New Year’s Reflections

Looking back on the months gone by

 As a new year starts and an old one ends,
 We contemplate what brought us joy,
 And we think of our loved ones and our friends.

Recalling all the happy times,
 Remembering how they enriched our lives,
 We reflect upon who really counts,
 As the fresh and bright new year arrives.

And when I ponder those who do,
 I immediately think of you.

Thanks for being one of the reasons
 We'll have a Happy New Year!

Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein

kabhi kabhi mere dil main khayal aata hain
Ki zindagi teri zulfon ki narm chhaon main guzarne pati
to shadab ho bhi sakti thi.
Yeh ranj-o-gham ki siyahi jo dil pe chhayi hain
Teri nazar ki shuaon main kho bhi sakti thi.
Magar yeh ho na saka aur ab ye aalam hain
Ki tu nahin, tera gham teri justjoo bhi nahin.
Guzar rahi hain kuchh iss tarah zindagi jaise,
isse kisi ke sahare ki aarzoo bhi nahin.
Na koi raah, na manzil, na roshni ka suraag
Bhatak rahin hai andheron main zindagi meri.
Inhi andheron main reh jaoonga kabhi kho kar
Main janta hoon meri hum-nafas, magar yoonhi
Kabhi kabhi mere dil main khayal aata hai.

Could Be Love

It’s a scary feeling
To need you the way I do
Without ever touching you

Without really knowing you
Though in so many ways
I feel that I do

I feel that maybe
You’re that special someone,
That I’ve always needed

In a short period of time
You’ve changed the way I look at life
You give me hope, you give me reason

I would like to believe
There is a future for us
A time and a place
Somewhere down the line
To put to rest the uncertainty
And to find out
If this could be love

Where Peaceful Waters Flow

The clouds break forth the streams of light
To dance upon the earth,
And cradled in the sands of time,
Comes a newborn babies'' birth.
A gentle breeze blows through the night,
It whispers through the grass,
And ripples on the water form
As rain glistens on the glass.

And you listen to the sound,
The Lords' presence all around.
He summons us to go
Where peaceful waters flow.

A rainbow arcs across the sky,
A promise is displayed.
The graceful flight of a butterfly,
It takes my breath away.
The autumn leaves in their splendor
Fall gracefully to the earth,
And stars proclaim their song at night,
What is their beauty worth?

And you listen to the sound,
The Lords' presence all around.
He summons us to go
Where peaceful waters flow.

The Three Kings

Three Kings came riding from far away,

Melchior and Gaspar and Baltasar;

Three Wise Men out of the East were they,

And they travelled by night and they slept by day,

For their guide was a beautiful, wonderful star.

The star was so beautiful, large and clear,

That all the other stars of the sky

Became a white mist in the atmosphere,

And by this they knew that the coming was near

Of the Prince foretold in the prophecy.

Three caskets they bore on their saddle-bows,

Three caskets of gold with golden keys;

Their robes were of crimson silk with rows

Of bells and pomegranates and furbelows,

Their turbans like blossoming almond-trees.

And so the Three Kings rode into the West,

Through the dusk of the night, over hill and dell,

And sometimes they nodded with beard on breast,

And sometimes talked, as they paused to rest,

With the people they met at some wayside well.

“Of the child that is born,” said Baltasar,

“Good people, I pray you, tell us the news;

For we in the East have seen his star,

And have ridden fast, and have ridden far,

To find and worship the King of the Jews.”

And the people answered, “You ask in vain;

We know of no King but Herod the Great!”

They thought the Wise Men were men insane,

As they spurred their horses across the plain,

Like riders in haste, who cannot wait.

And when they came to Jerusalem,

Herod the Great, who had heard this thing,

Sent for the Wise Men and questioned them;

And said, “Go down unto Bethlehem,

And bring me tidings of this new king.”

So they rode away; and the star stood still,

The only one in the grey of morn;

Yes, it stopped—it stood still of its own free will,

Right over Bethlehem on the hill,

The city of David, where Christ was born.

And the Three Kings rode through the gate and the guard,

Through the silent street, till their horses turned

And neighed as they entered the great inn-yard;

But the windows were closed, and the doors were barred,

And only a light in the stable burned.

And cradled there in the scented hay,

In the air made sweet by the breath of kine,

The little child in the manger lay,

The child, that would be king one day

Of a kingdom not human, but divine.

