Blueprints
Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements
By Napoleon Hill |
|
So many things we found inside
The home vacated when she died
Piles of papers, bills and rent
Receipts for every pound she spent
Paper clippings, creased and torn
of uncles dead and babies born
Supplements from magazines
Proclaiming God would save the Queen
A soap star in a daring dress
The wistful smile of dead princess
Little gifts that children gave
Bought with pennies proudly saved
And scrawlings of a tiny hand
That only Grannies understand
Memories she held in trust
Displayed on shelves to gather dust
Sorting, sifting, throwing out
Everything she kept about
Dismissing what she prized to be
Old lady's eccentricity
Then hidden back inside a draw
A box we'd never seen before
That held a myriad poppies red
In memory of soldiers dead
So typical that she should keep
Those paper flowers of crimson deep
And couldn't bear to throw aside
Each poppy she had worn with pride
Remembrance that she held in trust
Inside a draw to gather dust
Within that box at last I see
The woman who gave birth to me
A teenager with golden hair
Who tapped her heels on cobbles bare
Air raid shelters, curtains black
Good friends who just did not come back
Caught up in the winds of war
That chilled the life she led before
Scarlet poppies spelling out
A life I hadn't known about
Of all the many things we found
In cupboards, draws and boxes brown
Those flowers revealed the secret of
The kind of person Mother was
For though I'd laugh and shake my head
At silly things she did or said
As I look now inside my grief
To see the woman underneath
I recognise my treasure lost
And weep for poppies in a box
By : Cath Turner posted : 2003-03-26 20:00:38 |
Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting
The soul that rises within us, our life's star
Hath had elsewhere its setting
And cometh from afar
Not in entire forgetfulness
By : William Wordsworth posted : 2002-04-17 07:15:11 |
Great it is to believe the dream
When we stand in our youth by the starry stream
But a greater thing is to fight life through
And to say at the end that the dream came true.
By : E Markham posted : 2002-04-17 07:18:19 |
The saddest words we ever say
Must surely be 'if only'
Strange how those two little words
Rhyme perfectly with lonely
By : Catherine Turner posted : 2002-04-17 07:23:06 |
To find the universal elements enough
To find the air and the water exhilarating
To be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter
To be thrilled by the stars at night
To be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in Spring
These are some of the rewards of the simple life
Supplied by Steve Goodier Colorado
By : John Burroughs 1837-1921 posted : 2002-04-17 18:00:03 |
God hath not promised skies always blue
Flower strewn pathways all our lives through
God hath not promised sun without rain
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain
But God hath promised strength for the day
Rest from the labour, light for the way
Grace for the trials, help from above
Unfailing sympathy, undying love
By : anon posted : 2002-04-17 19:03:29 |
Tis a gift to be simple
Tis a gift to be free
Tis a gift to come down
Where we ought to be
And when we find ourselves
In the place thats right
Twill be in the valley
Of love and delight
provided by Sarah Ban Breathnach from her book
'Simple Abundance'
By : anon posted : 2002-04-17 19:07:09 |
A Mother saw a little boy
A Father saw a Son
A Daughter saw a Daddy's strength
That she could lean upon
A Son's eyes saw a trusted friend
A pal to look up to
Each member of our family
Could see a different you
But every time our eyes met dear
As only love's eyes can
I know that I'm the only one
Who really saw the man
By : Catherine Turner posted : 2002-04-19 20:25:26 |
I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chattered all the way.
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.
I walked a mile with Sorrow
And ne'er a word said she;
But oh, the things
I learned from her
When Sorrow
walked with me!
By : Robert Browning posted : 2002-04-24 13:01:27 |
That he was near to you so many a year
But darkens your distress.
Would you he were less worthy and less dear
That you might grieve the less?
He was a golden font that freely poured
What goldenly endures,
And though that font be gone,
its bounty stored and treasured
Still is yours.
The past is deathless.
Souls are wells too deep
To spend their purest gains.
All that he gave to you is yours to keep
While memory remains.
Who never had and lost,forlorn are they
Far more than you and I
Who had and have.
Judge not the price we pay
For love that cannot die.
By : Arthur Guiterman 1871- 1943 posted : 2002-05-07 21:34:40 |
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings – nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run –
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And – which is more – you'll be a Man, my son!
By : Rudyard Kipling 1865 - 1936 posted : 2002-05-07 21:39:09 |
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, – I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! – and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
By : Elizabeth Barrett Browning 1806-1861 posted : 2002-05-07 21:40:49 |
Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams
By : William Butler Yeats 1865 - 1939 posted : 2002-05-07 21:42:21 |
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may
Old Time is still a-flying
And this same flower that smiles today
To-morrow will be dying.
By : Robert Herick 1591 - 1674 posted : 2002-05-07 21:43:41 |
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind.
Gas! GAS! Quick, boys! – An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime ...
Dim, through the misty panes and thick green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
In all my dreams, before my helpless sight,
He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.
