The Welcome News Is In the Letter Found

The welcome news is in the letter found;

The carrier's not commission'd to expound:

It speaks itself, and what it does contain,

In all things needful to be known, is plain.

~ John Dryden

Go, Little Letter, Apace, Apace

Go, little letter, apace, apace,

Fly;

Fly to the light in the valley below --

Tell my wish to her dewy blue eye.

~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

The Only Work About Writing

The only work about writing --

It's a very terrible  thing --

Is wrapping your stuff and stamping it

And tying it up with string,

~ Margaret Widdemer

A Woman Seldom Writes Her Mind

A woman seldom writes her mind,

but in her postscript.

~ Sir Richard Steele

Letter to an Old Friend

Today old friend, I'm taking time

To write a line or two

And tell you what it's meant to walk

Friendship's path with you.

It's meant companionship and love

When others turned aside,

Help for overwhelming tasks

That flow with every tide.

It's meant when e're my feet have strayed,

You did not pass me by,

But clasped my lonely hand in yours

And held hope's candle high.

It's meant that worry, fear, and doubt

Were never borne alone;

For years ago, within your heart,

The seeds of care were sown.

It's meant my home, my dress, my ways,

Need not bow to style.

You've thoughtfully overlooked my flaws

With friendship's loving smile.

And now, old friend, I'll close with this,

Just here at the end,

And let you know my life is rich

From knowing you, my friend.

~ Helen Barker

A Time to Talk

When a friend calls to me from the road

And slows his horse to a meaningful walk,

I don't stand still and look around

On all the hills I haven't hoed,

And shout from where I am, ""What is it?"

No, not as there s a time to talk.

I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,

Blade-end up and five feet tall,

And plod: I go up the stone wall

For a friendly visit.

~ Robert Frost

When I Was Ten or So

When I was ten or so

I owned a woods - a river too,

And overhead, it all was mine,

That vast expanse of blue;

Horizons were unlimited

Where I could see and see -

Oh, I was rich in God's estate,

This all belonged to me!

My world was drifting leisurely,

When I was ten or so;

Why, I'd spend hours, still, alone,

And watch the river go;

I knew its shallows and its deeps,

Its gentle undertow;

The place to wade and where to swim

And how the currents flow.

I was a great explorer, then,

And on my hands and knees

Crawled into thickets, dank and coo,

And had my special trees

Where I would climb and sit aloof

Like some prodigious bird;

I knew the make of every nest

And each bird-call I heard!

To reminisce brings longing thought,

A wish to once again

Go wandering through that estate

I claimed when i was ten,

But threads from which we weaves our dreams

Shrink with each passing year -

I wouldn't want my river dwarfed

Or my woods to appear

A fringe of trees along a stream;

It was so big to me -

I'll carry in my heart the way

My childish eyes could see!
And when the times seem strenuous,

In memory I'll go,

Meand'ring through the day I knew

When I was ten or so.

 ~ Esther Kem Thomas

Ladies to Lunch

If you think that some sort of an ailment
Has just suddenly struck at your spouse;
If her efforts permit no curtailment
When it comes to her grooming the house;
 If she passes you by in a hurry
As though something bad dealt her a punch,
Let me say there's no reason to worry.
She's just having the ladies to lunch.

If the silver is out of seclusion,
And it's rubbed to a shimmering shine;
If the kitchen is fraught with confusion,
And there's no place to pause or recline;
If you feel you've been turned out of clover
While she cries 'cause the crunchies won't crunch;
These are the hurdles you'll have to get over,
For she's having the ladies to lunch.

If routine has been set all asunder,
But the fragrance of food is a treat
Till the wife of your life starts to wonder
If you'll go to a restaurant to eat;
If you haven't determined the matter,
You'll be right if you cherish the hunch
That for dinner you'll find on your platter
What the ladies bequeath from lunch.

 ~ Margaret Rorke

The Sound of Autumn

Fruit and nut and yellow leaf -

Each returns to earth's warm lap;

Each one tells that life is brief

With each thud and rustling tap.

Autumn with her russet flowers,

Objects falling to the ground,

Speaks of nature's golden hours.

Autumn is a lovely sound!

