Memory Wrinkles 2-26-14

Whene'er I view God's mighty trees,

small sparrows, tiny birds,

my wrinkles bring back mem'ries that

are hard to put in words.

I sit close by my window sill

with crinkled memories.

I look out as I reminisce.

Some drop me to my knees.

Yes, those I'd just as soon forget

but pleased I am with most,

Each wrinkle is a mem'ry though.

With some, I love to boast.

Now here's a very special one,

when wedding dress was worn,

and this, another perfect one,

the day my child was born.

The time my child was married off,

a sight you'd have to see,

the birth of my granddaughter too,

the day she walked to me.

This wrinkle here had really hurt -

and it is yet 'unspoken'.

It caused me many, many tears -

my heart so sadly broken.

Oh, how can people hurt so much?

It is the worst of crimes.

And down on knees I prayed and prayed

so many, many times.

It seemed that I was so alone

those many, many years.

I wept and grieved all by myself

in all my lonely tears.

Yes, time and time again I prayed.

I said life wasn't fair.

I didn't think God heard my voice.

I wasn't sure He cared.

One day with Bible in my lap,

I started reading when,

a verse had stuck; was thirty-one

in Matthew, chapter ten.

Oh, I have mem'ry wrinkles, sure,

from small to deepest one,

but every day brings greater joy -

when shines, God's morning sun.

Whene'er I view God's mighty trees,

small sparrows, tiny birds,

my wrinkles bring back mem'ries that

are hard to put in words.

©2014 louis gander - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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Matthew 10:31 (KJV)

"Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."

The Mighty Ship 2-20-14

A brand new car, a hand-held game
or other things we chose,
a TV set, a picture frame
or nice designer clothes,

possessions each- and all the toys,

with every single day,

will rot or rust as earth destroys -

and simply waste away.

Of great importance, though, the chore

to grow the love of 'greed'.
Yes, bigger- better- greater- more,
so water, we, our needs.

---
(now to the spiritual...)
---

No sea or ocean under moon

to put a ship afloat -

and twilight comes much, much too soon

to build a mighty boat.

While aimlessly, the world roams,

surprised, I hear the Lord,

"The mighty ship is sailing home.

It's time to get aboard."
So swiftly, on my journey, go

here on this mighty ship -

and left behind, all those I know.

I sail my final trip.
Securely, though, on ship thereof,

upon the mighty sea,

I find myself in arms of love -
and earth has ceased to be.
---
(and back to the physical...)
---

It's all 'the rage' so hey, come on!
Be noticed!  That's our goal!
With make-up and great outfit on,
who cares about the soul?

Contoured, the fields of corn and hay,

the winds bring season's fall.
A few have learned the real way -
are humbled through it all.

The sun has lost its grip to west

and darkness now draws nigh.

Are we prepared to be His guest?

Are we prepared to die?

©2014 louis gander ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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My father was told that it was midnight and time to go to sleep,

moments later (before passing away), my father responded

with his last words- that he had to get on the boat first.

Let's all get on the ship.  We're heading home.

---

Matthew 6:16-24 (NASB)

16 “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

---

God calls all parents, daughters, sons

from every earthly nation.

Get aboard, you weary ones,

don't worship mere creation.

Winks and Smiles 2-16-14

Depressed I was, at all my plight, in God's creation bright.

Confused and then intrigued I was, before I saw the light.

The rainbow winked at mustard seed, the mustard seed at tree.

The tree winked at the lily then, and lily at the bee.

The bee winked at the honey and the honey at the sun -

and then the sunshine winked at me, the sad and lonely one.

Asked I, "What's all this winking- this winking all about?"

And that's when God's creation welled and started then to shout,

"We're free!  We're free, to do all that we can!

And we've no need to shed the tears of lost and sinful man!"

I asked them, how in unison, their spirits could be raised -

and questioned the beginnings of such kind and winking ways...

The bee said that the honey glowed and smiled at everyone.

The lily said the honey bee had smiled when he was done.

The lily smiled at the tree, the tree at mustard seed.

The mustard seed smiled at the warmth that did its gracious deed.

Said rainbow then, "I swear to you, the sun had smiled like this."

And that's when God's own sunshine had, embraced me in its kiss.

©2014 louis gander ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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Poetry 2-14-14

I sometimes think, "Why waste the ink on many lines of rhyme?

And is it right to sit and write just wasting precious time?

This exercise is just a guise if few come here to read.

A dream it was and all because I wanted to succeed.

I know I ought, but thoughts are naught.  I'm running out of steam.

I'm having fits of knowing it's a nightmare, not a dream.

So 'what's the use?'  That's my excuse to set aside my pen.

With water cup, I'll hang it up and never write again."