If in some smothering dreams you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues, –
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.*
By : Wilfred Owen 1893 - 1918 posted : 2002-05-07 21:45:25 |
Earth's crammed with Heaven
And every common bush afire with God
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries
By : Elizabeth Barrett Browning 1806-1861 posted : 2002-05-11 09:16:14 |
We were born SISTERS, just us two
You didn't choose me and I didn't choose you
I dragged you along wherever I went
I carried you till my knees were bent
Later on in our teens we grew apart
Looking for boys to steal our heart
When we found them and married it changed our life
Its a shock to the system becoming a WIFE
Next we were MOTHERS both at the same time
Every ante-natal clinic up that hill we'd climb
We had our babies, you first then me
You had two and I had three
As young working MOMS we saw less of each other
The years flew by fast while we were playing MOTHER
Then fate threw us back together again
To help our Mom through all that pain
The time that we had is precious to me
Time spent together, just us three
Now we are DAUGHTERS all alone
No Mom to turn to or pick up the phone
So at last, when our hearts are breaking in two
You choose me, and I choose you
By : Christine Williams posted : 2002-05-11 12:11:31 |
There's a lttle place in Heaven
That the Lord has set aside
A comfortable quiet place
Where special Moms reside
There isn't any pain in there
No suffering to endure
Everyone's made perfect
Every sickness finds a cure
I know another little place
It's deep inside my heart
A place I like to visit
When the lonely feelings start
My pain can find a cure in there
My suffering can cease
A quiet comfortable place
Where memories bring peace
By : Catherine Turner posted : 2002-05-11 12:21:21 |
We never know how good the meal
Until we've cleared the plate
It takes us till we're all grown up
To learn that childhood's great
We don't appreciate the well
Until the water's gone
And only in the darkest night
We long to see the sun
We never know what living is
Until the end draws near
We never know what courage is
Until we face the fear
We never know what happy is
Until the sadness starts
And we never know what love is
Till we have a broken heart
By : Catherine Turner posted : 2002-05-11 12:30:47 |
One night a man had a dream.
He dreamed he was walking along the
beach with the Lord
Scenes from his life flashed across the sky and he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one
belonging to him and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of his life had flashed before him, he recalled that at the lowest and saddest times of his life there was only one set of footprints.
Dismayed, he asked, "Lord, you said that
once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. I don't understand why, when I needed you most, you would leave me."
The Lord replied, "My precious child. I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering when you saw only one set of footprints...
That was when I carried you."
By : Margaret Fishback Powers posted : 2002-05-22 18:04:29 |
I said a prayer for you today
And I know God must have heard
I felt the answer in my heart
Although he spoke no word
I didn't ask for wealth or fame
I knew you wouldn't mind
I asked him to send treasures
Of a far more lasting kind
I asked that He'd be near you
At the start of each new day
To grant you health and blessings
And friends to share your way
I asked for happiness for you
In all things great and small
But it was for His loving care
I prayed the most of all
By : Unknown posted : 2002-05-22 18:08:40 |
When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no rites in a gloom filled room
Why cry for a soul set free
Miss me a little but not too long
And not with your head bowed low
Remember the love that we once shared
Miss me but let me go
For this is a journey we all must take
And each must go alone
It's all a part of the master plan
A step on the road to home
When you are lonely and sick of heart
Go to the friends we know
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds
Miss me but let me go
By : Unknown posted : 2002-05-22 18:13:03 |
When things go wrong as they sometimes will
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill
When the funds are low and the debts are high
and you want to smile, but you have to sigh
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
But you never can tell how close you are
It may be near when it seems afar
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things go wrong that you mustn't quit
By : Unknown posted : 2002-05-29 17:59:23 |
Oft I had heard of Lucy Gray
And when I crossed the wild,
I chanced to see at break of day
The solitary child
No mate no comrade Lucy knew
She dwelt on the wide moor
The sweetest thing that ever grew
Beside a human door
You yet may spy the fawn at play
The hare upon the green
But the sweet face of Lucy Gray
Will never more be seen
'Tonight will be a stormy night
You to the town must go
And take a lantern, Child, to light
Your mother through the snow.'
'That father! will I gladly do
Tis scarcely afternoon
The minster-clock has just struck two
And yonder is the moon'
At this the Father raised his hook
And snapped a faggot-band
He plied his work and Lucy took
The lantern in her hand
Not blither is the mountain roe
With many a wanton stroke
Her feet disperse the powdery snow
That rises up like smoke
The storm came on before its time
She wandered up and down
And many a hill did Lucy climb
But never reached the town
The wretched parents all that night
Went shouting far and wide
But there was neither sound nor sight
To serve them for a guide
At day-break on a hill they stood
That overlooked the moor
And thence they saw the bridge of wood
A furlong from their door
They wept and turning homeward cried
"In heaven we all shall meet"
When in the snow the mother spied
The print of Lucy's feet
Then downwards from the steep hill's edge
They tracked the footmarks small
And through the broken hawthorn hedge
And by the long stone wall
And then an open field they crossed
The marks were still the same
They tracked them on nor ever lost
And to the bridge they came
They followed from the snowy bank
Those footmarks one by one
Into the middle of the plank
And further there were none
Yet some maintain that to this day
She is a living child
That you may see sweet Lucy Gray
Upon the lonesome wild
O'er rough and smooth she trips along
and never looks behind
And sings a solitary song
That whistles in the wind
By : William Wordsworth posted : 2002-05-29 18:03:41 |
He was going to be all that a mortal could be
Tomorrow
None should be stronger or braver than he
Tomorrow
A friend who was troubled and weary he knew
Who'd be glad of a lift and who needed it too
On him he would call to see what he could do
Tomorrow
Each morning he'd stack up the letters he'd write
Tomorrow
And he thought of the friends he would fill with delight
Tomorrow
It was too bad indeed he was busy each day
And hadn't a minute to stop on his way
'More time I'll give to others' he'd say
Tomorrow
The greatest of workers this man would have been
Tomorrow
The World would have known him, had he ever seen
Tomorrow
But the fact is he died and faded from view
And all that he left here when living was through
Was a mountain of things he intended to do
Tomorrow
By : From 'Joy Along The Way' by Steve Goodier posted : 2002-07-15 07:13:37 |
It's easy to fight when everything's right,and you 're mad with the thrill and the glory
It's easy to cheer when victory's near, and wallow in fields that are gory.
