Photo: Ruth A. Roth
Another senseless shooting here at UNC Charlotte this week left families devastated. The student who tackled the gunman gave his life to save his classmates. The whole community is in mourning over the incident. Many turned out along the highway today as the young man was brought back to his hometown of Waynesville.
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Painting: Dwight L. Roth
Open link night at d’Verse. Join us at: https://dversepoets.com
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Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Stain glass window from the WUM Church in Weddington, NC
Photo:Dwight L. Roth
Today on Frank Tassone’s Haikai challenge he asked us to write a poem about the Winter Solstice which will occur this coming week.
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Painting: Dwight L. Roth
Shared with the Frank Tassone Haikai Challenge. Join us at: https://frankjtassone.com/2018/12/02/haikai-challenge-63-12-2-18-advent-and-or-hanukkah-haiku-senryu-haibun-tanka-haiga-renga/
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Painting: Dwight L. Roth
When the world around us spins out of control
Feeling all is lost // feeling fear’s on a roll
Just look out the window // watch the birds
Coming and going without a word
Red ones // blue ones // yellow and brown
Eating seeds from the feeder // as some eat off the ground
Songs always follow as they sit on a limb
Raising their voices // like they’re singing a hymn
Watching out for each other with a harsh warning call
Knowing danger to one is danger to all
Some birds are pests // just like us humans
Predators and freeloaders always fuming
But in the end // they all live as one
In their woodland communities when the day is done
Continuing on with nests full of young ones
They have no king //no queen nor president
But they all live together each one is a resident
Too bad we can’t live like birds // caring for our own
Focusing on what’s really important // letting life go on
In the end they seem to realize //there is a place for all
To live // to grow // to follow their call
Take hope from the birds //learn a great lesson
Peace and harmony comes // when we stop the aggression
Photos: Dwight L. Roth
Burning through blackness
Son is risen // Dark is light
Grace for the graceless
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Dwight L. Roth
Bing Photo
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, I think of all those who left family and friends to travel here, in perilous conditions, for the chance of having a new and better life. Some came for adventure, some for gain, and others for religious freedom. I wrote this poem about my Great Grandfather’s family coming to America from Switzerland. On that voyage we are told they lost their youngest daughter. Details are unknown, so I wrote this fictional poem detailing what I thought might have happened. My Grandfather was only six years old at the time. It really makes me appreciate the blessings I have because of their choice to risk it all and come to America. I thought I would repost this as a reminder to us all.
The Long Sad Voyage of 1882
(Goodbye Little Sister)
Ships tall masts reaching high to the sky
Awesome for a boy of six just wondering why
His family packed up and left their home.
Heading for a new world they travel alone
Brothers left behind grown and married.
Younger and sisters stay with the family,
Watching the Alps fade as the shadows wane.
To the port of Le Havre floating down the Seine.
Ready to board this giant bucket of timber
Excitement rising trying to remember
All of his friends left behind in Basel
New adventures unseen in this perilous travel
Noise and activity surrounds them all
White sails slide up and begin to unfurl
Down to steerage on the ships second level
The Roth family finds a place to settle.
Into the briny dark seas they sail
To New York Harbor and where liberty hails.
As the week drags on the voyage is rough
Young Christian and sisters find sleeping is tough
The food is bad, unlike cooking back home
The water in barrels kept from the rats’ roam.
But somehow this packed and unsanitary condition
Made some folks sick with dysentery emissions.
Little sister was one whose resistance was lacking.
As the days dragged on her fever not slacking
Worried mother and father prayed for God’s backing.
Little sister got worse there was nothing to do
As her fever raged on everyone knew.
Late one night while everyone slept
Little sister passed on our little angel had left.
O how we cried and mourned this great loss
Little sister had died before we’re across.
The captain came by early that dawn
Saying sadly, “She’s gone, now we must send her on.”
The day was spent in tears and sad wails
As the orange sun was setting we bid our farewells.
Wrapped in a blanket lowered into the swell
Into the briny blue she fell.
With prayers and weeping the sadness abounds
Young Christian stood watching as folks gathered round,
Little sister was gone for her t’was too late,
Wondering if he might be next for this sad fate.
On reaching New York the emigrants unloaded
Ellis Island was crowded each family recorded
Christian and family moved on to Ohio
With promise of hope always held high.
Words still to come reflect how it should be,
“Give me your tired your poor yearning to be free”
Give me your sad you distraught still counting the cost
Seeking religious freedom in a land unknown
Where Freedom and Liberty stand alone!
Christians around the world are celebrating Good Friday and remembering the suffering sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the World. The hope that arises out of the crucifixion and the resurrection on Sunday is that there is hope an life beyond this life. People of faith know that death is not the end and when this physical body is gone the spiritual soul returns to God who gave us life. For generations our forefathers have believed and died in faith that they will continue on living in the presence of God and whatever that entails. This Bible passage from Hebrews 12 speaks of them as heroes of faith. I have taken the liberty to paraphrase this expression into a song I wrote some time ago.
I Am Surrounded
I am surrounded by the Saints gone before
By the angels in heaven and God on His Throne
By His holy son Jesus and the ancients of old
I am surrounded in His praise ever more
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I’ll throw off what hinders… the sins that drag me down
Run the race set before me… I’ll endure for the crown
I’ll fix my eyes on Jesus… the source of my faith
I’ll see how He suffered… how He took my place
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I will not grow weary… I know I must not lose heart
For Jesus my Savior… I’ll gladly do my part
Now I’ve come to Mount Zion… City of the Living God
To the Church of the First Born… To be cleansed by His blood
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I’m happy in Jesus… by his grace I am free
His spirit lives in me… Awesome power I see
When my life here has ended… To that City I’ll rise
To sing with the angels… in that heavenly choir
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(For) I am surrounded by the Saints gone before
By the angels in heaven and God on His Throne
By His holy son Jesus and the ancients of old
I am surrounded in His praise ever more
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Hebrews 12 Paraphrase DLR
Vs.9-18-04 & 9-1-11 NIV
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
