Not Just Friends

I just hate to go home for the summer
After all we’ve been through and the good times we’ve had
But before I should go; I just want you to know,
I don’t want it to end; you’ve been more than a friend,
My best friend I just have to tell you.

We decided to meet at the station,
Then you reached out to me put a card in my hand,
“Please just put it away, read it some other day,
It was really quite hard; when I bought you that card,
But it says what I really must say.”

What is this that you would tell me you can’t say out loud?
A few hours and I’ll too far away,
We have shared and we’ve talked about each other’s dreams,
I don’t want this to end; you’ve been more than a friend,
My best friend I can’t leave you this way.

You just smiled that smile that you carry,
Said, “be good as you can,” then put your card into my bag,
And it started to rain; as I got on the train,
As we waved our goodbyes, there were tears in my eyes,
All these feelings were hard to explain.

The train pulled away,
Felt my heart break, in pieces,
It was you, that just had me in two,
You are more than a friend, now this just cannot end,
For my friend I have fallen for you.

Then I opened the card that you gave me,
And it read on the front as I stared in surprise,
“I just can’t be your friend; now this all has to end”,
As my heart nearly died, then I read the inside,
“Not just friends for I’m in love with you”,
“Not just friends for I’m in love with you”.
In Love with you.

Peter Lowell Paulson
January 29, 2011

I Believe in You

I believe in you,
Even when the clouds appear,
I will show, my love will grow,
Everyday you’re near.

I believe in you,
I believe in you,
From the start, I gave my heart-
To you, and only you.

I believe in you,
I believe in you,
You’re the one, who brings the sun,
With everything, my heart can sing it’s true
I Love You.

From the first day we were together,
I knew we would have stormy weather,
But then you took control,
My very soul and heart belonged to you,
I just found my life in you,

Now, I believe in you,
I believe in you,
Through the years, you’ve dried my tears,
And made the skies so blue.

I believe in you,
I believe in you,
Through the day, in everyway
You fill my soul and make me whole, it’s true.

Oh, and
I believe in you, my love,
I believe in you, my dear,
It’s True!

Peter L. Paulson
January 26, 2011

I Hear A Song

I hear a song,

All day long,

In the red bow,

In the white snow,

In the brown doe,

It is a blessing,

I am guessing.

It makes me happy!

Peter Lowell Paulson

January 25, 2011

Ode to Family

A family’s love is learned when just a child,
Before the use of words are on the tongue,
A mother wraps her arms on infant mild,
A father plays and swings you when you’re young,
And others care when members are quite old,
To cure the ills and pains and keep them safe,
From childhood when we made the cakes of mud,
And parents wrapped us for the bitter cold,
Together love; protect from worldly chafe,
And joined; constrained by lineage of blood.

And yet there are the ones that go a sea,
They seem so far away and all alone,
On family issues they will not agree,
The distance and the walls they finely hone,
There is a point at which they want to stray,
A separation from the family font,
Ignoring that they are from single seed,
All others wish their fears they could allay,
And fill the inner yearning of their want,
Or quench the thirst for answers in their need.

And still together we must live and learn,
Protect each one from dangerous alarm,
Offer prayer on travel and return,
Give sympathy; reach out the loving arm,
With only love the truest family form,
And gather guidance from our God above,
Regardless where our children choose to roam,
Remind them of the place of comfort warm,
That's centered in the heart of gracious love,
Together there is peace within that home.

Peter Lowell Paulson
January 23, 2011

A Lover's Pledge - Sonnet IV

I pledge my love to you and now beseech,
And you returned your lover's vow to me,
This love which bloomed and grew was meant to be,
Beyond these breakers we have built to reach,
White sandy shores to roam along its beach,
View calmer waters of our love’s decree,
To love each other this we e’er agree,
A kiss, a vow, our love bestowed to each,
Yet vow alone would all but be absurd,
It is when lovers bond in fond embrace,
And carry love with every whispered word,
With tender loving fingers bodies trace,
“I love you,” said quite often, also heard,
And reach, caress and kiss your lover’s face.

Peter Lowell Paulson

January 22, 2011

Cold

Tonight the cold is like a murdering thief

Who cannot decide how to do you in,

He wraps his icy fingers round you,

And plunges a cold searing knife,

Through coat, scarf and sweater,

Until it reaches skin and bone.