It's a different song when everything's wrong, when you're feeling infernally mortal
When it's ten against one and hope there is none
Buck up, little soldier, and chortle:
Carry on! Carry on!
There isn't much punch in your blow.
You're glaring and staring and hitting out blind
You're muddy and bloody, but never you mind.
Carry on! Carry on!
You haven't the ghost of a show.
It's looking like death, but while you've a breath
Carry on, my son! Carry on!
And so in the strife of the battle of life It's easy to fight when you're winning
It's easy to slave, and starve and be brave, when the dawn of success is beginning.
But the man who can meet despair and defeat with a cheer, there's a man of God's choosing
The man who can fight to Heaven's own height Is the man who can fight when he's losing.
Carry on! Carry on!
Things never were looming so black.
But show that you haven't a cowardly streak,
And though you're unlucky you never are weak
Carry on! Carry on!
Brace up for another attack.
It's looking like hell, but you never can tell
Carry on, old man! Carry on!
There are some who drift out in the deserts of doubt and some who in brutishness wallow
There are others, I know, who in piety go cus they have a Heaven to follow
But to labour with zest, and to give of your best,
For the sweetness and joy of the giving
To help folks along with a hand and a song why, there's the real sunshine of living
Carry on! Carry on!
Fight the good fight and true
Believe in your mission, greet life with a cheer
There's big work to do, and that's why you are here
Carry on! Carry on!
Let the world be the better for you
And at last when you die, let this be your cry
Carry on, my soul! Carry on!
By : Robert W Service posted : 2002-09-05 14:04:15 |
A song can spark a moment
A flower can wake a dream
A tree can start a forest
A bird can herald spring
A smile can start a friendship
A hand shake lift a soul
A star can guide a ship at sea
A word can frame the goal
A vote can change a nation
A sunbeam light a room
A candle wipe out darkness
A laugh can conquer gloom
A step can start a journey
A word can start a prayer
A hope can raise our spirits
A touch can show you care
A voice can speak with wisdom
A heart can know what’s true
A life can make a difference.
By : Unknown posted : 2002-09-05 14:15:20 |
There’s Always Tomorrow
But just in case I might be wrong
and today is all I get
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone
young or old alike
And today may be the last chance you get
to hold your loved one tight
So if you're waiting for tomorrow
why not do it today
For if tomorrow never comes
you'll surely regret the day
That you didn't take extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone
what turned out to be their one last wish
So hold your loved ones close today
and whisper in their ear
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear
Take time to say I'm sorry
Please forgive me or It's OK
And if tomorrow never comes
you'll have no regrets about today
By : Unknown posted : 2002-09-10 07:39:15 |
Sometimes I know the way
you walk up over the bay
It is a wind from the far sea
that blows the fragrance of your hair to me
Or in this garden when the breeze
touches my trees
to stir their dreaming shadows on the grass
I see you pass
By : unknown posted : 2002-09-20 14:21:25 |
When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say.
For it isn’t your father or mother or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass,
The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the one staring back from the glass.
He’s the fellow to please - never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you, clear to the end,
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend
You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.
By : unknown posted : 2002-09-20 14:26:38 |
God must have known there would be times
We'd need a word of cheer,
Someone to praise a triumph
Or brush away a tear.
He must have known we'd need to share
The joy of little things,
In order to appreciate
The happiness life brings.
I think he knew our troubled hearts
Would sometimes throb with pain,
At trials and misfortunes
Or some goals we can't attain.
He knew we'd need the comfort
Of an understanding heart,
To give us strength and courage
To make a fresh, new start.
He knew we'd need companionship
Unselfish...lasting...true,
And so God answered the heart's great need
With a CHERISHED FRIEND....like you.
By : unknown posted : 2002-09-20 14:36:02 |
When tomorrow starts without me
and I'm no longer there to see
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
all filled with tears for me
I wish so much you wouldn't cry
the way you did today
While thinking of the many things
we didn't get to say
I know how much you love me,
as much as I love you
And each time that you think of me
I know you'll miss me too
But when tomorrow starts without me
please try to understand
That an angel came and called my name
and took me by the hand
And said my place was ready
in Heaven far above
And that I'd have to leave behind
all those I dearly love
But as I turned to walk away
a tear fell from my eye
For all my life I'd always thought
I didn't want to die..
I'd had so much to live for
had so much yet to do
It seemed almost impossible
that I was leaving you
I thought of all the yesterdays,
the good ones and the bad
I thought of all the love we shared
and all the fun we had
If I could re-live yesterday,
just even for a while
I'd say goodbye and kiss you
and maybe see you smile
But then I finally realised
that this could never be
That emptiness and memories
would take the place of me
And when I thought of worldly things
I might miss come tomorrow
I thought of you and when I did
my heart was filled with sorrow
But when I walked through Heaven's gates
I felt so much at home
When God looked down and smiled at me
from his great golden throne
He said, "This is Eternity,
and all I've promised you
Today your life on Earth has passed
but here it starts anew
I promise no tomorrows
but today will always last
And since each day's the same day
there'll be no longing for the past
You have been so faithful
so trusting and so true
Though there were times you did some things
you knew you shouldn't do
But you have been forgiven
and now at last you're free
So won't you come and take my hand
and share your life with me?"
