Memorial Day 2018

Is there no greater love than this

to give one’s life to save a friend?

A man betrayed with just a kiss

was not defeated in the end.

 

His life was offered from above.

A time of hope had been unfurled.

Can we see such boundless love?

poured out upon a fallen world.

 

Can we see our nation’s flag

waving there against the sky?

Let’s gaze upon this war-torn rag

and raise our banner up on high.

 

Let us recall the men who died

in service to a noble cause?

And unlike those who would divide

shall we observe a sacred pause?

 

Thanking those who gave their all,

let this be our last refrain:

You answered to a higher call.

You did not give your life in vain.

 

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The Years Ahead

 Fifty years of cheers and tears,

alas so fast the time does pass.

Streams of dreams and bright sunbeams

delight our days with rays ablaze.

Oh so sublime our time has been.

Around the bend, is that the end,

as day gives way to skies of grey?

The answer lies up in those skies

where spirits rise and falsehood dies.

To spring eternal let us cling,

The Lord will grant a brand new thing.

 

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Celebration Sonnet

The fiftieth year just seemed so far away.

But when I asked my love to come along

we shared this glorious celebration day.

Those fifty years have proven we belong.

 

Time can be a fast and fleeting thing,

 while planting seed into a day unknown.

And who can really know what life will bring?

 Yet time will tell just how our seed was sewn.

 

At times you think you’re groping in the dark

through ups and downs  and many lows and highs.

But then you know you may just hit the mark;

with God on board to help you win the prize.

 

I’m so grateful that He was our guide

 while pairing me with such a loving bride.

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Cyrus

Even though things were disjointed,

to carry out what God appointed,

Cyrus stood as God’s  anointed.

 

He might not have known the golden rule,

nor did he teach in Sunday School,

but  surely Cyrus was no fool.

 

King Cyrus made a firm decree

that fateful day in history

that soon the world would clearly see.

 

A sovereign nation be reclaimed,

as one could ponder unashamed

a government that God had framed.

 

 Even though things seemed erratic,

and some might even say schismatic,

the rank and file were so ecstatic.

 

Despite some troubling aggravation

while standing on a firm foundation,

they vowed to stay the full duration.

 

But what a strange phenomenon

when all the upper echelon

chose to stay in Babylon!

A Sonnet to Old Yorktown

Who among us now can e’er forget

when cannons filled the air of old Yorktown

as Washington swept in with Lafayette

and laid a siege against the British crown.

 

 

Tom Nelson fired upon his stately hall

headquartered by the British high command.

With cannon ball still lodged within its wall

a symbol of his own courageous stand.

 

 

Commanded by French Admiral comte de Grasse

his fleet closed traffic up the Chesapeake.

Since English warships could no longer pass,

 the planned escape was looking very bleak.

 

 

On a day that turned the whole world upside down

Our liberty was sealed in old Yorktown.

Freedom

How do we breathe free

when lying spirits choke us?

Return to the truth.

Bazaar Shopping

 

Family gifts and family shopping,

from mall to mall you just keep hopping.

If only once we could slow down

We might have time to look around.

The greatest shopping fun by far –

weaving though a world bazaar

the tiny twins were on the prowl,

to see them shop was such a howl.

From hat, to scarf, to fancy ring,

the bazaar became their special thing.

The grand kids now have taken o’er,

the world bazaar is now their store.

For them the hunt is such a thrill,

Closing in when all is still.

Bagging ’em and out the door,

No need to linger in the store.

Hurray, it’s now time to go home.

No time left for us to roam.

But wait! There must be something more.

Our Pooh went back into the store.

Fourteen Years Old

What does it take to capture fourteen

and quickly develop a whole brand new style

while sloshing down a drink from a bean.

and never losing the magnificent smile?

 

It just takes some guts and a little true grit,

and maybe an eclectic home school education,

Of course it helps to have a fine wit,

grand imagination,  and true inspiration.

 

But I remember the day you liked wagons,

so what is this thing you call Imagine Dragons?

Rapture

You see the signs up in the sky?

The silvery moon has turned to blood.

The Lord is calling from on high.

But in the days before the flood,

so many, many years ago,

not knowing what would soon come down,

the people wandered to and fro,

without a thought they soon would drown.

We cannot know the coming day,

nor can we even know the hour,

It may just seem so faraway.

