ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
-US citizen living and working in the capital of Colombia, South America. Teaches EFL and IELTS, and TOEFL (any test prep). Proofreads English essays, theses, and books, etc. Private classes accepted. Also writes at abctales.com; microhorror.com; postcardshorts.com; authorsden.com. Contact: www.officeteachr.com [May 2010]
AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (281) 2nd Interview With The President (Plays) It's Barb again and President Branch. I'll try. Hope somebody likes it. [1,300 words] [Humor] A Colombia Hatred-Free (Poetry) Of course, it isn't just Colombia, is it? [52 words] [Writing Resource] A Dream Comes True (Non-Fiction) This is nostalgia and reflection. It's a short piece of writing dedicated to young Rodger Wesley Beaver of Georgia who was killed by a "sheriff's deputy"(God protect us from those like him.) on Valen... [951 words] [Biography] A Flower Today In Words (Poetry) - [40 words] A Georgia Crossroads (Non-Fiction) Where does it lie? [325 words] [Writing Resource] A Little Poem My Child (Children) - [79 words] [Humor] A Matter Of Timing, Frankly (Short Stories) - [736 words] [Literary Fiction] A Million Times Plus One (Poetry) I have never stopped loving the tune "A Whiter Shade of Pale." I heard it the first time at age 16 or 17. Here is a little piece I completed recently while listening to the song over and over. So, ... [234 words] [Relationships] A Monster Of Monsters (Non-Fiction) Why did we ever let him get this far? [208 words] [Horror] A Parent's Lament (Genres) Some say it's never too late. [260 words] [Teenage] A Perfected Perpetuation Plan For Today's Young Yahoos (Poetry) No one has the right to rob a bank, but each has the right to draw up her/his floor plans for life. [219 words] [Writing Resource] A Purple Jacket (Short Stories) - [494 words] [Motivational] A Quiet House (Short Stories) - [257 words] [Teenage] A Red May Rose For Thee (Poetry) - [45 words] [Motivational] A Royal Ring Up (Plays) Is this anger on my part? What should I care? But anyway, here it is... [808 words] [Drama] A Soldier's Letter (Poetry) Far from the familiar our words are often sweeter, are they not? [109 words] [Romance] A Songbird's Intellect (Poetry) - [4 words] [Spiritual] A Troubled Nation In Need Of Prayer And Soul-Searching: How To Repair It (Non-Fiction) Send you suggestions/contributions in 40 words or less to booksdavis@yahoo.com Thank you. [89 words] [History] A Visit (Short Stories) - [245 words] [Teenage] About Daddy (1) (Non-Fiction) Daddy had his own emotional problems... [359 words] [Biography] About Daddy Series (Non-Fiction) - [4,424 words] [Biography] About Respect And Prestige (Non-Fiction) - [352 words] [Psychology] Abrakadeebra: A Celebration Of Children's Verse No. 1 (Children) More fun little poems/verses for those special readers of mine. I hope you enjoy them. Let me know which ones need a bit of modification. Cheers. [2,799 words] [Humor] Abrakadomebra: A 2nd Celebration Of Children's Verse (Children) More exciting(some are, anyway) little poems/verses about Frosty, Benny the Blackbird, Jack and Jill, etc. for children's laughter. Cheers. [2,349 words] [Humor] Abrakadoobra: 100 Short Poems For Children (Children) Sometimes I enjoy writing or trying to write poems for children moreso than for adults. Would that be bad or good? Maybe neither. Please let me know which ones you or your kid likes or dislikes. I'... [3,527 words] [Fantasy] Abrakadyebra: A Third Collection Of Children's Poems (Children) See, read and hear new poems about Frosty and Jack and Jill and others now! Cheers! [1,464 words] [Humor] Abstinence (Poetry) - [18 words] [Psychology] Adestes: Little Christmas Poems For Children (Children) Father Christmas/please be so kind/bring me a toy/one doesn't wind. [392 words] [Humor] Advertising The Devil (Non-Fiction) "Serve the Lord with gladness..." not sadness, you dummy! [491 words] [Spiritual] Aletha (Short Stories) . [330 words] [Teenage] Ann Dunham: Busy Serving Others And Educating Her Kids (Children) If only she could see him now. [506 words] [Biography] Ann Rule: The Lady Who Writes About Killers (Children) Talk about a busy life! Here's an example. [360 words] [Biography] Another