So when tomorrow starts without me
don't think we're far apart
For every time you think of me
I'm right there in your heart
By : Ruth Carter-Bourdon posted : 2002-09-26 07:44:10 |
If I could catch a rainbow
I would do it just for you
And share with you its beauty
The days you're feeling blue
If I could build a mountain
You could call your very own
A place to find serenity
A place to be alone
If I could take your troubles
I would toss them in the sea
But all these things I'm finding
Are impossible for me
I cannot build a mountain
Or catch a rainbow fair
But let me be what I know best
A friend that's always there
By : Unknown posted : 2002-09-30 13:35:01 |
I cannot ease your aching heart
Nor take your pain away
But let me stay and take your hand
And walk with you today
I'll listen when you need to talk
I'll wipe away your tears
I'll share your worries when they come
I'll help you face your fears
I'm here and I will stand by you
on each hill you have to climb
So take my hand, let's face the world
And live just one day at a time
You're not alone for I'm still here
I'll go that extra mile
And when your grief is easier
I'll help you learn to smile
By : posted : 2002-10-03 22:14:57 |
I'll lend you for a little time a child of mine He said
For you to love the while he lives and mourn for when he's dead.
It may be six or seven years or twenty-two or three
But will you till I call him back take care of him for me?
He'll bring his charms to gladden you and should his stay be brief
You'll have his lovely memories to comfort you in grief
I cannot promise he will stay since all from earth return
But there are lessons taught down there I want this child to learn.
I've looked this wide world over in my search for teachers true
And from the throngs that crowd life's lanes I have selected you
Now will you give him all your love nor think this labour vain
Nor hate me when I come to call and take him back again?
I fancied that I heard you say "Dear Lord, Your will be done
For all the joy your child shall bring the risk of grief we'll run
We'll shelter him with tenderness. We'll love him while we may
And for the happiness we've known forever grateful stay
But should the angels call for him much sooner than we've planned
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand"
By : Unknown posted : 2002-10-03 22:34:38 |
I ran into a stranger as he passed by
"Oh excuse me please" was my reply
He said, "Please excuse me too
I wasn't really watching for you."
We were very polite this stranger and I
We went on our way and we said good-bye
But at home a different story is told
How we treat our loved ones young and old
Later that day cooking the evening meal
My son stood beside me very still
When I turned I nearly knocked him down
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown
He walked away his little heart broken
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken
While I lay awake that night in bed
God's still small voice came to me and said
"While dealing with a stranger common courtesy you use
But the children you love you seem to abuse
Go and look now on the kitchen floor
You'll find some flowers there by the door
Those are the flowers he brought for you
He picked them himself pink, yellow and blue
He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise
You never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."
By this time I was feeling very small
And then my tears began to fall
I went very quietly and knelt by his bed
"Wake up little one wake up" I said
"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled "I found them out by the tree
I picked them because they're pretty like you
I knew you'd like them especially the blue"
I said "Son I'm sorry for the way I acted today
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way"
He said "Oh Mom that's okay. I love you anyway"
I said "Son I love you too and I do like the flowers,
especially the blue"
By : unknown posted : 2002-11-23 12:52:41 |
Hello Lord, here I am.
Do you remember me at all?
I’m sorry that its been so long
since I last gave you a call
It was late one Christmas evening,
I was only six or seven
I prayed for you to send
a teddy bear to me from Heaven
I haven’t asked for anything
since that Christmas eve
I thought that I was too mature,
too grown up to believe
But Lord, I’ve lost the angel
who overheard that prayer
She left her children far behind
to live with you up there
You must be very happy
with the new friend that you’ve got
But Lord, I’m feeling lonely,
and I cry an awful lot.
I wonder, can you spare the time
to help me out somehow
I didn’t need you in the past
but, Lord, I need you now
I know you’ve lots of souls to save
and spirits to set free
I know there must be millions
who need you more than me
But could you find a moment
in your hectic life up there
And send a speedy answer
to my selfish little prayer
There’s one more favour I must ask
before I say goodbye
If you see my angel
as you’re travelling round the sky
Please don’t mention anything
about this conversation
I wouldn’t want to worry her
or cause her aggravation
Don’t let her know how weak I am,
or that my tears still fall
Keep our little secret………
just tell her Cathy called
By : Cath Turner posted : 2002-12-13 20:35:35 |
The Innkeeper sat listening
To the shepherd as he spoke
He thought the story so bizarre
It surely was a joke
The shepherds told of angels,
Of stars and mighty kings
A baby born to rule the world
And other mystic things
He said the child was sent from God
To save the world from sin
That Princes, Pharaohs, Queens and Kings
Would bow their knee to him
The lame would walk, the blind would see
All men would know his grace
And where had all this happened?
