The Face

There is a face in the crowd,

The eyes are focused,

The lips are silent,

As all stories have been,

In the ocean of stories,

Amidst a sea of illusions,

Before a thousand eyes,

Unseen.

Each story is just words,

Sounds upon nothing,

Which live just as long,

As the life of a sound,

With voices that fade,

Along with the heartbeat,

Of the face unseen,

Which you saw in the crowd.

The face cannot be drawn,

For it is not remembered,

Yet behind the eyes,

Breathes a living soul,

Which wept and laughed,

Which danced and cried,

Living the tragedies and triumphs,

Which make us whole.

In a thousand years,

Each face will be dust,

With the children’s children,

Forgotten too,

Yet to learn one face,

And the soul behind it,

Can defined life,

And what is true.

Visions of Truth From La Jolla

We live out our lives,

Where the day meets the night,

Where silence meets sound,

Where the sky meets the ground,

Where the water meets the wind,

Where the end again begins,

Where the sun meets the rain,

Where love means pain,

Where our laughter meets the tears,

Where strength meets our fears,

Where the eyes meet the soul,

Where the half becomes whole,

Where are the past meets what will be,

Where the blind through the heart can see,

Where my heart keeps asking why I am here,

To the mind such truths remain unclear.

A Morning in La Jolla - from 10/26/19

With sharp eyes and dark hair,

And a heart that thirsts for love,

Purpose was a quest and treasure to find,

Amidst a sea of souls,

Learning something from each one,

Teaching something along the way,

Making a difference or so I thought,

For the world is unchanged every day.

With vision weakened and hair gray,

Wisdom has replaced joy,

The world walks past me as I write,

The sun rising as it did before,

The thrill of the quest is no more,

Knowing the day approaches faster,

Where silence will replace my prattle,

As the sun rises over another nameless stone.

I believe that God gave me good seeds,

I went forth planting many seeds with love,

Now as the planter I must have faith,

Though most seeds I will never see grow,

I know they must grow because I planted well,

Not upon the stones but in good soil,

So that they may bear fruit for other souls,

Which came through my tired hands.

The Party

The restaurant is empty, 

 Abandoned for years, 

 Alone within the silence, 

 I still hear laughter and cheers. 

 Faces of friends, 

 I will not see again, 

 Walking through the shadows, 

 Where my heart descends. 

 My old school campus, 

 Remains vivid in my dreams, 

 Though I visit the location, 

 Nothing is as it seems. 

 I feel though I am separated,

 Buy a thick pain of glass, 

 Never able to return, 

 To those times in the past. 

 The party was lively, 

 The party was good, 

 I got a few laughs, 

 I knew that I would. 

 Yet those that I knew, 

 Have lives of their own, 

 How can I disturb them, 

 When I should be alone. 

 Heaven is fulfillment, 

 With smiles upon the streets, 

 With the warmth of God’s love, 

 In every face you meet. 

 I would be at peace alone, 

 Upon a rock by the shore, 

That his children may be in peace,

Within his joy forever more.

Teacher of Teachers

 Caroline from the Carolinas, 

 Came forth with pure heart, 

 Her foundation in faith, 

 Held God’s hand from the start. 

 The teacher from Nazareth, 

 Who died for our sins, 

 Showed her how to love, 

 And where to begin. 

 She found a good man, 

 Who loved the Lord too,

  In a ministry of faith, 

 Showing others what is true. 

  Planting good seeds, 

 Will bring forth good fruit, 

 Yet from the teacher of Nazareth, 

 A powerful truth took root.

 She became a teacher of teachers, 

 Which in faith coincides, 

 For those teachers took her seeds, 

 To plant them far and wide. 

 Then from the heart of God, 

 Came a tall order, 

 To share salvation across languages, 

 Through Books without Borders. 

 To return after the years, 

 To our teacher we were blessed, 

 To show her fruits in our lives, 

 To share all what is the best. 