Is that mean spirited

To think of cold this way?

I think not because it is he,

That acts this way.

Cold brutal cold,

Go back up to the north where you belong,

And as you go call back your

Southern Brother,

I can take a bit of both of you when you meet,

The breeze from each of you

When you meet in the middle is sweet.

Peter Lowell Paulson

January 22, 2011

The Spider and the Wasp

The spider slipping silently along the silken thread,
Seems totally oblivious as I'm watching from my bed,
He drops straight down but does not fall creating a fine cord,
Then swings as if an acrobat to catch the rafter board.

At first the lines are quite obtuse it seems an odd design,
Creating this perimeter it all appears benign,
But then like magic he still works and circles now appear,
Within the fabric of the web the symmetry is clear.

Completed now the spider dances to the outer rim,
Then turns and faces inward watching for his first victim,
A minute gone a wasp now flies right into this fine snare,
A huge old beast the spider small the web begins to tear.

A gaping hole within the web the wasp it will be free,
This mighty wing-ed warrior loose it is so plain to see,
A critical mistake it makes its wing now finds the snare,
Of gluey substance of the web it is quite fastened there.

The wasp now furious it pulls and bounces the whole thing,
The spider sitting sidelined, waiting to avoid its sting,
The second wing become entwined the wasp can only wait,
As spider deft descends to fix the hole then seal his fate.

The web repaired to proper form the wasp can only swing,
His violent stinger toward the foe a swift fine death to bring,
But spider he avoids this end and climbs up to the head,
Begins to spin a silken tomb then wait awhile instead.

These two combatants in the air will both now have their doom,
My wife unnerved by insects here as entered with a broom,
And with one swipe the dust and web were taken from our home,
Perchance the spider came out well in wilderness to roam.


Peter Lowell Paulson
January 19, 2011

The Mind of Man - Sonnet III

What marvel this the mind of man that he,

Does God exist at all upon this earth,

Ideas formed and nurtured from our birth,

Could souls exist for all eternity?

Or ponder this a false dichotomy,

At times transporting us to merry mirth,

What energies we spend our wonder worth,

Yet pause the questioned answer sets us free,

A liberty beyond all strife or strain,

Before the bones are placed beneath the sod,

With boundless faith the search is not in vain,

To reach beyond this beauteous earth we trod,

To sense beyond belief that we will gain,

The gift, the mind, the soul, and love of God.

Peter Lowell Paulson

January 18, 2011

Hansel and Gretel

Hansel and Gretel a tale that’s an old one,

A brother and sister they never had much fun,

They lived in a forest with their family,

And searched for each morsel of food hungrily,

Their father a woodcutter worked all his life,

To feed his twelve children and his hungry wife,

His wife in a tizzy once yelled to her spouse,

“You must take two children right out of this house”.

“Right out of this house, now!” she shouted to him.

“This makes all good sense and it’s hardly a whim,”

“We’ve ten more to feed now, that’s all we can take,”

“Please lose the two youngest, for my goodness sake!”

So now the poor woodcutter covered with grief,

He took Hansel ‘n Gretel right out like a thief,

Right out the forest to leave them right there,

But ever the parent he loved them with care.

He loved these two children he loved them he did,

In secret he told them of secrets quite hid,

So Hansel he gathered before they were led,

He hid in his backpack a hard loaf of bread.

With Gretel in hand now her brother did drop,

A trail of fine bread crumbs along every stop,

To help them now follow the trail back they’d roam,

Next morning to follow the bread crumbs to home.

But birds up above that were flying in air,

Saw Hansel just spreading the crumbs for them there,

They soared down below and the crumbs they did eat,

This doomed all the plans in the poor children’s feat.

Unaware this was happening Hansel quite glad,

Told Gretel his sister, “Now, don’t you be sad,”

“We’ll follow the crumbs back to our family dwelling,”

“And once they all see us their hearts will be swelling.”

The woodcutter father now lost them quite deep,

In the forest he left them, but now he did weep,

He did what his cruel wife had told him to do,

But he went back to get them to hold them so true.

But Hansel and Gretel had walked from the place,
Where their father had left them with hardly a trace,
And under a tree now they slept for the night,
Next morning they’d follow the bread trail in sight.

