A Soldier's Thoughts, Memories, and Prayers: A Collection of Poems
172
A Soldier's Thoughts, Memories, and Prayers: A Collection of Poems
172Hardcover
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Overview
Life-individuals from across the globe have referred to it in countless ways, expressing the vast expanse of life's little indiscretions through different idioms. Yet, through the eyes of this old soldier, life has been-and still continues to be-a journey molded by past experiences and guided by ghosts, with gentle whispers of encouragement. In A Soldier's Thoughts, Memories, and Prayers, readers have the chance to travel through the struggles of life as seen by a soldier. But there is far more to author John B. Carter than just soldiering.
Through death, divorce, loneliness, spiritual heartache, and triumph, there is a single message that remains at the forefront for those traveling through these pages: press on and overcome! From the poignant "A Tear on My Pillow" to the spiritual "How Could I Love God?" the author captures the emotions that bring these words to life. Faith is woven into everything Carter does, yet, as the oak tree of his life grows, its roots draw from the memories deep within him.
Throughout A Soldier's Thoughts, Memories, and Prayers, there are photos from Carter's family and friends, intending to catapult readers' imaginations as the written words guide them from one experience to the next.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781475997507 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | iUniverse, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 07/12/2013 |
| Pages: | 172 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.56(d) |
Read an Excerpt
A Soldier's
Thoughts, Memories, and Prayers
By John B. Carter
iUniverse LLC
Copyright © 2013 John B. CarterAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4759-9748-4
CHAPTER 1
My Dogwood Garden
In my heart
My soul travels,
Traveling along paths paved with memories.
There I breathe in the tender smells of my childhood long since past.
I sit and look up,
Gazing through the limbs that shelter my being.
Up there, reaching heavenward,
Are flowers of white.
There my face is colored, decorated by the shadows of the blossoms
above me.
I sit, focusing my eyes
on the beauty that surrounds me.
how majestic and simply marvelous!
Their petals form a cross—with the rays of the sun captured in the
middle.
I think to myself, how wonderful are these blessings from God!
There in the garden of my childhood,
There in the midst of that beauty, hopes and aspirations were built.
There I am.
My garden—how peaceful.
The sun shines down, peering through cascading draperies of green
and white.
how beautiful they truly are!
oh, my dear dogwoods—it has been said
You are trees that bear a single curse:
Your trunk—twisted,
Your growth—stunted.
Yet, through your springtime radiance,
You bear your true elegance.
oh tree with blooming crosses—
Your blossoms sweet—that place where my childhood I should always
meet.
For there under the canapé of white,
I see the earlier years of this older life and remember.
For those blooms help me to recall
What it means to hope and have faith in that hope.
no matter where I go—no matter what I do—I will always take you
with me.
I shall never forget,
I shall hold dear
The memory of my dogwood garden.
When I Write
When I write—
Why is it the truest of feelings that I fight?
When I write—
It is my innermost emotions that must take flight.
When I write—
What was once unseen now reaches for its first light.
When I write—
It is my soul that has been given sight.
When I write—
once free from their dim, dark places,
My feelings attach themselves to words
Free, as if to ride the wind like a kite.
When I write—
The truth can no longer be buried.
expressions and feelings, I bow to their might.
When I write—
The mere act of putting words to the page—
It encapsulates my whole being, and I am made right.
When I write.
Dream, Dream
I—the cornerstone of "we"—
oh, my sweetness, my one true love, it is your eyes I now long to see.
It is night and my weary body shall, somehow, find sleep;
Yet once I have crossed into slumber's sweet solace, I shall dream of
nothing but you.
I, here in my dream, can see your beautiful face.
here, in my dream, you are dressed in the finest lace.
oh, how I love you.
oh, how I miss you—and now you are here.
It is my wish that this will never end.
But wait—what's this—could it be a tear?
no—tell me no! For in this dream, I realize my worst fear.
The sunlight creeps across my bed.
Thank you, love—what a night we had.