Prince Charles (Children) - [391 words] [Biography] At Clarence's (Short Stories) - [290 words] [Teenage] Back Through The Trees (Poetry) This evil took place both day and night. [50 words] [Motivational] Bad Señorita (Songs) Am I a "real" songwriter? (Looking at this one, I hope not!) [103 words] [Humor] Because His Skin Is Dark (Poetry) - [19 words] [Mind] Bill Gaither: True Follower (Non-Fiction) - [641 words] [Biography] Billy Graham: Man After God's Heart (Children) Who can count all his awards? [375 words] [Biography] Billy Graham's Death (Non-Fiction) . [633 words] [Spiritual] Blood (Poetry) - [30 words] [Horror] Blubber, Blubber, Armchair Lubber (Essays) A short essay about the REAL truth behind dieting, etc. [870 words] [Self-Help] Boy Child (Songs) These lyrics are new and go to the tune of 'Oh Danny Boy' or 'Londonderry Aire'. Something like that. I may do one more stanza. [99 words] [Spiritual] Buenos Dias, Colombia (Not S Carolina!) (Non-Fiction) First-hand comments/observations of the country today and other days (with sugar, cream, and warts). This was a blog before anyone had ever heard of the term. [18,298 words] [Writing Resource] Cam (Poetry) ...wound up twisted... [20 words] [Humor] Carlos The Young Coffee Picker (Children) Carlos the young coffee picker Played a serenade Maria had just given birth Nine pounds the wee thing weighed! [564 words] [Humor] Catch A Rising Star (Short Stories) "It's Luis, Jaime..." the old man stammered. [496 words] [Literary Fiction] Cemetery Road (Short Stories) "What was that? There's someone out there," she exclaimed. [444 words] [Teenage] Cindy's Fall (Short Stories) - [526 words] [Horror] Colombia's On The Map (Poetry) How long is forty years, ma? [77 words] [Writing Resource] Colombia's President Al Uribe (Children) - [493 words] [Biography] Create, Create (Poetry) - [16 words] [Art] Daddy And Me: Making The Rounds (Essays) A little wallow? [428 words] [Writing Resource] Daddy, Can You Hear Me? (Short Stories) What would you do in this situation? [511 words] [Horror] Daemons (Non-Fiction) Isn't British spelling more elegant sometimes? This piece of writing is about demons. We all have one or some of them inside us. They are the negative elements we cannot control very easily. The f... [2,678 words] [Psychology] Daniel Coronell: Freedom Fighter (Children) He returned to his country determined more than ever. [420 words] [Biography] Daring To Touch Saeed (Poetry) This piece is supposed to be about Flight 93. It's very hard to write about. If you've seen the movie, you've cried. Murderers, in my opinion, are spiritually or otherwise diseased, so, I think we ... [166 words] [History] David's Letter--Bogota, Colombia (Non-Fiction) This is a true incident. It is not fiction. [551 words] [Self-Help] Dear Detective Lovett (Short Stories) - [646 words] [Crime] Decider (Poetry) This poem was composed after a slow reading of Green River, Running Red by Ann Rule, the world's foremost crime writer. [169 words] [Crime] Deleted (Poetry) - [18 words] [Literary Fiction] Desire Of Flesh (Poetry) ...you're ferried by death. [41 words] [Mind] Developed And Scary (Non-Fiction) . [400 words] [History] Doctor's Orders (Poetry) A short poem about family camping. [198 words] [Writing Resource] Don't Call Her First Lady (Songs) This is sort of a song-poem. It's not about the First Couple in Washington, in case you wonder. The rhythm is along the lines of Ray Charles' "Fool For Love". Have you heard it? [60 words] [Humor] Don't Tell Anyone (Short Stories) - [258 words] [Horror] Each A Star (Poetry) Dear Readers: This poem-story, sadly, is based on a true and recent incident near where we live. [40 words] [Spiritual] Ephraim (Short Stories) - [443 words] [Literary Fiction] Every Day We Pierce Him (Songs) The tune for this song is a Spanish church song titled "Llaga", which means open sore or wound. In the Spanish hymn book I have, the author is listed as anonymous. Anyway, here are some English lyric... [74 words] [Spiritual] Everybody Loved Polly (Short Stories) I detest violence and violent people! [1,809 words] [Popular Fiction] Find Myself (Songs) Tune: Largo from Dvorak's "New World Symphony". [57 words] [Romance] Finding A Poem-Short Story