September Rains

Life is touched by exquisite moments
   When sadness is made to flee
They're tucked away for sacred times
   When Grace demands a spree

These are the moments which come with the light
   The sweet laughter which follows the night
These are the moments which trail the drought
   When once again  - all becomes right

    

                                                                                   ~LB

Comforting Ranks

I went marching in the ranks of men

And my Dad was up ahead
And just a little further up
Was my Grandpa's hoary head

So every day we moved along
Forward in our ranks
Sharing life, joy and strife
We gloried in our threesome strength

But then the old man left our ranks
No longer up ahead
So Dad moved up to take his place
And I moved up to Dad's

And then one day as we marched along
Dad was also gone
And I moved up to be in front
I felt so much alone

Until I looked behind my rank
And I made a wondrous find
It was my own son - one row back
And his son just behind

                                            ~LB

Memorial Day

He’s alone and bleeding – and so far away.

    As Death sits beside to impatiently wait

While his thoughts fly home to hug Mom and Dad 

    And account to the question, “If only I had…”

His burning tears sting a path down his face

     And drop to the ground to mark this place.

A place where devotion met sorrow and fear,

     The place where a soldier shed his last tear. 

And now we pause to help soften this wrong,

     And belove all the soldiers who've died alone.

                                                  ~ LB

A Sunset Nearly Done

  (Upon noticing the haunting beauty of a deep winter sunset over the forest)

Limbed sentinels stand cold against the glow

    As orange surrenders to the clear black flow
And the Night Crest comes with light blessing for all
    And speaks softly of "rest now" - and the coming wake-up call.

                                                                         ~LB

God's End

Lord I cannot see the end of you. 

 Your bounds are much too far. 

Your bigger than my Universe, 

 Farther than... Oh! my stars! 

 So - while I'm sure I'll never see, 

 Still, I've seen a better part 

For in Christ I've pierced the veil 

 And looked upon your heart. 

 And I surmise that could I see 

 The end of all you are, 

It would be but mere reflection 

 Of this familiar part.

                                       ~LB

Cozy

When gray slides over, and snow piles high,
And the fire lends cozy to the room,
And hearts, deep warmed by blanket and mug,
Keep time with the crackling tune;

Then we remember that thing we forgot:
The sweet charm of Winter's long gloom.

                                                             ~ LB

Seasons Of Languish, Mornings Of Dance

There are those seasons when life is harsh,
And refuses to grant us success,
Instead it withholds, and obstructs, and says no,
Even though we plead with our best.

But too, are the glorious gifting days
When answers flow like a stream,
When solutions long sought are finally caught,
And at last - We can dance the dream!

                                                                ~LB

Experience

Frightening lightening and ranting rain,
We run from the clouds and the storm.
But when the noise has come and gone,
In freshness, the land is reborn.

And so are we, truth be known,
By the storms of life along the way.
Something happens in the fear of it all -
Our fears are washed away.

And we're born anew, much improved.
We've survived and overcome.
And in that freshness, we spring again
Now to find -
We've become much more than our sum.

                                                ~LB

The Plan

I have a plan and the plan is good.

And I'm excited by all that it holds.
But then I have to work the plan,
And fit myself to its mold.

This part is hard. And I'm often bored.

And I wonder why I even started.
Before you know it, my knees are weak,
And all my resolve, departed.

But then I hear God's Spirit speak,
The words that I know to be true,
"In your patience you possess your soul.
Work the plan - and the plan will work for you."

                                                                   ~LB

The Flowers Of Truth

On considering the privilege of access to God's truth 

 

We walk in the secret garden of God, 

 A holy and hidden place. 

Yet here we walk - without restraint 

 As a privilege of His grace. 

 We rest among the flowers of truth 

 That for men of every age 

Have yielded the fragrance of knowledge 

And enlightened the eyes of the sage. 

Oh! can it be that we're really here, 

And allowed here every day, 

To handle these lovely, living truths 

As a child consumed in play. 

Thank you, Lord, for privilege bought,  

Which now, we take for granted 

And think it normal every day 

To smell these flowers you've planted.

     P. Davis