Big Sky Buckeye

A writer's journey continues

Where is Hope?

Posted on February 24, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

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The location of Hope County can’t be found on any maps

Perhaps hope resides in our caring hearts ready to tap

Last year’s drought

Brings misery and dried-up hope

Optimistic farmers seed spring crops with unwavering hope

A nearby processing plant

Will close soon with vanishing hope

Hurting families look to God for new hope

A nation’s inner fiber

Torn and ripped apart with faltering hope

Martin Luther King proclaims a message of rebuilding hope

A man sits despaired and forlorn

Being laid off with a future that offers spiritless hope

Receiving a new job brings praise to a God of immense hope

A crime-ridden neighborhood

Breathes each day with an absence of hope

Community spirit and love return with true hope

A charred Apollo spacecraft

Dashes an American moon journey with little hope

Neil Armstrong walks on the moon with restored hope

A scorned and forgotten child

Feels left out at school with fading hope

A passionate teacher smiles and brings refreshing hope

A middle-aged woman

Receives news that her body is filled with cancer and no hope

Prayers intercede filled with cancer-free and grace-filled hope

A sin-filled world

Awaits a Savior with never-ending hope

God sends His Son to deliver eternally-filled hope

Our world contains many places

Where hearts are filled with everlasting spirit and hope

Let’s never turn-off for a second our amazing hope

The Bible speaks a great deal about hope. Search for numerous examples such as from Romans 15:13: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

George Bernard Shaw Quote

Posted on February 22, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

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Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

Sweetest Love

Posted on February 13, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

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Love springs eternal in many, beautiful forms

Helping to ease some of life’s angry storms

A mother focuses on her handsome new boy

Rocking him fast to sleep, she’s filled with joy

A teacher reaches out to his unsettled class today

Filling the room with learning, discovering a way

A nervous man asks a pretty woman for a date

Dreaming, could marriage be their future fate?

A son calls upon his ailing mother quite often

Bringing love that helps her illness to soften

A mature couple capturing romance from afar

Tying ribbons of love, reaching heaven’s stars

A young girl eagerly waits by the window all day

Jumping into her father’s lap with much to say

A caring wife prepares a meal by candlelight

Inspiring a time of love with her man tonight

A family cherishes togetherness for all

Adding gentle love that will never fall

A romantic husband brings flowers to his bride

Adding fragrance and beauty, their love amplified

A young couple ties marriage’s knot with “We do”

Cherishing their love, feeling deeply rich and true

God sends His Son, offering His greatest gift

Washing away our sins, lives no longer adrift

The First Tree Is Mine

Posted on February 12, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

Photo by Craig Adderley on Pexels.com

Farmer Fred lives near an insignificant, small town

His atrocious driving skills are very well renowned

He pops into town usually once a week

Leaving his farmhouse to take a peek

After a day filled with nothing and too much fizzle

Fred stops over at a local tavern to wet his whistle

He orders a cheeseburger and a sweet sarsaparilla

When a wayward woman spots this handsome fella

Marge is a forgotten classmate from their high school

She navigates quite well when playing a game of pool

She stumbles over and sits down—a bit wobbly

Ordering another drink seems to be her hobby

Fred informs Marge that his driving is now restricted

He has been crashing too much and been ticketed

Marge asks, “How do you then drive that old Ford truck?”

Fred replies, “I just need a navigator to bring me luck”

He asks her, “Interested in helping me one final time?”

“Sure my dear friend! But . . . the first tree is mine!”

Perfect Seat

Posted on February 7, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

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Circus shows once filled with excitement to delight

Few spectators now attend circus magic each night

Generation ago, numerous children experienced it all

Now mighty Big Tops have vanished with a huge fall

Sitting in the crowd with a perfect seat

Thrilled to adore another tasty treat

The ringmaster keeps the thrilling show moving along

Audiences soon realize that each act lasts only so long

Three rings keep crowd’s enthusiasm mounting with ease

Here come zany clowns, filled with foolishness to please

Dazzling jugglers and daring acrobats delight

Children dream of being in the circus spotlight

Sitting in the crowd with a perfect seat

Eagerly watching performances so sweet

Lions, tigers, and bears—Oh, what a sight to behold

Bravery shown by animal tamers, awesome and bold

Always pleasing are gigantic elephants from afar

Their majestic presence makes them the stars

Evening’s ultimate act flies high above three circus rings

Trapeze artists dangle with suspense from their swings

Sitting in the crowd with a perfect seat

Looking forward to each astonishing feat

Fewer circus companies still travel the globe

The “Greatest Show on Earth” needed to fold

Audiences once filled the Big Top’s nightly crusade

Now dying out, precious memories stumble and fade

New generation of young children shall never wonder

How circus night brought applause as loud as thunder

Sitting in the crowd with a perfect seat

Recalling circus images that will repeat

The “Greatest Show on Earth” shut down its operations in 2017 due to declining attendance and revenue shortfalls. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus was, without a doubt, the greatest circus show of them all. As a footnote, John Ringling, one of the circus-owning brothers, arrived in a small town in central Montana in the early 1900s. He planned to invest in cattle ranching and a local railroad. The tiny, quiet hamlet of Ringling is still on the map today along U.S. Highway 89, but you would never know that it can trace some of its history back to the “Greatest Show on Earth.”