Why! At this very place
The Innkeeper went quickly
To tell his wife the tale
And both agreed the shepherd
Must have taken too much ale
Later, when the inn was closed
He tidied round the tables
And picking up his sturdy broom
Went out to sweep the stables
A carpenter from Nazareth
Had stayed there overnight
His wife was near her time
He’d taken pity on their plight
He knew she’d been delivered
For he heard a baby’s cry
How brilliant the sky had been
How sweet her lullaby
He fed the donkey, milked the cow
And brushed the dusty floor
Then something shiny caught his eye
In amongst the straw
Picking up the golden piece
He turned it in his palm
And wondered where on Earth
A treasure such as this came from
A carpenter could never own
A jewel of such worth
Then he thought about the shepherd
And the little baby’s birth
Suddenly he realised he stood on Holy ground
And rushed inside to show his wife
The token he had found
They thought at first to keep it
Then agreed that would be wrong
The treasure should be taken
To the child, where it belonged
If mighty kings would come this far
The baby to behold
What vengeance would his father wreak
On those who stole his gold
The Innkeeper pulled on his cloak
To follow in their wake
Wondering which road
The blessed carpenter would take
His wife went to the stable
She sat awhile and wept
Then prayed beside the manger
Where the newborn babe had slept
**************************
Carrying his bundle
He hurried through the night
Back towards the cosy Inn
To calm his worried wife
Then, in the early morning
As the sleepy village stirred
The Innkeeper informed his wife
Of all that had occurred
Sitting close beside her
On the corner of their bed
In no more than a whisper
This is what he said…
“We met at the oasis
They seemed to know I’d come
The carpenter sat watching
As the mother nursed her son
I asked him of the baby’s name
The Son Of Man, said he
I asked their destination
He told me…. Calvary
I asked how long the road,
He said, The end will mark the start
I asked to see the baby
He said, Look to your heart
I asked if I should follow
He said to wait and pray
I asked which path to take
He said a cross would show the way
I offered him the golden piece
He looked towards the child
Then I heard an angel singing
And I swear the baby smiled”
The wife embraced her husband
And held his trembling hand
For though he spoke in riddles
She seemed to understand
Then, opening the bundle
He had carried on his back
Twenty thousand golden pieces
Fell into her lap
By : Cathy Turner posted : 2002-12-13 20:42:06 |
The last time that I called around seems just like yesterday
You were smiling, waiting there for me
Never lost for words, you always had so much to say
And we did a lot of laughing didn’t we?
So many times I walked with you as you walked memory lane
Counting all your blessings one by one
Funny things that happened then we’d laugh at once again
I treasure all those moments with you Mom
The laughing should have ended when we saw that death was near
But even then you saw the funny side
Your wicked sense of humour helped you overcome your fear
So we laughed along and held our tears inside
Then suddenly you weren’t around. Your lovely light went out
The happy life we shared came to an end
There didn’t seem to be a lot for me to smile about
And Mom, I thought I’d never laugh again
But tonight I said ‘I love you’ to your photo in the hall
It’s something I do lately, all the while
Instead of death, this time, it was your living I recalled
And for the first time in a long time Mom I smiled
Some memories can bring such joy and some bring so much pain
An empty heart can hold so much inside
And though I thought I never would, I know I’ll smile again
Because Mom, we laughed a lot more than we cried
By : Cath Turner posted : 2003-03-26 20:02:39 |
Dear Mom,
Just sat down to write you this letter to let you know that I’m feeling much better. Got my life back to normal. I’m back in the swing. Doing the usual, everyday thing but now I don’t see things like I did before, something has changed, but what, I’m not sure. I don’t laugh a lot lately Mom, why should that be? But I’m feeling much better don’t worry about me.
Just got back from the shops, well the weather was fine and I needed a card for that husband of mine. Mom, you’d never believe it but there in the shop
I started to cry and I just couldn’t stop. I suppose it was all that romantic sad verse. Then it started to rain, which made matters worse. I cry a lot lately Mom, all of the time, but no need to worry, I’m sure I’ll be fine.
Chris sends her love and our Roy sends his too. It goes without saying how much they miss you. You said to look after them Mom, and I’ve tried, but it’s hard to give love when you’re empty inside. We visit each other and talk on the phone. It’s a comfort to know I’m not grieving alone. I’m lonely a lot lately, every day, but no need to worry Mom, I’ll be OK
Well times moving on so goodbye dear old friend. All the love in my heart with this letter I send. Give my love to our Dad. Give a kiss to our Dot. Tell them we all miss them both such a lot. Look after yourself, I’ll see you tonight. Your face in my dreams when I turn out the light. I’ll write again soon Mother, never you fear,
Lots of love,
Cath
ps. Wish you were here
By : Cath Turner posted : 2003-03-26 20:19:21 |
I used to think that ‘weeping’ was a thing I had to hide
I felt ashamed if people saw me cry
I always though that 'tears' should be concealed and kept inside
A guilty word
Before we said goodbye
I always thought that ‘broken hearts’ were only words in songs
Just put in to make a better rhyme
Things that you could laugh about when you sang along
Such easy words
Before we said goodbye
I always thought that ‘Mom’ was just another word for home
Something safe and strong that wouldn’t die
A laughing happy voice I used to talk to on the phone
A constant word
Before we said goodbye
Such ordinary, simple words that every child is taught
I’d use them everywhere I went
Trip them freely of my tongue without a second thought
While never really knowing what they meant
I never knew a single word could alter all it touched
I never knew a word could make me cry
I never knew our last sad word would break my heart so much
I never knew
Before we said goodbye
By : Cath Turner posted : 2003-03-26 20:06:46 |