I must admit that I'm unfit to write another day!

Vast thoughts were stored for you dear Lord yet I've no words to say!

But plant the seed...?  I must indeed, then watch as letters flow -

out into phrasing so amazing that all readers know -

these poems shine 'cause they're not mine!  It's God who writes each poem!

He guides my pen, again, again until the soul can know Him!

I used to think, "Why waste the ink on poetry and such?"

But if the goal's to save the soul, it matters very much.

©2014 louis gander ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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For He Deserves 2-10-14

I drew attention to myself

and never thought it odd -

until I heard the compliments

that should have been for God.

So I have changed my attitude

and changed my wicked ways -

that I might focus on my God -

for He deserves all praise!

©2014 louis gander ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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I'd Gladly Trade 2-9-14

I run around to get things done.  It often makes me sad.

I'd gladly trade these times today for those my grandma¹ had.

The world is changing rapidly and keep up, I cannot.

I have so many gadgets now I don't know all I've got.

---

Yes, I would listen to her words and all she had to say.

Enjoyed, we did, our daily chores each moment of the day.

Now after reading verses in my brand new Testament,

she asked if I had finished chores.  I knew just what she meant.

Yes, all the chores- not some of them.  I didn't need a list.

It was a job to milk ol' 'Horns'² and not the easiest.

I'd throw the feed to chickens as they scampered on their legs.

I'd move the mother hens aside and gather their warm eggs.

Ingredients, my grandma took, that she had 'round about.

She mixed them all together in odd ways she figured out.

That rich aroma stole my nose with all her baking done -

and to this day I don't know how she always beat the sun.

She made an extra pumpkin pie just for the neighbor folk.

I listened most intently to my grandma when she spoke.

The days were hot and work was hard while sweat would soak our clothes

but never were there better days than when I think of those.

Before her home³ was torn down I had memorized them all -

each of Ten Commandments that hung squarely on her wall.

The great depression took its toll and she had lost to banks -

but she took time to pray each day to give our Savior thanks.

---

The world is changing rapidly. I don't know what to say,

but this I know- I cried and cried the day she passed away.

I run around to get things done.  It often makes me sad

and gladly trade these times today for those my grandma had.

©2014 louis gander ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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¹ Grandma Ida 1896 to 1990.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~terrybell/mcdermott/descendants.htm

² 'Horns' was really named 'Horney' and was the meanest of all the cows on the small farms my grandparents Homer and Ida owned (but she was still milked nonetheless).

³ Grandma's farm house had stood at North Clayton, WI. 

50 acres
Clayton, WI

43° 23.542', -90° 43.685'

200 acres

15044-15452 Vance Rd

Gays Mills, WI 54631

43° 21.017', -90° 47.780'

Until God Says 2-6-14

Oh, once upon a time there was a disciplined young lad

who didn't have the things that all the other children had.

So they would joke and laugh at him.  They really were quite bad.

Now they would taunt and tease and shove, or trip him in the hall.

The boys would always choose him last when they had played kickball

and what they really thought of him was way below them all.

Oh, how he'd try to please them though.  He'd try and try and try.

Their cruelty had followed him but he did not know why.

So many times he'd find a quiet, private place to cry.

Appreciated, he was not - nor would they, him, acknowledge.

With parents poor, he went to work and gained a little knowledge.

For over forty years he worked.  He never went to college.

And then he lost his whole life's work with cozened lawyers' pens.

And then he lost his business too, his family and his friends.

And then he lost his home and health and couldn't make amends.

Although life was depressing and- nobody seemed to care,

he prayed and prayed and prayed some more escaping this despair.

And then he did some writing- just a poem here and there.

He writes to help the "least of these" and sometimes just for fun.

He'll write and write and write some more until God says he's done.

And that, my friends, is why he writes.  He even wrote this one.

©2014 louis gander ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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Morning Sky!, The 2-1-14

My sleepy eyes were no disguise

for soul in such despair.

There's no defense.  It made no sense

and midnight didn't care.

The days flew past, they didn't last

and darkness made me frown.

Sin filled my mind and I was blind.

Vast blackness weighed me down.

My futile ways brought wasted days

and I began to cry.

So sad because my story was -

and I began to die...

---

Awake, I shook!  The morning took

me largely by surprise.

I felt great shame, repentance came

and grace drew me to rise.

Yes, Jesus lives and He forgives!

He makes my spirit whole!

And all the while, you'll see my smile

from such a sunlit soul!

And it awakes as Jesus takes

my burdens by and by.

The brilliant love of God above

now lights the morning sky!

©2014 louis gander ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

http://www.ganderpoems.org/

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2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB)

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature;

the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.