Old poem/card

WORDS (24^th card)

I’m sure it has already come to light,

That what you now hold in your hand,

Started out as a very plain post card,

(On which some fellow acted like a “bard”)

Card-stock from trees grown in our land.

 

But its not just a plain card now, right? Right!

CHRISTMAS LOVE & GREETINGS it shares.

And though it cannot replace a handshake,

(Nor the of “Alexander Graham” take,)

Communication it still dares!

 

Words come from this card, clad in “black and light.”

Words which hurry along cold miles

To say, “Oh, we remember those good years”

(Who could forget Blessings, Hard Work, and Tears?)

Words say, “We’d love to see YOUR smiles.”

 

Christ also, on that far Judean night,

Appeared as a “plain” Jewish Child

He seemed to be made of regular stock;

(Till He gave, at twelve, the doctors a shock.)

He was the Father’s, meek, mild.

 

God expressed His Word – expressed it so right.

The Divine Logos showed His love.

The Word, His Word, was wonderful we know,

(Far exceeding what this small card can show.)

Because His Word was from above.

 

With thoughts, terms, phrases a writer must fight;

The Lord with majestic insight

Has His syntax air-tight.

(God’s words delight!)

Outright.

– eab, Dec. ‘89

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Old poem/card:

SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS (17^th card)

Pick up the loose holly leaves,

Sweep the carpet and then,

Pack the wreath away to stay,

In the Christmas-stuff storage bin.

Untwine the silver ribbons,

From chandelier so thin,

Slow down the pace of this place,

For Christmas is over again.

 

Chop the tree into firewood,

Place used boxes away.

The train for lad (and Dad),

Crate up for the next special day.

Candles and fancy paper,

In the seat by “the bay,”

Right beside the gowns that hide,

The shepherds in each Christmas play.

 

Does the Spirit of Christmas

Likewise, find Itself packed

And, with the pear tree, to be

In the far away attic stacked?

Oh – It will be used next year,

No luster will be lacked;

Unless abuse or disuse,

Find It broken or sadly cracked.

May the Spirit of Christmas be left intact.

Leave It, please leave It, unpacked!

The more that you choose It,

And prayerfully use It,

The less likely It is to be cracked.

– eab, 12/14/81

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Old poem/card

HE CAME AT NIGHT (15^th card)

Heaven had such luster, such delight,

While far below on the footstool of God,

The absence of beauty, the absence of light,

Ruled over river and rock and sod,

And over plants and over creeping things,

And animals with hoofs, and animals with wings.

 

For thousands of years it had been thus;

Day constantly pursued by the night.

Twilight toning to shades of dusk –

The way to walk again lost from sight –

Man floundering in murk and mire,

With only here and there a tiny fire.

 

The Creature saw His creatures’ needs;

Saw the contrast of heaven and earth,

Saw, through darkness, the wound that bleeds,

Saw the man in shadow’s firm girth;

And seeing He felt, seeing He cared,

And destined Heaven’s Light to be shared.

 

Christ left the sight of eternal morn,

Departed in mutual, Sovereign will.

And arrived at night, Ah, time forlorn;

Time that drags for the sad and the ill.

Oh, what Providence, that the Prince of Light,

Should arrive on earth in the middle of the night.

 

And the night to which He came was more,

Than a mere dome of black o’re head.

Sin had blackened the human shore

(Far worse than oil slicks of modern dread)

And proceeded to ink the rest of the race,

From the pagan’s hut to the civilized place.

 

All this night, all this visionless foul,

Christ, the Illustrious, met full of force.

He brightened them both (Don’t ask me how.)

And challenging, changed the nature, the course,

Of the darkness, the ruin, the blackness of sin,

Both outward and inward, the problems of men!

 

So as beautiful stars light he winter’s sky,

Remember that Christ came from brilliance – to none.

Sacrificing for man, that man might glorify

The Light, the only self-brilliant One.

And remember, heaven shared its gift of light,

In the middle of Bethlehem’s, Ah, the world’s dark night.

– eab, 12/14/79

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Old poem/card

DIVINE DIMENSIONS (13^th card)

Yesterday Christ was born,

Sometime in the early morn

Today He calmed the sea.

Tomorrow He’ll be hung

At the place of dump and dung;

The middle cross of those three.

 

Yesterday He was born,

In a manger crudely formed.

Today He opened blind eyes.

Tomorrow He’ll be,

Propitiation for me.

(The priest will think Him a prize.)

 

Yesterday He rode the mule

To escape Herod, the cruel.

Today He cleansed the vile ten.

Tomorrow He’ll be nailed

After sarcastically hailed,

By His willful creatures: men.

 

Yesterday doctors learned

The twelve year-old who discerned

Today Pharisees the same.

Tomorrow they’ll revenge,

The times He made them cringe;

They’ll pile on Him all the blame.

 

Yesterday by John shown

The One for whom he’d groaned

Today palms and robes He trod.

Tomorrow He’ll borrow,

Joseph’s tomb of all sorrow.

Disciples will bury God.

 

Yesterdays aren’t all o’er,

After today there are more.

Life did not end in the grave.

In three days He was found,

Mary’s “Keeper” of the ground.

Death was now His lowly slave.

 

Yesterdays ceased for Him,

Forever began again.

Today Christmas’ plan is done.

The pathos that He bore,

For the race now and before,

Redeems by His Holy Son.

– eab, Nov. ’77

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Old poem/card

CHRIST COMMANDER (12^th card)

Before the fall of satanic force,

When lucifer fell from realms of right,

Christ was totally in charge, of course,

The Commander of pre-sunshine light.

 

When Eden and its surroundings greened,

Immediately, to the Master’s phrase.

From the Scriptures, it is easily gleaned,

Christ was there in His Creative days.