 For there is no separation, 

 Of sharing from love, 

 What she shared with us first, 

 She shares with our Father above. 

Heart of a Mentor

A young girl from the country,
Felt love from an early age,
Finding direction from our Savior,
Finding her purpose in love,
For love is inseparable from sharing,
A truth from our Heavenly Father.

She found a soulmate for sharing life,
A man called to live for God,
Fulfilling a mission of ministry,
While she strengthened his faith,
A foundation for each other,
Helping souls find the light of direction.

Hearts of the young called out to her,
In the calling she found direction,
Molding young souls for new life,
With a strength in faith and love,
To become a force of change in lives,
Because she was led to be their mentor.

Ministry and creation joined hands,
In a book which came from her heart,
Sharing love in a bridge across language,
To touch lives without fear of borders,
So their children could breathe faith,
In a life which they did not have.

Years passed though the effects have not,
Good seeds grew far and wide through fields,
Bearing fruit of many flavors and colors,
Blessing more lives she would never see,
To share with love in the union of hearts,
And we shared in the joy of her smile.

We go forth from who we once were,
Because she dreamed of all we could be,
And we shared in her dream with faith,
Now carrying her where we each go,
Shining through every one of our lives,
As we carry the heart of a mentor.

Ocracoke Strong

 7 feet of water rolled through the homes and lives of people on Ocracoke North Carolina when hurricane Dorian hit the islands directly. You can help them rebuild their lives at  https://www.nc.gov/volunteer/donate.

 The waters came, 

 The storm has passed. 

 Life goes on, 

 For hearts will last.

 Strength does come, 

 From up above. 

 No storm can sink, 

 The ship of love. 

 The hearts of young, 

 Past the graves of old. 

 These souls live on, 

 Through stories told. 

 From days which passed,

 And tales of yore,

 Those who come here, 

 Meet all those before. 

Their hearts stand strong,

And for each other.

A community bond,

Which is like no other.

Amidst these hearts,

Embraced by the sea,

Rebuilding their village,

I wish I could be.

 Our hearts were with them, 

 Standing with them still. 

 Though we are miles away, 

 Our hearts feel them still. 

 Greeting us by name, 

 As if we were there folks. 

 For this is how they live, 

 On Ocracoke. 

Within The Light

All things warm shine particles of light, 

 An affect of physics from radiating heat, 

 Setting trees aglow in a star covered jungle, 

 As bodies move within a dance of fire,

 Which our eyes barely glimpse in the moonlight. 

 Our eyes see so precious little of life, 

 Through distractions of swirling dust, 

 Showing vision to be a miraculous gift, 

 Yet vision remains a choice of the spirit, 

 For only the heart can truly see. 

 Beauty can be found on the poorest street, 

 Leaves sprouting from dirt upon the trash, 

 A bloom through a crack in the sidewalk, 

  As the pigeon takes flight on shattered wings,

 Carrying food in her beak for her young. 

 Within our pain we can find the light of joy, 

 As mistakes point a finger to our triumphs, 

 Our shortcomings reveal the truth of our strengths, 

 Our heads lifted by God’s faith in our love, 

 While we strive to find the person we want to be. 

 The greatest lesson  I could ever learn, 

 Is to know that only the heart can truly see, 

 Making love the light which never darkens, 

 Which makes darkness an illusion and a choice, 

 For it is through love we walk in the light. 

Sharing the Sunset

You stand now so far away,

With perception of a different day,

Across the waters beneath the same sky.

I imagine where you are going,

The experiences you are knowing,

And what new things you may try.

The sunset lights my eyes,

While it is rising in your skies,

For each place has its own light.

These are notes to carry the song,

As all notes do belong,

Like the stars to the sky at night.

 That same sun warms your heart, 

 Which has this day warmed mine, 

Now shining light and color on your face.

A different painting each night,

As it lowers from the sky,

And I send it to you from this place.

May your mountains be colored,

With this message from my heart,

Though I am far from you here.