Until I can see you,
Until I can wrap my arms around you and hold you once again,
Until then, I shall forever dream.
A Tear on My Pillow
Last night, while I was alone,
My deepest feelings were made known.
Then, much to my surprise,
There on my face, I found a tear.
What—what is this?
Could it be an actualization of a hidden fear?
My one and only love,
For her my heart aches, and her I long to embrace.
her complete beauty and grace,
The memory—though fleeting as the morning mist—how I wanted
more.
She is in my dream.
The thought of her makes my heart soar.
My whole world is found in that one tear—
Gladly wounded by true love's spear.
how I miss her:
her skin,
her hair,
her beauty!
I awake—I am not sure I am in the right place;
My heavens—oh, how I miss her face!
She lives in my dreams.
The letters she writes, they echo of the one I miss.
She lives in my joy.
The phone calls home—ended with a kiss.
We are one, even so far apart.
In everything, I see the woman who owns my heart.
Love
Love ...
Is this true?
I have, once again, fallen for you.
Love ...
It covers all.
It commands total duty, an upward call.
Love ...
It is more than what mere words could remotely express.
It is only through the almighty Creator and his mercy
that I dare make this bold address!
Love ...
My dearest, to you I humbly give
Something on my own I am unable to do or even live.
on the strength given from above will I lean,
For there in his divine grace, will my love truly be seen.
It is that, through my Savior's example,
I then can completely give you my love—not just a small sample!
This I Promise, This I Pledge
neither fame nor fortune
Will be mine to give.
Yet in true love's bond
Will we ever live!
This I promise,
This I pledge:
As health may, eventually, elude us
And life's challenges seemingly give unyielding pain,
Yet, in each other's embrace may we find love's truest
meaning,
Simple and plain.
This I promise,
This I pledge:
Though words seem too complex to try to describe the situation they
wish to expound,
Yet, as in moments before, this moment shows our hearts
together—
in truest love and nothing less.
This I promise,
This I pledge!
The Wedding
White—
Purity—gift from above,
There she stands, pure and beautiful.
White—
radiant as a gracious dove,
She stands at the altar,
Beside her bridegroom, in adoration and love.
White—
Pure, snowy white, her face illuminated by candlelight.
This is the day bridegroom gives himself to her
And she gives herself to him.
They both now stand together, bonded by love's truest might.
White—
elegance and charm
The vows to each other they make.
They are now standing, arm and arm.
White—
In heaven's sight, let no man undo
The promises made—to have, to hold.
As they mature in wisdom, and time passes from this point—
Together, forever, their love will stay bold.
To My Wife—My Love
To the woman I yearn to be with—
You are beyond mortal belief.
Though you have seen trials, multiplied by grief,
You are full of grace and truth.
To the one I care for—
You have love to share.
For the love you give, it is special and rare.
To lavish your love upon me—
reaching beyond any degree!
Though the thought of being without you, my dear,
would pierce me to my core.
For you see, you, my sweetness, alone do I adore.
My dear—
Though apart we may sometimes have to be,
In my heart, your face is what I will see!
Your grace—
Your love—
Your beauty—
My dear, you give me these.
When my trials run deep
And apart we must be, it is these three I will forever keep.
To My Dearest Friend
From the deepest of the human experience, the innermost part,
That place that some love-struck fools
Sincerely call "the heart,"
There blossoms the purest rose.
now this most desired of flowers,
The rose of one's true love—
one must be warned—
Is never meant to be plucked, for in its growth dwells its power!
So, as this rose grows and blooms, it is in the soil of deepest
friendship fed;
Though it may fight through life's most inhospitable weeds,
Through storms and the heat of the hottest summer's day,
Through the coldest of winter's nights
Its grace is untouched and its beauty unmatched.
For through summer's heat, winter's cold, and the weeds of
life—
The rose is full of strength and grace.
Strength
Grace
Both now bloom on common ground.
Both, my dearest friend, are in the love we found!