His mother Mary of Nazareth

Sat watching beside his place of rest,

Watching the even flow of his breath,

For the joy of life and the terror of death

Were mingled together in her breast.

They laid their offerings at his feet:

The gold was their tribute to a King,

The frankincense, with its odor sweet,

Was for the Priest, the Paraclete,

The myrrh for the body’s burying.

And the mother wondered and bowed her head,

And sat as still as a statue of stone,

Her heart was troubled yet comforted,

Remembering what the Angel had said

Of an endless reign and of David’s throne.

Then the Kings rode out of the city gate,

With a clatter of hoofs in proud array;

But they went not back to Herod the Great,

For they knew his malice and feared his hate,

And returned to their homes by another way.

Christmas Carol

The kings they came from out the south,

   All dressed in ermine fine;

They bore Him gold and chrysoprase,

   And gifts of precious wine.

The shepherds came from out the north,

   Their coats were brown and old;

They brought Him little new-born lambs—

   They had not any gold.

The wise men came from out the east,

   And they were wrapped in white;

The star that led them all the way

   Did glorify the night.

The angels came from heaven high,

   And they were clad with wings;

And lo, they brought a joyful song

   The host of heaven sings.

The kings they knocked upon the door,

   The wise men entered in,

The shepherds followed after them

   To hear the song begin.

The angels sang through all the night

   Until the rising sun,

But little Jesus fell asleep

   Before the song was done.

True Love

When I first met you
I felt something was different
I knew you felt it too
But I didn?t know how to handle it
It was something my heart, never knew
So I couldn?t accept it

As time went by
I went along with it, but at the same time
I felt like I could fly
It was such a mystery to me
But I didn?t care
I knew eventually that I would see

Now for the first time ever
You had opened my heart
Something no one else could do, and I mean never
It was such a wonderful start
To a path I never wanted to part
Wow, I thought, I want this forever

We were two wholes combined
The last link in a chained circle
To a complete happiness together
It seemed as though our souls had rhymed
It was simply the best
I couldn?t have imagined anything better

Although there were times when we would fight
It would always work out for the better
Because we were just so tight
Nothing could stop us, not distance or time
It was as though we were invincible
And I wanted your heart to always be mine

Our love was too true for each other
Even if we would split up
The love would always remain forever
I know they say what?s meant to be, will be
But in my heart, I know you are the only one for me
You are my soul mate, my friend, and my lover

I love you, and I always will.

The Silken Tent

She is as in a field a silken tent
At midday when the sunny summer breeze
Has dried the dew and all its ropes relent,
So that in guys it gently sways at ease,
And its supporting central cedar pole,
That is its pinnacle to heavenward
And signifies the sureness of the soul,
Seems to owe naught to any single cord,
But strictly held by none, is loosely bound
By countless silken ties of love and thought
To everything on earth the compass round,
And only by one's going slightly taut
In the capriciousness of summer air
Is of the slightest bondage made aware.

Loving You So Much

The moment I think about you
I go to another world
A world where you love me too
And where I can never be hurt

The truth is I don't know what to say
My mind goes completely blank
I have never in my life lost my way
But my heart with your love simply sank

If letting go was a choice
Then I definitely would
But I can't control the strong voice
That's telling me I never should

I have no clue
On how I should let you go
What is it that you do?
That's making me love you so...

Maybe loving you isn't a mistake
Maybe I can close my eyes and smile
Maybe in your presence my heart wouldn't break
Maybe I can just dream for a while...

I sometimes wonder if you feel the same
I wonder if you think of me
I sometimes wonder if you silently call my name
I wonder if you'll ever see...

In the beginning I thought it was fake
I didn't think I'd go this far
I thought it was just a mistake
Now I can't stop wondering where you are

The question is do you care?
Do you even know?
Will you always be there?
Will you ever let me go?

If for any reason I cried
Would you take all the pain away?
If for any reason you lied
Would I still want you to stay?

My love for you is way too strong
For me to simply forget
Some people might think it's wrong
But your love is the one thing I shan't regret.

