THE FINAL INSPECTION - inspirational poem for fallen veteran

THE FINAL INSPECTION

author unknown

The young Marine stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.

"Step forward now, Marine,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"

The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.

I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.

And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.

If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."

There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the Marine waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

"Step forward now, young Marine,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."

Better Holler and Gardens

PERHAPS THE WORLD ENDS HERE POEM BY JOY HARJO

"There are hundreds of languages in the world,
but a smile speaks them all"





Perhaps the World Ends Here
from The Woman Who Fell From The Sky
(c) Joy Harjo


The world begins at a kitchen table.
No matter what, we must eat to live.

The gifts of earth are brought and prepared, set on the table.
So it has been since creation, and it will go on.

We chase chickens or dogs away from it.
Babies teeth at the corners.
They scrape their knees under it.

It is here that children are given instructions
on what it means to be human.
We make men at it, we make women.

At this table we gossip,
recall enemies and the ghosts of lovers.

Our dreams drink coffee with us as
they put their arms around our children.
They laugh with us at our poor falling-down
selves and as we put ourselves back together
once again at the table.

This table has been a house in the rain,
an umbrella in the sun.

Wars have begun and ended at this table.
It is a place to hide in the shadow of terror.
A place to celebrate the terrible victory.

We have given birth on this table,
and have prepared our parents for burial here.

At this table we sing with joy, with sorrow.
We pray of suffering and remorse.
We give thanks.

Perhaps the world will end here at the kitchen table,
while we are laughing and crying,
eating of the last sweet bite.





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WISHES - SWEET FRIENDSHIP POEM

"The best portion of a good man's life is his little,
nameless unremembered acts of kindness and of love."
~William Wadsworth

WISHES

From the garden of my heart,
I send a rose bouquet.
I hope that as your life unravels,
there shall be flowers all along your way.

From the well of heartfelt emotion,
which lies bottomless inside,
I send a sea of Love,
very vast, and very wide.

From the canyons of my being
I wish for you a balmy breeze
to lift your spirits high,
and that you shall soar on eagles' wings,
as a multicolored balloon,
which drifts up into the sky.

From the spring of everlasting thoughts,
which flow constantly through my soul,
I wish you Faith, to conquer battles,
which rage out of your control.

From the happy chambers of my spirit,
I send forth to you, my smile.
And, I pray that you shall carry it with you
as you travel each and every mile.

I wish for you, beautiful and lingering sunsets,
to make your day complete
and I lift you up in all my prayers,
until the next time we shall meet.

~author unknown

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MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE - FRIENDSHIP POEM

"We are needed by each one; nothing is fair or good alone."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

May you always have...

May you always have an angel by your side
Watching out for you in all the things you do
Reminding you to keep believing in brighter days
Finding ways for your wishes and dreams
To take you to beautiful places

Giving you hope that is as certain as the sun
Giving you the strength of serenity as your guide
May you always have love and comfort and courage
And may you always have an angel by your side

May you always have an angel by your side
Someone there to catch you if you fall
Encouraging your dreams
Inspiring your happiness
Holding your hand and helping you through it all

In all of our days, our lives are always changing
Tears come along as well as smiles
Along the roads you travel,
May the miles be a thousand times more lovely than lonely,
May they give you the kind of gifts that never, ever end:

Someone wonderful to love
And a dear friend in whom you can confide
May you have rainbows after every storm
May you have hopes to keep you warm
And may you always have an angel
By your side...


~Emilia Larson~

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TAKE MY HAND - FRIENDSHIP POEM

"God made Friends so we'll carry a
Part of His Perfect Love In all Our Hearts."



TAKE MY HAND

I cannot ease your aching heart,
Nor take your pain away,
But let me stay and take your hand
And walk with you today.

I'll listen when you need to talk,
I'll wipe away your tears,
I'll share your worries when they come,
I'll help you face your fears.

I'm here and I will stand by you,
Each hill you have to climb.
So take my hand, let's face the world,
Live one day at a time.

You're not alone, for I'm still here...
I'll go that extra mile.
And when your grief is easier,
I'll help you learn to smile!

~~Author Unknown~~

God Bless and enormous hugs...

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WHERE WE ARE - GOD IS

"You may forget with whom you laughed,
but you will never forget with whom you wept".



~Where we are ...
God is

We do not need cathedral's spire
Or stone-carved temple grand,
To worship our dear God above-
We can pray just where we stand.

We do not need the songs of choirs,
though beautiful they are,
We can sing our own sweet praises
as we travel near and far.

