The Furniture

Dedication: to my Editor, thankyou.

My Readers often commend me for the content of my poems.   

You see when they give me this feedback

they see my work alone.

The reader observes the poem; not the pen and ink.

My audience do not perceive the chair of my

relatives and the portraits of my friends  upon the wall.

Nor do they perceive the table of those that have influenced me

and taken such meticulous care and investment in my education.

I am particularly indebted to my tutor, teachers,

and close family members for being so patient with me throughout.

Out of all the those essential pieces of furniture who have made a significant

contribution to my quality of life and the poems that reflect this ,

as they continually lead me on the road of this life,

paved with all sorts of challenges along the way,

the one that I simply cannot complete this work

without acknowledging with immense gratification is the floor.

For it is the foundation that supports all the others.

The one that suports all the others is he

who created them and is set apart.

For he is my Father in Heaven.

He will not decay, disappoint, or dissipate.  

It is he that I must thank above all.

Our Lord is both the Alpha and the Omega,

the beginning and the end.

To my beloved old hound.

The Companionship of the Hound

O what a great and quiet joy it is stroll alongside a dog -

your dog.

To experience the simple wonders of nature through the senses -

together.

What a pleasure it is to possess all the five senses.

They operate in perfect harmony -

sight, smell, sound, touch, and taste.

All such senses work together

and when some fail the others prevail,

becoming stronger as they endure.

They make the gradual amble with an aged dog

a far more enjoyable and reflective time

than the otherwise lonesome and energetic jog that it may have been.

Sight: grants one the opportunity to observe one's sensorial surroundings.

Smell: allows you to inhale the fragrance of the flora

and the heavy breath of your dog, pacing patiently beside you.

Sound: enables you to hear the song of the birds and the soft rustle of leaves.

Taste: assists one to taste the fresh air that flows

as a consistent stream into the mouth, landing delicately on the taste buds.

Touch: allows one to feel the fur of the hound

alongside you as you meander along the path.

These things encompass the pleasure of the companionship of the hound.

A companionship that is the very best of friendship;

a friendship that is unique to that of the dog.

The Hope of Heaven

I dream.

I dream that one day (however distant that may be),

that one day I will see that preverbial light, that is freedom.

When I walk into that light, I will take with me no more

dark and dismal disappointments, sorrows,

perpetual fatigue, and chains of captivity within my life.

For that light shall cleanse me of all that living life in a sinful world brings.

In that glorious light I shall join others

whose chains have begun to break and disintegrate.

Most importantly I will wander,

hand-in-hand, eye-to-eye, and voice-to-voice with my saviour and my God.

And this will be the epitome of fulfilment and freedom.

I wait, work, live, and belong to that day (as do many others),

the day when the tears will be wiped from all increasingly scarlet eyes.

For now I merely glimpse pieces of the puzzle of the immense joy yet to come.

In those fragments I can observe the faces of

my brothers and sisters in Christ and all that surrounds them,

including the many marvels of creation that captivate me daily

along with the many gifts and talents that he has granted unto us all.

We await with patience and hope the day when he will return.

On that day we will see some, (if not all), of those that we love and grieve for at present.

And in all of these things God provides us with the greatest gift that he could give;

HOPE.

God - The Greatest Counsellor

When the time comes to grieve -

God is near.

When all you want to do is scream with frustration -

God is near.

When mental and physical pain becomes too great to bear alone -

God is near.

When you're convinced that the whole world is against you -

God is here.

When you could fill the entirety of a bucket with just your tears -

God is here.

He really is the greatest counsellor, comfort, and companion we could ever have.

...

James 4:8 ; "come near to God and he will come near to you."