Beyond the oceans and mountains,

And through the stars in the sky,

My heart will always be near.

Run With Me

Where is the way of the world?

Lost in a day in a blur.

Running two and fro,

Not knowing where we go,

Love becomes a story untold.

Where is the day I found you?

Lost in all that we must do.

Running in circles,

With time racing by,

I must find my way back to you.

TAKE MY HAND,

RUN WITH ME,

FAR BEYOND,

WE CAN SEE,

SO WE CAN FIND EACH OTHER!

FIND EACH OTHER!

ALL THE MEANING,

COMES TRUE,

WHEN I AM,

CLOSE TO YOU,

BECAUSE YOU ARE LIKE NO OTHER!

LIKE NO OTHER!

EVERYTHING I WANTED CAME TRUE,

BEING WITH YOU.

Why should I run from reality?

With you I am all I can be.

All fear fades away,

When I look in your eyes.

Through your heart I see eternity.

Where is there room for doubt?

Doubts are only the seeds of fear.

Only the heart can truly see,

I can only see you by me.

And we soar on wings of the heart!

TAKE MY HAND,

RUN WITH ME,

FAR BEYOND,

WE CAN SEE,

SO WE CAN FIND EACH OTHER!

FIND EACH OTHER!

ALL THE MEANING,

COMES TRUE,

WHEN I AM,

CLOSE TO YOU,

BECAUSE YOU ARE LIKE NO OTHER!

LIKE NO OTHER!

EVERYTHING I WANTED CAME TRUE,

BEING WITH YOU.

To Love a Woman

Your eyes look at the outside world,

Wondering who is truly looking in,

Like the rose undiscovered within the seed,

Your heart longs to be found.

A blind man can feel your beauty,

Using only the sound of your voice,

Undistracted by the vessel only the eyes perceive.

He can see the eternal beauty of your soul.

Oh God let my mind not distract me,

For only the heart has vision to see the truth,

When the soul speaks a language far beyond words,

May my lips not utter a sound.

When your joy is beyond your ability to understand,

My life will be without measure,

For loving you without conditions and limits,

Is truly the greatest pleasure.

Pennies From Heaven

There is no coincidence in life,

Yet there is magic all around.

 Pennies falling from heaven, 

 Marking the path we are on. 

 Words whispered in the wind, 

 Giving us hope through the day. 

 For from the heart of God,

Light shines upon our souls.

 We would not know triumphs,

 If it were not for tragic times. 

 We would not know what joy is, 

 Without sadness in our lives. 

 It is the times we are alone, 

 Which drive us to each other. 

 Yet the Spirit of God surrounds us, 

 And we are never alone. 

 I look into the eyes, 

 Of others along the path. 

My heart is filled with joy,

And my spirit can only laugh.

He made it all so simple,

In spite of our illusions,

Removing all confusion,

For there is only love.

Where the Road Begins Again

 You thought you were facing the end of the road, 

 But love doesn’t work like that. 

 The seeds you plant in other hearts, 

 Become a matter of fact. 

 Beginnings and endings are for movies, 

 For film reels come to an end. 

 But a heart walking on the path of love, 

 Finds were the road begins again. 

 The things that we do seem to slip away, 

 The universe is spinning so fast. 

 We sit and reflect on the effect of our lives, 

 When nothing seems to last. 

 When you listen the answer will come,

 In the word or the smile of a friend. 

 You find the meaning as you are standing, 

 Where the road begins again. 

You look out across the waters, 

 Wondering if there is a shore.

 No boat in sight and afraid to cross, 

 To where we have been before.
In love is where all hearts are born,
To love they return again.
With the circle complete all hearts do meet,
Where the road begins again.

The Spark That Lights The Flame

 Inspired by Michael and Michelle Boyum
( Image from the film “Until Forever”)

Falling in love is a blessing,
 To love is a choice of effort.
 Talking the sun out of the sky,
 Sharing time and learning why,
 The person beside you is wonderful.

