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Anniversary of U.S.S. Arizona
After standing on the decks of the memorial for the U.S.S. Arizona,
I wrote this poem to honor our fallen comrades on the
50th Anniversary of that day, December 7, 1991.
It is included in my book, Autumn Leaves.
We came to pay you tribute,
O’er encrusted decks we stood.
And because you are deserving,
We rendered as we could.
Oil seeps up to surface light,
Rainbowed tears of those below,
Doomed forever to silence
Those many long years ago.
“Forget me not,” you whisper.
“Perish the thought,” say I.
“Though you sleep beneath the sea,
Your memory shall not die!”
“Remember Pearl! Remember Pearl!”
Soon became our national cry.
Our country rose in anger
On a vengeance trail to fly.
We shed our tears; we shed our blood.
War took an awesome toll.
Still we fought on to victory
While you topped our “Honor Roll.”
So rest in peace, fellow comrades,
The victory has been won.
We’ll not forget the price you paid
Seven December, Nineteen Forty-One.
Note: Oil still seeps out of the hull of the U.S.S. Arizona, creating rainbows on the water above it.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Our warmest wishes for you is to have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
It is a day to watch parades on the television, probably overeat from a heavily laden table (if you are lucky), take a nap, enjoy the companionship of loved ones and friends, or perhaps even to just relax and enjoy the peace and quiet.
Whatever your day consists of, we hope that you take the time to list all of the blessings which fill your life. Some are obvious, and others are not. Some you think of frequently, while others pass you by without your noticing. Some do not get any of your attention at all until something negative impacts it. Sometimes, the negative takes it away for a long time, if not forever.
Thanksgiving has always been a day for doing exactly that: Change your focus from what you do not have and are striving for to what you already possess. It does not matter if it is a nickel when you need it, or lots of cash at the right time.
Just notice: Can you walk? Can you talk? Can you sing? Can you use your hands freely? Do you have your health? Are you working your way through a health challenge? Can you eat whatever you like? Can you see? Can you hear? What beauty surrounds you?
There are so many people who do not have those blessings for they are either unable to do them for whatever reason or their life situation prohibits/inhibits it.
Life is made up of a lot of simple things which pass us by like a ship in the night if one does not take time to focus on them. We miss many blessings just because we do not see them. Look at your surroundings to see the beauty, life, and laughter that are there – no matter how small or insignificant it may appear. Just know that what you bless increases.
Gather your loved ones and friends, be they near or far, into your heart and thoughts. Bless them one and all.
How about you? What do you choose to focus on today?
God’s blessings upon your journey!
Examples of Beauty:
Rocky Mtn Fall
Rocky Mtn Autumn Snows
Rocky Mtn Snow Storm
Bald Eagle
Deer
Vaughn Lake
Trappers Peak
Chakras
This comes from Autumn Leaves:
I am —
Pulsating,
Vibrating,
Lotus lit,
Flowing,
Calmly free,
Energy forces,
Dancing light,
Centered,
Waiting
To Be.
Jerusalem
This poem comes from Autumn Leaves:
She sits on a battle-scarred hill,
Standing quietly like a lone sentinel,
Waiting through clear, starlit nights
For history to turn yet another page.
Resting against an ancient olive tree,
From Gethsemane, I gaze across the valley.
She looks like a dull jewel
In desperate need of a good polishing.
War, tears, bloodshed and misery
Have been seen often by her.
She wears them like every day apparel.
Peace is not found within her walls.
Yet it’s written that a child was born
In a village known as Bethlehem
That’s just south of where I rest,
Just as the prophecy foretold.
Born in the bloodline of David,
Root and stem of Jesse,
Born to die, yet live again
And live forevermore. Amen!
His house was over there
Across the little valley.
All that’s left of it now
Is the Wailing Wall.
The mind boggles at the battles fought,
At the endless bloodshed,
The lives and dramas played out
And history that touches lives untold.
Here on this dry,
Barren landscape…
Where water and not gold
Molds the lives of the people.
The bride to be
Patiently awaits her groom
To dazzle the whole world
On her wedding day.
I Am
This poem comes from Autumn Leaves:
That which refreshes my soul.
That which renews my life.
That which gives life meaning.
That which gives purpose to existence.
That which gives center, balance,
Quietly directing our pathways.
That which our consciousness innately
Understands is right or wrong.
That which is beautiful from any angle,
In any light, from any distance.
That which cannot be changed, disfigured,
Or transformed into anything but beautiful.
That which is true to life forever.
That which lives in truth throughout eternity.
That which brings peaceful serenity
As it strips away falsehoods by knowledge.
That which makes the unique, alone,
Thrills us, yet challenges us onward.
That in us which cannot be denied
But accepted and exalted in reverence.
The I AM of the Universe, Father of Lights,
The Alpha and Omega, first and last,
Which lived, died, yet lives again forevermore.
That is what we recognize in ourselves! HIM!
Glorify His Name in all places, at all times
That your days may be long, your peace steady.
Praise Him in all things, for all blessings.
Place your feet upon the path and follow HIM!
Cowboy’s Prayer
This comes from Autumn Leaves:
Now I lay me down to sleep
In open spaces
Lest I weep.
Saddle for a pillow,
Chaps for a spread,
Starlit canopy overhead.
And should I die
Before dawn’s break,
Thank you, Lord, for your fair shake.
Amen
wfosterwelborn 