"The Bigger They Are"

Here I sit, all bloody and bruised,
Evidence caked on my favorite shoes;
I tried to fight the street
But ended in defeat,
It’s gravity and mud that I accuse

"Above All Others"

It is so much more than a gift—
It is granted authority,
A burden of great power:
A grave responsibility.

It’s much more than ending a prayer,
An oft-spoken punctuation;
More than a formula…or
Pers’nal identification.

An extension of His presence,
An ambass’dor: “Excellency.”
You are adopted, a child
Now trusted with King’s signet, see?

He lived—perfectly innocent—
And then He bled and died for us;
He set all that aside and
Arose, stood back up for us.

Now, “I am standing in for Him”
—It’s a very bold thing to claim,
But this is what He promised
When He bequeathed His holy name.

"Dog Days Of Summer"

We started with two,
then adopted one more.
A friend needed help,
so we’re now up to four

Our youngest still bites,
the others warn with growl;
Can’t leave them alone—
Makes me just want to howl!

They’ve special diets,
but eat each other’s food;
Hope they won’t vomit—
Please have mercy, fur dudes!

Yellow got nervous
and emptied his bowel—
Cleaned up his pee too
with a fresh washèd towel

“I’ll dig thro’ the trash
while they’re out with that one,”
said and did th’ Brown—
We’ve had it, we’re done!

Lock them in kennels
for just a short time,
‘til butterfly farts,
and they all start to whine

“I know! Let’s all play”—
Should we inside or out?
Weather makes us sweat,
so we opt for the couch

They won’t share the toys,
and they step on my toes;
“OWW!” yell I. They pause,
sixteen legs all 'kimbo

We’ve suffered enough,
let’s just all go to bed;
We’ll rest and then wake
and do this over again

"I Just Washed My Hands"

I just washed my hands—
It doesn’t matter the reason;
I sang about a twinkling star
To ensure I had done my best

I wave at the "eye"
That triggers mechanical dance,
Then wait a whole, entire season
While the paper rolls way too far

End now drags the floor:
It’s gross, and I refuse to dry;
I step across and wave again—
Will it also try such treason?

It whirs—just a tick,
Produces one that’s way too short—
Water’d blot if I could e’en try;
I give up and just use my pants

Putting this to rest,
But I’ve a few more thoughts on it:
I have one more stanza before—
Grr… there is still damp on my thighs!

A one-inch bookmark,
And more sheets for my king-size bed;
I do not need or want these things:
All I want’s a towel…or four.

"Minimum Wage"

Earn a paycheck,
Not God’s grace;
Earn your pillow,
Not salvation

The check we strive for is
Six feet long and six feet deep;
But it was already done,
Already finished

The gift we get,
The love of God
Wrapped in flesh, was
Twelve feet up
And millennia foretold

Learn your Savior,
Who brought God’s grace;
Learn your Lord,
Who gives you rest

"Semiquincentennial"

Go-karts
Pizza
Pizza
Waiting for ice cream
Live music
Waiting for ice cream
Live music
Waiting with i
                      c
                         e

Anyone have a napkin?

Fireworks—
right overhead! 

                              c
                                r
                                  e America!

"Pledge"

I pledge obeisance to the Lord
of the universe and all it contains,
and to the cross on which He hung,
one Kingdom of our God
Who, without partiality,
offers freedom and salvation to all

---

adapted from “The Pledge of Allegiance”
Francis Bellamy, 1892
Public domain

"Where My Heart Is"

I dig for treasure—
It’s hidden
And beyond my grasp.

I don't really want it,
Don’t want the responsibility,
Or the ache in my back.

I know that,
According to the law in this place,
It will end up in a museum.
I’d get my name in the paper,
But what good is that?

It’s not mine to mine,
And not mine to dole out,
And not mine at all.

I quit the search
And surrender my shovel

"Again, So Soon?"

Here we are again at the vet...
While I was locking the shed,
You escaped your kennel bed
And left me a package in shreds.

I called the wife. “Go!” she said,
“For he soon could be dead!”
I know it’s not toxic—I had checked—
But your belly full of a full pound of bread?

On the highway I drove (admittedly sped).
Registered as you’re fetched by a tech.
The doctor gave you some meds.
Soon your snack came back ou—oh, dread!

“It will cost much” said the girl at the desk
—Not at all unexpected—
“It’s worth it,” said I, nodding my head.
“After all, he’s my very best friend.”

"You're The Holy God"

You’re the holy God,
You’re the Ancient of Days
And forever in truth do You reign.

You’re Creator of
All that exists,
You spoke ev’rything in six days.

Ev’ry heart leads false,
But You’ve forgiven us—
In only Your grace can we brag.

So when that ol’ serpent fires his darts,
We put trust in You, holy God!

---

adapted from “You’re A Grand Old Flag”
George M. Cohan, 1906
Public domain