Rhyme & Reason - a reason to rhyme

  As we come to the end of a year Honed with sadness,  joy and fear, On reflection, BLEST, were we, By HIS people, lovingly. Family church, though small, close knit, Delighted, we're a part of it, Love on MANY  'ccasions shown, Such as I had NEVER known. Support was giv'n, large and free, By this group, we call  ' Family ' Physically and offered prayers, 'Twas REALLY shown, this church CARES.

Usually when the door is rapped Those indoors will respond, Though SOMETIMES they will pretend, that No one indoors is found. Perhaps they know who raps their door And THINK they know the WHY Though they do miss out quite a bit  When open door,  decry. There is ONE door, whene’er it’s knocked To open, daren’t forfeit Whene’er God knocks on our hearts door Should GLADLY, open it.

 Who inspired me to compose?  Been doing it a while,  My 'nitial ode was when at school Wish I had it on file. I do recall th'initial lines  The ending too, I know, The middle section, know the theme, It just now will not flow..... ....Out of my memory bank of old. When I was young, age ten 'Twas homework composition T ' have kept it, I now yen. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "Alone I stood outside that shop Watching, every five minutes, that lonesome clock He's not turning up, I told myself, I knew that friendship wouldn't last (a few unrecalled verses where I meet his sister, who tells me) He died last night in hospital He was shot last night in town, The curfew was for eight o'clock And a sniper mowed him down. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Remember reading it to mum A better verb, to gown For my last line, I did not want To say he " 'shot' him down." But then my eldest brother fine He

      R ight around this time of year,       O thers celebrate with cheer,       B ringing joy to one and all        I n  the street and shopping mall,       N ow it is the time to give,       S aviour came, so we could live.       R eindeer pulling on the sleigh       O ver roofs, where children lay,       B ringing gifts to brighten eyes        I n the morning - big surprise,       N intendo game, and even kite,       S anta’s busy, overnight.      R acing through the sky ’till dawn,      O nce it’s morning, Santa’s gone,      B ut the children’s eyes with glee,       I nnocently, presents see,      N ot a tear upon their face,        S leepy heads, to life, do race.       R unning down the stairs to see       O pulence of gifts, for ME?        B right and colourful wrapping there,       I tems bought with love, to share,       N ice of folk to think of me,       S tockings hung upon the tree.       R eindeer flying through the skies       O bligating paren

        If I could live my life anew, Knowing what I now know, Would there be any changes To what my past does show?         If I'd been giv'n th'option, Myself to have had a voice, As ten year old, was offered, Would I have made the choice?        To have my surg'ry earlier, Instead of waiting years, Enduring all the hardship And shedding MANY tears?      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         One part of me says certainly, At early age, lets GO,  However, t'other side argues, "Empahy, I'd not know".        I wouldn't have known hardship, Rejection, lonliness, Thus, could not show compassion, So it MADE me, I'll confess.       And then, medical advancement Did soar, in twenty years, May not have been successful, It improved many gears.       So while no changes would be made, Just KNOWING, that it COULD, MAY have made life lighter,  A brighter living mood.        

Our Patrick found a jewel, When  wooed he, young Mary,   I now know why he chose you, You’re loving, kind, cheery,                                     You’ll try your hand at anything, Your expertise, abound. Ne’er shirk responsibility, At least, ’tis what I’ve found. Your thoughtfulness, assistance, Will help, in any way, Nothing is a problem, To YOU, it’s like ‘child’s play’ A "mother hen" to anyone Who needs assistance, care, NOT full of empty promises, If mentioned, - you'll be there. Meticulously efficient In everything you do, And if you promise to assist One CAN, rely on you.  Many people promise  To help with ‘this or that’ Although whene’er ‘push comes to shove’ They’re gone - just like scared cat. NOT so with our dear Mary, A ‘promise keeper’ - she If she does vow, she’ll keep her word, ‘ Right  on the ball ’ she’ll be. It’s cited in the adage  “Out of sight - out of mind” Though NOT with our kind Mary, A vow made, she will bind.  So “THANK’s to YOU’’ dear Mary,

The moon that gives us light at night, Has NO light of its own, It reflects light shone by the sun, That fact, it is well known. Sometimes though, as a 'New moon', It can't be seen at all, It controls not, its phases, From Winter, through to Fall. We too, [though NOT called 'moonies'] As NEW 'moons' aren't aye seen, We struggle to let LIGHT shine, E'en though we ARE quite keen. Paul, to the church, Galatia, Encouragement did give, To 'keep in step' with Spirit, A better life to live. For unlike moons, we CAN choose, Ourselves, to realign, Keep in step with His Spirit, HIS perfect light to shine.