Topic (Non-Fiction) What to write about? Where do I look? Who/What can help me? [552 words] [Writing Resource] Fishing Obligations (Essays) A short essay about parental responsibilities and kids' obligations. [558 words] [Relationships] Five Prose Poems (Poetry) Here are five prose poems for the romantic-minded, I hope. The titles are Looking Back, That Celestial Calm--the Moon; City Shadows; Seeking; and We Turned Off. [331 words] [Romance] Fly Me To The Moon, Baby (Poetry) - [82 words] [Romance] Four Of Them (Essays) ...nobody has eight kids anymore either. Right? [259 words] [Writing Resource] Four Poems (Poetry) Titles are: Groundwork in Colombia, Poetry, I Saw My Granny, Carpenter [398 words] Four Short-Shorts (Poetry) "Lite" fare again. Titles are: Trying to Create Beauty; You First Then I; Appetite; and Opening Night. [113 words] [Mind] Frances Jane: God's Happy Servant (Children) They had a baby daughter but it died... [368 words] [Biography] Funny Like (Short Stories) - [610 words] [Teenage] Generosity (Poetry) - [15 words] [Spiritual] Gone Is Our Lisa (Poetry) (Feeling Poe-ish today maybe?) [87 words] [Humor] Goodbye Christmas, Goodbye Santa (Poetry) - [52 words] [Motivational] Grandstand (Poetry) - [19 words] [Relationships] Growing Up Among Racists (Non-Fiction) A look at some of us in retrospect. [635 words] [Relationships] Haikus Erotiques (Poetry) -These represent an exercise that's fun. Steve Mount has some others at saltyrain.com but the best are by the Japanese old masters. Look in Google for them. [113 words] [Erotic] Haley She Was Called (Children) - [397 words] [Biography] Hanks (Poetry) The superstar. [67 words] [Movies] He Keeps Me Humble (Poetry) It's just that sometimes we don't want to be watched! [22 words] [Spiritual] Heteros, Homos, Celibacy And The Church (Non-Fiction) Are we going back to the time of the Crusades? [590 words] [Writing Resource] Hi Mr Willis, Can You Explain What Wrong I Did? (Non-Fiction) Teaching school is always give and take. Will it ever be different? [462 words] [Literary Fiction] His Heart (Non-Fiction) - [556 words] [Motivational] Homeward (Poetry) Sans arrogance, this poem was written for Senator Byrd of W. Va. [20 words] [Romance] Hospital Room (Short Stories) Sadly, it's another case of "who needs fiction?" [1,115 words] [Crime] How In Colombia I Grew In Mind And Soul (And Nowadays Grow In Girth) (Non-Fiction) Where I grew up in Georgia we had practically no access to modern British prose or poetry... [654 words] [Biography] How To Have Money In Your Life (Non-Fiction) - [423 words] [Self-Help] I Fell In Love With You (Poetry) - [97 words] [Romance] I Find My Sanity (Poetry) - [38 words] [Psychology] If I Could Chat With You Again (Poetry) - [66 words] [Literary Fiction] If The World Were More Like You (Songs) Isn't this self-reflection? [155 words] [Psychology] I'm Dreaming Of... (Poetry) It's about a smile. [80 words] [Writing Resource] I'm From Mars (Short Stories) Historical fiction. [513 words] [Teenage] In My Mind I Cheat On You (Poetry) Throw the first stone. [74 words] [Relationships] In Our Minds (Poetry) - [11 words] [Mind] In The Outside Cold (Short Stories) - [440 words] [Literary Fiction] Interview Of A South American Gay (Non-Fiction) Meet Miguel Rodriguez: Miguel Rodriguez, a colleague of mine, is one of Colombia’s elite citizens in terms of philosophy, education, cultural level, and societal contributions. In other words, he’s ... [2,066 words] [Relationships] Interview With The President (Plays) Baraba Falters(Barb)finally interviews President Branch. The President is, like a typical politician, quite difficult to pin down. [1,319 words] [Writing Resource] Is It Where We Write Or What We Write? (Non-Fiction) Just think--how many of us had heard of Annie Proulx before 2005 or 2006? [681 words] [Publishing] It Was Raining (Short Stories) "Let's not talk about it right now, Mama..." [368 words] [Literary Fiction] Its Christmas Joy (Poetry) What is priority this year? [71 words] [Motivational] James Benedetti's Daughter (Short Stories) A surprise visit. [861 words] [Literary Fiction] James Herriot: Dearest Vet That Ever Lived (Children) Could you bring a cow into the world? A horse? [430 words] [Biography] Jesus, You