THOUGHTS AT THREE A.M.

HEAR THE THOUGHTS OF A MAN WITH LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE " LEGS"

Right now, there are so many runs for the cure, and walks for funds for this disease, and that problem, and we all know that the summer will be full of them, leading up to the labor day MD Telethon. As the man says in the commercial, they are all good causes,and  worthy of your support. But the following is something you don't often see or hear in connection with any of these fund raisers. This is a poem, written by a man who had been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, and was in a wheelchair by this time.These private thoughts have been carried around by his daughter since he passed away, in 1952, at the age of 35.

                                                      LEGS

                                  All you do is sit and think

                                 When your legs are on the blink

                                  The day will come and you shall see

                                  The joy of life come back to me.

                                   You never miss them when they are alright

                                   But when they are gone you pray each nite

                                   You pray so hard that you can hear

                                   "GOD" softly answer in your ear.

                                   We hope so soon that God will see

                                    The right to give back health to me

                                     I believe I paid the price of sin

                                      To be happy and well once again.

                                       I know I can take it on the chin

                                       Forever smile and always grin

                                       My family, not me that pays the price

                                       For all this worry and all this strife.

                                       So please God be good to me

                                       Help me get well and feel free

                                       To do once again what a father should

                                        To try once again to always be good.

                                                                                 written by Edward Stephenson.

LETTER TO A FRIEND

Dear Friend,

Enclosed is the prose I read to you over the phone a while back. I am sorry it has taken me so long to type it up and send it to you, but you know how crazy things can get. Along with trying to finish gifts in time, the flower  and fairy filled machine- otherwise known as my Underwood Scriptor, took some time off, and I had a time cajoling it into going back to work. I finally succeeded, but not without a great deal of grumbling and mumbling under it's breath. Therefore, do not find it unusual that one of those flowers found it's way onto the page in the machine-I believe it's a pink carnation, your favorite flower?

with amazement, FEATHERHEAD

                                          SEPARATION

OH, my dearest friend

I try,

but I cannot dredge up the words

to express

how profoundly I miss you.

How many times throughout the day,

every day

I stop

and think fondly of you.

I picture your face,and hear again your voice, your laugh,

and see your smile, and for a moment only, I am with you again.

Time and circumstance have separated us,

and I know I  may never see you again, until  God calls us home.            

The knowledge is hard to accept, yet I know I must, and go on.

I only hope that once in a while,

You think fondly of me,

too...

OUI?

A FATHERS WISDOM

Hold your children tightly, but not so tightly they cannot breathe, Bring them up uprightly,your spirit not to grieve.....

Correct them with gentle loving patience, provoke them not to wrath. loosen that guiding hand from their shoulders, once they've found the path!

Regale them with your stories, include them in your fun,for these are gifts they will recall, when all is said and done.

Make it easy for them to honor you, and show such honor to your wife, for without her, you will recall,  you would not be "Father", the whole of your life...

Many men can help create a life, many can do that job, but it takes a certain courage, to stay the course, and raise that lass or lad, a certain strength of charecter, for them to call you DAD.

So if you've done your duty well, and earned the title all fullwell, you can see, in your child's eyes, that twinkle, that sparkle, of love and fondness true,

When they're looking up to someone special.

They're looking up, to you....DAD!

AND THEN, YOU'LL BE A MAN, MY SON.

OUI?

MEMORY

FIELDS, COMBED GREEN AND YELLOW

BY A STRONG BREEZE, EDGED BY

BRACKEN, BIRCH, AND PINE,

TOPPED BY A PREENING SKY OF PEACOCK BLUE-

CAUGHT IN A MOMENTS GLANCE,

RECALLED ANEW

REMEMBERED HAZILY, THROUGH SMOKEY WINE,

CUDDLED CLOSE UP  AGAINST

THE REALITY OF WINTER'S FREEZE

A LOVED AND SMILING FACE DRIFTS IDLY BY,

DANCING FLAMES DRAW PICTURES IN MY MIND...

HOW IS IT THAT I SEE AGAIN THAT DEAR FACE

AND HEAR THE MUSIC WE ENJOYED TOGETHER,

AND YOU SO LONG SINCE GONE?

SOMETIMES, MEMORY IS NOT SO KIND

SCENES COME BACK, FULL,RICH, AND CLEAR

THE VISION FILLED WITH COLOR, SCENTS AND SOUNDS

SO STRONG, IT BRINGS A TEAR...

