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

Perching high ‘neath the
Blue skies, a dark mount’nous range -
Laced with pristine snow.

(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.

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.

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.

Some things grab you,
Before you even know it.
Like color, for example:
Salmon, turquoise, yellow,
With beige, blue and peach.
An array of pastels.
Their gentle whispers
In bold statements.
A jargon of beauty
That warms the heart—
Just for the peering.

Color is beautiful.
Color is powerful.
Color attracts.

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.

Currently incomplete.

(A Psalm of Trust: prayer of the afflicted.)

Leave me not to walk alone
Thro’ barren land and wilderness,
Where the lurking of the foe
Is ominous.

Day by day, my feet would tremble,
My heart would faint,
And my faith would fail—
If it were not for you.

Oh, see me through the storm;
In You, my anchor firmly holds.
Great is your strength,
And marvelous is your love.
I shall gladly trust in you.

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

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.

(A Psalm of Worship.)

I humbly enter his presence
To bow before his throne.
Let all be silent as my prayers,
Like the fragrance of
A sweet perfume,
Ascend unto heaven, into the
Throne-room of his glory.

O Lord, accept my prayers
And praise, which, continually,
Are a sacrifice unto you.

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 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.

Currently incomplete.

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

Bravo to Toys for Tots
For giving Kids a lift:
With smiles and a dream,
They grant the tots a gift.

With hope and a hug,
And whate’er means they could,
We see them reaching out,
As 'compassion' would.

Bravo to Toys for Tots…
Faithfully there each year
Making dreams come true;
Showing that they care.

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.

Artificial Intelligence,
Where is it leading to?
When you think you’ve heard it all,
Men seek much more to do.

Service drones and driverless cars
Micro Chips. And robots.
Will there be jobs for human kind?
Perhaps not as it ought.

Who would trust a driverless car?
I don’t think that I could.
But then if it were all I had,
I’m pretty sure I would.

Oh, the changing face of time
Is like an aging one.
The aged, with landmarks, will be gone,
When all is said and done.

And very soon the times will be
Left to the young and strong.
The aged won't discern the years,
Cause their time will be gone.

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

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.

Psalm of Worship: (Psalm of Worship: a melodic composition.)

As I look upon the rivers
And the beauty of the sea—
All your hands have made, Lord,
Which includes me,
I humbly yield my heart
In submission to your will.
Let all the earth keep silent—
The winds and waves be still.
Let the angels humbly bow
At the footstool of your throne.
And all the people worship,
For you are God alone.

I will declare your goodness
And exalt your fame.
You have done wondrously,
And holy is your name.
Holy is your name.

(Song: prayer for healing.)

Open the windows of heaven,
Send healing Lord.
Fulfill your promises given,
With healing Lord.

God is my life;
He is my health.

God is my strength,
Salvation, and wealth;
I put my trust in him.

Oh, rain ‘pon us.
Rain ‘pon us. Rain ‘pon us!
Send healing Lord.

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

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.

New day.
New things.
Night is passed,
Dawn’s now broken.
A new chapter is
Emerging.

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

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.

Liquid descending
Upon sweltering surface -
Billowing steam rise.

Put all man’s failures in a heap,
And then they would exceed the skies.
But God’s great mercy far exceeds
The sum of all man’s sinful pride.

For all the heart can think, or do,
Or dream in its deceptive mode—
He has a plan for me and you:
Forgiveness (a divine code).

It is a mystery divine
How God forgives our failures all
And beckons one with love sublime
Tho’ few dare answer His clear call.

Oh lovely deity Divine
I take thy mercy to be mine.

(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.

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

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

In life, you never know
The crosses we must bear.
The things that we suffer—
Sickness, pain, tears.
The heavenly Father’s there
To lend a helping hand.

When life is overwhelming,
The Father understands.
But we must trust Him
In face of every ill.
Even in our brokenness,
We must trust Him still.
For all things work together
To the good of His will.

With closed eyes, enjoyed
The sunshine and flowers - Then
Opened them to rain.

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.

(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.

The ole flu bug took to the skies
To see what he could do
Making winter miserable
Cold and wet and BLUE.
‘No pity here’ he clearly shows,
Skyrocketing around—
Effectuating his mission
To knock you to the ground.
So be wary everyone.
Be careful in all things,
Because the seasonal flu bug
Is waiting in the wings.

(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.

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

So happy for this mild reprieve
Be it long or short.
The weather has been brutal here
Many a plan abort.

Anticipating the springtime
When life returns to norm.
But then, I guess, we’ll be engaged
With watching for the storms.

(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

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

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.

(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.

To gaze 'pon my precious One
Is to see a diamond finely set,
With its countless facets sparkling.
All glistening in colorful array.

An ageless beauty for now seen
Thro' the vagueness of this earthly vail.
But, I shall see Him face to face
In all of His revealed glory.

He is a burning, shining light
In whose presence there is no night.
The perfect light of righteousness;
An inextinguishable source.

Shine on my Love, my precious One,
For I shall ever gaze 'pon thee.

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

Like long
Shadows stretching
’Cross an autumn field, so
Goes life—stretching the span of time
And space.

Hurricane Maria,
With rancor in her stride,
Swept ‘cross the ****** Isles.
From her, none could hide.

Smashing Puerto Rico
She turned it upside down.
Forced it into crisis mode,
And made it a ghost town.

She struck right quick and hard
To whirl, and twist and toss.
Cut water, food and pow’r
As folks wept for their loss.

Maria spun casualties
Among those near and dear.
But time still trundles on
Tho life is all but clear.

Midst such devastation,
Who knows where to begin?
But the people must rebuild
Regardless the tail spin.