 They met in the flow of life,
 Sharing a smile and the magic of joy.
 Letting the work of love,
 Blessing from above,
 Be their work of life.

 Then illness found its place,
 Weakening his form.
 Yet in the absence of light,
 It takes the dark of night,
 For the stars to shine.

 With family close by,
 She always held his hand.
 While fighting for each day,
 They kept fears and doubt at bay,
 He chose to keep his smile.

 The chemistry was there,
 So he chose to be a light.
 With his family and his love,
 And strength from God above,
 Through his tears and unto joy.

 Only in this way,
 Can a spark light the flame.
 When conditions are made right,
 Of fuel and air and light,
 The flame will take its form.

 I can see his light quite clear,
  His love lives through her heart.
 Through the smiles of those constrained,
 For in wheelchairs they remain,
 Yet their hearts soar through faith.

 So here we walk alive,
 Though we cannot change what comes.
 This is how faith shines through,
 We always choose what we can do,
 And then God stands in our midst.

Dreams Made Real

Dreams would be nothing,

 Without reality to carry them through. 

 Stars would not shine,
 Without the backdrop of night.
 The sun and rain are opposites,
 Yet one requires the other,
 For either on its own,
 Would not bring life.

 Some dream in black-and-white,
 Yet you dream in color,
I dream in song,
  As I hear the notes by day.
 Dreams may come by night,
 Yet they are not limited to darkness,
 For passion brings them to reality,
 Through our hearts dreams come alive.

Where love rules,
Life becomes a dream,
 Every day moments become treasures,
 Spent with the ones you love.
 Hardships become opportunities,
 To turn anxiety into peace,
 Trials into solutions,
Through the work of your hands.

Dreams are seeds of power,
Planted in the fields of the world,
Giving rise to new realities,
Beneath the skies above.
Thought energy of the heart,
Yet all matter is just energy,
Are we all the dream of God,
Made real by love?

Forever is Not Enough

For my precious wife and daughter on International Women’s Day

The path from who you are,

To all of what you can be,

Starts with finding yourself.

The perfect reflection of you,

Is found in the heart of love.

Love happens without decision,

Yet the decision to love builds life.

The work of every day,

Lifts up the wings of love,

Energy transcending time,

Completing each other with joy.

The path of who I can be, 

Led me straight to your heart. 

Life is nothing without love, 

And with love you painted life. 

 My canvas is full of color, 

 With the brush strokes of your hand. 

 Sounds which can be seen, 

 Colors which can be tasted, 

 And visions of feeling fill my life. 

 True magic requires a magician, 

 Requiring another open heart. 

Why would God create a man, 

To marvel at creation all alone? 

Why would God create a woman, 

With  no one to paint her love upon? 

The colors of love show upon her skin, 

The truth of her beauty flowing from within.

 Causing a man to imagine, 

 The things which have never been. 

 For this is the magic of creation, 

 This is the source of passion, 

 And the meaning of life. 

 So here I am, 

 In appreciation.

 And here we are, 

 In silent reflection. 

 Perfected in our imperfections, 

 Building joyful recollections. 

 Forever is not long enough, 

 To say all that you mean to me. 

 Love has not the scope to contain, 

 All which we have become,

 For I am alive in you. 

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The Illusion of Endings

We are the sum of our experiences, 

 You are all of mine. 

 I awoke within your eyes, 

 To fall asleep within your arms. 

 Your smile is within my heart, 

 And my heart beats within you. 

 I swore to be with you always, 

 Where was I at that moment? 

 You swore to share with me of things, 

 How is it I did not know this? 

 Somethings are more powerful than us, 

 But nothing is more powerful than love. 

 I cannot hope to blame you, 

 For what I do not understand. 

 I can only say I miss you, 

 As I miss the warmth of your hand. 

 Yet when the day is done, 

 I pray in my dreams you will come. 

 I will never be who I was, 

 Because I am part of you. 

