Remembering Our Father - Sonnet XVIII

 

 

Remembering Our Father – Sonnet XVIII

 

 

Remembering our father’s birth,
He’d wish his sons to take and wield,
His mantle forth so far afield,
The love he shared, and all his mirth,
Each day he walked upon this earth,
So many tears and grief revealed.
His final days, his lips now sealed,
And, we so felt his mighty worth,
Now, heartaches they will slowly fade,
Replaced by memories; true joys,
The tents you pitched; the games you played,
Deep love revealed when we were boys,
Oh, how can we but e’er repay,
Be more like him each passing day!

 

 

Peter Lowell Paulson
August 27, 2012
Our Father James Lloyd Paulson
Born August 27, 1925
Died September 19, 2009

Bare Feet on a Cold Morn


I don’t think I’ve ever been this quite aware,
Of my morning routine when my feet are bare,
If you wake when I do ‘fore sun is quite up.
The house is quite still you’ve not had your first cup.


The family is sleeping still silent in bed,
The house is not lighted; toward kitchen you head,
You feel every bump in the carpet of twill,
Your feet reach the tile; awake with a chill.


Now out for the paper you test all ten toes,
And onto the porch where the cooler wind blows,
You walk around searching ‘til paper you find,
But, the chill on the feet it now clutters your mind.


Back in for the java; you spy with a grin,
Instead of a drink I might put my toes in,
With fall on the rise, I’ll not cry, I’ll not pout,
Just back to the closet; my slippers are out.


Peter Lowell Paulson
August 20, 2012

The Harvest

Wither’ng wheat upon the field,
And corn so dry it cannot yield,
The drought it swallows food so dear,
For every creature far and near.


Yet these fair days with coolest breeze,
The north wind blows; it brings such ease,
To romp within the park with sass,
On somber, sullen golden grass.


The trees they hold our future now,
They’ve been around and show us how,
To prosper in these dire times,
They spread their roots in drier climes.


The message is, “There’s no despair!”,
Go deeper for the water’s there,
It’s time to settle in and grow,
To grasp each one you love and know.


For soon the harvest moon will come,
Why worry where our food comes from,
The stalk, the kernel, water, seed,
It's Heaven bears our every need.


Peter Lowell Paulson
August 14, 2012

Reach

Reach

True happiness,
Purest joy,
Comes from reaching beyond ourselves,
Introspection,
Self-reflection,
Short runs,
Dead ends really,
Reach as far as you are able,
Reach out,
Reach up,
In every direction keep reaching,
Smile more,
Laugh more,
Touch someone’s heart today,
Help someone else reach their potential,
When life lacks clarity,
Reach once more,
As far as you are able,
To touch the infinite,
The eternal,
The source of our being,
God.

Peter Lowell Paulson
August 10, 2012
 

A Child's Laughter

A child’s laughter,
Bright and uninhibited,
Untainted by bias or envy,
Spontaneous,
Welling from within,
And bursting forth,
From a source of joy,
Which can no longer be contained,
It transforms,
Every soul is captivated,
Transfixed if only for a moment,
Remembering that childlike happiness,
Within ourselves,
And we are reborn,
Into something better,
Every time!


Peter Lowell Paulson
August 7, 2012

Hotel Ignacio

A Jewel,

St. Louis bound,
Cloistered and protected,
Restored,
Newly drenched in art of every kind,
European utility,
American ingenuity,
Two blocks from the treasure box, Fox,
Had a dream in the room tonight,
Someone said, “Let me show you the Hotel Ignacio”,
One step inside,
The owner said, “It’s not ready,”
“It’s not perfect”,
“It’s not as good as it could be”,
“Come back tomorrow!”
Well, it’s ready!
Come and see,
But, be prepared,
To Enjoy!

Peter Lowell Paulson

August 3, 2012