Waking up early
Thick darkness greets thee
Quiet time invites
Tranquility’s seas
Hearing rain’s cascade
Rhythm bringing ease
Daylight holding back
Morning’s bliss shall please
Steaming toward light
Music in background
Thoughts wander, carefree
Life’s train now homebound
Arriving on time
Memories retrieved
Harvest of warm hearts
Life’s journey achieved
From 1 Peter 1:3-4: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”
Evil’s darkness surrounds
Encroaching with its sin
Life looks to turn around
Wolf hiding in sheepskin
Fraud’s light leads some astray
Moving away from God
Grace opens its doorway
Christ shatters hell’s facade
Resurrection’s new hope
Building faith’s foundation
Salvation, Christ’s tow rope
Father’s promised station
Word speaks of Lord’s power
Calling all to stand firm
Each and every hour
Holy Spirit confirms
Faith anchored in His care
Wearing God’s armored vest
All times, kneeling in prayer
Mercy braves each test
From Ephesians 6:13: “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on the evil day and, having prevailed against everything, to stand firm.”
Morning until night
Solitary cook at truck stop—
Tethered to hot stove
Homework’s challenges
Questions plead for extra help—
Asking Alexa
Playing together
Adults paying attention—
Young children teaching
The calendar affirms that spring has arrived
Why then did the weather take a snowy dive?
Heavy, wet snow arrives overnight
Is this some terrible joke, not right?
Instead of spring, we now experience deep snow
Where is the snow shovel when we need it now?
Well . . . Have no concern at all, for you see
A poet can write about most anything to be
Thankfully, there is really no snow to spoil spring
When will warmth replace winter’s frosty sting?
Even the songbirds remain quite bunched up for now
On powerlines high above, they sing and take a bow
Again, the calendar sets the date of a new season
Why should we believe the date for any reason?
This past winter has indeed soured our attitude
When will Mother Nature give us some latitude?
From Psalm 85:10-11: “Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.”
Love joins together
Blessed from God above
Faithful life journey
Sharing precious love
Love binds forever
Stirred from God above
Grace’s living bread
Feeding sincere love
Love resolves trials
Strength from God above
Hope flows eternal
Walking in His love
Love’s cherished partner
Blooms from God above
Daily life smiles back
Breathing trust in love
Love climbs each mountain
Backed by God above
Humble hands touching
Bonding in His love
Country music entertainer Marty Robbins (1925-1982) was a gifted vocalist and songwriter. In 1970 he wrote and recorded “My Woman, My Woman, My Wife.” His efforts were awarded with a Grammy for Best Country Music Song. This song served as some of the inspiration behind this poem.
Generations marching
Clock’s hands never stand still
Time’s traveler journeys
Years navigate downhill
History’s recorder
Passport to each event
Time’s traveler writing
Every book’s contents
Stories fill with people
Exploits reign paramount
Time’s traveler sees all
His recollections count
Worldly landmarks indexed
Mile after mile recalls
Time’s traveler postcards
Destination now calls
Energy never sleeps
Chronicles each step
Time’s traveler breathing
At library’s doorstep
Embracing
His lead
Overcoming our resistance
Changed by God’s persistence
Prayer
Envisioning
Sharing hope
Acts of generosity
God’s works best revealed
Grace
Rain’s
Early morning
Rinsing our souls
God calling us home
Forgiveness
This series of poems (written in the German-inspired style of Elfchen or Elevenie) shares a total of eleven words in each poem, with a sequence by line of one, two, three, four, and one words.
Retreating from urban scene
Tasting sweetest land of peace
Montana’s scenic prairie
Rejuvenating new lease
Returning home at long last
Embracing much simpler ways
Montana’s dry farming life
Waking to morning’s fresh praise
Laboring in nature’s soil
Farming begins at sunrise
Montana’s fields now planted
Waiting for harvest’s lush prize
Walking in tall grass so green
Unearthing life’s inner core
Montana’s rural anthem
Fielding life’s daily chores
From Romans 5:1-2: “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.”
From ancient garden, crying out
Man’s sinful seeds scatter and sprout
Father’s wrath consumes with His fire
Suffering journey to hellfire
Spiritually dead from God
Lives walk in darkness, always flawed
Holy tablets proclaim God’s law
Sin’s frozen nature never thaws
Judgement follows life’s trespasses
Sticking like thickest molasses
Lord’s saving grace seeks better way
Messiah opens new causeway
Jesus steps into this abyss
Unselfish love shall never miss
Hopeless man’s eyes can’t turn away
Drawn to grim, cruel cross, Christ pays
Jesus offers Himself instead
Faith follows this new Living Bread
Father’s amazing grace enters
Salvation breathes life’s new center
From Romans 5:18-19: “Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”
Overcast morning
Gray covers forgotten sun—
Missing in action
Crystal clear waters
Canoe glides with rhythmic pace—
Perfect melody
Galactic journey
Cosmic adventure comes true—
Man’s final frontier
Big Sky Buckeye 