 And yet I will go on in love, 

 Because I hold on to what is true. 

 You will always live within my heart, 

 Within the power of love we will not part.

To Be Held

Forever in a moment,

A moment in forever,

Inside a thought and place,

Outside of time and space,

With the warmth of her hand,

Within his firm embrace,

Watching the stars roll by.

Watching the waves roll in,

Upon the rock together.

On the seashore of eternity,

Our eyes can see forever.

For it is not our eyes that see,

When the heart has true vision,

And my heart has awaken.

The mind may sometimes fail,

But my hand always remembers.

My hand has strength and purpose,

Pressed against your fingers.

The Earth may be shaken,

When stars collide,
Yet there is more power in our love.

I have seen the sands of time,

Fall away beneath my feet.

I have seen the ocean of doubt,
Part in the face of our love.

Within your caress,

I stand indomitable and strong,

Beneath the eyes of God.

We stand together ageless,

Though our bodies may tell time.

The eyes of strangers come alive,

As they smile in response to our love.

Yet to be held in God’s gaze together,

Is the embrace of the greatest love,

Which I will describe with the following words.

Never Forgotten

Interviewer to Gregory Peck:   “Considering the accomplishments of your legendary career, what do you want to be remembered for the most?”

Gregory Peck to Interviwer:  “Being a good husband and father.”

 For all the day will come

 When we no longer breathe the air. 

 A day I do not walk the earth

 And have left an empty chair. 

 What was must one day step aside

 For what will come to be. 

 I walk and wonder in this world

 About what will speak of me. 

  Birds singing above me in the trees

 Sing from birds who sang before. 

 Creatures love the young they raise 

 Because once they were adored. 

The sun rejoices for the moon

By lighting up the sky.

 The moon reflects upon the sun

 Yet we never wonder why. 

 The things I fixed and what I’ve made

 Will all fall away. 

 Yet the words I’ve written on the heart

 Will forever stay. 

The love my family has from me

Will show in my daughter's daughter’s smile.

God’s love shown through my life

Will last more than just a while.

The good seeds that we plant in life

Will almost always grow.

Yet the fruit which falls from those trees

We almost always never know.

Our light will shine through hearts we’ve loved

Like a fire spreading fast.

When our lives are held in God’s hand,

Our love forever lasts.

Symphony of Hearts

For Pawel Adamowicz and his family.  He was killed while raising funds for children with heart conditions.

Love is forever.

Love can not be killed.

Love can not be stopped.

Love can only be shared.

For the children he stood.

His final hour,

Became his hour of triumph.

He blessed lives forever.

Taken from the stage,

And taken from family, 

He was taken from the world,

But never from our hearts.

So live and love in his memory,

That his light will shine through you.

For you share the fire of life,

In every heart that you love.

The Equation Unfolded

 Einstein had a vision, 

 Seeing reality a new, 

 Energy being matter,
 Matter being energy,
 Same thing in different forms,
 Mystery in the light of truth.

 He saw the light differently,
 Raining down as particles,
 Coming to shore as waves,
 Different states in the same time,
 In his equation perfect rhyme,
 Showing matter as energy.

 Can the picture be complete,
 Without gravity in matter and light?
 When anything with mass emits light?
 Gravity is measured in waves,
 Could the energy exist as particles?
 Waves and particles as is with light?

 In time arrives the question of time,
 As yet undetected as particles or waves,
 Yet we feel hours pass like minutes,
 While a moment can last forever,
 So if time is part of the picture,
 How could it not be in the equation?

 Mass multiplied by lightspeed squared,
 Requires time to see conversion,
 Requires gravity due to the mass,
 Resulting in light through translation,
 Yet if the equation could consider this,
 What would it reveal?

 Universe upon universes,
 Lay at the feet of God,
 Transcending all dimensions,
 Beyond our understanding,
 In a reality of thought energy,
 Just to show us love?

 Have you considered this could be true?
 What would you do for love?