The Gift of the Horsemen - Written for Horsemanship for the Handicapped in San Diego, CA

The Gift of the Horsemen

For Horsemanship for the Handicapped

San Diego, CA

2002-2012

This is a program that has touched hundreds of lives and families.  As it is closing, I wanted everyone possible to know how many lives were touched forever, and what it means to me.

Article:  Horsemanship Closes 

Video: Horsemanship for the Handicapped

Article: My Daughter at Horsemanship

 

It takes one heart,

To start a fire,

They began with few,

The idea of course,

Putting child on horse,

Was beautiful and new.

As the fire spread,

Burning heart to heart,

The volunteers did come,

To help the children,

Through various problems,

Their beauty is second to none.

With child upon horse,

Minds came into focus,

As two bodies moved as one,

I watched windows open,

To reach through to souls,

Miracles under the sun.

We came as parents,

Requesting their service,

As our child could not speak,

And upon that first horse,

She smiled the first time,

Awaking passion from sleep.

We came there as parents,

We came there as children,

There for a common cause,

Finding strength in each other,

Giving hope to the children,

In spite of all of our flaws.

Some could not walk,

But strength in their legs,

Returned with all their rides,

Some would not talk,

Until joy rose within,

A flame burning in their eyes.

The horses took part,

So gentle and kind,

As if knowing children there,

And the children responded,

Kissing their manes,

 Thankful for the care.

Like beautiful stories,

Which we all have heard,

Have endings as we know,

This story of hearts,

Creating miracles,

Has also come to a close.

Yet so many lives,

Touched and changed,

Forever have changed paths,

For the gift of the horsemen,

Will always endure,

For love forever lasts.

Stones of Fire

Stones of Fire

For Gay James

On her Eightieth Birthday

What is light?

Does it shine down,

From the sun?

Do we see light,

By our eyes?

Within the night,

Do we not feel light,

Through the heart?

From the source,

Light shines forth,

From the sun upon all,

Reflecting and refracting,

Bringing color and motion,

While the light of love,

Shines from the source,

Blindingly compassionate,

God shines on us all,

Refracting and reflecting,

From each of our hearts,

On to each other,

Keeping us young,

For we are all young,

From different times,

Uniting past and present,

As energy and wisdom,

And in her eyes,

I see this truth,

Faith abounding,

With love resounding,

For all who know her,

Are inspired to smile,

All encouraged by her,

Are inspired to continue,

For the path of life,

Is lighted and clear,

As souls like her,

Show others the way,

An example to me,

For the path of God,

Upon his mountain of truth,

Is lit by stones of fire.

For Joy – In Memory of Nora Young

I wrote this for a lady that my wife knew from work and who I never met.  Her force of life reached out to my heart through the many souls she touched there.



We were always in her eyes,

And her smile in our hearts,

Out there among us,

Of the best of us,

She was using her hands,

To give gifts of the heart,

Working beside us,

In every way,

She made our days,

Just being there,

That was enough,

Just being where,

She could be felt,

Love could be shared,

For just seeing her,

Brought a good smile,

Even in darkest days,

For those were her ways,

As constant as the wind,

Though wind may cease,

The breeze blows again,

With the morning sun,

For the wind was her song,

And it carries her song,

For there is power,

Greater than death,

Which appears as loss,

Yet we all have gained,

For love never dies,

And her heart beats on,

Within our souls,

For the song,

For life,

For joy.

If,

We do,

All we know to do,

We can,

Fly.

When,

We feel,

All that is real,

We see,

Truth.



The Bridge of Love - In Memory of Kathy

Previously in my blog you have read about Kathy, a coworker, who suffered a major stroke and has been trying to recover.  I have just recieved word that she had another stroke and passed away last night.  Please keep her family and friends in your prayers.

Kathy's family has asked that donations in her memory be made to The American Stroke Association

How could it happen,

When I am young?

How could it happen,

What have I done?

I was at home,

Doing what I do,

Then I was out,

Nothing more I knew,

Then as if dreaming,

I heard voices,

Some were toward me,

Others making choices,

I could hear my family,

I knew they were there,

They were reaching to me,

I could feel the care,

And friends beyond the circle,

With voices still unheard,

Raising hope in prayers,

God hearing every word,

My eyes began to open,

And through a blur to me,

Some familiar faces,

I began to see,

I could not lift a finger,

I could not say a word,

Yet what I wanted most,

Was them to know I heard,

As they were reaching in,

I was reaching out,

Their strength from the heart,

Became my proof and clout,

Knowing I would make it,

Moving more each day,

Smiling to my husband,

To hear what he would say,

Forcing every movement,

Taking every step,

Fighting back to freedom,

Back to the life I left,

Unto the day I can speak,

And I can walk again,

Sharing my new joy,

Of life and love again,

For all the friends and family,

And our God above,

Whom rescued me from darkness,

Across the bridge of love.

The Gyre

“I realized that looking upon the Gyre would cause madness,

Yet I could not turn away from its beauty.” – An Unknown Sailor

Sole survivor of the storm,

Sails useless,

Tattered and torn,

Days uncounted,

Hull listing,

Nights uncounted,

Ship a drifting,

No wind or wave,

No way out,

Uncounting,

Unconscious,

Unnoticed,

I lay upon the deck.