As death approached they called around
To gaze with sorry eyes
No need to say the final word
Their looks said their goodbyes
Cards from worried relatives
And grapes she couldn’t eat
A dozen bright red roses
From a neighbour in the street
So many tearful phone calls
From so many people trying
To show a little kindness
To a lady who was dying
Then her best friend called around
To sit an hour or two
And I heard her asking Mom
If there was something she could do
I listened in the doorway
To hear what Mom would say
And I heard her quiet whisper
As she asked her friend to pray
She never knew I listened
As she said that simple word
Or how often I repeated
All those prayers He never heard
By : Cath Turner posted : 2003-03-26 20:11:51 |
Conversations of our lives
Words we used each day
Two people who were so in love
And had so much to say
Phrases of a caring heart
That bound your life to mine
The little words we used to say
Are those that made me smile
But on the day we had to part
We found no need for words
Love spoke with a silent voice
That only sorrow heard
A look that whispered "I love you"
A kiss that said "goodbye"
The little words we didn't say
Were those that made me cry
By : Cath Turner posted : 2003-03-26 20:13:12 |
I don’t know if there really is a Heaven way up high
A place where lovely angels waft across an endless sky
I like to think there really is a caring God up there
A shepherd who forgives our sins and answers every prayer
I can’t imagine all the wonders of that far off place
But still I think I’ll kneel and say my prayers, just in case
I’ll close my eyes and thank the Lord for everything Hes done
Then ask him in a quiet voice to please look after Mom
By : Cath Turner posted : 2003-03-26 20:15:55 |
Standing proud upon a shelf
A photograph I see
The image of my mother’s face
Smiling back at me
Just a faded photograph
I look at every day
But if those lips could speak
I know exactly what they’d say
“ Now’s the time to pack away
The sorrow and the pain
I’ve had my life you must live yours
It’s time to smile again
Place the hurtful things that happened
Firmly in the past
And make the happy times we shared
The memories that last
But take a moment now and then
To think of me a while
Hold my faded photograph
And don’t forget to smile.”
By : Cath Turner posted : 2003-03-29 18:39:48 |
It’s strange
We don’t appreciate
the things we see each day
We never know their value
Till they’re cruelly snatched away
The things I took for granted then
Her voice, her smile, her touch
I always knew I loved her
I just never knew how much
It’s strange
How words come tumbling out
Now no-one’s there to hear
So easy now to find the voice
I drowned beneath my tears
But though she never heard the words
I’m sure she always knew
Reading daughters’ minds
Is something Mom could always do
It’s strange
How sisters separate
As daughter turns to wife
The little girls we were
Belong to such a distant life
We learned to build the bridge again
When Mother showed us how
Tugging on the apron strings
We never felt till now
It’s strange
How she thought
I was the strongest of us two
She didn’t know through all those weeks
I drew my strength from you
I knew each time I walked away
You’d stay, however long
So strange that in the end
She got it all so very wrong
By : Cath Turner posted : 2003-03-29 18:42:34 |
How did my mother get into my skin?
How did she squeeze all that cellulite in?
Grossly distorting my bust and my tum
and giving me such an enormous big bum
How did my mother get into my voice?
I try to talk sense but she gives me no choice
For each time I try to say what’s in my head
Mother’s words leap from my larynx instead.
How did my mother get into my home?
She’s up in the bathroom and down by the phone.
For each time I glance in the mirrors I pass
I see her reflection look back from the glass
How did my mother get into my heart?
So ready to promise till death us do part.
To hope for the best then accepting the worst.
To put myself last when I want to be first.
How did my mother get into my mind?
So that things long forgotten seem easy to find.
Each memory painted in rose coloured hue
With more to look back on than look forward to.
How can my mother be forced to let go?
It’s the question I pose… but the answer I know.
There is no way of shaking or breaking her free
Cause it isn’t my mother at all
It’s just me
By : Cath Turner posted : 2003-03-29 18:46:15 |
For happy times you gave me
Baby sitting on your knee
For dressing up, for playing shops
For Andy Pandy, Woodentops
For all the kali that we licked
The snake, the mice, the thirteen chicks
For all the childhood games we played
For sacrifices that you made
For all the special days I had
At Dudley Zoo with you and Dad
For camping trips, for bonfire nights
For Christmas trees with fairy lights
For all the clothes you loved to make
And all the apple pies you baked
For being there when I got home
For never leaving me alone
For all the heartache and the tears
I caused you through my teenage years
For all the sleepless nights you spent
For angry words I never meant
For all the times I let you down
And didn’t want my Mom around
For spankings that I never had
For everything you kept from Dad
For sound advice and strong support
For all the lessons that you taught
On how to be a loving wife
And give my kids a happy life
For rushing down to help me out
When Mumps and Measles were about
For bouncing them upon your knee
For loving them as much as me
For all the times you bit your tongue
Accepting what you thought was wrong
For all the days I never phoned
And all the nights you sat alone
For all the words I didn’t say
For all the debts I’ll never pay
For all the times we never kissed
The empty arms, the hugs we missed
For all the times you longed for rest
Your brow upon my forearm pressed
For all the worry kept inside
For pain you tried so hard to hide
Then as you trod the final road
For all the fear you never showed
For all the suffering you’ve seen
For showing me what courage means
For all the love you let me share
For every time you showed you cared
For all the gifts you’ve given me
For all I am and strive to be
For every hour of every day
In all I think, or do, or say
For all I know, for all you’ve done
Forever more, I thank you Mom
By : Cath Turner posted : 2003-03-29 18:50:33 |
Hello Lord, It’s me. Do you remember me at all?