Look So Kansas-Like (Poetry) - [328 words] [Teenage] Jewish Mother (Short Stories) Trying to make Him and those near Him more alive, more real, and hopefully, with more exposure. [396 words] [Literary Fiction] John And Juan: Colombia's Facebook Killers (Non-Fiction) - [594 words] [Crime] Just (Poetry) Heightened sensitivity doesn't mean anything goes. It does, however, mean caring for others. [70 words] [Psychology] Just Cry, Mama (Poetry) - [267 words] [Teenage] Just Imagine (Poetry) Dedicated to the One with the scarred hands. [59 words] [Spiritual] Keepsakes (Poetry) A poem about a special afternoon. [129 words] Lassie: About A Pal (No Joke) (Children) ...thanks to British-born writer Eric Knight, who wrote the short story... [276 words] [Biography] Leaving Colombia(On A Jet, Of Course) (Non-Fiction) - [974 words] [Crime] Letter To Elvis (Non-Fiction) You were human, of course. Perhaps in the end you just couldn't take any more... [642 words] [Biography] Lid (Short Stories) Beware of half baths. [376 words] [Horror] Life On The Shelf (Poetry) - [27 words] [Erotic] Like A Story (Poetry) - [130 words] [Teenage] Like A Wave (Poetry) - [30 words] [Romance] Liliana's Decision (Non-Fiction) - [488 words] [Crime] Lions Young (Poetry) - [16 words] [Erotic] Little Is Much (Children) - [85 words] [Animal] Lonely Hunter (Poetry) - [17 words] [Literary Fiction] Long Live Our Elephants (Children) Would you kill an elephant? A deer? A fly? [284 words] [Animal] Lord Find A Place (Poetry) (For Luciano Pavarotti: R.I.P.) [70 words] [Spiritual] Making Moves: Another Look At Victims And Choices In Ann Rule's True Crime Stories (Non-Fiction) Ann Rule gives the murderers a hell of a punch in each story. That's the way it must be. It is the angle from which she writes and no one, no one is going to condone the acts of a murderer, least of... [9,916 words] [Crime] Marsten (Short Stories) - [408 words] [Horror] Matchless Love (Songs) - [91 words] [Motivational] May Mothers And Fathers (Essays) A short essay about those parents who want to push academic responsibility off onto others. [479 words] Maybe To Pittsburgh This Time (Children) This is about a boy's best friend. Also, I've always loved Girzone's "Joshua". Here is my little attempt to imitate that, somehow. [479 words] [Literary Fiction] Meet Mary (Poetry) - [39 words] Michael (Poetry) About someone who left us some years back but who left an indelible impression on those of his generation. [82 words] [Biography] Mine Eyes Have Seen (Poetry) No glory and no hallelujah. [55 words] [Horror] Miniviews From Colombia (Non-Fiction) No special description. Basically, getting an idea of what different people think at present. [3,555 words] Miss Sindee And The Candidate (Plays) - [361 words] [Humor] Moors And Moors: Randall Interviews Portuguese Writer--Poet--Artist Alexandra Onelight (Non-Fiction) - [3,430 words] [Biography] Morgan: An Actor's Actor (Children) Even though he's still living, here's a little bio. [362 words] [Biography] Moron (Short Stories) - [374 words] [Teenage] Mr. Nico's Monday A.M. Surprise (Plays) Thus it was decreed: Woe unto all those ethically challenged! [633 words] [Humor] Mr Randy Sez (Non-Fiction) Expressed thoughts, musings, comments, etc. on whatever I please. [5,598 words] [Publishing] My Big Toe Nicely (Poetry) - [23 words] [Erotic] My Fan (Poetry) - [23 words] [Spiritual] My Kind Of Christian: Barbara Curtis (Non-Fiction) "She lived to shock people, 'to be different and avant-garde'." [514 words] [Motivational] My Men Are Full Of Vigor (Poetry) This is about crosses, isn´t it? [48 words] [Erotic] Needed: Diversity In Education (Essays) Including More Studies In Distinct Cultures Needed Urgently: Give-A-Shit Parents Who Actually Monitor Their Kids If we won't listen to Jesus, then... [867 words] [Writing Resource] No Better Galahad (Songs) About the best Friend in the world. [115 words] [Spiritual] Normally A Gentle Man (Short Stories) This story was inspired by a story in the "Chicken Soup" series that I never can forget. [334 words] [Teenage] Not Enough! (Essays) A short talk about trying to prevent more wife/child abuse. [791 words] [Crime] Number 6 (Short Stories) The "real" meaning of non-stop? [489 words] [Horror] O Father