 

When Christ, the Commoner, graced the stall,

The sheep, nor their shepherds understood,

That the coming of this newborn, small,

Would be to all humanities good.

 

Many years there lived and labored hard,

The Carpenter of Nazareth town.

Learned the trade without quota or card,

Before He laid all the mallets down.

 

Christ the Compassionate, He became;

Easing the ill ones, touching the blind,

Going where mortals were halt or lame,

Leaving a trail of walkers behind.

 

Sinful men rejected His teaching.

They schemed, and connived and even lied.

Pilate’s water could do no bleaching,

When Jesus died: Christ the Crucified.

 

The grave was guarded. The stone? immense.

Even the Roman seal was in place.

Then Christ, the Conqueror, came from hence

Vanquishing death, when met face to face.

 

He came, He left, He will soon appear,

Forever, to be in fullest charge!

Christ the Commander, without a fear,

Ruling then the universe at large.

 

Commander, Creator, Commoner,

Carpenter, Compassionate, all five.

Crucified, and then death’s Conqueror,

Without which there’d be no hope alive.

 

Commander again as once before;

The difference? The life He lived with man.

That Gift man commemorates of yore.

Praise Him, Laud Him, for this wondrous plan.

– eab, Dec ‘76

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Old poem/card

FEAR NOT FOR BEHOLD (11^th card)

“Fear not for behold”

The shepherd were told

The night when Christ was a Boy

“I bring you good tidings of great joy

Which shall be to all people”

The well, as well as the feeble.

 

 

“For unto you is born this day

In the city of David” not far away

“A Savior which is Christ the Lord”

Ah, Precious Gift heaven could afford.

 

“And suddenly there was with the angel

A multitude of heavenly host

Praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest'”

Father, Son and Holy Ghost

 

“And on earth peace good will toward men”

Then they were free to heavenward wend

Those shepherds “came with haste” from the field

To receive far more than wool could yield

And remember their decision to their dying day

And “go even unto Bethlehem”

After “the angels” were gone away.

– eab, Dec.  ’75

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Old poem/card

THEY CAME (9^th card)

They came.

They came on camels – (probably),

Lumbering hoofed ships,

On a shifting, sandy sea (wind, lea).

 

They gave.

Three tokens at least (myrrh, “gum,” gold)

Presents for the King,

In royal David’s household (foretold).

 

They left.

A different way (Don’t all men?)

Time’s most Focal Point

Confronts, converts, men from sin (Within).

 

But wait!

Were their gifts alive? (flesh, blood, soul?)

To hearken is best;

Obedience gains the goal (Not dole).

 

Dear Lord,

Accept these our gifts (howe’er fine)

Earth’s joys signed below.

Make them God forever Thine (Not mine).

   Andrew 9, Lincoln S. 6, Laura C. 3,

   Heather Colwell born Nov. 6th, wt 9# 1/2 oz

               In loving gratitude, Unselfish Lord

               Use our sons and daughters to spread Thy Word.

– eab, Dec. ‘73

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Old poem/card – 8

HIS NAME IS (8^th card)

Star, Scepter, Potentate, Jesus Christ,

Truth, True Vine, Wonderful, Governor.

Author and Finisher, First and Last,

Root ‘ Offspring, Prince of Peace, Counselor,

 

Lamb of God, Good Shepherd of the sheep,

Author of eternal salvation,

Morning Star, Light of world, God’s Image,

Bread of life, Beginning ‘ Creation,

Blessed Branch, Great High Priest, Lord of lords,

Redeemer, Preserver, Omega,

Advocate, Law Giver, King of kings,

Nazarene, Son of man, Messiah,

 

Corner-stone, Beloved, Might One,

Holy Child, Begotten, David’s Son.    

– eab, DEC. ’72

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Old poem/card – 7

IMAGINE YOURSELF (7^th card) ^[1]

Imagine yourself:

               At the manger that night

               When the shepherds came, in joy and fright.

               When the wise men arrived

               To worship the King they knew was alive.

               In that eventful place,

               Infinite God with a baby’s round face.

 

Imagine, imagine a Gift for mean men.

God gave His Son; O, Glory! Amen!

 

               Then – – imagine yourself with only one son,

               The price to be paid for a world to be won.

 

Imagine your son:

               In a carpenter’s shop

               Sweaty, tired, dirty, ready to drop.

               On azure Galilee with common men,

               Especially those three.

               In the garden’s pale light groaning,

               Praying, desiring the right.

               At Pilate’s dark hall thorn-crowned,

               Whip-beaten, deserted by all.

               On that wooden frame –

               Gone friends, followers, gone earthly fame.

 

Imagine yourself God, that Bethlehem morn,

Knowing your Son would die, nail and spear-torn.

 

And when you’ve imagined from beginning to end,

Reality reveals, God Loves You, My Friend!

– eab, DEC. ‘71

^[1] Partly “dictated” to MSB headed south on I-77 with Andrew, Lincoln, & Laura in a black ‘68 Volkswagen.

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Old poem/card – 7

SON (6^th card)

Clear, blue skies over school house roofs,

Literary names and geometric proofs,

The notes of teachers and the student’s goofs,

All and more to remember, from inspiring September.

 

Corn, brown, tall with tasseled bloom at top,

Apples, ruby red, cider, cream of that crop,

Hickory, butter, walnuts suspended to drop,

These blessings I remember, from joyous October.

 

Chilly, gray days, bare structured, gray trees,

Sketched by Jack, dewy light panes freeze,

Thank God for bounty, and eat all you please.

Happiness to remember, from great November.

 

The previous three months spell the word SON.

I’m so glad God had and gave us One.

And when gifts and visiting are all done,

Him I would remember, December till December.

– eab, 12/7/70

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