THE GREATEST GIFTS OF ALL

I look out my upstairs window

If it were not for the trees

It would be a beautiful moonscape

Does the moon have ice piles?

Does inland seawater splash on them

Growing them and turning them white?

Is it cold?  It must be for how could it not

Is it I who has to fetch two bucketsful

Of this grayish-green liquid and

Carry it back over rough terrain

The length of two football fields?

I will need help.  I will need strength

I will need encouragement and

Mostly I will need prayer

There is a small fire burning

The water will be boiled

We will scrap the barren soil

For the growth of something we can boil

And make a soup for our hungry children

I wonder about all of this

There is hunger everywhere

Where is the man with the loaves and fish?

Oh!  I forgot.  He turned that over to us

We have allowed this sad situation

We were self-centered; ignoring

The tyranny occurring about us

We allowed division and then winners

And losers.  We didn’t follow instruction

It is not a moonscape even though it could be

It is not I who has to tread over ice for water

Or dig for weeds and grass to make soup

And watch our starving children die

But somewhere, not far away

We have the same hopeless condition

The children will die, but the trust in

The redeemer will only get stronger

Faith, hope, and love; the perfect gifts

For the One who needs nothing and

As a thankyou gave His life for us

We are a strange breed

We have much to learn

Stanski

January 12, 2022 ^

A PATHWAY

A worn path

Led to a dune

Then more dunes

Up and down

And finally to

The inland sea

Red fire hydrant

Attracting a dog

A Dalmatian

Sirens scream

Interrupting

The dog was trained

Children laughing on

A park bench

Engines roar by

Bells ringing

Smoke is seen

By the inland sea

An odd-shaped lot

With many buildings

Crippled now with a blaze

Scorching every flower

Lining the beginning of

The worn path

Resolution cries

What went wrong?

Our focus is out of sync

With what matters

Maintain properly

Buildings and souls

Stanski

January 12, 2022 ^