Veteran's Day 2008

The sounds of my day off

The wind that rustles the fallen leaves
And those still clinging to empty trees
The wind chime playing a dancing song
Whisp'ring evergreens swaying along

The fragrances of my day off

Chicken and dumplings, bubbling hot
The last tomatoes the harvest brought
Cornbread and cookies cool on the rack
Fragrant wood smoke blown in from out back

The Blessings of my day off

Fresh flannel sheets, a soft feather spread
The chance of a nap, my cozy bed
Tea and hot cider, a favorite book
A long steamy bath, photos I took

The honor of my day off

Dirty and cold in Afghanistan
More weary than’s fair for any man
Patrolling the dark heart of Iraq
Praying to heaven that you’ll get back
Holding the line for the folks back here
Who love you, need you, hold you so dear
Warriors and heroes, who served and still do,
I owe you these blessings, I honor you.

Keeping an eye on Dorie while she Keeps an Eye on the World

Keeping an eye on the world outside
The jay and the killer squirrel
The leaves that could fall and do you harm
I’m keeping an eye on the world

Keeping an eye on the world outside
Protecting my boy and girl
Even when they are out of my reach
I’m keeping an eye on the world

Keeping an eye on the world outside
Where cats with their claws unfurled
Could slip in the yard and run amok
I'm Keeping an eye on the world

Many may scoff at the job I do,
And I’ll never hear paeans skirl,
But I know my duty and I’ll be true,
I’m keeping my eye on the world!!

Sleepng With the Rain

Sleeping with the rain tonight
The steady rhythmic beat
The window’s open just a crack,
A breeze across my feet
The rustle of the feathered quilt
Against the flannel sheet

There’s not a trace of starlight
Upon the cloudy plain
The night, like me, is blanketed
And sleeping with the rain

Tears

Tears in the forest, lost in the trees
Tears in the ocean, salt in salt seas
Tears in the mountains, frozen in snow
Tears spill like raindrops, unceasing flow

Lonely the forest, lonely the sea
Lonely the mountain and lonely me

The Night and Me

The dark, the rain, a cup of tea
The song of winter, the night and me
Wide awake, my dreams all flee,
There’s just the rain, the night and me

Ready or not

The rainy season has begun
It will go on and on
And I’m not ready yet

The darkening now has begun
Long nights and little sun
And I’m not ready yet

The winds that crack will soon begin
The trees will snap and spin
And I’m not ready yet

The brunt of winter's round the bend
The rain, the dark, the wind
And I’m not ready yet

The Dark Half of the Year

The perfect peace of a long, rainy night,
In the dark half of the year
The last of the harvest is stored away
The kettle purrs, warm with cheer,
The days now are short and the nights are long,
The holidays drawing near,
It’s time to treasure the blessings of life
The people that we hold dear.
It’s time to remember the loved ones lost,
A laugh, a smile or a tear.
It’s time to start easing up on the pace
Drop into a lower gear,
To make time to sit in the peaceful night
In the dark half of the year.