~ Roy Z. Kemp

Aspensong

The pale chartreuse

to safron hue,

with every shade between;

In bright bouquets

arrayed against 

the lush and verdant green

Of pompous pine

and formal fir

and stately spruce grown tall.

Their lower limbs

spread all around

like trains worn to a ball.

The hills boast yellow

garlands now;

and proud of nature's prize,

They play the scales

of golden tones

in perfect exercise.

~ Everlynn Merilatt Boal

Autumn Vignettes

Engraved in memory this autumn day

Are shaggy barnyard igloos built of hay,

A flash of scarlet on a wild bird's coat,

A spray of song flung from its tiny throat.

Wrinkled persimmons, ripening, abound

While chinquapins and chestnuts pelt the ground.

In gardens, marigolds and asters keep

Sun-bathing quietly before they sleep.

Diminuendo of the insect choir

Reveals the message it will soon retire.

Jack Frost, on tip-toe, waits with lightest fuse

To set the woods afire in flaming hues.

His touch ignites a drooping vine or tree

As summer takes its leave reluctantly.

But birds, in serial flight, have gone to sing

Where buds uncurl in vernal blossoming,

And aspen leaves afloat on drowsy streams

Are golden boats that bear the summer's dreams...

The happy dreams that memory will keep

While summer is enwrapped in restful sleep.

~ Blythe Gwyn Sears

Autumn Glimpse

There's a little touch of scarlet

Edging leaves that once were green;

And the goldenrod, once common,

Proudly wears a regal sheen.

Though the yellow rose has faded,

It is freshened by the dew;

And the summer haze has lifted -

Autumn's breeze has swept it blue.

God has crowned the earth with glory,

And His goodness covers all.

Though we hear Him at all seasons,

We can see Him in the fall.

~ June Masters Bacher

Arrival of Autumn

The summer's brightness left the sky today

As autumn grays and shading

flecked the blue;

The migrant birds collecting in the glens

Prepare to bid their springs retreats adieu.

Beside the rural highways, goldenrod

Still lifts its bloom for butterfly and bee;

The ripened cornfields, nodding

in the breeze,

Produce brown billows for a land-like sea.

I find a pleasure in the autumn fields

To equal that which came

with days of spring;

These are glad hours to muse and meditate

And find some birds continuing to sing.

~ Arthur Thatcher

The Last Eve of Summer

Summer's last sun nigh unto setting shines

Through yon columnar pines,

And on the deepening shadows of the lawn

Its golden lines are drawn.

Dreaming of long gone summer days like this,

Feeling the wind's soft kiss,

Grateful and glad that failing ear and sight

Have still their old delight,

I sit alone and watch the warm, sweet day

Lapse tenderly away;

And, wistful, with a feeling of forecast,

I ask 'Is this the last?

'Will nevermore for me the seasons run

Their round, and will the sun

Of ardent summers yet to come forget

For me to rise and set?'

Thou shouldst be here, or I should be with thee,

Wherever thou mayst be,

Lips mute, hands clasped, in silences of speech

Each answering unto each.

For this still hour, this sense of mystery far

Beyond the evening star,

No words outworn suffice on lip or scroll:

The soul would fain with soul.

Wait, while these few swift-passing days fulfill

The wise-disposing Will,

And, in the evening as at morning, trust

The All-Merciful and Just.

The solemn joy that soul-communion feels

Immortal life reveals;

And human love, its prophecy and sign,

Interprets love divine.

Come then, in thought, if that alone may be,

O friend! and bring with thee

Thy calm assurance of transcendent Spheres,

And the Eternal Years!

~ John Greenleaf Whittier

Our Thanks, Dear Lord

 

Dear Lord, we give our thanks to Thee
And praise You with good cheer,
For such a bountiful harvest
You have blessed us with this year.

We have so much to be thankful for
That mere words can only say
How I feel within my heart
On this Thanksgiving Day.

Thank You for our friends, dear Lord,
That mean so very much;
Bless our loving family
And keep them in Your touch.

Dear Lord, we give our thanks to Thee
And praise You as we should,
Thank You for Your blessings,
For the bad things and the good.