Hold Us Tightly (Songs) Tune: "O Little Town of Bethlehem", believe it or not. It's such a beautiful melody that it's a pity that we are concerned with it only in December. Non-Christmas lyrics probably have been penned be... [101 words] [Spiritual] Oh Milly Said Molly (Poetry) This one came up while writing the kids' stuff 'cept it isn't, is it? [26 words] [Humor] Old Quake (Poetry) One Halloween he grabbed a knife Then hid behind the door... [119 words] [Humor] On A Dad's Turning 80 (Non-Fiction) Some want to get there, others couldn't care less. How much is choice? [390 words] [Writing Resource] On A Limb In The Garden Oak (Poetry) - [17 words] [Motivational] Once I Thought Hypocrisy (Poetry) I,too, have felt the knife. [50 words] [Mind] Pablo: A Life Of Crime And Making Money (Children) What is smart in life? What is dumb? [629 words] [Biography] Pissed--Or, We Did It To Ourselves(Yes, Read Fucked) (Non-Fiction) Periodical rant. [492 words] [Writing Resource] Plantain (Short Stories) - [627 words] [Horror] Please Send Me Blessings (Poetry) - [48 words] [Teenage] Poet--Photographer--Writer Interview (Non-Fiction) Read about Joseph Randell Sherman, Iowa-born poet and photographer par excellence. For additional info, access to writings, etc., 'google' this writer. [1,999 words] [Biography] Policing-Immigration Lines (Essays) This is a bit about patriotism but not fanaticism. [1,193 words] [Motivational] Poor Daddy (Short Stories) Carl saw the freshly-dug hole and broke into tears... [438 words] [Literary Fiction] Precious Lord, Take My Hand (Songs) This is another one of my favorite gospel songs. So, I am arrogant here in trying to pen a second or extra verse(I know of only one.). M. Jackson sings only one on a DVD I have of her. Anyway, if a... [50 words] [Spiritual] President Branch 1954 (Plays) Pure innocence, of course, prevailed at that time, did it not? [313 words] [Comedy] Quite Harmless You See (Short Stories) Then Peter had the oddest feeling. He’d never been afraid of the dark before. To him, danger was posed by humans, not by animals; least of all simple and innocent forest animals. [723 words] [Literary Fiction] Rainy Christmas Eve (Short Stories) "How bad is it?" he managed to ask with great physical and psychological effort... [755 words] [Crime] Ralph Carmichael: A Great American Musician (Non-Fiction) - [463 words] [Biography] Randall Barfield Interviews Sage Sweetwater--Colorado Poet-Novelist Of The Sapphic Literary Genre (Non-Fiction) . [4,890 words] [Relationships] Randall's Humble Analysis Of The Parable Of The Workers In The Vineyard (Non-Fiction) (Using the NIV version of the Bible) [635 words] [Spiritual] Randy's Advice To Young Writers (Essays) - [807 words] [Motivational] Realities (Poetry) - [7 words] [Writing Resource] Reflective Essay On Classroom Discipline (Essays) This essay was written as part of the requirements for a course in elementary education. The teacher's comments are placed in parentheses and denoted as TC. Some of the problems have worked themselv... [2,676 words] [Writing Resource] Religious Poems For Children (Children) - [691 words] [Spiritual] Remembering Doug (Non-Fiction) I remember thinking at the time that they were such crybabies! [472 words] [Biography] Sa'ad (Short Stories) Trying to look at history from another perspective. [295 words] [History] Schoolgirl (Short Stories) - [937 words] [Crime] Second Nature (Poetry) It's about a concrete finisher. [128 words] [Biography] See A Rose (Poetry) - [35 words] [Motivational] She Walked In Beauty (Poetry) - [32 words] [Movies] Shit (Poetry) This poem is built around a word that is offensive to some, harmless to others. [187 words] [Writing Resource] Should You Go To College? (Non-Fiction) Decisions confront us at every step in life. [503 words] [Teenage] Some Caring Country Road (Poetry) Superstars leave indelible impressions on all of us, however, different strokes for different folks, of course. Anyway, I'll always be starstruck and enjoy trying to create tributes for those I love(... [193 words] [Nature] Something Irresistible (Short Stories) Ten fingers? Who me? [231 words] [Humor] Somewhere Near The Maricopas: Elizabeth Lucas-Taylor Interview (Non-Fiction) Elizabeth Lucas-Taylor, Arizona