Christmas time for many Is one of joy and glee, For others though it can be bleak, Someone they’ll ne’ermore see. A parent, close relation, A dear close friend, now gone, Or worse, young family member, Too soon, saw their last dawn. Perhaps this is the first one Where someone is not there, A place free at the table, Of course, that empty chair. The voice you oft did silence, Now wish that just ONE word, One chuckle of their laughter,   For ONE MORE TIME, be heard. Or could be many years since The loved one did depart, But at these family gatherings, there’s A tugging at the heart. So If you are still favoured. With all your loved ones there, Be grateful, that another year, There’s NOT, that empty chair.

  We do attend a country church, And though, in numbers, small, Their hearts, each one, are kind and large, On THAT, they do stand TALL. While going through a period Of drought, a time of 'lean', Eventually, we came to learn What love so free,  does mean. An envelope here, a gift-card there, To keep bills paid, us fed, No one did know what others gave, They all were Spirit led.                                 The love, concern, they did employ,                                         Was humbling, I'll admit,      I don't believe, in all my years    I've witnessed care, like it. Whene'er we had our stove fire,  Love true, once more was known, One member gave a LONG TIGHT hug, "YOU MATTER" was, me, shewn. And even NOW, they STILL check up, A quiet word, on the side, Ensuring that we stay afloat, Not 'swallowed up' in tide And while the church (the FAMILY) Has been named GENERATIONS, Me personally, I do believe,  It SHOULD be GENEROUS'uns. Fe

It's great having the freedom I never had when young, Unlike my older brothers, When friends, they were among. If they decided to stay out,  So long as parents knew. To do, for them, it was okay, Could NEVER, me,  that, do. I HAD to plan things in advance, And as Girl Scouts motto, At ALL times, HAD to "be prepared" Wherever I would go. Even when on vacation, For just a few days more, It was a MUST to have supplies In my medicinal store. "In case" - it was my motto, There was a flight delay And I was stranded few more days Before going on my way. And with so many prescribed pills, Six thousand 'mills' in strength, 'Twas twenty daily tablets I had to take, at length. They DID become a meal 'part' Have food - have tablets too, My freedom's now astounding, I'm living LIFE, - like YOU.

Before home central heating, Cold winters, seemed much worse, Two storey home, four bedrooms, Electric heaters, scarce. Home comforts were not missing, Coal fire in living room, Warmed that room, and the water, So life was not all gloom. To take the chill from bedrooms, Before we trod upstairs, Dad lit paraffin heater, Kept us, like teddybears. Oil bottle in, the wick was lit  The dome, it glowed bright red The upstairs rooms, did get quite warm’ As we kids went to bed. Howe’er, they had their problems, SOMETIMES, the flames severe, My dad, though, was our hero, With him, we knew NO fear. He knew exactly what to do, To keep us safe and sound, Whene’er the flames were raging, Our hero dad, was found. We all survived to tell the tale Of hardship in those days, With central heating radi'tors Those times are now past ways.

  Was thinking of a critter Who's worm like, short and green, It would be in the Spring time When it is mainly seen.  We call them 'caterpillars' Most common, green and small, Their existance seems so futile They move and eat, that's all. But THEN it seems they slumber, Wrapped up in a cocoon, Know not the happenings within, Though change, it DOES come, soon. Cocoon is a protector As changes they do form, From creeping worm-like insect, To vibrant coloured 'norm' They then fly, oh so graceful,  A joy, to every eye, Those creatures, they do flutter, As new form, - Butterfly. Considering our own lives, While striving, here on earth, For many of us struggle Many years, after birth. However, if we're READY A new life WE will share, As "butterflies" in Heaven, We'll live without a care. Caterpillars are the larval stage of  Lepidoptera species , meaning butterflies and moths. Many insects go through a similar lifecycle, starting as an egg, which hat