When Love Begins

I always knew that love would come find me someday
but never did I know that it would be you who was headed my way
you caught me off guard and took me by surprise
but you simply captivated me, the same way you do when I look into your eyes

It's true that every good and perfect gift is from above
you were presented to me as a beautifully packaged gift full of humor, talent, intelligence, beauty and love
"it isn't finding the perfect person but learning to see an imperfect person perfectly"
we all have our flaws but when I view you through my eyes, perfection is all I see

From when you laugh to when you're upset, I still love the little things you do
especially hearing you laugh and seeing your nose wrinkle the same way mine does too
coming into this relationship has been hard at times but we've made it through
I know as long as we're on this journey together, there's nothing that we can't do.

Sometimes I wonder if what we have is too good to be true
too scared to get my heart broken and scared of the thought of losing you
but in the end, I trust in the author and perfecter of what I believe
because what we ask for in Him, we in return shall receive

"Where your treasure is, your heart will be also" is how the saying goes
I may not know what tomorrow may bring, for God is the only one who knows
the one thing I do know is that you are my one and only
a treasure in my heart that I want to devote my whole life to completely

I know I don't need to prove my feelings to know they're true
because what I've known in my past, doesn't come close to the experience I've shared with you
I've had the experience of being in relationships before
however, this is the first time I've been truly happy... I couldn't ask for anything more
it's an honor to know that I am yours, as you are mine
and I trust God that He'll bring us together in His beautiful time

For now, I'll be waiting patiently for that day when we'll be together
that precious moment in time when I'll say, "it's you that I want to be with forever"
God made everything beautiful, precious and new
just as beautiful and precious as the day will be, when I look into your eyes and say, "I Love You"

Christmas Trees

The city had withdrawn into itself
And left at last the country to the country;
When between whirls of snow not come to lie
And whirls of foliage not yet laid, there drove
A stranger to our yard, who looked the city,
Yet did in country fashion in that there
He sat and waited till he drew us out
A-buttoning coats to ask him who he was.
He proved to be the city come again
To look for something it had left behind
And could not do without and keep its Christmas.
He asked if I would sell my Christmas trees;
My woods—the young fir balsams like a place
Where houses all are churches and have spires.
I hadn’t thought of them as Christmas Trees.
I doubt if I was tempted for a moment
To sell them off their feet to go in cars
And leave the slope behind the house all bare,
Where the sun shines now no warmer than the moon.
I’d hate to have them know it if I was.
Yet more I’d hate to hold my trees except
As others hold theirs or refuse for them,
Beyond the time of profitable growth,
The trial by market everything must come to.
I dallied so much with the thought of selling.
Then whether from mistaken courtesy
And fear of seeming short of speech, or whether
From hope of hearing good of what was mine,
I said, “There aren’t enough to be worth while.”
“I could soon tell how many they would cut,
You let me look them over.”

“You could look.
But don’t expect I’m going to let you have them.”
Pasture they spring in, some in clumps too close
That lop each other of boughs, but not a few
Quite solitary and having equal boughs
All round and round. The latter he nodded “Yes” to,
Or paused to say beneath some lovelier one,
With a buyer’s moderation, “That would do.”
I thought so too, but wasn’t there to say so.
We climbed the pasture on the south, crossed over,
And came down on the north.
He said, “A thousand.”

“A thousand Christmas trees!—at what apiece?”

He felt some need of softening that to me:
“A thousand trees would come to thirty dollars.”

Then I was certain I had never meant
To let him have them. Never show surprise!
But thirty dollars seemed so small beside
The extent of pasture I should strip, three cents
(For that was all they figured out apiece),
Three cents so small beside the dollar friends
I should be writing to within the hour
Would pay in cities for good trees like those,
Regular vestry-trees whole Sunday Schools
Could hang enough on to pick off enough.
A thousand Christmas trees I didn’t know I had!
Worth three cents more to give away than sell,
As may be shown by a simple calculation.
Too bad I couldn’t lay one in a letter.
I can’t help wishing I could send you one,
In wishing you herewith a Merry Christmas. 

I Love A Lonely Winding Road

I love a lonely winding road
That takes me where I cannot see
Until each softly rounded hill
Reveals its landscaped mystery.
Where nature's stage creates the plot,
What ever the scene may be.

I love the crocus call in spring,
The first to wake from winter's sleep.
Translucent bits of ivory joy,
So patient under snow banks deep,
'Til they can lift each star like face
And proudly nature's rhythm keep.

I love the fiery autumn hues,
Too harsh to bear in gentle spring
But welcomed by the strident wind
That makes the mighty pine tree sing,
Freeing the crimson leaves that dance
Like bright birds, high on wing.