I CAN SEE THE SPARKLE OF YOUR HAIR,

AND SMELL AGAIN YOUR PERSONAL PERFUME

SO REAL, I COULD REACH OUT AND GRASP YOUR HAND

AND BID YOU STAY, FOR ONE MORE MOMENT

AND ENTREAT YOU, STAND HERE WITH ME

FOR A MOMENT ONLY

THE WAY BEFORE LOOKS LONG

AND LONELY...

AND YET, YOU TURN, AND GIVE ME A SMILE

BELOVED,

AS IF TO SAY

WORRY NOT...

IT WON'T BE THAT LONG...

AND I WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU

AND MY HEART GLOWS,

WITH THE MEMORY.....

OUI?

VALLEY SERMON

WHEN HE SAID, "LOVE THY NEIGHBOR"

HE DIDN'T SPECIFY,

THE COLOR THAT THE GUY SHOULD BE

OR SHOULD HE WEAR A TIE,

OR THAT HE LIVE RIGHT NEXT DOOR

OR LIVE ACROSS THE SEA,

OR IF HE'D OWN A VAST ESTATE,

OR LIVE IN HOUSE, OR TENT,

OR TO WHICH LODGE OR CHURCH HE'D GO

OR EVEN IF HE WENT!

HE DIDN'T DRAW A CONTRACT, CLAUSED, WITH LOTS

OF TINY PRINT.

HE MERELY TOLD THEM WHAT HE MEANT,

NOT TO CONFUSE THE CROWD

HE MADE IT PLAIN AND SIMPLE,

HE SAID IT CLEAR AND LOUD

HE SAID IT VERY LOUD AND CLEAR

HE MEANT IT SHOULD BE HEARD...

HE KNEW THEY'D UNDERSTAND HIM

HE MEANT IT, EVERY WORD

THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HE MEANT,

AND EVERY HEART WAS STIRRED.

HE DIDN'T AIM TO LOUSE IT UP

BY BURYING IT DEEP

UNDER FANCY PHRASES

AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HEAP

HE KNEW THEY'D TRY TO CHANGE IT

THE BOYS WHOSE GAME HE'D QUEER-

THE BIGOTS,AND THE HATERS,

THE CROWD THAT THRIVE ON FEAR-

SO HE  MADE A FINAL STATEMENT

ON THE MOUNTAIN TOP THAT DAY

DON'T BE LIKE THE PHARISEES...

DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE YOU,

LEARN TO LOVE, AS WELL AS PRAY.

AND HOW WOULD WE RECEIVE HIM

IF HE SHOWED UP ONCE MORE?

A BAREFOOT BEARDED JEW, WITH CALLOUSED HANDS-

AND NOT A LANDED GENT-

HE CHOSE TO LIVE HIS LIFE THIS WAY

TO SHOW US WHAT HE MEANT-

JUST IN CASE WE OVERLOOKED THE FACTS WE READ IN PRINT...

INTO OUR GLOSSY MONIED CHURCHES

THROUGH THE POLISHED, MODERN DOORS...

WELL GROOMED CONGREGATIONS, IN THEIR POLISHED PEWS

WOULD STARE-

WARN THEIR PASTORS, WITH BLEAK FACES,

TO ACCEPT HIM,

IF THEY DARE !

WOULD HE FIND AGAIN THE CHRISTMAS

OF TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO?

CELEBRATE HIS BIRTHDAY

ONCE AGAIN,

IN A STABLE?

IN THE SNOW?

HE ALONE

OF ALL THE PEOPLE

OF THIS TEEMING EARTH-

HAD A CHOICE

AND, HAD HE CHOSEN

TO BE KING

BY RIGHT OF BIRTH

TO BE OTHER THAN MARY'S SON-

A WEALTHY, CULTURED

PAMPERED LORD-

SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE-

THEN...

WHO IS LEFT TO BE ADORED?

BY THE HAVE  NOTS

AND SUCH.

SUCH LOVE IS NOT GIVEN JUST FOR PRIDE.

WOULD WE FOLLOW IN HIS WAY

IF OTHERS WALKED, SO HE COULD RIDE?

(scripture reference, Matthew, chapter 5)

OUI?