EARTH, ETERNITY AND THINGS

Heaven and Hell are here on Earth,
The Kingdom of Heaven at hand.
On this trip beginning at birth,
There are things we must understand.

Good and bad are in everyone.
There is evil throughout the land.
Goodness abounds beneath the sun.
Are things random or are they planned?

Many things are common to all,
A thread truly runs through all things.
A body lives till death does call,
The proverbial fat lady sings.

What we need is some peace of mind
And a fire when it becomes cold.
Love and joy are things hard to find;
We learn these things as we grow old.

One thing does seem certain to me,
No matter what else comes to be:
My soul continues to be free
To exist through Eternity.

WHEEL OF LIFE

Days of reflection on my life and times,
All blend together like a long lost dream,
Flowing forward on a river of rhymes,
Like cascading waterfalls in a stream.

A life goes by in the blink of an eye.
The days turn to weeks, the months into years.
As we try to wonder why we must cry,
The passage of time will dry all the tears.

The earthly plane upon which we have flown,
This experience which we endeavor;
The bitter end comes at a time unknown,
But the wheel of life rolls on forever.

THE WINDS OF TIME

The winds of time will cease to blow,
The shining moon will cease to glow,
As history comes to an end;
Eternity waits round the bend.

The books and minds of all mankind
Will over time, be left behind.
What we find important today
Will soon not matter anyway.

Here today and gone tomorrow,
There’s no time to dwell on sorrow.
Look beyond all the pain and fear;
The stormy skies will soon be clear.

The great beyond is looming near.
Eternity will shed no tear.
For when the nearest star burns out,
All earthly cares will end, no doubt.

So rise above your petty feuds!
Know that eternity includes
The here and now, all things before
And everything forevermore.

(Published by The Society of Classical Poets Literary Journal, September 26, 2020)

MY COUNTRY

My country used to be
A sweet land of liberty,
But man, did it change!

A land where my father died,
Serving this land with pride,
Singing “Home on the Range.”

Children used to walk to school,
Following the golden rule;
Now all of that seems strange.

We used to be sure about
How most things would turn out.
Leaders were not deranged.

We need men like Eisenhower,
To acquire the reins of power,
And that remains unchanged!

THE MUSING OF AN INFINITE MIND

Rhyming thoughts come randomly to mind,
No matter the subject, nor what kind.
Out in the country or in the town,
Words will come in to be written down.

What is to say about sky so blue?
Give me the words to say what is true.
Describe the beauty of living things.
Tell me of how a mockingbird sings.

Show me words to describe a sunset.
Allow my thoughts to act as a net
To capture words reflecting my soul,
Making my being seem sound and whole.

The words will paint a picture as art.
Thoughts come from the proverbial heart
To sculpt a grand vision of the mind,
In words and thoughts, the infinite kind.

RIVER OF FAITH

What a sad world we live in,
One might even feel depressed;
Always war, pain and illness,
With endless civil unrest.

Somewhere over the rainbow,
Judy Garland rests in peace,
In fields of heaven’s flowers,
Wherein love does never cease.

Somewhere deep inside of me,
Down deep inside of my heart,
There lies a golden treasure,
Always with me from the start.

Far from this world of sorrow,
Away from worries and woes,
A river runs deep and wide,
Where eternal goodness flows.

GRADUATION (for Rachael)

So here you are and you are almost grown.
The seeds of your youth are almost sewn.
You have such a great life, yet to live.
There is still so much you have to give.

High school went by in the blink of an eye.
Now you can accomplish whatever you try.
The whole wide world is waiting for you.
You will be successful, whatever you do.

A mind and heart full of music and art,
You were wonderful, right from the start.
Always full of love, thoughtful and kind,
With the welfare of others on your mind.

May we say this often and say it loud:
Parents and grandparents are very proud!
As we all love you, every single day,
There will never be enough we can say.

While you go off to college and beyond,
You and your family have a special bond,
That keeps you deep inside of our hearts,
With a caring and love that never departs.

So now that your graduation day is here,
Next you will embark on a college career.
Good luck and have fun, wherever you roam.
Always remember your loved ones at home.

THE PACIFIST

This is just a simple verse,
With words concise and clear.
Life would be so wonderful,
Sans violence and fear.

What a fine world it would be,
If people thought like this:
No man strikes another man.
We’d all live lives of bliss.

I would never kill a man,
Even if it saved my life.
I could never shoot a gun,
Nor stab him with a knife.

Life by far is too important.
It means too much to me,
For it gives my soul a purpose,
Allows my soul to see.

That is why I hate abortion.
It does not make good sense.
When it comes to life or death,
I’m never on the fence.

When it’s time to leave the earth,
When all is said and done,
I’ll be proud I did not kill,
Not once beneath the sun.

(Published by The Society of Classical Poets Literary Journal, June 20, 2019)

LOVE OF LIFE

How I long for the days gone by,
Such memories overtake me.
I look back on my life and sigh.
May the future not forsake me.

All the fond thoughts of yesteryear,
Coupled with the thoughts of regret;
Love of life is ever so near,
It captures my soul like a net.

So many things I could have done,
But I did not follow them through.
Maybe I walked, but should have run,
Such thoughts hang pale and blue.

The sun still shines, up in the sky,
The moon is still glowing at night.
Life goes on, regardless of why,
And the darkness turns into light.

All in all, life is still worthwhile,
Happiness remains in my sight.
Some things I recall, make me smile.
My love of this life shines bright.

(Published by The Society of Classical Poets Literary Journal March 26, 2019)

MORNING DEW

This universe of ours will end
As we then return to the source.
No more wounds to tend or to mend,
As the source will chart a new course.

When all the sands of time run out
And existence must start anew,
Our souls will be out and about,
To skip through a new morning dew.

(Published by The Society of Classical Poets Literary Journal, October 29, 2018.)