Now Winter Nights Enlarge

[for winter, nature & Valentine's Day]

Now winter nights enlarge

The number of their hours;

And clouds their storms discharge

Upon the airy towers.

Let now the chimneys blaze

And cups o’erflow with wine,

Let well-turned words amaze

With harmony divine.

Now yellow waxen lights

Shall wait on honey love

While youthful revels, masques, and courtly sights

Sleep’s leaden spells remove.

This time doth well dispense

With lovers’ long discourse;

Much speech hath some defense,

Though beauty no remorse.

All do not all things well;

Some measures comely tread,

Some knotted riddles tell,

Some poems smoothly read.

The summer hath his joys,

And winter his delights;

Though love and all his pleasures are but toys,

They shorten tedious nights.

--By Thomas Campion; ~1601

b.12 February 1567, d. 1 March 1620 

God Bless Our Native Land

God bless our native land;
Firm may she ever stand
Through storm and night:
When the wild tempests rave,
Ruler of wind and wave,
Do Thou our country save
By thy great might.

For her our prayers shall rise
To God, above the skies;
On Him we wait.

Thou who art ever nigh,
Guarding with watchful eye,
To Thee aloud we cry,
God save the state!

And not to us alone, 
But be Thy mercies known
From shore to shore.

 

 
Lord, make the nations see
That men should brothers be
And form one family
The wide world o'er.

Verses 1-2, Siegfried A. Mahlmann, 1815;
Verse 3, William E. Hickson, 1835

(sung to the tune "America")

It's Grand

Recent anniversary trip up to the Grand Canyon:

 

Elk

Scrub Jay

 

Mule Deer



 

 

 

Thanksgiving

The year has turned its circle,
The seasons come and go.
The harvest all is gathered in
And chilly north winds blow.

Orchards have shared their treasures,
The fields, their yellow grain,
So open wide the doorway --
Thanksgiving comes again!    ---Old Rhyme.

 

Love Divine

My lover is radiant and ruddy,
Outstanding among ten thousand [men].
His head is purest gold;
His hair is wavy, black as a raven.
His cheeks are like beds of spices,
[a garden] That produces fragrance.
His lips are lilies that drip with myrrh.
His arms are rods of gold,
Set with chrysolite.*
His chest is like polished ivory,
Set with sapphires.
His legs are pillars of marble,
Set on bases of pure gold...
His mouth is altogether sweet;
Everything about his is desirable.
This is my lover, This is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.
---Song of Solomon** 5:10-11; 13-15a; 16

*A green semi-precious stone
**This book describes physical, human love between a couple but is also a picture of the intense love God has for His people.

I shall know why (untitled)

193

I shall know why—when Time is over—
And I have ceased to wonder why—
Christ will explain each separate anguish
In the fair schoolroom of the sky*—

He will tell me what "Peter" promised**—
And I—for wonder at his woe—
I shall forget the drop of Anguish
That scalds me now—that scalds me now!

---Emily Dickinson, circa 1880

* Many people have speculated that in heaven, we will have all our questions answered, but that, then, it won't matter anymore.

**Probably a reference to Peter's promise to Jesus that he absolutely would not deny Him through the hard times coming up. Those hard times were Jesus's trial later that night, His suffering and His death. Peter did, indeed, deny Christ, three times, and then went out and wept bitterly when the rooster crowed (as Jesus had prophesied), and Peter laid eyes on Jesus. This was Peter's anguish. Dickinson is probably making a parallel to the ways she knows she has fallen short and the anguish that brings, realizing that her anguish will fade when (1) confronted by Peter's in person and (2) she is in the presence of Christ. Since "Peter" is in quotes, Dickinson may be going beyond the literal Peter of the Bible to refer to someone, some man, who left her feeling betrayed.

Who Am I?

Dietrich Bonhöffer, a young [Lutheran] theologian of great promise [from the German state church], was martyred by the Nazis for his participation in a plot against the life of Adolf Hitler. His writings have greatly influenced recent theological thought. This article appeared in the Journal Christianity and Crisis, March 4, 1946. [Some Lutherans question the depth or expression of his Lutheran theology, but this is a moving poem, regardless.]

Who am I? 

They often tell me
I stepped from my cell’s confinement
Calmly, cheerfully, firmly,
Like a squire from his country-house.
Who am I? They often tell me
I used to speak to my warders
Freely and friendly and clearly,
As though it were mine to command.
Who am I? They also tell me
I bore the days of misfortune
Equally, smilingly, proudly,
Like one accustomed to win.

Am I then really all that which other men tell of?
Or am I only what I myself know of myself?
Restless and longing and sick, like a bird in a cage,
Struggling for breath, as though hands were
compressing my throat,
Yearning for colors, for flowers, for the voices of birds,
Thirsting for words of kindness, for neighborliness,
Tossing in expectation of great events,
Powerlessly trembling for friends at an infinite distance,
Weary and empty at praying, at thinking, at making,
Faint, and ready to say farewell to it all?

