Youthful Thoughts &
 Moments

Lovingly Dedicated to the

Memory of my

Sainted Mother,

               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

           WHEN HIS SHIP CAME IN

Upon a sea, a roaring vicious sea,
That splashed and crashed and 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'lete 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 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 OLD ONE IN 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

                              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

                            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

                     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....

                                       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

          TO MY FRIENDS

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 that's given 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;
               Need only ask and I'll confess.

               Of all the things that I call needs,
                  There first comes love and what it gives,
               Then mother earth and all her seeds;
                  And then my friends, in whom love lives.

                                                             June 9, 1961

     WHY AM I HERE?

I'm not here
    To read what others write,
Nor to see
    Without a 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

           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 see and love all men 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 God descend
               To lonely man, his wasteful ways,
                   Yet seek 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 your fall.

                                                                                 February 28, 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 hope 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
2/21/61        Of one true love and Life's true friends.

Later
Thoughts

                       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.

                                                To:  Jason

                   Jason's Grave

                  Herein no spirit lies,
                       Cause heaven was the aim.
                  Too young in body to die:
                       A drunken bastard's blame.

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 you eyes
   From the very depth 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.

Dancing With Sunsets