We can stand in fields of new grain,
on the desert, shore or glen,
Make our vow of sweet surrender
and begin our lives again.

With renewed life, love and spirit,
casting off our worldly care,
we can face each awesome challenge
Knowing God is always there.

~Gertrude Blau Byram~

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PROMISE YOURSELF - SELF HELP POEM

"Home is where the heart is"




Promise Yourself...
~author unknown

Promise yourself to be so strong
That nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity
To every person you meet.

To make all your friends
feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything
And make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best,
To work only for the best, to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
As you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
And press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
And give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
That you have no time to criticize others.
Or be too large for worry,
Too noble for anger, too strong for fear
And too happy to permit the presence of trouble....

How far you go in life depends on
your being tender with the young,
compassionate with the aged,
sympathetic with the striving and
tolerant of the weak and strong.
Because someday in your life you will have
been all of these.



gimme a holler if you need anything...

~hollergirl

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MEMBER OF THE FAMILY - CATS & DOG POEMS

"Guardian angels have been sent
To protect us from any harm,
And to teach us about love and peace,
And keep our spirits calm"



Member of the Family

What would I do without you,
My precious, furry friend?
Part mischief, but all blessing,
And faithful to the end!

You look at me with eyes of love;
You never hold a grudge . . .
You think I'm far too wonderful
To criticize or judge.

It seems your greatest joy in life
Is being close to me . . .
I think God knew how comforting
Your warm, soft fur would be.

I know you think you're human,
But I'm glad it isn't true . . .
The world would be a nicer place
If folks were more like you!

A few short years are all we have;
One day we'll have to part . . .
But you, my pet, will always have
A place within my heart.

© 1993 by Hope Harrington Kolb






DOGS

When God had made the earth and sky,
the flowers and the trees,
He then made all the animals
the fish, the birds, and bees
and when at last He'd finished
not one was quite the same.

He said I'll walk this world of mine
and give each one a name.
And so He traveled far and wide
and everywhere He went,
a little creature followed Him
until it's strength was spent.

When all were named upon the Earth
and in the Sky and Sea,
the little creature said,
"Dear Lord, there's no name left for me."

Kindly the Father said to him
"I've left you to the end.
I've turned my own name back to front
and called you DOG, my friend".

~ Author Unknown ~



Merry Christmas & Warm Winter Wishes



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WHERE IS GOD

"If we had no winter,
the spring would not be so pleasant."
~Anne Bradstreet


Where is God?
~unknown author

There was a little boy,
On the week's first day,
Coming home from Sunday School
And wandering on the way.

He scuffed his shoes into the grass
And found a caterpillar.
He found a fluffy milkweed pod
And blew out all the filler.

A bird's nest in a tree above,
So wisely placed on high,
Was just another wonder
That caught his eager eye.

A neighbor watched his crooked course
And hailed him from the lawn.
He asked him where he'd been that day
And what was going on.

"I've been to Sunday School," he said
As he turned a piece of sod,
And picking up a worm, he smiled,
"I've learned a lot from God!"

"That's a fine way," the neighbor said,
"For a boy to spend his time.
"Now if you can tell me where God is,
I'll give you a brand new dime."

Quick as a flash the answer came,
The boy said without complaint,
"I'll give you a dollar, Mister,
If you can tell me where God ain't!"

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DO YOU HAVE TIME - SPIRITUAL POEM

"The birds are gone, The ground is white,
The winds are wild, They chill and bite;
The ground is thick with slush and sleet,
And I barely feel my feet."

~unknown author






Do You Have Time?

I knelt to pray but not for long,
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.

So I knelt and said a hurried prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done
My soul could rest at ease.

All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.

No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time, the time to die.

I went before the Lord,
I came, I stood with downcast eyes.
For in his hands God held a book;
It was the book of life.

God looked into his book and said
"Your name I cannot find.
I once was going to write it down...
But never found the time"

~author unknown~

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FRIENDSHIP - SWEET POEM

"The most I can do for my friend,
is simply to be his friend."



FRIENDSHIP
~unknown author

There are days when
melancholy comes to
visit for a while;
the mind feels tired,
the body weak;
we have no strength to smile.

There are days when
joy abundant
grabs a hold of you and me;
wraps us up in all it's splendor,
lifts us up and sets us free.

There are days when
sorrow wraps us
in its cloak of grief and fear,
'till our hearts ache to the breaking,
'till our eyes can't shed a tear.

There are days when
love bestows us
with its wonderment and light;
with its beauty and its mystery,
its power and its might.