“ we, who are still living on the earth, will be swept up … into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.  And, after that, we will be with Him for ever. ”  (I Thess.4:17;) We know not WHEN the "Rapture" Is going to take place, Though we've been told the happenings, For all of human race. All who are still on this Earth, Believers ONLY, though, Will be "swept up into the clouds", Are YOU ready to 'go'? Then in the air, will meet HIM,  The LORD, the CHRIST, the KING Eternal glory will be ours And 'Hallelujah's' sing. So I ask, "Are YOU ready To meet Him, in the air?" Your final destination, And will I see YOU, there? Or will you be the "left behind" Forever thinking "WHY?" Why did I not listen and heed?, Eternal tears to cry.

At times I'm  tired of living, With struggling to survive, I often question El Shaddai "Why am I still alive?" But to me, HE then reassures, To 'serve Him' is my role, Specific 'gift' been given me, HELPING, is my goal. So I'm not here for me, alone, For OTHERS, my purpose. Hence I MUST keep on, keeping on, Continue, with no fuss.  

                                                                        Dad wasn’t very musical,                                                Could not the scale notes tell, Though he knew how to keep the beat,  He did that, VERY well.  Position of ‘Drum Major’  In ‘Star of Eden’ band,  Dad held for many many years,  His leadership was grand.  I’m pretty sure that no one else,  Has even TRIED this aim,  But ’tis reputed of my dad,  NO ONE’s achieved the same.  The ancient bridge o’er Albert Street,  In Carrickfergus town,  It Is reported, solely dad,  And this is his renown.  When leading pipe band, on the 12th,  The month, of course, July,  He tossed his band mace o’er the bridge,  You should have seen it fly.   He had no need to quicken up,  He’d paced it out himself,  As he emerged from underneath,  With surreptitious stealth,  He caught the mace, to much applause  Of all those cheering on,  I don’t believe anyone else,  Has tried it, since he’s gone.

 I heard this song this morning  On local radio Evoking strong memory Of really long ago. Was travelling from homeland That's Belfast, (north, six miles) To London's Heathrow airport, The song brought back some smiles. I sailed to Stranraar's harbour From our port, town of Larne Then o'ernight train going southbound Arriving there earl' morn. To catch my next connection Vancouver bound was I, The train ride, it was cheaper Than 'nother plane to fly Whene'er the train I boarded No seats avail'ble were Some military men were on them, Stretched out, without a care. I couldn't hear them snoring Or see the dreams they had But felt their tired demeanour To waken, would've been bad. Recall me having thought tough, How 'xhausted those men were, And how I'd feel if woken, To do so, wouldn't dare. The lines of song to my mind Came flooding back to me As coming from the soldiers So loved ones, they would see. So I just hunkered down, me, Near tr

  I don't like going to concerts Where people stand around, Prefer to have the choice to sit, Though NOT upon the ground. So, glad, I wasn't born around  The time of  Jesus' days, I'm NOT a crowd lover, so would  Have stayed back, quite a ways. HE STILL would have been able To  get my sole 'ttention. Remember old Zacchaeus with The sycamore  ascension. So NOTHING is impossible  Whenever HE's involved, If HE has plans made for you, They'll surely be resolved.

        A res'dent in a Nursing home For years, where, work,  did I, A lady in late eighties, A spinster, by and by.          She had been a professor In University, Her seventies, learnt piano, To play, to you and me.        She had a sense of humour, By chance, I found that out,  Our Francis was still 'with it' Though oft times, one could doubt.          Her eyesight had been failing, So she was needing fed, And as was norm, we told her What was on her plate bed.        A staple in the home, there, Was potato pie, with meat, The residents enjoyed it, "Twas pretty good, to eat.                                   Before we started feeding, Informed, what her plate held, Did NOT expect her response, With laughter, my heart swelled.         ''It's Shepherds pie for dinner" Then heard her quick reply, "Do I 'ave to eat the shepherd?"   With laughter, tears, did cry.