -
Billowing steam rise.

Amazing the field of art.
And 3-D is breathtaking;
Blows the mind—literally.
Insane just for the making.
Although it’s an illusion
That I cannot figure out.
I find it remarkable—
Phenomenal’s the clout.
Perhaps you can check it out
To see what I really mean;
So talented the artists
‘Mongst the best i've ever seen.

3-D artwork where it sits
On Youtube. Or Google it.

Hotdog.
Stickler
To this day.
‘Tis a main stay—
An age-old stapler
That shall be.

Conflicts.
Physical, financial,
Emotional and social.
Life’s battles are many—
Every day, all day.

The ferocious winds    
Flew and blew, whirled and howled – then
They gently whistled.

Age removes landmarks.
Things that once were, are no more -
Time effects great change.

Pilgrims in this land of shadows.
A land of darkness and of death,
Filled with labor and with sorrow—
Of time and innocence bereaved.

Ever increasing fear and harm,
Never-ceasing cares and alarm.
Faithfully withstanding life’s storm,
Until God speaks a word of calm.

Betimes to plod ‘neath skies of gray.
Betimes bearing the heat of May.
But always with a praise and song
To pack their tents and move along.

Heav’nward pilgrims, tho' betimes worn,
Seeking a city—with love adorned.

Sunny, blue skies with dark clouds
O’er sunlit surface of the sea,
Where, gently, hugging huge bedrocks
Are white-foam waves—calm and free.

Oh, when I get to heaven
That amazing promised land
Spoken of almighty God
An assertion true and grand

There’ll be no war, nor terror;
I will rest my shield and sword.
With eyes lifted, wondrously,
To gaze upon my sweet Lord.

And, there, I shall bow my knees
In grateful worship and praise—
Thanking God for his true love.
Then, perhaps, a song to raise

Ahh. To stroll that wondrous place—
A guide to lead me around.
To absorb His beauteous grace
The breathtaking sights and sounds.

I’ll visit friends and loved ones,
Those who’ve before me gone.
To fellowship with them there,
Where days shall ne’er be done.

Happy butterflies.
Sunflowers. But then, there’s a -
Hidden side to life.

Huge, red-clay mountains
Tho’ upward extended—find
Base in deep canyons.

Currently incomplete.

Orange, red and yellow
Against the western skies.
No, it’s not Christmas lights
But California fires.

Hot, like a raging bull
Emerging every bend,
Terrorizing one and all
It soars upon the wind.

‘Tis larger than New York
And Boston states combined.
The third largest Cal fire
Has yet to be confined.

The so-called Thomas fire,
Formidable at will,
Sadly has razed life and land,
And yet it rages still.

Currently incomplete.

Amazing the beauty
In simple things.
A little wildflower,
A ripple’s rings.

The twinkling of a star.
A bright moonbeam.
The babbling of a brook.
Billowing steam.

Simple touch of a hand.
Smile on a face.
The sound of pure laughter.
Some deed, or grace.

Not the grandest splendor,
Nor the abyss—
But for simplicity.
Blink and you’ll miss.

Lady Rose blossoms.
Pink petals, bright reflections -
Deep forest-green stems.

There is none like you,
Oh Lord, my God --
My Father, and my Friend.
You are always near,
Listening for my feeble call.
And, faithfully, you are there
When I cry unto you.
My salvation and strength,
You build me up each day.
You comfort my heart,
Leading and guiding me
In the right way.

Each day’s
A press.
But do press.
Never look back.
The road may be long,
But press on.

The gorgeous evening sky,
With a lovely hue,
Succumbs to the transforming—
E’er to bid adieu.

Slowly, the sky’s conforming,
Though reluctant to.
Taking on another look,
As skies are wont to.

All morphing before the eye,
The clouds rearrange.
With repositioned sunrays,
The colors ever change.

A tottering old man
With fear in his eye
Gripped his metal walker
While shuffling by.
He didn’t seem confused,
But a bit concerned.
Life no longer offered
The joys that he’d learned.
To the many changes
He now must adapt.
How'd life pass him by?
He felt less than apt.
For age greatly changes
The moorings of life.
No longer can we dance
To the tune of its fife.