Wintertime Blues

Posted on February 4, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

woman with blue eyes wrapped in a pink cloth

Photo by Jenna Hamra on Pexels.com

Winter arrives on schedule every year

Bringing too much snow and cold I fear

An ice storm starts off the winter season

Staying off of the roads for good reason

Later snowfall begins to pile up outside my door

Growing deeper and deeper, please no more!

Now a polar vortex is hammering my home

Blowing Arctic air all the way to my bones

For some, they say winter is truly a paradise

Thinking to myself, winter surely ain’t nice

I bundle up in many snug and warm layers

Trying to move outside without any cares

The snow has buried the sidewalk and my car

Shoveling cannot be healthy when it’s this far

I retreat back inside to be near a toasty fire

Deciding to remain in bed until winter retires

Like a bear, I stay warm while we both hibernate

Waiting for spring’s early arrival will be our fate

Walking the Trail

Posted on January 31, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

2019 May 24 Walnut Woods and Chestnut Ridge 038.JPG

Walking along an unknown, isolated trail

Hoping that this journey goes without fail

Watching skyward for some warm fun

Hiding behind clouds, escapes the sun

Hurrying along the narrow path against the windy cold

Seeking to not find too much adventure—yet be bold!

Traveling quickly, the brisk pace advances along

Thinking this morning hike, nothing can go wrong

Turning a corner, approaching a different place

Seeing a fork coming up and slowing the pace

Searching the mysterious routes of twin solitary trails

Feeling confidence slipping, suspense tips the scales

Deciding to journey down the unfamiliar path on the right

Adjusting the trip’s rhythm, accepting challenges in sight

Moving along another route, sometimes part of life

Aligning conflicting thoughts, without further strife

Finishing this satisfying walk, never feeling ready to fail

Realizing life’s unique treks, resemble being on this trail

Season’s Final Match

Posted on January 31, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

An early morning wind blows glacial-like air on this day

One final match these soccer boys have come to play

An adamant, northwest onslaught delivers an icy, Arctic blast

Will the team harness enough stamina and energy to last?

Players dressed warmly in layers, gloves, and stocking hats

In their final match, they look ready to conquer this and that

Looking more like Eskimos, parents and families huddle near

Hoping to see the resilient boys score goals without any fear

The spectators cheer the boys to play hard and to be bold

But they agonize and confirm—“Oh my, it’s way too cold!”

Sheltered beneath layers of blankets, the crowd surveys the field

The opposing team advances the ball, but the boys form a shield

No goals will be scored against them on this day

The boys’ defense hustles and continues to play

Halftime arrives with the team playing tough

Will the season end well in weather so rough?

The second half continues under adverse conditions

The team finishes with a season filled with tradition

While the rest of the players hustle to stay warm

The talented goalie stands all alone as ice forms

A woman’s hot coffee has transformed into cold slush

She clasps tightly to a heavy blanket, deep and plush

The match marches to its finish with winter as its final foe

Frozen spectators ask, “How many minutes are left to go?”

Icy faces, shivering bodies, and numb fingers

Plus ice blocks for feet—all continue to linger

Spirited boys ignore cold and continue to play

Their five goals will deliver last and final say

At match’s end, players and families hurry to their warm cars

All wondering how they survived the cold and made it this far

For two grandparents who were amazingly fearless and bold

Tomorrow morning, will be glad there is no soccer in the cold

This season-ending soccer match was played in November, 2018, by one of my grandsons. The wind chill temperature was 10 degrees Fahrenheit. He and his teammates completed a remarkable season with an unblemished record.

Morning Rain

Posted on January 31, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

Photo by veeterzy on Pexels.com

Raining heavily, this quiet Monday begins abnormally slow

Foregoing my usual morning walk, creating a tranquil flow

Drinking the day’s first cup of coffee, feeling absolutely fine

Enjoying the calmness and gray skies, for yet another time

Reading from the Bible, reflecting on God-inspired devotions

Feeling relaxed and silently focused, without much emotion

Listening to favorite old songs, tuning up a heartfelt smile

Realizing that my bike waits again, for some indoor miles

Praying to the Lord that my family enjoys a great day

Knowing that He will bring them peace along the way

Editing some poetry lines, now looking nearly ready to post

Searching for another thought, crafting words which boast

Appreciating another morning, more than ever before

Absorbing it into my soul, feeling delightfully restored

Looking forward to tomorrow morning, whatever it brings

Facing a day flowing with rain, lifting up this heart to sing

Morning Ramblings

Posted on January 31, 2019 by bigskybuckeye

walnutwoodssunrise

Waiting patiently for the morning hours to pass by

Wearing pajamas and slippers—let the time fly!

Drinking another cup of coffee to warm the heart

Hoping those dreadful ailments won’t begin to start

Taking so many pills has become a daily chore

Looking ahead to a future and say—“No more!”

Hearing activity outside pulls one’s attention away

Seeing a few of the neighbors who are busy at play

Sitting lazily around with not very much to do

Dreaming of a future day with an exciting view

Viewing a whole hour of “The Price is Right”

Realizing that some people watch TV ‘til night

Watching out the kitchen window offers very little hope

Feeling pulled back to bed along a taut and stretched rope

Striking Noon, the clock says that another morning is finally done

Hoping to return to sleep, and wake-up again to the daybreak sun

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