The funny thought, I push it back, but from it cannot flee.
How strange that for forthcoming death I feel a sense of glee.
For what awaits if in this life a righteous course do take?
What hope do find in our friend death, the fiend, who our hearts break?

Open your eyes and enter in my addle-pated mind,
That you may see as I do see. Mark well what there you find.
Some see a dark, unfathomed hole, like those that feed on high.
Or Nothing's void which swallows light, to shroud once starry skies.

Yet I look to a parent's love, a Father's warm embrace.
Rekindled view of all I'd known when I dwelt near His face.
And with that view I'll recollect as heavy veil draws back
The wondrous glories, mysteries, which mortality had lacked.

And e'en if loved ones pass before I'm able to follow hence
How glorious the lofty thought of what's beyond that fence.
Does not the mind, excited stir, and anxiously alight,
And cause our very souls to shake, anticipating night?

Does not the thought of what we'll see and who will greet us home
spark within eternal fire, beyond breadth of this poem?
And so I say in these few lines and through this heavenward gaze
that such a thing, God's own awaits, that no despair can haze.

Yet this grave caution every soul, bears within their core
That if unrighteous at His bar, closed we'll find His door.
And we'll remember all we'd known and then see dirty hands
and shrink before His piercing gaze at the mercy of justice's demands.

I hope that while through my weak gaze
you shared in what I see
that you through our short venture here,
will now share in that joy with me. 

 

And by such gauge wherein you stand

And that if such joy fades,

surely you have left the path

to tread upon slippery grades.

 

Excitement to see our Father’s face

Is something the righteous never trades.

 

To Battle-10/2/07

 

Let rage the fires of hell without!

Untouched, unscathed stand I amidst.

Bathed in holy, heaven’s light,

Shielded, armed, and poised to fight.

The God of heaven at my side.

His Spirit deep within my heart.

 

So let demonic tempests rage.

Firm, undaunted, I will stand.

Let them shake the very earth,

For rock yields not before the damned.

 

When souls arise like them of old,

The Son of God and of his like.

Let them scream and sally forth.

There is yet shaking to be had.

 

Together hell’s foundations quake,

When these stand firm before its gates.

Together angels, saints, and I

Raise this banner to the world

To lift man’s eyes up to the sky.

 

E’en so our battle rages on,

Twixt hell and heaven which for us vie.

Heaven weeps o’er those souls lost.

Satan laughs in darkest night.

 

Awake! Arise! Droop not in sin!

Yield not to tempter’s deadly snares!

Smite foul dragon with the right!

Saints of God, this duty bear.

 

He who groaned beneath our load,

That Lord of Hosts stands at our head.

For virtue in a dark’ning world.

He bids us stand, and bids us fight.

 

The Eye of the Beholder

1/27/07

From heaven downward drifting, a single snowflake falls, Spiraling, rebounding, tickled in wind’s thrall.

So beautiful the snowflake, in crystal’s perfect form As if the God of heaven, had plucked it from the storm.

 

Precious the little dewdrop, in morning’s freshest hour, Which with the sun’s new rising truly seems a heavenly dower.

Like tiny beads from heaven, sent to mother earth below, Her tears of joy for passing into radiant light’s new glow.

 

But what behold in snowflake,

or in the gathering dew?

So small and yet to scrutinous eyes

So swift this problem grew?

Evident to captious eyes

within these gems is seen,

Bacteria, filth, dirt & grime,

 Minute, but still unclean.

 

So how prized is wife or husband? How precious in our sight?

As beautiful and wondrous as icy crystals in flight?

Dew from heaven gleams adorning this immortal sphere.

Are loving words or sweet embraces likewise held so dear?

 

If beauty in brief glimpse of life, sweet providence bestows, And true companion find, then please, yield not to harsh censure’s throws.

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The Pansy

 

A pansy pushing hard through frozen ground, like heart’s ascension up into the light, survives the wintry darkness for sun’s crown, to rest upon its petal’d form so slight.

 

But icy storms, hell’s hammers, beat her still; Colors change in twilight’s viral spread, and wilting pansy shudders struck with chill; Low’ring frame sleeps, ailing, upon shrouded bed.

 

Shine sunlight! Light such fires in this cold, as pansies need to lift their frozen crests!

Anointed,

          bring this heart into thy fold, That no storm, nor even demon, may distress.

 

Whilst fierce flurry and the gales rage all about, Being crown’d in the Son’s light, a pansy sprouts.

 

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Greater Heights and Simple Truths

- 2 Nephi 24:14-15   12/07/2006

 

Gazing up at new day’s dawn, the heavens seem so grand Your thoughts ascending up and up, above this mundane land.

 

With each new thought, elation spreads, an exhilarated climb, Which quickly now above the clouds, is filling up your mind.

 

You’ve never thought, nor understood, such heights as now you dare, With wings now swift upon the wind you soar without a care.

 

How high you fly, and yet above, there always seems much more.

Push upward, onward, reaching out toward that starry shore.

 

The light is great; your heart so full, yet head begins to spin, You gasp for breath to no avail; the air is much too thin.

 

While vision fades in darkening mind, the exhilaration’s gone.

Your lungs now burning long for breath, and yearn to see that dawn.

 

*

 

The time advances ever on, t’ward lofty heights above, But a mortal’s view of things divine, alone is not enough.

 

A day will come when we ascend where lofty spheres await, And thoughts and doctrines comprehend which then can be our state.

 

For now breathe deep, let lungs take in, the sweet and precious air, These truths, like air surround us all, & keep us in Christ’s care.

 

And though at times when new dawn breaks we catch a glimpse of heaven, Our thoughts will grow, and toward it rise, expanding, as the leaven.

 

            -Jacob 4: 14-

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His Name

 

Our hands, as His, reach out to those in need, Our hearts, like His, with love plant future seeds.

Our smiles, like His, lift all from deep, dark holes.

Our words, as His, can soothe the heart ached soul, Our Savior, Christ the Lord, His name is ours to share, Which honor we gladly take, and treat His name with care.

 

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Two Souls

Dedicated to my cute wife

 

When we two souls, imperfect meet,

Our union makes us one.

A life together sweetly live,

A lonely past now done.

 

A road that’s long lies still before,

Yet fear from me has fled.

For strength within I newly find

As together this path we tread.

 

As one we walk, we run, we fall.

As one our hearts entwined,

Will laugh or cry, together break,

But love forever bind.

 

New joy’s within, which fills my soul,

Gives life to me like air.

This newfound breath of love inhale,

Which once had seemed so rare.

 

Though slow at first our steps may seem, And difficult the way, Both you and I imperfect now, Will perfect be, one day.

 

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Conviction

 

With chinks in my armor thin,

Come I before thee Lord.

In battles sore the devils win,

So thus I thee implore.

Thy strength imbue within this wretch,

So weak, so foolish still,

That firm before the dragon’s wrath,

May undaunted stand my will.

Uplifted gaze sees heroes proud

Who answered thy great call.

Let me too Lord, courageous stand,

Not in my weakness fall.

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Everyday Heroes

 

From within precious script stir the heroes of old whose feats shook the kingdom of hell, Abinadi, Nephi, Moroni, and on… They seem from the scriptures to swell!

They lift off the pages and rise from the dust Awakening our souls every day to be heroes, and fight for the great Lord of Hosts with the powers of heaven our aid.

 

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