I’m sorry that its been so long since I last gave you a call
It was late one Christmas evening, I was only six or seven
I prayed for you to send a teddy bear to me from Heaven
I haven’t asked for anything since that Christmas eve
I thought that I was too mature, too grown up to believe
But Lord, I’ve lost the angel who overheard that prayer
She left her children far behind to live with you up there
You must be very happy with the new friend that you’ve got
But Lord, I’m feeling lonely, and I cry an awful lot.
I wonder can you spare the time to help me out somehow
I didn’t need you in the past but, Lord, I need you now
I know you’ve lots of souls to save and spirits to set free
I know there must be millions who need you more than me
But could you find a moment in your hectic life up there
And send a speedy answer to my selfish little prayer
There’s one more favour I must ask before I say goodbye
If you see my angel as you’re travelling round the sky
Please don’t mention anything about this conversation
I wouldn’t want to worry her or cause her aggravation
Don’t let her know how weak I am, or that my tears still fall
Keep our little secret………just tell her Cathy called
By : Catherine Turner posted : 2003-05-24 16:28:11 |
Everyone who lives must write
a story of their own
The book that tells about their life
belongs to them alone
Your story was a long one Mom,
it spanned the course of years
Some words you wrote with happy smiles
and some with bitter tears
Childhood's dream and loves sweet song
were tales we often heard
A lifetime of experiences
shared with every word
The story of a lovely girl
who grew to be a wife
And gave her grateful family
a full and happy life
Words of love and tenderness
that burned on every page
And now the words you wrote become
the memories you made
For now your story is complete,
the final page is turned
And from the wisdom found within
a lesson I have learned
The tired eyes, the silver hair,
each line upon your face
All have a story of their own
and each one earned its place
And those two eyes that looked
upon an ever changing world
Were still the same two eyes
that burned so bright in that young girl
Although the binding may be worn
the words are set in gold
The story of my Mother's life
The sweetest ever told
By : Catherine Turner posted : 2003-09-14 16:54:52 |
I don't believe that anyone has ever seen a ghost
Or had a conversation with the dead
But people have to put their faith in something I suppose
Oh.....that sounds like something Mother would have said
I don't believe that spirits hover round us in the sky
Watching us to see how we behave
We're born and then we grow and then we simply have to die
Brrrr....somebody just walked over my grave
I don't believe I'll ever see my Mother's lovely smile
I don't believe I'll hear her voice again
Don't talk to me about all that, just sit with me awhile
And tell me now.....Do you remember when...
By : Catherine Turner posted : 2003-09-14 17:02:37 |
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
"Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.
Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made,
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred.
By : Tennyson posted : 2003-11-16 16:08:08 |
A soul mate and always my guide
A source of inspiration and pride
A provider of my hearth and home
A guide when I’m lost or alone
A shoulder
A strong arm
A friend
One who gives love without end
Goodness I’ll always admire
A role model to which I aspire
A heart as deep as the sea
But mainly she’s a mother to me
By : Glenn Williams 1998 posted : 2003-11-30 16:24:41 |
Be their someone to depend on
Make them safe at home
Let them go when ever they need to
Let them search and roam
Love them to the nth degree
Smother them with care
Set them free to soar like angels
Who knows how they’ll fare
Love them for their faults and weakness
Praise them for their skills
You will learn from their endeavour
This is no battle of wills
Let them march to a different drummer
If that’s what they need
Let them make their own mistakes
Though your heart may bleed
Your children are a gift to you
You must give your best
Give them roots but give them wings
…..They will do the rest
By : Chris Williams posted : 2003-11-30 16:26:26 |
It made me realise how much people can change a room.
It looked the same, almost, same three chairs (filled with all the usual people), same small wooden table under the same window, same corner cabinet filled with all the same glasses, ornaments and such. It even smelt the same, Sunday lunches and in Summer, which it was, the faintest tang of fresh cut grass.
But the difference – Jesus.
I can remember just standing there in the doorway scared to go in. Scared, can you believe it? Scared of entering the room where I’d spent some of my happiest times. Scared that by stepping over the threshold whatever had been taken from the soul of this room would be stolen from me forever.
By : Glenn Williams posted : 2003-11-30 16:28:11 |
Grief is like a mountain track
Its way is dark and steep
Waiting at our journey's end
Flow healing streams of peace
Holding tight to sorrow's hand
Its stoney path we tread
Praying for a miracle
To show the way ahead
But it doesn't take a miracle
For hope to shine again
It doesn't take a miracle
For peace to banish pain
Don't look for the miraculous
On sorrow's weary climb
It doesn't take a miracle
All it takes
....................is time
By : Catherine Turner posted : 2004-01-18 17:36:22 |
How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul an reach when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace
I love thee to the level of every day's most quiet need, by sun and candlelight
I love thee freely as men strive for right
I love thee purely as they turn from praise
I love thee with the passion put to use in my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose with my lost saints
I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears of all my life, and if God choose I shall but love thee better after death
By : Elizabeth Barrett Browning posted : 2004-02-25 09:42:03 |
I'd like to pop to Dad's today
if I can spare the time
To rummage in the cupboards
for a bottle of his wine
I'd like to pop and ask him
if he could lend me a few quid
He'd moan a bit, then give it me,
just like he always did
I'd like to pop the mower down
for him to try to mend
The blasted thing wont cut at all.
