The Prayer of Squares - For Alice

She lives near the station,

The old stage coach station,

Connecting Lakeside,

With the rest of the world.

In her age she holds beauty,

Such timeless beauty,

For in her weakness,

Strength is unfurled.

In her life is magic,

Such untold magic,

Which can only be known,

As a story of faith.

For with her hands,

Her time honored hands,

She embroiders her squares,

In our hands to place.

For with each square,

Each hand knitted square,

She blesses a stranger,

With loves healing power.

For every stranger,

Each wandering stranger,

Must know he is remembered,

Within the darkest hour.

And so she travels,

Oh how she travels,

Blessing other lives,

Near the old stage station.

And so I do pray,

Oh how I pray!

That her light of love,

Can inspire our nation!

The Western Wind

The sun rises on wild spirits,

Where the mountains touch the sky,

Eagle soars upon morning breeze,

A quiet land sets heart at ease,

As life begins to awaken.

A man sets his face to the wind,

Ready to make the day work,

As the west wind is heard,

Speaking truth without words,

Setting meaning firm in heart.

For life is not an easy thing,

Yet God gives us each a strength,

For all the work of our hands,

As part of His plans,

Makes us more each day.

Underneath the western skies,

Good men and women stand tall,

Where the Spirit of America sings,

With freedom’s bell still ringing,

Find purpose under the stars.

We gather together as neighbors,

For no one out here is a stranger,

Red blood runs in us all,

Together we are standing tall,

Making futures strong forever.

I will never lack anything,

For all things that matter are near,

God gave me a wonderful wife,

With our daughter a beautiful life,

My spirit sings in the western wind.

Lakeside

To find time in places,

Find places outside time,

Where the year does not matter,

And surrounded by the latter,

You feel past and present,

In the place where you stand,

On a main street of old,

Made of western wood,

Where families own the shops,

And the food smells good,

Where the old wooden church,

Has stood the test of time,

Watching story after story,

Pass on the street below,

Lives within a song,

A song within motion,

In a town that formed a gate,

A gateway to the west,

For they came by train,

Unto the Castle House,

They set off by morning,

To set upon their land,

Raising food from the earth,

By the sweat of their hands,

I came with my family,

In our quest for life,

Where the sun sets anew,

With each passing day,

And we found new promise,

Amidst time forged ways,

Hearing Sir and Mam,

The person that I am,

Seeing change as growth,

Building strong on what is good,

Walking by the lake side,

Knowing what I should,

Under the pepper trees,

Where water birds do play,

Mixing past souls with the present,

Where Lakeside Inn once stood,

In a town amidst the hills,

Is where I have my fill,

With peace and joy I live,

With my family by my side,

For this place to us did give,

And its called Lakeside.

Sky Country Spirit - Winner of the Lakeside Library Poetry Contest 2013

This was written for the Lakeside Poetry Contest of 2013 which asked adult entrants to write about cowboys.  I wrote to remind people today of the spirit they embraced and shared, and won the contest.  This is written for all the contestants, especially the students, who showed their spirit of bringing new ideas into life.  I was especially inspired by a blind student who wrote, entered, and showed the power of vision through the heart.  May we all embrace and share the Sky Country Spirit.

There was a time,

Of open spaces,

There was a breed,

Just see their faces,

Eyes that see forever,

Skin tempered by the weather,

Knowing freedom of the land,

Their lives in their firm hands,

They were one of a kind,

Men defining their time,

Riding hard with heart,

Sitting by the fire flame,

They were a breed apart,

Not one of them the same,

They lived on the edge,

Between man and wild,

When tamed by their hand,

Mustangs became mild,

An unspoken song,

Binding their hearts,

A truth unsaid,

Would never depart,

Upon their horses,

Beneath the sun,

The stuff of legend,

The West was won,

Though highways now cross,

The land which they rode,

And the cities we built,

Have become our abode,

Upon the mountain side,

I stand beside my bride,

And it never takes me long,

Before I hear their song,

You must be still to hear it,

And breathe Sky Country Spirit.