Help us serve and follow You
As we go along our way.
Bless all those present, Lord,
On this Thanksgiving Day.

~ Nell Ford-Hann

Quiet Mornings

In the early morning hours
When birds are singing sweet
And train whistles fill the hushness
Of this quiet dark and deep...

I think of all my blessings;
Each heartbeat is a gift.
A new day now is dawning.
My life, so full of bliss.

Oh Lord, I am so grateful
You've let me live today.
I know there's much for me to do,
As I travel on life's way.

May I always serve You, Lord,
No matter what the task.
You want me to be faithful,
For that is all You ask.

~ Mary Ann Jameson

O Lord, have pity on us, for 
You we wait. Be our strength
every morning, our salvation
in time of trouble!
Isaiah 33:2

Winds of Fate

Burdens are scattered like fallen leaves
And are lifted by the winds of fate.
Relief is sent from our loving God
Which comes never too soon nor too late.

If we but put our trust in Him
And dwell on the love He gave,
Like the winds of fate, He will lift us up,
While our souls He will surely save.

One never knows what tomorrow brings
But if God has us in His care,
We'll be filled with an unsurpassed love,
Like a jewel that is exquisite and rare.

So dwell not on tomorrow, friends,
But concentrate on today.
Live life according to God's plans
And follow in His loving ways.

~ Shirley M. Powell

I trust in Your faithfulness. Grant
my heart joy in Your help, that I 
may sing of the Lord, "How good
our God has been to me!"
Psalm 13:6

My Daily Prayer

Oh Lord, grant me Thy infinite peace,
Let all my contentions and worries cease;
Fill me with Your love and grace,
And help me to conquer the woes I face.

Let not the sun on my anger set
So I will have no remorse or regret;
Let me live my life for You above
And for those whom I dearly love.

Let me be a light that shines
For You, oh Lord, and or all of mankind
And for those who really love me true,
Regardless of the things I do.

Help me to be thankful in heart and mind
For all of the beauty that I find.
Help me to live in goodness day to day;
For these things, dear Lord, I daily pray.

~ Shirley Hile Powell

With his every deed he offered thanks to God Most
High, in words of praise. With his whole being he
loved his Maker and daily had His praises sung.
Sirach 47:8

These Make a Home

The love of parents, dear and true,
To dwell beneath the skies of blue,
Country meadows, vast and wide,
The wonder of God's countryside,
Kindness, caring, childhood dreams,
The happiness of magic scenes...

Touch of beauty, hopes to keep,
Confidence, believing reaps,
Memories we cherish still,
Valleys deep, a climbing hill,
Yesterdays we treasured so,
Sun at dawning, nights aglow...

Family that's ever dear,
Happy moments ever near,
Laughter, sorrow - bits of each,
Pleasures close - some out of reach,
Togetherness - sometimes alone...
'Tis all of these that make a home.

~ Garnett Ann Schultz

Happy the chosen ones You bring to dwell in Your
courts. May we be filled with the good things of
Your house, the blessings of Your holy temple!
Psalm 65:5

God Must Have Known

God must have known our hearts would need
A reassuring touch
When He made the friendly handclasp
That warms our heart so much.

He must have known that skies of blue
Would ofttimes turn to gray.
He put the sunshine in a smile
To brighten up our day.

God knew, I'm sure, that you and I
Would need a helping hand
Or kindly word to let us know
That others understand.

God must have known our hearts would need
A special kind of cheer;
I'm sure that's why He sent dear friends
To journey with us here.

~ Kay Hoffman

Give thanks to the Lord,
for He is good, for His
kindness endures forever.
I Chronicles 16:34

We Can't... But God Can!

Why things happen as they do
We do not always know,
And we cannot always fathom
Why our spirits sink so low...
We flounder in our dark distress,
We are wavering and unstable,
But when we're most inadequate
The Lord God's always able,
For though we are incapable,

God's powerful and great,
And there's no darkness of the mind
That God can't penetrate...
And all that is required of us
Whenever things go wrong
Is to trust in God implicitly
With a faith that's deep and strong,
And while He may not instantly
Unravel all the strands
Of the tangled thoughts that trouble us
He completely understands...
And in His time, if we have faith,
He will gradually restore
The brightness to our spirit
That we've been longing for.
So remember, there's no cloud too dark
For God's light to penetrate,
If we keep on believing
And have faith enough to wait!