writer, poet, seeker, and dreamer, interview by Randall Barfield [4,700 words] [Mind] Spare The Rod (Poetry) There's nothing funny about killing one's parents, I know, but it's only fiction. Right? Did Agatha Christie ever kill anyone despite a life dedicated to murder fiction? [109 words] [Humor] Stand By Me (Songs) There are 2 songs titled Stand By Me that I know of. The more famous one was recorded by Ben King and John Lennon. The other, less famous but no less beautiful, was recorded by Elvis Presley (and wh... [74 words] [Spiritual] Take Her Pompoms (Poetry) What's a mom worth in May? [25 words] [Relationships] Ten Baby Jesus Poems (Children) The noise of the cock's crow woke them up A brand new day came bursting forth... [272 words] [Spiritual] Ten More Baby Jesus Poems (And The Last Of Them) (Children) (Wind and rain roared outside The walls of the stable shook...) [237 words] [Biography] Ten--Hour Weddings (Essays) About South American weddings. [510 words] [Humor] Terence And Abelardo--Set Four (Plays) - [1,652 words] [Relationships] Terence And Abelardo--Set One (Plays) This is planned as a series of vignettes, each with its own title. Terence is from an English-speaking country but lives and works in a Spanish-speaking one. Abelardo is Spanish-speaking orginally a... [971 words] [Relationships] Terence And Abelardo--Set Three (Plays) - [1,549 words] Terence And Abelardo--Set Two (Plays) Each set contains 4 shorts. [1,274 words] [Relationships] That Little Spark (Poetry) - [22 words] [Motivational] The 2nd Church Sign (Non-Fiction) Thou shalt go and spread... [677 words] [Spiritual] The Best Christmas (Poetry) The best Christmas means different things to each one of us. [99 words] [Spiritual] The Big It (Poetry) - [24 words] [Relationships] The Breakfast Nook (Short Stories) . [246 words] [Spiritual] The Candy In The Woods (Children) - [467 words] [Adventure] The Chocolate Bunny Of Stone Mountain (Children) "Somebody has been bad," Susan says, "and..." [522 words] [Popular Fiction] The Cold March Air (Poetry) - [15 words] [Erotic] The Color Of My Actions (Poetry) Sometimes we think too much about color and not enough at important things. [73 words] [Motivational] The Comfort (Poetry) No one can bring him back. No one can forget him either. [250 words] [Biography] The Cry Baby (Short Stories) - [615 words] [Teenage] The Death Of My Mom (Essays) A short reflection on a lack of tears for my mom. [565 words] The Donkey Farm (Children) None of the donkeys wore a watch, of course, so they couldn't be dead sure... [365 words] [Fable] The Evil Of The Visa System (Essays) Looking, looking for that Utopia. As always. [479 words] [History] The France You Never Got To See (Poetry) How many people wanted to see France and never got a chance to? [67 words] [Motivational] The Godless Home(Life) (Non-Fiction) Basically, this is written from experience. [661 words] [Self-Help] The Goodbye (Short Stories) My 2nd attempt at a 'western'. It won a cherry at abctales.com (shoebox) [752 words] [Romance] The Gravity (Poetry) Former Beatles member George Harrison died in November, 2001. This poem was conceived and written near the musician's death. [81 words] [Psychology] The Hands (Poetry) - [12 words] [Horror] The Head Of State's Eyes (Poetry) - [42 words] [History] The Hour (Poetry) - [10 words] [Spiritual] The House On No Street (Poetry) Move over, Stephen King! [53 words] [Horror] The Human Condition(By The Pessimist) (Poetry) - [19 words] [History] The Jubilee Surprise (Plays) Perhaps daydreaming. (This was written first in 2002, of course.) Today, July 2005, I look back at the word daydreaming and think: Wasn't I ever! Of course, we now know the monarch is trying to break... [514 words] [History] The Little House In The Woods (Children) Children can enjoy these new little poems. We were in a "wooded" area on vacation recently and the idea came to me to jot these down. [313 words] [Literary Fiction] The Lyrics For That Macho-Man, He-Man, Tough-Guy Shit (Poetry) . [278 words] [Literary Fiction] The Moon In That Movie With Cher (Short Stories) - [901 words] The New House (Short Stories) - [404 words] [Horror] The New House Near Campus (Short Stories) - [422 words] [Horror] The People I Prefer (Poetry) - [47 words] The Power (Short Stories) "I have to get home. I have to get home..." [1,137 words] [Drama] The Road (Non-Fiction) But he felt happiness. At last. After such... [576 words] [Motivational] The Rose Tree (Poetry) A poem about the passing of life and nostalgia. [291 words] The Scent Of Provincial Orchids (Short Stories) - [940 words] [Literary Fiction] The Turn Of Your Old Key (Poetry) - [55 words] [Romance] The Very Best Poems (Poetry) - [36 words] [Motivational] There Is A Love That Is Matchless (Songs) These lyrics have music (by Guess Who) if anyone is interested. [91 words] [Motivational] There Will Be No Losers (Poetry) - [146 words] [Motivational] They Started A War (Poetry) -"One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one." Agatha Christie (1977) [70 words] [Spiritual] Thin Air (Short Stories) ...you'd think it impossible that one man could terrorize an entire nation but,of course,... [874 words] [Crime] Third Interview With President Branch (Plays) Here go the Pres. and Barabas(Barb) again. Give me a rating 1 to 10 on it. I say 8.0 (If you don't love yourself, who else is gonna?) I also wanna say that I am not a hater of the president. After... [536 words] [Comedy] This Thirst (Poetry) - [29 words] [Psychology] Thomas Andrew (Children) He and Mr. Tindley didn't go away. Their music and words didn't either... [388 words] [Biography] Thorn And Rose (Poetry) - [66 words] [Teenage] Those Images (Poetry) - [30 words] [Relationships] Three Poem Collection (Poetry) No particular description. The reader will judge. Titles are: Poem for Cathy; Ingots; and The Saltless Sea. [252 words] [Relationships] Three Poem Collection No. 2 (Poetry) These poems are supposed to be "lite". Titles are: bug off; Fat Farm Arrival; and Bleak Anniversary. [66 words] [Humor] Three-Song Collection (Songs) Two are supposed to be spiritual and one a ballad. The author's music is available for evaluation. Sometimes the strong part of a song is its music, at others the lyrics. [410 words] [Spiritual] Tight Jeans 1 (Short Stories) - [264 words] [Romance] Tight Jeans 2 (Short Stories) - [246 words] [Romance] Tight Jeans 3 (Short Stories) ... but she was no rose... That's a joke... [228 words] [Romance] Tight Jeans (4) (Novels) - [187 words] [Romance] Tiny Poem (Poetry) - [10 words] [Romance] To An Old Widower (Poetry) - [109 words] [Literary Fiction] Treeeees (Children) - [69 words] [Nature] Tropical Baby (Songs) Nothing like sand and palm trees occasionally. [125 words] [Romance] Trying To Cross (Poetry) . [42 words] [Humor] Turning To Him (Essays) No description. [354 words] [Motivational] Two Great North Americans (Non-Fiction) -This is a short piece about a work of love and persistence. When these two elements are present, results are inevitable and these results have been outstanding. LEGACY ... [653 words] [Motivational] Uncle Reggie's Study Room (Short Stories) - [268 words] [Literary Fiction] Under The Sun (Essays) What happens in real life is that we humans are vicious one to the other... [839 words] [Relationships] Unemployment: Cum Laude And The Greatest Terrorist (Essays) 2-cents' worth about employment? 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The Double Cure: A Closer Look Randall Barfield
The Double Cure: a closer look by Randall Barfield
We’ve known these hymns all our lives nearly. In this case, Vestal Goodman kept singing on one of my DVDs about the double cure but I’d miss what comprised the double cure. The little mystery, as in “Pass Me Not”, wouldn’t let me go. So, this gives me a pretext for pulling the hymn out and investigating some. The lyricist was Mr. Augustus Toplady about the time of the American Revolutionary War.
Let’s take 2 lines at a time. The hymn starts out as follows:
“Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee;”
Jesus Christ is the Rock. He’s been around now for more than 2,000 years so this explains the ages. A cleft is a crevice or crack, so just as a fiddler crab or some other creature, we can hide in a rock’s crevice. Hide from many dangers that lie outside such a refuge. It’s 1763 so the author likes Thee for Christ instead of the You we commonly use today. Christ can and will protect us as a rock with a crevice.