Yet He will come with holy power.

And like a thief in darkest night,

he’ll come to catch away His bride.

A faithful few will make the flight,

with others grounded by their pride.

Whom the world would call the least

will soon no longer be around.

They’ll celebrate the wedding feast.

and wear a holy wedding gown.

Are we watching every day,

confessing all our sins and shame,

forgiving others on the way,

and trusting only in His Name?

Look up my friend into the sky,

Leave all concerns within the past.

Our redemption day is drawing nigh,

and soon we will be home at last.

Memorial Day

A day to remember

a day to reflect,

a noble defender,

we dare not forget.

 

He answered the call,

enduring the strife.

he gave us his all.

He laid down his life.

 

Today let us pause

and consider the lost

for such a great cause

at such a great cost.

;

We yearn to be free,

with justice for all.

Let this be our plea

that through the long haul:

We’ll never surrender

no matter the fight,

our roll as defender

of justice and light.

The Snow Day

Working under the proverbial gun.

No my paper is not done!

I’m just not having any fun.

Hey, look outside there is no sun!

 

The sky is really turning gray.

wonder where we put the sleigh!

maybe I’ll have time to play

The paper can wait another day!

 

And even better still,

the snow will cover all the hill!

Sleighing is so much a thrill!

more days of snow would fit the bill.

 

Wow, that was so great a ride!

You see how long I made that slide?

I’m really starting to hit my stride!

Please don’t make me come inside.

 

Please don’t make me go berserk.

Yes, I’ll finish that boring work.

You don’t have to go knee jerk

and say the work I always shirk?

 

 I am secretly going to pray:

Please give me one more snow day.

The Urbana Oyster Festival

Let’s go down to the town of Urbana

A little remote but no second banana

 

Now is the time to exit your cloister

and enter the realm of the succulent oyster

 

Fresh out of that river and on to your plate

this silvery blob will help you think straight

 

Be it raw, roasted, fried, or in stew

along with some of your favorite brew,

 

the oyster will always be judged as the best

and certainly make you forget all the rest.

 

A seafood platter is certainly my thing

but only the oyster is rightfully king.

 

You want to go home? Now don’t be a quitter,

before you have tasted this fine oyster fritter.

Italian Food

Please come with me on a gastric safari.

Now first on your plate is some good calamari.

You say you don’t like it, well I am so sorry.

You just should be shot like the spy Mata Hari.

 

Next you might choose some great rigatoni.

No, an acceptable substitute is not macaroni!

Perish the thought, that would just be baloney.

And all that French food is really so phony!

 

There’s so much more comfort in a plate of ziti.

If you eat it all up I won’t say you’re greedy.

Though it might be much better to share with the needy.

’cause stuffing one’s belly is really so seedy.

 

Now what could surpass a plate of spaghetti,

topped off with a serving of nice cappelletti?

Refusing this choice would be oh so petty,

Though maybe an exception is apple brown betty.

 

And after a helping of great ravioli

maybe you’ll choose that tasty cannoli.

It must be savored and eaten so slowly,

’cause anything else would be oh so unholy,

 

What could be better than gourmet Italian?

 Pasta with chicken or that fine veal medallion?

If there’s anything else I just can’t imagine,

and the size of the plates would feed a battalion.

 

So please don’t forget to order some wine

whenever you decide to go out to dine.

Just make sure it’s the top of the line,

’cause great Italian food is simply divine.

The Beard

I hope you don’t think that it is so weird

to see a big man who is wearing a beard.

 He is most certainly not one to be feared

Not one with such a magnificent beard.

 

Before you say that men should be sheared,

I say not the one who has volunteered

to take up the cause which others have sneered.

Not one with such a magnificent beard.

 

Such a man’s name could never be smeared.

not one by his children that is so revered.

A man like that must always be cheered

along with his very own magnificent beard.

My Odyssey

Allow me to tell you with the greatest of modesty,

I once was the owner of a Honda Odyssey.

Though not so certain of his actual biography,

I knew he belonged to a time-honored phylogeny

 

Oh so sweet as apple pie a la mode,

always happy to be out on the road,

he just loved to carry a big load,

with seats where grandchildren could make their abode

 

But now it’s goodbye to you my old friend,

Am so glad to hear that you’re now on the mend.

Just hoping to ride in you once again,

’cause I’ll always love you down to the end.