All morning they searched but the bread crumbs were gone,
They searched all day long, in the night and next dawn,
While searching they saw an unusual sight,
A gingerbread house with a candy cane light.

The house covered everywhere with every candy,

They ran to the house and they thought it quite dandy,

They started to nibble the sweet chocolate door,

And the sweet ginger shingles they ate all the more.

And all of a sudden they looked with surprise,

At the brown sugar window now peered two brown eyes,

At the old woman who was now living within,

The gingerbread house and she had a big grin.

A fine grin she had and she said now with glee,

Oh now children, oh children you come now to me,

For I see that you’re hungry I’ll feed you I will,

You just come in my house and I’ll feed you your fill.

And they walked in the house in a cage she now put them,

She locked the cage tight with a key from her dress hem,

She put the key safely back into her dress,

And said I will fatten you up, I confess.

And when you are fatter I’ll eat you right quick,

I don’t eat the thin ones they make me quite sick,

So here have some cookies and raspberry jelly,

Some chocolate, caramel makes a fat belly.

They ate all the candy for it was quite sweet,

Lemon drops, gumballs, they all were a treat,

And the fine chocolate cake was especially great,

They ate and they ate and they ate and they ate.

The witch would let Gretel now help her with chores,

To dust every knickknack and mop all the floors,

The witch would eat Hansel first when he was fat,

But he kept eating food in the cage where he sat.

The old witch’s eyes could not see very well,

She felt Hansel’s finger in order to tell,

In order to tell if his finger was fat,

Then he would be tender to eat, that was that.

But Hansel would trick the old witch with a trick,

He had in his pocket a small wooden stick,

The witch said to Hansel, “Stick your finger out!”

Then he stuck out the stick and the witch she would shout,

She shouted out loud, “You’re as thin as a rake!”

“You’re not ready to baste; you’re not ready to bake!”

She said, “You should eat more please have some of these”

And gave him a plate of fine French fries with cheese.

The very next the day the old witch said “Enough!”

“I’ll bake him today!” she now said in a huff.

“Put wood in the oven” she said to small Gretel,

“And quickly now quickly now bring me the kettle.”

Now poor frightened Gretel she started the fire,

The flames in the oven went higher and higher,

The witch with her bad eyes she said from her chair,

“Is the oven now ready to bake Hansel there?”

A plan in her head Gretel said “Please come look,”

She said to the witch, “I don’t know how to cook.”

When the witch put head in the oven to see,

Gretel shoved her right in, closed the door; took her key.

The witch now was dead and the children were free,

A magical thing now just happened you see,

The candy and gumdrops now turned into gold,

A wonderful thing for their eyes to behold.

They took all the gold in their packs they would fill,

Walked right out the door and then climbed a big hill,

And once at the top all a sudden they’d see,

Their woodcutter father all smiling with glee.

“Please come back to home, your mother is sad,”

“She’s sorry she sent you away she was bad,”

“She wants your forgiveness for things that she said,”

“They’re lost; it’s my fault, she would cry in her bed.”

But Father, oh Father the two children screamed,

We’ve found all this gold and the shiny gold gleamed,

So hand in hand back to their cottage they’ wend,

And lived happily ever after, THE END

Peter Lowell Paulson

January 16, 2011

(picture used courtesy of download-free-pictures.com)

A Peace That Lasts

In patterns of a life renewed,

You must now ponder all reviewed,

The visions of the reverie,

And coupled with what life must be.

What God ordains on this fine soil,

In human terms we all must toil,

To keep ourselves within the realm,

As steadied firmly on the helm.

We move this ship on stormy sea,

Toward calmer waters you and me,

And know that we will see the shore,

A peace that lasts forever more.

Peter Lowell Paulson

January 12, 2011

Sleepy Moon

Dedicated to Grandsons Gabriel, Elijah, Carsten and Graham

Sleepy Moon

Sleepy slivered, silvered moon,

All but bids a fair good night,

To every child who’ll slumber soon,

He’ll watch from heaven beaming bright.

And stars that twinkle in the sky,

Like fairy dust above the glen,

Will shine and glow ‘til morning's nigh,

Until the sun wakes up again.

Peter Lowell Paulson

January 1, 2011