And there are days when
life rewards us
and seems to make amends
by granting us a marvelous gift,
the precious gift of Friends.



~I believe...That I can always pray for someone when I
don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
~hollergirl



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IF I KNEW - MAKES YOU THINK

"In helping others, we help ourselves"


IF I KNEW


If I knew it would be the last time
that I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.


If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.


If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.


If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute to stop
and say "I love you," instead of assuming
you would KNOW I do.


If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.


For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.


There will always be another day
to say "I love you,"
And certainly there's another chance to say
our "Anything I can do?"

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.


Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance you get
to hold your loved one tight.


So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.


So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear.


Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.


~ unknown author

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IT'S NOT THAT I'M LAZY - HUMOROUS POEM

"Most of the stuff people worry about happening, don't."




It's Not That I'm Lazy

~author unknown

I don't do windows because...
I love birds and don't want one to run into
a clean window and get hurt.
(I am compassionate)

I don't wax floors because...
I am terrified a guest will slip, hurt themselves,
I'll feel terrible
and they may sue me.
(I am careful and poor)

I don't mind the dust bunnies because...
they are very good company,
I have named most of them,
and they agree with everything I say.
(I am imaginative)

I don't disturb cobwebs...
because I want every creature
to have a home of their own.
(I am kind)

I don't Spring Clean because...
I love all the seasons and
don't want the others to get jealous.
(I am fair minded)

I don't plant a garden because...
I don't want to get in God's way,
he is an excellent designer.
(I am courteous)

I don't put things away because...
my family will never be able to find them again.
(I am considerate)

I don't do gourmet meals when I entertain because...
I don't want my guests to stress out over
what to make when they invite me over for dinner.
(I am thoughtful)

I don't iron because...
I choose to believe them when
they say "Permanent Press".
(I am trusting)

I don't stress much on anything because...
"A-Type" personalities die young and
I want to stick around and become a wrinkled
up crusty ol' woman!!
(I am winning this battle!)


LOL


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BUTTPRINTS - A SPIRITUAL POEM

"Forgive your enemies. It messes with their heads."





Buttprints

One night I had a wondrous dream,
One set of footprints there was seen,
The footprints of my precious Lord,
But mine were not along the shore.


But then some stranger prints appeared...
And I asked the Lord,
"What have we here?
Those prints are large and round and neat,
But Lord, they are too big for feet."


"My child," He said in somber tones,
"For miles I carried you alone.
I challenged you to walk in faith,
But you refused and made me wait."


"You disobeyed, you would not grow,
The walk of faith you would not know...
So I got tired, I got fed up,
And there I dropped you on your butt."


"Because in life there comes a time
When one must fight, and one must climb,
When one must rise and take a stand,
Or leave their butt prints in the sand."


- Author Unknown

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STEADFAST HEART - A MUST READ POEM

"You may forget with whom you laughed,

but you will never forget with whom you wept".






STEADFAST HEART

~Author Unknown

I’ve dreamed many dreams that never came true
I’ve seen them vanish at dawn,
But I’ve realized enough of my dreams,
Thank God,
To make me want to dream on.


I’ve prayed many prayers when no answer came
Though I waited patient and long,
But answers have come to enough of my prayers
To make me keep praying on.


I’ve trusted many a friend that failed
And left me to weep alone,
But I’ve found enough of my friends true blue,
To make me keep trusting on.


I’ve sown many seeds that fell by the way
For the birds to feed upon,
But I’ve held enough golden sheaves in my hand
To make me keep sowing on.


I’ve drained the cup of disappointment and pain
And gone many days without song,
But I’ve sipped enough nectar from the roses of life
To make me want to live on.






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PRAY DON'T FIND FAULT POEM

"Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled"

Pray Don't Find Fault

Pray don't find fault with the man who limps or stumbles along the road,

unless you have worn the shoes he wears or struggled beneath his load.

There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt,

though hidden away from view,

or the burden he bears,

placed on your back might cause you to stumble too.

Don't sneer at the man who's down today

unless you have felt the blow

that caused his fall or felt the shame

that only the fallen know.

You may be strong,

but still the blows

that were his if dealt to you,

in the self same way, at the self same time,

might cause you to stagger too.

Don't be too harsh with the man who sins

or pelt him with word or stone,

unless you are sure,

yea, doubly sure,

that you have no sins of your own.

For you know perhaps if the tempter's voice

should whisper as softly to you

as it did to him when he went astray,

it might cause you to stumble too.

~ Author Unknown ~

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