“Let the water and the blood, From Thy riven side which flowed,”
Here we have divine water and blood. We think of holy water as well as bodily fluids of the extraordinary kind. The riven side was caused by the atrocious acts of the Roman soldiers following orders as Jesus was nailed to the Cross on Calvary and poked and cut.
“Be of sin the double cure, Cleanse me from its guilt and pow’r.”
OK, here we have the request for both the water and the blood of the wounded Christ to be and act as the cure for our sin. The effect of sin the author says is two-fold: there is guilt and there is power. The sinner feels guilty when sinning and after sinning- who knows how often- and there is an effect of power that sin itself (the devil?) has over the human being (indeed, the ‘things of the world’ we were taught and warned about as kids in Sunday school or catechism).
“Not the labors of my hands, Can fulfill Thy law’s demands:”
I think this is rather clear. To me it means that works (read good works) aren’t going to save us or make up in any way for our transgressions.
“Could my zeal no respite know, Could my tears forever flow,”
OK, zeal is enthusiasm for a cause. We don’t want to lose our zeal for Christ or for heaven and eternal life. By tears we want always to be sensitive toward Christ’s purpose, teachings, and sacrifice for us.
“All for sin could not atone; Thou must save and Thou alone.”
Here, we learn that neither zeal nor the tears mentioned above can atone for our sins or save us. Only He- Christ- can save us and by His choice. Not mom, not dad, not the preacher, not the priest, not the church’s sanctuary, and so on. We know this, of course, because in the parable of the vineyard, the owner says it’s his vineyard and he’ll do with it as he pleases. Christ, Himself, in relating this parable, compares the vineyard with the kingdom of heaven.
“Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling;”
This is like “Just As I Am”, a hymn, of course, and the title of Billy Graham’s autobiography. It means coming to Christ ‘naked’ with no pretenses, no frills, no valuable gifts (which He doesn’t need, of course). The decision has been made to cling to the cross- to be a follower of Christ’s. It doesn’t by any means mean being perfect, which is impossible for the human being anyway. Christ knows this perfectly well or He would not have asked the crowd who among them was without sin.
“Naked, come to Thee for dress, Helpless, look to Thee for grace;”
We are metaphorically naked but Christ will “dress” us. We all know what new clothes, and especially nice clothes, do for us and our egos. Christ can do this for us and much more. We are a fairly helpless lot, we humans. We can’t keep from engaging in warfare among ourselves, from harboring petty envy, from hating, from cheating, and a host of other negatives; however, there are the positives too, of course. Thus, we are worth saving. By the grace of God- Jesus Christ- good things happen and we seek that grace of His, whether now or later or both.
“Foul, I to the fountain fly, Wash me, Savior, or I die!”
“For all have sinned…” St. Paul tells us, so that solves that mystery and any pretense some of us may harbor to the contrary. So we seek the metaphorical blood and water, to be washed in these precious and divine liquids for eternity’s sake. We cannot live eternally unless we are “washed in the blood of the Lamb.” Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, called Him the Lamb of God.
“While I draw this fleeting breath, When my eyes shall close in death,”
Fleeting. This means we are here today gone tomorrow. We can take only the moment for granted. No particle of the future is guaranteed. We can only expect and hope. All our eyes one day will close in death here on earth unless we are here the day Christ returns. This is God’s will and, therefore, a mandate we must all abide by like it or not. This is the part the American Heart Assn. and the American Cancer Society never mention. [I know, it’s not their job to mention it] Yes, we must take care of our bodies (temples of God) but we must not dream foolishly that they will last forever here on earth.
“When I soar to worlds unknown, See Thee on Thy judgment throne,”
Here the author gives us a glimpse of the glory of leaving this cruel and ill world for something better, although we have not and cannot see it with our own eyes. We get an image of Christ (not alone but with God) on Judgment Day the Bible tells us. The author is reinforcing the teaching that judgment will definitely occur.
The last line of the hymn (I have only 4 verses with me) is the same as the first- “Rock of Ages…”
I hope you enjoyed this little tour through a hymn. Sometimes we sing and sing but don’t actually stop and reflect upon what it is we are singing. What do the words mean? Why did the author choose a particular word, other than to rhyme, of course? If someone ever asks us about the double cure, we now can enlighten them. The double cure (for sin) is comprised of the water and blood flowing from Jesus Christ on Calvary.
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