Thursday, August 25, 2016

Home

Our home looked out across the seas
I looked out every morning
Out across the mangrove trees
To see the new day dawning.

I could see our house cow grazing
Or calmly chewing cud
And all the she-oaks waving
As the trees came into bud.

We planted native trees there
And a vegie garden too
A lemon tree had fruit to bear
And we had an outback loo!

That was the home of our youth
Where we brought our babies home
But now we are ‘long in the tooth’
And all our young ones are grown,

Our new home now is quite small
And it is low to the ground
With ease of access to all
The dear friends who still come around.

But strong is the roof overhead
And the windows keep out the rain,
And warm is our comfortable bed
So we thank the dear Lord once again.

He has blessed us with long years together
And children who follow Him too.
In the evenings we still pray together
Many thanks our dear Saviour to You.


A Letter to My Grandfather

Dear Grandfather whom I never knew,
Let me write a letter to you.
Like Abram seeking the promised land
You trusted that God had in all in hand
When you left your native shore
Looking for land where there was more,
More than enough for your many sons
To live and grow and be the ones
To feed the people with milk and cream.
You bought a farm beside a stream
And there your family lived and grew
All becoming a credit to you.

Sundays were spent in needful work
And always you drove your family to kirk.
When the preacher was found in conduct sinister
You answered “but I don’t worship the minister!”
Your faith was lived in word and deed—
Food freely given to those in need,
And many a swagman who came to you door
Was given a bed on the hayshed floor.

A crippled son returned to your aid—
His wife was paid as a dairy maid.
His family lived with you again.
An orphaned baby was welcomed in.
In all this you were helped by your loyal wife
 Who shared your faith, your view of life.
She laughed and toiled by your side,
Many years since she became your bride.

And so I thank the God above
For I am wrapped around with love.
Your family became my uncles and aunts
Who loved me dearly and I can’t
Begin to imagine how much I owe,
As onward day by day I go,
To the grace of one I never knew.
I write to send my thanks to you.


Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Mother’s Feel Pain

I remember you my little son
The day that you were born
When you came safely into the world
We all rejoiced that morn.

But mothers bear the agony
Mothers feel the pain
Not once, not twice, or thrice
But again and again and again.

I remember a Christmas morning
The year that you were two,
You were playing “golf” with your father
Striving the best you could do.

I remember you during your school days
When learning came easy for you
Complaining the work was too boring
When given assignments to do.

I remember you went on to uni
An arts degree then nursing too,
And you brought home a beautiful lassie
A life time partner for you.

I remember the day that you took us
The house you were buying to view.
Your life was so full of bright promise
We greatly rejoiced then with you.

But suddenly it was all over
Your motorbike crashed with a car.
We watched by your bedside in sorrow,
But already your soul had flown far.

And mothers bear the agony
Mothers feel the pain
Not once, not twice, or thrice
But again and again and again.