BY THE RIVER MERCED

From two distant plains,
Two birds did appear,
Gracefully they lit upon a dogwood branch,
There by a spring, which waters flowed,
Into the river Merced.

There upon this flowering branch,
Where they took their rest,
And in their loving Spanish tongue, they sang,
Their song rose above the rest,
There by the river Merced.

Their song was not of sorrows,
But sang of hope and light,
Their voices raised for justice,
There by the spring, which waters flowed,
Into the river Merced.

There to the waters edge,
Came a woman with a child,
Above her head a halo arose,
And upon a rock she did sat,
There by the river Merced.

Winter had ended upon the land,
The sky was filled with Springs new light,
And from the woman's eyes tears did flow,
There into the spring, which water flowed,
Into the river Merced.

There by the waters edge,
There upon a branch did they sat,
Two birds from distant plains,
Whose songs rose above the rest,
There by the river Merced.  ©
 

Spikes Cemetary 9/6.08

As thoughts ramble thru this ancient Sabine forest,
Of Hickory, Oak and Pine,
As kin and neighbors of long ago,
Gather upon this hallow ground,
Stories transpire over cups of coffee boiled,
Filtered thru Grandpa's last sock,
Worn thing with age, as his skin roughen,
From years spent in mule's paths,
A teamster with his team,
Harvesting Pine and Blackjack Oak,
Stopping only to fill his pockets,
With morsels of Hickory Nuts,
For our youthful tongues,
To tingle our senses of life's abundant wonder.

We this day are gathered round this communal fire,
Feeding upon someone's homemake cake,
It is of this feast we do partake,
Where once by an ancient sea,
A multitude was fed upon loaves and fishes,
Ever so grateful of this sacrifice,
This lamb, given, to give us solace,
We sit, ramble round as this Sept wind,
Whistles thru the tall pines,
Whose straws flutter and spiral down,
From the crown, as wings of quail,
Rustle from the Dogwood,
As the lamb ascends,
We, stand upon hallow ground.