~ Helen Steiner Rice

Used with permission of
The Helen Steiner Rice Foundation
Cincinnati, OH 45202

He's Always Been That Way

He knows my needs before I do,
He's always been that way,
He walks before me just to clear
The stones out of the way.
He hears my faintest whisper,
And sees my smallest tear,
And He tells me there's a reason
As to why He put me here.

He knows my faults and failings,
And the times that I complain,
My trials and tribulations,
And the plans that were in vain.
But He says this doesn't matter,
And it all will pass away,
That I've only but to trust Him
For He made me out of clay.

So I take the bits and pieces,
Of this life I've come to know,
And I tell Him "All for Jesus,"
...As I did so long ago,
And I feel my burden lifted,
And I know that come what may,
His love for me is endless,
And He's always been that way!

~ Grace E. Easley

But strive first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness and all these
things will be given to you as well.
Matt. 6:33

Then Sings My Soul!

We take for granted many things
in the passing of a day
Like hummingbirds with tiny wings,
and moonlight on the bay.
We fail to hear the robin's song
when Spring is in the air
Annoyed that Winter was too long
and all the trees are bare.

How often do we fail to see
the rainbows high above
Which come and go as silently
as feathers from a dove.
Summers pass and crimson leaves
fall gently at our door
When Autumn wears her golden sleeves
on nature's ballroom floor.

Beneath the sea the coral reefs
attract the diver's eye
For beauty there beyond belief
lies hidden from the sky.
The things of God are everywhere
the human eye can see -
Then sings my soul in joyful prayer
for all His majesty!

~ Clay Harrison

The Little Blessings

Sometimes the little blessings
Are greatest of them all;
A rose in summer's garden,
A tree so firm and tall,
A bird that lends its music,
One violets growing wild,
The stream along the meadow,
The laughter of a child.

God sends us little blessings
In every newborn day;
The sunrise and the sunset
To cheer us on our way,
A million golden moments
We oft' call commonplace,
Forgetting all the beauty
Of just a smiling face.

The lovely little things in life
However small they be,
So often lend us charms untold,
Embrace us happily.
Do offer thanks to God above
Each time you kneel in prayer,
For all the little blessings
In such a goodly share.

~ Garnett Ann Schultz

Everywhere I Look

Everywhere I look I find
Some wondrous handiwork of Thine,
Every singe day  I see
Some lovely thing You've given me.
My heart almost overflows,
At the sight of velvet rose,
Lacy fern, and birds that sing,
Lord, You've given me everything.
As the early morning breeze
Softly stirs through leafy trees,
Comes the dawn all steeped in gold,
More than my two arms can hold.

Silver stars throughout the night,
Purple shadows, pale moonlight
Turn my thoughts again to Thee,
Lord, I fear You're spoiling me.
Everywhere I look I find
Beauty of the richest kind,
Little joys throughout the day
Almost take my breath away.
How very precious I must be,
That You should have such love for me,
And in each cranny, smallest nook
I find you, everywhere I look.

~ Grace E. Easley

...The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament showeth His handiwork.
Ps. 19:1

Intangibles

The gift of love is never measured
In a monetary way,
For it is only manifested
In the actions we display.

The time we spend with children
Giving guidance, tender care,
Teaching, praising and up-lifting,
and just by being there.

The helping hands we offer,
Small things we do to please,
These are the precious treasures
That leave sweet memories.

Our kindness and compassion
To the aged, and infirm,
The giving of our inner selves
Are lasting fits of endless term.

Words of courage and encouragement,
A hug to show affection,
No diamond, gold or jewel
Can match the glow of love's perfection.

When we touch the hand of strangers
Each time we kneel to pray,
and invite our Lord to enter
We can brighten someone's day.

These intangibles are gifts from God
Priceless love beyond compare
and His love keeps multiplying
If only we could share.

