I've
many friends who've gone before
And crossed the chilly distant shore,
And though their form I see no more
Their precious mem'ry I adore.
When
the curtain falls on the day
And it is swallowed up by night,
My thoughts begin to drift away
And those old friends are back in sight!
I
hear their voices, see their form,
It's as though I am young again;
They strengthen me to face the storm,
And offer shelter from the rain.
They
are healthy, well, and alive,
Unaffected by many years;
They show me that I can survive,
There's joy beyond this veil of tears!
I've
many friends who've gone before
And crossed the chilly distant shore,
And though their form I see no more
Their precious mem'ry I adore!
.....H. L. Gradowith.....
..........He Lives On In Our Hearts..........
They
gathered 'round his coffin,
Grief tears did fill their eyes;
They knew they'd miss him often,
They said their last good-byes.
In
life he'd served his nation,
A soldier brave and true;
Your mem'ry now his station,
He stands on guard for you.
When
sorrows come, and trouble,
You'll think then of his life;
Your strength he will redouble,
He'll see you through the strife.
He
would not have you crying,
He'd hate to see you weep;
Don't think, then, of his dying:
Just think him sound asleep.
Remember
all the good days,
Sweet times of joy and peace;
Recall his tender, kind ways --
This will your grief release.
At
times -- when sad and lonely,
By death so torn apart:
But think then of him only,
He'll live then in your heart.
...............H. L. Gradowith...............
This
was written March 12, 1997 in memory of Francis George Bosze. He
was
a retired military officer when he passed from this life. I would
think
it adaptable to others, feel free to use it as you will. Tim
..........TRUTH AND THE FOOL..........
1
The facts! say you?
Could it be true
That we must be agreed?
On what is what,
And what is not,
To be from our sins freed?
2
Is there no room
For doom and gloom
When you say things are well?
When I am glad
And you are mad
Will I then go to hell?
3
Should I say, "That
Is surely flat,"
And you say, "It is round,"
How can we know
Which way is so?
Can Truth by us be found?
4
Some things we see
Are easily
By all men understood;
But some we find
Call to the mind
Doubts as to what is good:
5
For Truth we seek
All through the week --
We try with all our might:
Then comes our way
Some fool to say:
All is not black and white!
6
He scoffs and sneers
As Judgment nears
He on himself relies;
And all his days
In all his ways
He God's own Truth denies!
7
"We can't," says he,
"The one way see,
So do as your heart deems;
If it please you
It must be true:
For all's not as it seems!"
8
If I can't know
Which way to go
No matter how I try;
If I've no choice,
If I've no voice --
What of these tears I cry?
9
If Truth is not --
No matter what,
If I can ne'er be sure
Of what is wrong,
My whole life long:
Then, nothing here is pure.
10
What should I care?
And why beware?
Just headlong should I rush!!!
From modesty
I should be free --
Why take the time to blush?
11
If ever "blind"
Then, never mind!
There's no such thing as sin:
Just live and die
Don't reason why:
Just animals, we men!
12
And why the courts?
The legal sorts?
Why should we need a jail?
They did not choose
Their way to lose --
Why, they were bound to fail!
13
So when they go
And cause us woe
They've really done their best;
Let's just retire
That godly ire
And count ourselves as blessed!
14
For if in life,
These years of strife,
They cannot know what's right:
They cannot choose
To win or lose:
They cannot see the light!
15
And "light" devoid
They can't avoid
Whate'er in life they do;
They have no voice,
They make no choice:
They cannot be untrue...
16
For if they had
No way but bad
They just obeyed the rule!
And all my tears
Through all these years --
Oh, how I've played the fool!
17
Why punish one
For what he's done
If he could not decide?
Without freewill
"He" did not kill:
He on his wits relied!
18
But wait, my friend,
'Tis not the end
Of what I have to say;
His sight was blurred
Who spoke that word:
He led us from the Way.
19
Who says that we
The truth can't see?
Who gave that silly rule?
'Tis true that he
The Truth won't see:
For he is but a fool!
20
But you and I
Can reason why
Though it be difficult;
Apply your mind --
The seekers find
The Truth -- The Grand Result!
21
Turn not aside,
Whate'er betide:
Put all things to the test;
The Truth hold fast,
All else off-cast --
'Tis then that you'll be blessed!!!
..........H. L. Gradowith..........
..........Preoccupied..........
You
don't hear a word I say,
Your mind is off -- far away.
I see the look on you face,
Your heart's in some other place.
But, whatever can I do?
I must speak the truth to you;
If I fail to speak the Word --
When you've gone to face the Lord --
Whatever will you do then?
What will you do with your sin?
I know that it might not work,
That you your duty may shirk,
But that doesn't change my task --
And so, this question I ask:
Will you not to Him give ear,
While still He is ling'ring near?
The time is coming, my friend,
When you shall face your sad end:
Too late 'twill then be to turn,
Oh, won't you this lesson learn?
........H. L. Gradowith........
..........A Friend..........
A
sigh, a look, a broken heart,
An invitation to share
The pain that tears the soul apart,
That plagues us everywhere.
Unspoken,
yet, tis no less made
Some things without words we say;
When we are hurt, our hearts afraid,
With cares that won't go away:
We
need an arm on which to lean,
And a sympathetic ear;
Someone who knows just what we mean
Who will always linger near.
Not
one who'll push his way into
The heart's most secret places;
But one who'll be loving and true
With kind words and embraces.
Such
friends as this are few and far...
But precious treasures indeed;
The happy heart knows where they are
In their darkest hours of need.
If
ever you've needed a friend
To help you endure the pain
Be there, and let them on you depend
That's how a friend you will gain.
..........H. L. Gradowith..........
..........What Shall Become Of Me?..........
Sometimes
my heart feels so alone
And all I try leaves me undone
I look for hope, but I find none:
What shall become of me?
Some
folks may think that I am mad
Some others hold that I'm just sad
At any rate, I can't get glad:
What shall become of me?
Like
other folks I have my dreams
But they shall not come true, it seems;
The heartaches soar to all extremes:
What shall become of me?
I
wander to and fro each day,
An endless search to find the way,
But this my fears will not allay:
What shall become of me?
The
future I cannot now see,
Does it hold just more misery?
Or, shall some day my soul be free?
What shall become of me?
...............H. L. Gradowith..............
..........The Good Old Days..........
What
went with the days of pleasure,
When I was a happy young man?
Oh, to recover that treasure!
Alas, but we know no one can.
I
remember when life was fun,
And all troubles seemed far away;
But now all those good times are gone,
Wherever did I go astray?
It
was all so simple back then,
And less complicated by far;
But that was before we were men:
So distant from where we now are.
Wouldn't
it be nice to return
And visit those times once again?
But wait -- we would have to 're-learn'
The lessons that came with such pain!
And
what if we found when we went
That things were not as we recall?
We might then those 'old times' resent:
And find them not 'good' after all!
Maybe
we'd better just be glad
To have things as they are right now;
We just might not like what we had
In those 'good old days' anyhow!
...........H. L. Gradowith...........
.............Don't Wait.............
When
faced with temptations and troubles and trials
So great that we can't go on,
Instead of complaining and endless denials,
Why not come to God's Dear Son?
Turn
not to the evil one, he cannot save you,
Though he offer riches great;
Only in Jesus is power to see you through:
Come to Him -- ere it's too late.
The
love and compassion we need to get by
Is not that far from our hand,
He longs to redeem you and take you home on high,
Where you, with the saved, shall stand.
What
hinders you, my friend, from coming to Him,
You know He's the only one;
Why wait until the light of life is growing dim?
Don't wait till your life is done.
..........H. L. Gradowith..........