Apples Of Gold THE OLD WOOD SHED A tin roof tainted rusty red Creaks and leaks with rain It seemed as though the metal bled Crying out in pain Walls of ageing weathered boards Swaying left and right Moan and groan with one accord Through out the stormy night Hinges made of leather straps Flap against the frame Once they held a door perhaps Now they hang in vain Winter's fuel was stacked in ricks Stored for days ahead Now there's just decaying sticks Inside the old wood shed A musky odor fills the air Moldy wood chips rot Time will see the wood shed fall As nature takes the lot JOHN MARK BOYD / 2000 jmb33@webtv.net HONEYSUCKLE HAVEN Across the open clover field Beside an old abandoned mill Vines entwine a wood rail fence And blooms with fragrant scents The morning dew and river's mist Seek the vines that bend and twist Honeysuckles grow in mass And I am home at last Here is where I've longed to be Resting 'neath the dogwood tree Tossing stones in waters clear Wishing you were here Sunlight shines on rocks worn smooth Moss grows thick between each groove Fallen trees are weathered bare A scene beyond compare Time has taken nights we've shared Years have passed since you once cared Vivid dreams now haunt my soul Of when we shared this knoll Tears have been my lonely fate Cursed to live without my mate Days of yore my heart is cravin' In honeysuckle haven JOHN MARK BOYD / 2000 jmb33@webtv.net TIDES OF TIME Standing on a sandy beach I ponder time and times The passing years The toils and tears The loving heart that chimes It rings aloud the love of loves My joy within is wanting Not knowing when I'll love again And ease her spirit's haunting Soothing waves caress my feet The salty waters flow I send my thoughts On ebbing tides As tear drops with them go Living just to sleep and dream Time was just to borrow Loving, caring Giving, sharing Not knowing of the morrow My pain it seems will never end For part of me is missing Though she and I Could almost fly I'm grounded now and wishing But just across the dark expanse Beyond my understanding Upon that shore Where time's no more I know my love is standing She waits for me to pass the veil My heart is not sublime For there's no way To rush the days Or hurry tides of time JOHN MARK BOYD / 2000 jmb33@webtv.net SANDY'S BLOOM Angel eyes are heavy laden Weeping for the weary maiden Grief consumes her broken heart As child and mother part Burdened by her pain and sorrow Praying for more time to borrow Mournful tears become a flood As though great drops of blood And on that dark September day I knelt on bended knees to pray Pleading God to heal my friend And help her heart to mend Although I share her great despair His death is more than she can bear Sandy lost the life she gave And I must dig the grave Saints of God will soon deliver Chadwick's soul across the River There to walk on streets of gold And live with saints of old Though he was a budding flower He will bloom in Heaven's tower Growing by the tree of Life Free from pain and strife Now his headstone's just a token Of the bonds that have been broken Markings for an empty tomb The bud became a bloom JOHN MARK BOYD / 2000 jmb33@webtv.net THE GOLDEN GRAIN Eyes have seen, yet not perceived The friendship tie that binds Ears have heard, yet not conceived The secrets of our minds Songs of old cannot reveal The bonds we two have shared Poetic prose cannot explain Of fate that had us paired Hand in hand and step by step We walk a chosen path No thoughts we have of looking back Or giving in to wrath So separate the wheat from chaff To glean the golden grain Though winds may blow the chaff away Our friendship will remain JOHN MARK BOYD / 2000 jmb33@webtv.net JOURNEY'S END Weary eyes beheld the skies And vision blurred with tears Passing days and troubled ways Left jagged scars and fears Life will yield with wounds unhealed And measured time will fade No words in stone could err atone For each mistake I've made Thunders crash and lightnings flash Storm clouds gather in Echoes roll across the knoll Announcing journey's end Each traveled road and heavy load Have taken now it's toll Until alas I breathe my last And thus release my soul JOHN MARK BOYD / 2000 jmb33@webtv.net SILVER AND A KISS Judas the betrayer Oh what man is this Why would he for silver Forsake Him with a kiss Grief would be his burden Death would be the yield Money for betrayal Will buy the potter's field Dancing with the devil Greed his fatal sin Yet there would be others Letting evil in For Peter in rebellion Striking out in fear Smote the son of Caiaphas Cutting off his ear Zealous for the Master Girded with a sword Willing to do battle Against the angry hoard All would flee the garden Peter would deny Taken by the counsel The hour draweth nigh Questioned by the elders Spitting on His face One would dare to slap Him Feeling no disgrace Lamb before the slaughter Dumb before the shearer Hated for His silence Hour drawing nearer Taken then to Pilate Roman law prevails They would crucify Him Scar Him with the nails Gathered in the Common Hall The garrison will merge Soldiers making ready Soon will be the scourge Mock Him for no reason Hailing Him as Lord Crowning Him with thorns Beat Him with a cord There will come no pardon Barabas will be freed And for the sins of many The Son of man will bleed Take Him to Golgotha Hang Him on a tree Silver for a crucifix Judas paid the fee JOHN MARK BOYD / 2000 jmb33@webtv.net UNFORGIVEN Day is giving way to night Soon the dream will come Haunt me as it has before Drain me till I'm numb Unrelenting, unforgiving Never without fail Tortured vision of my soul Forever lost in Hell Always dying without death Crying out in pain Begging for another chance Praying, but in vain Darkness I can almost feel Alone, yet not alone Many souls are lost with me Some to me are known Bearing what I can not bear Hoping without hope Swallowed up in misery All with this I cope Tossing, turning, wet with sweat Waking up in tears Shaking