~ Patience Allison Hartbauer

Faith, Hope and Love...
but the greatest of these is Love.
Cor. 13:13

I Know You're There

I know You're there when dawn begins to paint
The skies with color high above my head.
I know You're there when birds begin to sing
In spite of rain, a happy song instead.

I know You're there along the narrow path
That winds beyond the summit of a hill.
And when the twilight falls, 'neath stars above,
Within the silence I have found You still.

I know You're there throughout the busy hours,
I scarce have time to whisper Your sweet Name,
When snowflakes turn the winter world to white,
And autumn burns the hills with her bright flame.

I know You're there when spring peeps through the ground,
And bluebells softly ripple in the wind,
When summer comes and dappled shadows lend
A quiet peace beyond the river's bend.

I know You're there beyond the slightest doubt,
So many times I've felt Your presence when
Doubt blocked the way or when a bridge was out,
And once again You helped me on again.

And through the years when it may well appear
I walk alone and there are none to care,
Dear Lord, what breathless joy to turn around,
...And find You there!

~ Grace E. Easley

Life's Symphony

Oh, time the moments of my days,
Dear Lord, in perfect rhythm;
Not measured by an earthly score,
But harmonized in Heaven.
Oh, let me fix my eyes on Thee
So I will understand
The meaning of Thy slightest nod,
Each gesture of Thy hand.
And may I hear each whispered thought
So I will ever be
In readiness to play the part
That You have given me.

Forgive the times I've questioned this,
My small and humble score;
So oft ignoring 'holds' and 'rests,'
Alone I tried to soar
In swift allegro time and rushed
To carry out Thy will,
When suddenly the music stopped,
I heard Thy voice "Be still."
Had I been watching carefully,
Dear Lord, I would have known
That no one plays sweet music in
Life's symphony alone.

~ Alice Hansche Mortenson

A Place For Me

There is a special place in life,
That needs my humble skill,
A certain job I'm meant to do,
Nobody else can fill.
The hours are demanding,
And the pay is not too good,
And yet I wouldn't change it
For a moment, if I could.

There is a special place in life,
A goal I must attain,
A dream that I must follow,
For I won't be back again.
There is a mark that I must leave,
However small it be,
A legacy of love for those
Who follow after me.

There is a special place in life
That only I may share,
A little path that bears my name,
Awaiting me somewhere.
There is a hand that I must hold,
A word that I must say,
A smile that I must give, for there
Are tears to blot away.

There is a special place in life
That I was meant to fill,
A sunny spot where flowers grow
Upon a windy hill.
There's always a tomorrow
And the best is yet to be,
And somewhere in this world I know
There is a place for me!

~ Grace E. Easley

Autumn Days

I love this season of the year
When days are crisp and honey-clear;
When hillsides turn a russet brown
And Autumn sunlight shimmers down
Caressing gently, bushes, trees,
And flecks with gold the fallen leaves.

I love October's splendored days
When meadows glow with amber haze,
When pines and firs in emerald green
Bring lovely beauty to the scene,
And maple's vivid crimson blaze
Adorns the lanes and wooded ways.

When in the country asters grow
In white and purple, row on row;
And lazy sunflowers nod and sway
'Mid fields of clover and sweet hay;
While up above in azure sky
Swirled cotton candy clouds drift by.

I love this season of the year
When days are crisp and honey-clear.
When nature paints in bold array
October's colors bright and gay.
Joy fills my heart on days like these
When God smiles thru the flame-touched trees.

~ Beverly J. Anderson

The Artist of Autumn

The Artist of Autumn is busy,
painting His canvases rare;
which those produced by mere mortals,
can never begin to compare;

For the hands of this masterful Craftsman,
give life to each stem and each sheaf;
and tints, with astounding perfection,
rich textures on each separate leaf.

He claims the world as His subject:
the deserts and valleys and hills;
nor do scenes of the farmlands and prairies
escape His breathtaking skills.

O He gives with His talents, unequalled,
a freshness and fragrance to air;
and garments of flame for the foliage,
but Autumn's are privileged to wear.

Therefore I always feel anxious
when this special season draws near;
for soon with His paintbox of magic,
will the Artist of Autumn appear.

~ Don Beckman

Give thanks to the Lord...
to him who alone
does great wonders...
Ps. 136:3-4