I am an Overcomer
By fears I may stand—
I have overcome.
Behind my tears I may hide—
I have overcome.
Beside my anguish I may sit—
I have overcome.
Beneath my anger I may lie—
I have overcome.
Trials,
Tribulations,
And the terrors this life may bring—
I can honestly say—I have not been denied these three.
For those who have seemingly attained perfect peace,
For those who have never known simple solitude,
Both share a common thread—for no matter who you are, one day
you will find—
You will see one of these three.
But praise the Lord!
of these three I have no cause to fear!
of these three I have no need to hide!
over these I dare not shed a tear.
For by faith in the Almighty,
And the grace shown through him to me,
I am an overcomer—and from these three I have been set free!
(Continues...)
Excerpted from A Soldier's by John B. Carter. Copyright © 2013 John B. Carter. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
My Dogwood Garden.................... 1
When I Write.................... 3
Dream, Dream.................... 4
A Tear on My Pillow.................... 5
Love.................... 6
This I Promise, This I Pledge.................... 7
The Wedding.................... 8
To My Wife—My Love.................... 9
To My Dearest Friend.................... 11
I am an Overcomer.................... 13
My Heart's Humble Cry.................... 14
What Manner.................... 16
Love Talks—Friendship Walks.................... 18
What Of This Thing Called Love?.................... 20
My God: A Cripple?.................... 21
Where Are You, My Brother?.................... 23
Pearl River.................... 27
Our Flag.................... 31
In Your Eyes.................... 33
Be Strong.................... 34
Christ Is King—a Psalm of Praise.................... 35
The Crowd.................... 37
A Song.................... 38
Adoration.................... 40
Death.................... 41
The Gravedigger Digs.................... 43
The Light in the Window.................... 45
A Lame Man Made Whole?.................... 47
Impatience.................... 49
Sir-render.................... 50
Time.................... 51
The White Field of Harvest.................... 52
Family.................... 54
The Rain.................... 56
Searching the Skies.................... 57
This Looks like Fall.................... 58
Your Pains.................... 60
My Concerns.................... 62
Miles Apart.................... 64
My Eyes Are Full of Sleep.................... 65
My Heart.................... 66
How Could I Love God?.................... 68
Duty, Honor, Country.................... 70
To a Soldier.................... 72
His Eyes—Mark 11.................... 74
Waiting for This Day.................... 75
Lamp unto My Path—Reflections on Psalm 119.................... 76
A Candle.................... 77
The Same.................... 78
The Church.................... 79
Compassion's eyes—.................... 80
Eyes of God.................... 81
Mountaintop High.................... 82
My Old Friend.................... 84
My Love, How Often I Have Thought.................... 86
My Only Regret.................... 87
Life.................... 89
Learn to Live.................... 91
To the Hills.................... 93
Merry Christmas.................... 95
I'm Not Worthy.................... 97
Shadows, Memories, and Things to Come.................... 98
Ha-Ha-Ha.................... 105
Death.................... 107
The Lamb.................... 108
They Call.................... 110
I Want More.................... 111
My Dearest.................... 115
Some Say of Love.................... 116
To Ponder.................... 117
Where Does Christmas Come From?.................... 119
The Right.................... 120
Salvation?.................... 121
Sea of Color.................... 123
Sands of Time.................... 125
I Gazed into the Eyes of a Blind Man.................... 128
"I Know My Redeemer Liveth".................... 130
Of Psalm 23.................... 131
I Close My Eyes.................... 133
the rose.................... 134
Music.................... 136
Straying from Home.................... 138
The Season—It Is Changing.................... 139
The Dark One.................... 140
When God Answers Prayer.................... 142
God Will.................... 144
The Meadow.................... 147
Fall.................... 148
A Field House.................... 150
My Father's Hands.................... 151
It Is All a Matter of Trust.................... 153
Parting Thoughts.................... 155
About the Author.................... 157
Drawings and photos.................... 158