A deafening sound of nothing,

A complete stilling,

Utter chilling,

I come to in the darkness,

And unto the light,

Then engulfed by the darkness,

My mind succumbing to silence,

No sound but myself,

I am becoming entranced,

By the darkness itself,

The sea as still as glass,

Becomes a perfect mirror,

Light bending imagery,

Mind bending reality,

The moon and stars above,

Perfectly reflected below,

I look down upon a perfect image,

Lunar craters below my feet,

The stars below as a mirage,

My deck outlined in black,

Surrounded by the stars,

Above and below me,

Neither up or down exist,

I doubt my own mortality,

As I walk upon the stars in space.

Through rushing clouds,

The moonlight breaks,

A silhouette deck touched by light,

A deck alive with sea snakes,

Amidst I stand a gasp,

Trapped within a nightmare prison,

The moment quickly passes,

As the clouds pour like sand,

Across the face of the moon.

The writhing motion fades in the dark,

And all is still again,

Alone in the dark a cry for help,

As the motion overcomes me,

Then I open my eyes in peace,

Surrounded by good men,

In good care,

Aboard the very ship,

That rescued me from the Gyre.

Song of Songs - For Steve and Kendra's Wedding

Within the music of living,

Life becomes a song,

One written be all,

All writing into each,

Adding their voices,

As we make our choices,

Deciding where we go,

And who we each become,

While the music continues,

Pouring into us from without,

Played forth to all with ears,

For into each of our lives,

Much is contributed,

Making life so precious,

As we each become born,

Of the love of two parents,

Proceeded by four grandparents,

And sixteen great grandparents,

For the number grows greater,

As you look further behind,

And each person had values,

Each one their adoration,

Every life with meaning,

Yet with voices now silent,

Their songs sing within us,

Adding tone and rhythm,

And emotion to ours,

And with each song lived,

Comes the most beautiful time,

As the hearts of two songs,

Make their songs become one,

The two voices become one,

As the sound becomes sweeter,

Defying problems and difficulties,

A harmony of rich emotion,

Too wondrous for two souls,

Often bringing new voices,

As new songs are begun,

For I have never heard,

True music in beauty,

Until I opened my ears,

Seeing fully through the heart,

For though songs may end,

The singing will continue,

As all hearts live forever,

Within the music of love.

Unto Deliverance

 

I went up to the Cuppa Cuppa drive through coffee shop today.  It is on the corner of the street where I work, and I have often sat outdoors and written poetry there.  Today I had no clear idea though I knew I have written about hardship recently.  After I started writing it occurred to me that hardship is ALSO a prelude to one of the most joyous times of life.  The birth of a child.  Shopping for our daughter tonight I met a young lady pregnant with a baby boy who proved that joy to be true.  It is what we make of it with faith and love.

Life can be hard,

Moments of pain,

So much can happen,

And fear takes hold,

As doubts intrude,

Shaking our confidence,

If we will get through,

Yet fear and pain,

So often occur,

When one life,

Brings forth another,

And the joy of birth,

Leaves all else forgotten,

So see it through,

Hold on to your faith,

Use your imagination,

So the trials endured,

Will bring forth new life.

The Fire in August – For Angela August 1987-2012

This is for a girl I have never met, who died a few days ago on the highway near my home while a teacher named Jimmy Arevalo I have never met tried to rescue her.  They both leave behind loving families.  Love is the bond between hearts which defies death.  The feeling in our hearts lets us know each day that they go on though we can not hold them now.  I don't know why these things must happen, there are things we will never be able to explain.  What I do know is this.  There is no goodbye, there is only love. 

She walked within the garden,

Embraced the light of Spring,

Counting all the blessings,

Inspiring her to sing.

She created all her chances,

Not waiting for them to come,

In creating opportunity,

She was equaled by none.

By looking into eyes,

Wherever she would go,

She answered her own questions,

Of who that she would know.

For knowing is a gift,

Given from the start,

By her eyes you knew her,

You could see into her heart.

For her heart was a furnace,

Which took her very far,

By the heat of her passion,

She was a shining star,

Persistence was her pleasure,

She could never just give up,

God blessing her abilities,

As love would fill her cup.

No force that can exist,

Can take her love away,

For within our hearts,

We find her fire today.

There are many answers,

Which we will never know,

Yet of certain she is in us,

Wherever we may go.

The Travelers - For Joan and Her Mom

Last night my neighbor Joan came over, and we shared some wine and wonderful conversation.  She spoke of her recent travel back east to Alabama with her 84 year old mother.  They went to visit old friends and family, farms and land, and cemeteries holding ancestors from generations ago. They went to antique shops, and small restaurants in those rare places where everyone knows your name or makes it a point to learn.

I am reading and studying about quantum physics, strange matter, the fabric of space and time, and how our lives are held in the balance.  Yet the true mystery and beauty of creation is within all that I just described, only here is where you will find what I mentioned above, blossoming in delicate balance.

The travelers flew far,

Touching the sunrise,

Flying across the land,

Reaching out to family,

Traveling to the east.

The travelers drove far,

From town to town,

Amidst the tall trees,

Meeting many people,

That were long unseen.

The travelers saw true,

Seeing from the heart,

Souls within the land,

Stories upon stories,

Of generations alive.

The travelers knew true,

Of true important things,

Afternoons on porch swings,

Neighbors you grow up with,

While never growing old.

The travelers embraced,

Loved ones from the past,

Souls amidst forever,

Those with us and beyond,

Memories which will last.

The travelers did taste,

Of meanings that hold true,

Times amidst the woods,

Families that bind forever,

For there is no old or new.

The travelers are one,

A mother and a daughter,

Walking the road of life,

Sharing and comparing,

All things real and true.