uncontrollably Facing all my fears Night has come and I must sleep But I am so afraid Will my nightmares ever cease Or will they ever fade Eyelids heavy, sleep is near Drifting further still Closer, closer, nodding off All against my will Soon I see the firey pit And to it I am drawn Although I struggle to resist I know I must go on Flames begin to lick my face Bones begin to crack Blood is boiling in my veins Now I can't go back My dream became reality Death came in the night Never more to wake again Or ever see the light I should've lived my life for God And for His promise striven Now I'll suffer in this Hell Lost and unforgiven JOHN MARK BOYD / 2000 jmb33@webtv.net BEWARE THE DEMON Behold the demon angel Unholy in his essence Seek ye not his counsel Bask not in his presence He offers tainted treasures Received at your request Laughing as he measures The deeds they'll manifest Drink not of his potion He laced it with sedition A sweet and tasty nectar Devoid of all remission His fruit is for the greedy Desirous of vain riches They vision fame and glory But blindly fall in ditches His truth is twisted logic Boasting of his power Lying ruby lips will taste The souls that he'll devour Subdue your emulations Your heresies and hate Commit no fornication Nor cursings contemplate Beware this demon angel And harvest not his grain Or ye shall know of brimstone And Hell's eternal flame JOHN MARK BOYD / 2000 jmb33@webtv.net DECEIVED He feeds upon my heart's desire And hungers for my trust Consumed by his enticing words I'm drawn away by lust This dragon of Gomorrah Impales his poisoned barb Deceiving me so I'll believe A beast in angel garb JOHN MARK BOYD / 2000 jmb33@webtv.net RAINY DAYS AND RAINBOWS Hope's a heavy burden Hard for me to bear With it comes rejection Followed by despair Laughter's my illusion Masking all my fears Sorrow is a comfort Bringing bitter tears Truth can be misleading Tainted by deceit Leading to confusion Followed by defeat Still I'd climb a mountain And brave the bitter cold Or swim across the ocean For just a hand to hold Why was I forsaken Who could be so cruel Promises were broken Fiction for a fool Life is full of heartache Everywhere I go For though I've seen the rain I've never seen the bow JOHN MARK BOYD / 2000 jmb33@webtv.net TO THE EDGE AND BACK Proverbs of the prophets Taught to guide the young Found an empty vessel Songs have gone unsung Taken by the tempter Often lead astray Never to repentance Or ever to obey And so misguided fortunes Built in me a cancer Eating at my reason Leaving me no answer It forced in me rebellion And what could come of this But just another rebel Lost in the abyss Sin has been a hammer Driving in a wedge Breaking me to pieces Broken by it's edge If dogs return to vomit And pigs return to mire A soul without salvation Will feel the devil's fire Knowing this I trembled Hating all I've done Guilt had found it's target And I had lost the Son All my life was wasted Seeking after treasure Temporary riches And temporary pleasure Living as a sinner Living without hope Life became a burden Too hard for me to cope Smothered with depression Fearing I would burn There came a revelation Inspiring my return Repenting of my ways And seeking what I lack Though standing on the edge Today I'm turning back JOHN MARK BOYD / 2000 jmb33@webtv.net THE GRASSY KNOLL Once upon a Summer's night While the stars were shining bright I went outside to take a stroll Across the grassy knoll Moonlight shone on meadow dew Shadows of the midnight grew And where the earth and darkness met Stood a silhouette Of this unforeboding shape Weary eyes could not escape For when I tried to look away My eyes would not obey Although I had been hypnotised It's form, by darkness, was disguised Still I tried to turn and flee But felt it's pull on me Drawing closer to this vision Even in my indecision Cloudy was my concentration Of this situation Cautious of this thing unknown Loomng out there all alone Walking slowly with regret I drew closer yet Until, alas, I was quite near Facing every childish fear Loathing I had been so brave Thinking of the grave Suddenly, to my surprise I saw a pair of yellow eyes Piercing deep inside my soul Upon the grassy knoll Frozen by this fridged stare Pulled inside the demon's lair On bended knee I said a prayer Gasping in despair Would this be my final hour Crushed by his immortal power Will I have to pay his toll Upon this grassy knoll Knowing I must pay his fare Begging for my life to spare Shaking as I made my plea The demon spoke to me But by his voice I was disturbed For he just spoke a single word Eerie and confusing too All he said was "Who" Since that's all he said to me It peeked my curiosity But before I could reply I saw the morning sky Light was seeping in with dawn Night would soon be all but gone My demon it would now reveal Standing on this hill Yet I'd be revealed the twit For where I saw the demon sit Sat a sleepy speckled owl My demon was a fowl Foolish fears have been my toll Just because I lost control When once I took a little stroll Across the grassy knoll JOHN MARK BOYD / 2000 jmb33@webtv.net PARADISE Across the vast horizon, Beyond imagination, Past eternal portals of time, Exists the answers of man. Unknown is here known, Mysteries are solved, Mortal is immortal, Existence has reason. This place of dreams, This world of hopes, This dimension of wonders, This ..... Paradise! All are one, One is eternal, Eternity is reality, Reality is Jehovah. Freedom and justice. Love and grace, Given and received, Pure, white, glorious! I can see it's doorway, Open for the traveler, Inside He waits and beacons Come home, come home. This journey has meaning, This life has purpose, My heart is joyous, I heed His calling and go. Today I am here, Tomorrow I'll be there, Full and complete, Cleansed and renewed. All that I was; is forgiven. All that I am; is faithful. All that I will be; is promised. Because He Lives!
Copyright © 2000 John Mark Boyd |