Who am I? This or the other?
Am I one person today and tomorrow another?
Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others,
And before myself a contemptibly woebegone weakling?
Or is something within me still like a beaten army,
Fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?
Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine.
Whoever I am, Thou knowest, 0 God, I am Thine!* ----Dietrich Bonhoeffer; March 4,1945
*Because Jesus died on the cross for us

Be Still, My Soul

[These are tough economic times for people. And, yet, the timeless wisdom and loving care of God never change.]

Be still, my soul*: the Lord is on your side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to your God to order and provide:
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: your best, your heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: your God will undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Your hope, your confidence let nothing shake:
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
Christ's voice, which ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears.
Then you shall better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe your sorrow and your fears.
Be still, my soul: your Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: begin the song of praise;
While still on earth, sing to your Lord on high.
Acknowledge Him in all your words and ways**,
So shall He view you with a well-pleased eye.
Be still, my soul: the Sun of Life*** divine
Through passing clouds shall but more brightly shine.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessèd we will meet at last.
---Katharina A. von Schlagel, 1752 (German); translated 1855 Jane L. Borthwick; adapted c.m.b., 2009
*Psalms 46: 10 & 42: 4-11
**Proverbs 3: 5-6
***Malachi 4:2; Jesus as the "Sun of Righteousness"

God Bless Our Native Land

(A poetic hymn to celebrate & exhort our nation this Inauguration Day.)

God bless our native land;
Firm may she ever stand
Through storm and night.
When the wild tempests rave,
Ruler of wind and wave,
Do Thou our country save
By Thy great might.

For her our prayers shall rise
To God, above the skies;
On Him we wait.
Thou who art ever nigh,
Guarding with watchful eye:
To Thee aloud we cry,
God save the state!

And not to us alone,
But be Thy mercies known
From shore to shore.
Lord, make the nations see
That men should brothers be
And form one family
The wide world o'er.

--Stanzas 1-2, Siegfried A. Mahlmann, 1815
--Stanza 3, William E. Hickson, 1835

Confessions*

 

1) Though I'm not at all what I'd like to be, 

 I hope you'll understand. . .  

My thoughts and deeds aren't "good as gold":  

They're more like worthless sand. 

 2) So far as east is from the west,  

So far my sin's removed.**  

Embraced by Jesus's perfect grace, 

I know I'm always loved.  

3) My love for God is really true, 

My faith in Him sincere:

Now I reach to others, too,  

4) To show I really care.  

So after a trying day of work,  

When stress just runs away, 

I hope you realize I know inside 

It's still a lovely day! 

 

---Marie Byars, 1986; Ft. Stewart, GA 

 

 *"Confessions" of both sin & faith **Psalm 103:12

sketch accompanying original version in my journal

Vivaldi's Winter

Antonio Vivaldi prefaced each of the "Four Seasons" Concertos with a sonnet. Here's "Winter":

ALLEGRO MOLTO 

To shiver, frozen, amid icy snow

in the bitter blast of a horrible wind; 

to run constantly stamping one's feet; 

and to feel one's teeth chatter

 on account of the excessive cold; 

LARGO 

To spend restful, happy days at the fireside 

while the rain outside drenches a good 100; 

ALLEGRO 

to walk on the ice, and with slow steps

to move about cautiously for fear of falling; 

to go fast, to slip and fall down; ["falling to the ground"] 

to go on the ice again and run fast 

until the ice cracks and opens up;

LENTO ["Sirocco Wind"]

to hear coming out of the iron gates 

ALLEGRO MOLTO 

Sirocco, Boreas and all the winds at war:

that's winter, but of a kind to gladden one's heart. 

---Antonio Vivaldi, 1725

Ode to Joy

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, meekness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23.

Hi! I am JOY
A fruit of the Spirit;
I come to all Christians
But am often neglected.
I show up in small ways:
In a child's toothless grin,
In helping an old lady,
In a baby's slobbered chin.
I'm always near
Just take time to look---
I inhabit a rainbow
And an uplifting book.
I grace all your learning
When you "see the light."
I'm there when you make peace
And cool down a fight.
I'm among friends
Who love to go fishing,
Just drinking a beer*
And talking and wishing. . .
I brightened your folks
Before you were born,
Now I tag-along with YOU
As you weather life's storms.
I give true delight
In Christian commitment;
I pervade your soul
When you learn contentment.

I dance through creation
And make the stars twinkle
And fill the dry ground
When rain starts to sprinkle.

I'm there in all seasons

I love them ALL best.
After a day of hard work
Together we rest.
I'm the lush grass that tickles 
Your comfortable bare feet.
I enhance the mem'ries
When old buddies meet.

Sitting in church

I keep you awake
No matter how long
The service may take.
I'm there in fond mem'ries
You dwell on from home;
I hid in that pun
That caused you to groan.
I delight in your discovery
Of just Whose you are;
When you LIKE who He made you
Indeed we've come far!
I haunted the Maker
Before He made time;
When all was pronounced good,
The pleasure was mine.
I bestowed warmth upon earth
At Easter's SON-rise;
I'll escort you to heaven
When someday YOU rise!
I'm happy we've met,
I'll be a good friend;
I'll always be with you
My gifts NEVER end!"

A cheerful heart is good medicine,
But a broken spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22
---C. Marie Byars, 1984

*or "Coke"