It drives me round the bend
When I pop down I might just
pop upstairs and have a look
To see if I can find that
really good Dick Francis book
I'd like to ask if he can
get some envelopes and gum
and writing paper when
he gets the train again to Brum
I'd like to wave him and Mom off
to Blackpool again this year
Rain or shine, he'd have a good time,
of that you'd have no fear
I'd like to pop to Dad's today
and give him a big kiss
And talk about the times we shared
with Mom and Roy and Chris
I'd like to tell him how he's loved
and what he means to me
And how proud I've always felt
to be part of his family
Yes...I'd like to pop to Dad's today
to tell him how I care
Oh how I wish that I'd have said
these things when he was there
But its difficult sometimes
to find the words we'd like to say
I can't pop down and tell him
But I'll tell him when I pray
By : Catherine Turner posted : 2004-02-25 09:51:31 |
Of all the wonders in the world
Or in the Heavens above
The greatest wonder of them all
Must be a Mother's love
A love as strong as granite
Yet as gentle as a feather
With tender bonds of care
That bind a family together
But beauty must live out its day
And bonds of love must part
Leaving just a memory
To warm an empty heart
Her voice I'll never hear again
Her face I'll never see
Living on inside my mind
For all eternity
The greatest wonders man can build
Will all in time decay
But the wonder of a Mother's love
Can never fade away
By : Catherine Turner 2001 posted : 2004-03-18 16:28:00 |
Did you stand and watch as I lay dreaming in my bed
The way I watched my children as they slept?
Did a Daddy's hand reach out to stroke a baby's head?
Was your love the secret, ever kept?
Did you need to say the things I need to say to them?
Did you whisper those three little words?
Then linger for a moment to repeat them once again
Words the sleeping baby never heard
Surely what I see in them you must have seen in me
A world of love forever in your reach
But silence cast its shadow over eyes too young to see
And time built up a wall too strong to breach
The hugs you never gave to me, the words you didn't say
My hungry love put needlessly aside
A daughter's love you traded for the sadness felt today
In every moment that I've beed denied
How to fill the emptyness, where to lay the blame
As I reap this bitter harvest of recall
The harvest of a hidden love that never spoke its name
I hardly ever think of you at all
By : Catherine Turner 2004 posted : 2004-04-27 13:26:02 |
Proud hands that held me when I was a girl
Soft hands that rocked me each night
Strong hands that furnished my place in the world
Mother's hands, holding mine tight
Firm hands that kept away worry and fear
Wise hands that showed me the way
Caring hands wiping away every tear
Hands, never too far away
Tired hands reaching for blessed release
Weary hands nearing their time
Comforting hands filled with love's memories
Mother's hands resting in mine
Let me remember these hands that I know
Beloved of hands now at peace
Beautiful hands that I had to let go
Mother's hands resting in His
By : Catherine Turner 2004 posted : 2004-04-27 15:37:40 |
When he sang "Climb Upon My Knee"
I proudly played my part
The family favourite, just for me
Warmed my pounding heart
I was all grown up, I wasn't three
But felt a childish joy
When hearing "what you mean to me"
I wished I was that boy
Mother joined in with the song
My brother tapped his feet
As I sang joyfully along
My happiness complete
Dad's late night performances
Kept us entertained
Late at night performances
We'll never see again
Too soon the lonely angels came
To cloud my skies of blue
Now, just as in that old refrain
I am lonely too
But when I hear that melody
The memories start to flow
Of how he took me on his knee
All those years ago
One evening in a lifetime
One old familiar song
One moment that was all mine
That no-one else could own
My very special memory
That nothing can destroy
When he was my Al Jolson
And I was 'Sonny Boy'
By : Catherine Turner 2004 posted : 2004-04-27 15:42:46 |
Old familiar furniture shining like the sun
Polished well with happiness and tears
Beckoning the old familiar company to come
A constant in the ever changing years
The old familiar family, I smiled with every day
Days bedecked with songs and games and smiles
Sharing every second in the happy family way
Collecting memories with every mile
The old familiar company together once again
Changed within the flicker of an eye
Old familiar company with unfamiliar pain
Strangers in the mansion of goodbye
The old familiar furniture, jaded by our tears
Cast a bitter shadow on the day
As a strange and silent company gathered ever near
The old familiar sofa where he lay
But time moves on, and so did I
For every heart must mend
Pain must die and tears must cease to flow
The old familiar furniture is polished once again
Glowing with a life of long ago
Echoes of "The Rugged Cross" have long since left my mind
As time and distance weave their magic spell
On old familiar memories of old familiar times
And that old familiar face I loved so well
By : Catherine Turner 2004 posted : 2004-04-27 15:50:03 |
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
By : Submitted by Robert Coates posted : 2005-04-06 20:38:10 |
If I should die think only this of me
That there's some corner of a foreign field
that is for ever England
There shall be
In that rich earth a richer dust concealed
A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,
gave once her flowers to love, her ways to roam,
A body of England's, breathing English air,
washed by the rivers, blessed by the suns of home
And think, this heart, all evil shed away,
a pulse in the eternal mind, no less
gives somewhere back the thoughts of England given
Her sights and sounds. Dreams happy as her day
and laughter, learnt of friends and gentleness,
In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.
By : Rupert Brooke 1887-1915 posted : 2006-11-17 12:41:03 |
|