I love the wonders of this world,
The secrets nature guards so well
From those who have no time to spend,
Who will not lift the ocean's shell
And listen to the murmured tale
That each one has to tell.

To Autumn

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

Where are the songs of spring? Ay, Where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

 

Magical Sunset

As the day ends to rest
The sunset does its best
Setting on fire the lively waves
Colouring orange the nature he saves
its pure ancient glorious perfection.

The great ocean will receive
The burning sun who's going to leave.
Slowly comes the night
Devouring that magic light:
we are still suspended in a great delight.

A Day At Sea

As the ocean waves at me,
And the sand greets the sea,
The fish swim free,
And shells wash up by me.

The sand squishes suddenly,
Between my shoeless toes.
Then the tide flows over them,
And back down it goes.

The salt is on my tongue,
The sea's song is sung,
The sun is going down,
And so my day at sea is done.

Look Outside

Look Outside, see the trees
Watch the flowers in the breeze
Things won't be like this in a year or two
If polluting is all we do
Seize the night
Seize the day
Things won't always be this way
Thousands of people are dying
In the night you hear children crying
Let's stop the war
Our people are sore
The world can't help itself
Who cares about your wealth
Help me to help you
Show the world what you can do.

The Whispering Winds

Like the wind whispering through the trees
Your spirit lifts me
Teaching me valuable lessons.
I wait patiently to grow in the light of your eyes
Seeking approval, knowing
There's comfort in your silent embrace,
And I listen carefully to what it offers.
I feel the joy in your laughter and trusting eyes
And learn to give of myself, for no judgment is passed.
When sadness fills my heart with disappointment
And I need protection from the storm,
It is only then I realize the depth of friendship
Sewn together with unbreakable thread.
I understand that the fabric only gets better with age,
That it should be handled with care
And sometimes it has to rain.
I have discovered my own beauty
By lessons learned while discovering yours.
Like a beautiful sky after the storm
Your courage to break free of the clouds
Still amazes me.
I close my eyes to feel the warmth of the sun
Such a precious gift you've given
Appreciating the gentleness and I sigh with thankfulness
Recognizing my fortune.
A sisterly bond that knows only
Love that is unconditional.
Nurturing with grace and acceptance
How lucky
To share a piece of my life with a soul that so perfectly fits mine.
A puzzle with missing pieces
Now complete
How sad for those who are still searching.
My blessings are abundant
And I thank God for the whispering winds,
For they remind me everyday
To celebrate the gift of our friendship and to hold it close,
To never let it go.

Friends For Life

We are friends
I got your back
You got mine,
I'll help you out
Anytime!
To see you hurt
To see you cry
Makes me weep
And wanna die
And if you agree
To never fight
It wouldn't matter
Who's wrong or right
If a broken heart
Needs a mend
I'll be right there
Till the end
If your cheeks are wet
From drops of tears
Don't worry
Let go of your fears
Hand in hand
Love is sent,
We'll be friends
Till the end!!!!

For Ruth Stone

Sometimes you say bad things about people
claiming it can't be helped

you crawl farther into the darkness
just to see what it feels like

but today you count the late frozen stars
and Jupiter drifting into the dawn

because Ruth the poet has passed away
who listened to the muse alone:

the mailman and the trash truck driver,
the women who work in Lost and Found,

their faded hair wispy as cotton gauze
in the discount store downtown.

They are folding a dark wool sweater
that smells of camphor and lighter fluid,

in one pocket a train ticket
from Roanoke to Syracuse.

The creaky hinge on the Ladies Room door
is silent now in the vacant station,

only a traveling woman asleep,
her suitcase tied with ribbons and twine

and snowflakes dusting the platform,
their stellar dendrites and crystal rosettes

flickering like signals from outer space
planetary and blind.

Christmas

After all pleasures as I rid one day,
My horse and I, both tired, body and mind,
With full cry of affections, quite astray;
I took up the next inn I could find.
There when I came, whom found I but my dear,My dearest Lord, expecting till the grief
Of pleasures brought me to Him, ready there
To be all passengers' most sweet relief?
Oh Thou, whose glorious, yet contracted light,Wrapt in night's mantle, stole into a manger;
Since my dark soul and brutish is Thy right,
To man of all beasts be not Thou a stranger:
Furnish and deck my soul, that Thou mayst haveA better lodging, than a rack, or grave.