POEMS OF THE FATHER
The following poems
were written by me during my last year at Miami Senior High School and the
first year of my college days at the University of Florida in the town of
Gainesville, Florida. They became lost to me until sometime around my
forty-fifth birthday, when my sainted mother, who had saved them for me,
returned them to me in the complete rendition as I had originally written
them. It was a blessing of the greatest magnitude as you shall see when you
read them. It was as though my inner spirit had already known of this later
time in my life when now I am writing about this marvelous Age of Reality.
Who would have ever guessed that such a gift from a mother could have had
such an impact on my entire life as well as the world that I was to inherit
some forty-five years thereafter, when I had first written the very first
poem. Most all of these poems were written in just one inspired period of
time. I had recorded the date for each poem; Those dates had also survived
the time that hey were stored in my mother’s safe keeping.
MYSELF
The times have been when needs were great,
But now there's been a change of late.
Before and now my God's been first,
But now I haven't that saintly curse.
My life so far has sought ideal,
But now I've found a fertile field;
Myself
March 20, 1961
WHAT IS POETRY
Some sing the praises
of life and love.
Others write the plays
of human hope.
Some mold with clay
the forms of life.
Others use the brush
for better scope.
I use the pen....
February 21, 1960
WHY AM I HERE?
I'm not here
To read what others write,
Nor to see
Without some guiding light.
I'm not here
To reap what others sow,
Nor to see
The arts which others show
I'm not here
To learn what has been taught,
Nor to see
My life result in naught
I'm not here
To waste my life away,
Nor to see
My each and every day.
But, then why;
Why am I here at all?
May' because
I heard my Neighbors call.
March 8,
1960
MY
SAVIOR
Upon the cross they nailed Him to,
He said He died for me and you.
And though He gave His life so free,
He died because it was to be.
When I in sin and was unsaved,
And by mortal things enslaved
To all the evils of this earth,
He lifted me, and gave rebirth.
He gave me joy and hope and song,
And showed me not to ever wrong.
He shared His truth and gave me sight,
And prays with me at fall of night.
March 9,
1960
WHO AM I
Who am I,
To say what's wrong or right,
When I'm not,
Filled with perfect light?
Who am I,
To read without delight,
When nothing,
Finer do I write?
Who am I,
To stand above the rest,
When I'm naught,
Even at my very best?
Who am I,
To show the arts called mine,
When it's Love
That makes my art so fine?
Who am I,
To rise with all the rest,
When it's Love,
That calls me at my best?
Who am I?
To say the least:
A child of Love,
Not of beast!
March 10,
1960
WHEN HIS
SHIP CAME IN
(Written for a drama class –
a six-weeks “A”)
Upon a sea, a roaring vicious sea,
That splashed and crashed & tossed and tore about
A man without a saving ship nearby
To hear his battered breathless pleading cry.
What man is this upon the sea afloat?
And being brought to isle of des'let shore
By pushing pulling waves of angry sea?
What man afloat is this, which sea foam bore?
And when the waters of the sea were calm,
And stormy clouds and winds had ceased to be,
There came from sea to shore a lifeless man
That'd lain as though his soul had liberty.
Upon the sands of shore the man remained
Until the sun of day began to rise
And filled his earthly coil with warming rays;
Impressed on him to move from where he lay.
Then staggering like a newborn colt he rose
To see what he could find within his sight.
And when he found no food, no drink, nor man,
He said, "Without a doubt, I'll have no night!"
Upon this isle he stood with bravery
And said aloud, "I'll stand this feat; I'm strong!"
And though, I'm sure, he felt just what he said,
Some tone beneath his voice revealed him wrong.
In mind he stood erect and strong and brave,
And thought on things he'd done and things he bore.
He sang a sad and dreary song of hope;
Then sat with head in hands as
nev' before.
Then searching within for some mundane reason why,
This sea of life had brought him to this isle;
His mind went back and lived his life again,
And found some good, but for the most 'twas foul.
Then as this child beneath a stormy sky,
He fell to earth and then began to pray;
"Oh God!, my God, have mercy on my soul,
And show me now why I was lead this way.
And finally, towards God he turned and sought
Salvation from his sins; then peace of mind.
His heart felt light and calm was there at last;
And by that change, there's not a soul so kind.
And when at last in full serenity,
And stood prepared to meet his destiny,
He saw upon the sea a ship appear,
And thought he then it was a sight so dear.
But when his ship came sailing in towards shore,
He left with haste, without a thought in mind
Of what he'd seen or heard, or felt within,
But worst of all, his prayer remained behind.
March 11, 1960
THE
RISING
SUN
The dark is broken by the light
Of a glowing, peaceful hue.
The time is near the end of night
When all the ground is cast with dew.
Our earth awakes and birds come out
Filling the morn with a joyous sound.
The clouds are drifting all about
Like flowing bales of pure white down.
Then peaks the bursting sun of day
Giving life to everything.
It steals the jewels of night away,
But gives the day what night can't bring.
Although its beauty is ever passing,
And not one glimpse is there to stay:
It gives the man who's ever casting,
A guiding light through every day
February 17, 1961
THE OLD
ONE IN THE PARK
(Written in
Gainesville next to the park)
The life has fled the span of time called spring,
And winter's come to claim its rightful place.
The fall evolved when love was dead and gone,
And now the soul has lost its summer's pace.
She sits beneath the spreading limbs of time
Searching within to find some distant thought
That brings to mind a cheerful time passed by,
When life was young and joy was easily sought.
Her tired and wrinkled face and pale blue eyes,
Her solemn peaceful mood and gray white hair.
Her smile somehow reveals a peace of mind
As though some guardian angel was present there
The day is spent, she rises from her seat
And saunters off, slowly, agedly away.
She grew and blossomed, then bore with pain and nursed,
She loved and was loved until that autumn day.
And now she lives with in a racing age
When all is strange to aging sight
She lived a full and fruitful life each day,
Then winter came, ending that life with night.
February
18, 1961
FOR ME
AND ALL
.
When
all the gifts are passed about
From friend to friend and foe to foe,
Give me the one that's shown without
When Love within begins to flow.
When all mankind is full of fear,
And war has come to claim its dead,
Let hasty nations stand and hear
The words of Truth my Brother said.
When all the world is full of joy,
But virtue's lost without a fight,
Don't let one man be found too coy
To hold to Love and find the light.
When all one finds with men is hate,
And nothing's there but mundane things,
Don't lose your faith for thought it's late;
Try Love, and see the change it brings.
If one is found to be alone,
And nothing's seen of other men,
Be sure to make your friendship known
For lest you lose and fall in sin.
When I have felt the lost of Love,
And no one's there to give me rest,
I bow my head and look above,
And thank my God I have not less.
If all the things I have be lost,
Save God and all the Love He sends,
I'd pray that I could pay the cost
Of one true Love and life's true friends.
2/21/61
TO A FRIEND
I hope that night will fall no more,
And all will be just like before.
When life is lost, then life is found
Without the mortal being bound.
When cries of hope and cries of why
Between the birth and time to die,
Its shows the soul is reaching out
For unknown Truths and loss of doubt.
When questions' asked and answers sought
And all the mind's in justly thought,
We know the soul has found a way
To living through each searching day.
If only man would lose his hateful sight,
And see the Love that lives within;
He'd find a source of rightfulness
To hail, and Love all menkind as friend.
What man alone who's not insane
Can tell of death or primal pain?
There is no one but Him within,
And all He lends is grace from sin.
What man has strength to look within,
And see the light of Truth descend
To lonely man, his wasteful ways,
Yet seeks to give throughout his days?
Of all your pains and sorrow sounds
Emotions up, and solemn downs,
I'll take them all and bare them out,
And never turn my face about.
You have no less and maybe more,
So open up that inward door,
And let that light shine forth to all,
Before that darkness be our fall.
February 28, 1961
MOMENTS
A
moment comes, a moment goes,
It has no place and has no time,
It comes and goes like wind that blows.
It passes no time, it passes no place,
And never passes the next in line,
It's on the move as though at race.
Moments past are forever lost
While moments now are what we have,
And no future's gained at any cost.
So live and love, and do it now,
For now is all we have at hand.
The time we share will never stop,
And moments come like seeping sand.
March
3, 1961
TO MY
FRIENDS
(Written not to Friends, but a friend, Curtis Edewaard)
I
think of you and wonder why
The traits you show are dear to me.
They're things that silver cannot buy;
They're things that only friends can see.
Sometimes I wish I had them all,
But God gave me a different set.
So you and I must heed that call;
In each our way, provide respect.
The fruits I have are few and small,
But each I grew and nursed with Love.
The worst in me has never stalled,
Yet still I sense the Light above.
We each must grow our private way
And use the gifts bestowed to us.
But never let us go astray
Because of greed and ways unjust.
Of all the thoughts that I can tell,
Not one alone do I possess.
For what I have is yours as well;
The Truth alone will I confess.
Of all the things that I call needs,
There first comes Love and what it gives,
Then mother earth and all her seeds;
Then you my friends, for whom Love lives.
June 9,
1961
Sudden Death
of
Jason George Ortiz
(The
Love of my Life)
PARTING…
Standing alone, a windswept cliff,
Gazing seaward, a sky not clear,
Sensing no pain, nor inward lift,
Knowing the end is somewhere near.
Thinking of a bountiful past,
Moments filled with ecstasy,
Times I thought would always last,
Memories filled with you and me.
Died: 12/24/87
Jason’s Grave
Herein no spirit lies
Cause heaven was the aim
Too young in body to die
A drunken bastard's blame
12/30/87
A
LOVING UNION
From this day forward, and
So long as our Love survives,
I will remain by your side.
I will offer you joy and laughter
That brings tears to your eyes
From the very depths of your soul.
I will gladly keep and comfort you,
And provide for you, loving support
At the times of your greatest needs.
I will strive to grow with you,
And encourage your unspoken dreams,
And lovingly nurture the person you are.
At times I will know to remain silent,
And respect your need for aloneness
When you require that inner peace.
I will take time to pause with you
And share the fruits of our love
In our own most private Garden of Eden.
But most of all the gifts I bring
To this holy union of our souls,
I will share with you, all that I am.
April 2,
1999
Dancing
With Sunsets
When all the words were said and done,
And songs of hope no longer sung,
Spirit and soul was heaven bound,
Determined by another sound;
Gone forever, to be never found.
A half's night sleep and not one dream,
A morning's wake with no sunbeam,
Night before unfilled expectation
Of pregnant hope and fond elation,
Now, stillness lay, a fear's summation.
Wishing for those who stay behind;
That one's love be an easy find,
Each life be filled with ecstasy,
With mind and body's liberty,
Happiness found, and serenity.
There is indeed a saving light.
Be ever bound to not loose sight,
In midst of storm, depressing horror
Always treasure one's good neighbor.
For love alone provides safe harbor.
Farewell this life my soul depart,
Behind I leave a lonely heart.
Friends release and then freely lets;
The soul at peace with no regrets,
To be, forever, dancing with sunsets.
June 12,
1999
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