Final Call

by Anson Hughes

Overview

The messages highlighted in Final Call seek to inspire others to have faith and stay positive even when things are not going well in their lives. Poet Anson Hughes has chronicled topics as diverse as life, love, and loss in this new poetry collection. From the beauty and clarity of God's love to the challenges of his disease Scleroderma as described in the poem "My Perpetual Testament," the emotions of his poetry come shining through with profound depth.

Hughes believes that writing is a gift, and he has cherished the opportunity to share his poems with so many people over the years. He credits the Holy Spirit for inspiring his writing in Final Call, a collection of poems that speaks of his values in life and his faith in God's love.

All Things Are Mine

If I ask I shall receive, if I seek, I shall find
If I knock it shall be opened because all things are mine
If I believe in my heart without a shadow of a doubt that all things are mine then it shall come about
All things are mine because all things belong to Christ
Christ belongs to God who holds the keys to death and life
We are heirs to all things present and to come
The victory is ours and our battle is already won
If I ask I shall receive, if I seek, I shall find
If I knock it shall be opened because all things are mine

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781469799711
Publisher:	iUniverse, Incorporated
Publication date:	04/24/2012
Pages:	78
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.16(d)

Read an Excerpt

FINAL CALL

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By Anson Hughes

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Anson Hughes
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4697-9971-1

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Chapter One

AFFECTIONATE EXPRESSIONS

Mama

    Very demanding, understanding
    This woman speaks her mind
    Beautiful person, sometimes cursing
    To me she is one of a kind
    Good advisor, smarter wiser
    Than any other family member
    Loving care, always there
    As perfect as snow in December
    Smiling face, warm embrace
    Listens without being judgmental
    Doesn't brag, sometimes nag
    Older but still quite gentle
    Extravagant lady daddy's baby
    Holds her family together
    Strong shoulders, sister soldier
    Encourages that things will get better
    Child bearer, pants wearer
    Sometimes she has to play dad
    No sweat, never fret
    She prays when things get bad
    Knows pain, breaks chains
    Has escaped hard times and danger
    Easy going, patience showing
    Quick to forgive, slow to anger
    Churchgoer, seed sower
    Believes God is able to guide her
    God lover, good mother
    Mama thank you for being a provider


    The Ways of a Good Mother

    Thanks be to God for the mothers that we have
    They seem to have an inner strength that lasts' and last's and last's
    We know they get weak for they are human too
    But even at their weakest points they keep on coming through
    They tell us that we can when we don't think we can
    A good mother raises her son to become a responsible man
    A good mother raises her daughter to become a responsible woman
    She teaches her how to hold on when trials seem to keep coming
    A good mother loves her children even when they treat her absurd
    She teaches them how she was taught to believe in Gods holy word
    Even when they go astray looking like they're gone
    A good mother prays for their souls, standing with open arms
    She would pray if they were in jail or in the streets on crack
    She would put her total confidence in God to bring them back
    She cries many tears but refuses to doubt or faint
    Whether speaking in tongues or swinging her belt, she remains a saint
    A good mother is like no other she laughs when she should be crying
    A good mother is one in a million it comes naturally to her without trying

The ways of a Good Mother was written in celebration of Mother's Day for my mother in particular. I have always known my mother's love for me, but when I was falsely accused of stealing cars back in the day she had my back never once doubting my side of the story, which illustrated clearly to me the true signs of a good mother.

    Grandma

    A grandma should be sweet and kind
    keeping us ahead if we're falling behind
    Her love is great and beyond compare
    someone who will always be there
    If only in spirit, making hard times better
    her voice calm soft as a feather
    Her understanding heart shining like gold
    older, weaker, carrying life's loads
    Her eyes telling stories loud and clear
    her struggling victories year after year
    Daily thanking God though aged and slow
    gains her strength from where only God knows
    She is always, patient full of concern
    willing to teach if we are willing to learn
    She is the mold that mothers and aunts want to be
    The root, supporting grandpa and the family tree


    I Take You

    I take you for my girlfriend
    though any fool can see you're no girl
    My soul mate my love my joy
    if possible I'll give you the world
    I take you into my care
    with strong arms and hands you are safe
    Relax, let down your guard
    you are protected within my embrace
    I take you as you are
    you are the one for me
    Some may say that's not much
    through natural eyes they can't see
    I take you off the dating scene
    no more broken dates or late arrivals
    I pray one day to take your hand
    becoming one flesh as thus says the Bible
    I take you for better or worse
    accepting the other vows too
    Before a cloud of witnesses, family and friends
    my answer to you is 'I do'


    I love her

    I love her ... I love her not
    I am so confused about this woman
    I smell her scent as it lingers in the air
    When she is not around and in places she hasn't been
    I love her ... I love her not
    I am sure I cannot live without her
    I would protect her with my own life
    Or would I, not
    I love her ... I love her not
    She angers me as no one else can
    She calms me the same
    She is right for me, I think
    I love her ... I love her not
    She speaks to me softly mostly
    But sometimes she screams what she feels
    I am sure she hates me at times
    I love her ... I love her not
    Maybe a petal on a flower can tell me best
    I can't seem to make up my mind
    I wonder how she feels about me truthfully
    I will put up with everything she does
    Right, wrong, or in between
    Until she leaves me broken hearted
    Or I understand clearly if I love her or love her not


    The Fountain of Youth

    I approached the most amazing fountain
    the sign read Fountain of Youth
    It is said that water from the fountain
    will make you younger to tell the truth
    I cupped my hands in the water
    wanting terribly to gulp it down
    I watched shockingly as it splashed and
    instant rainbows brightened the ground
    Before I could sample the water
    my wife took my hand
    Kissed me softly then confirmed
    she had a master plan
    She rushed me from the fountain
    to home where her plan unfolded
    She firmly massaged my shoulders
    deep-rooted stresses unloaded
    She knew just what I needed
    I melted under her touch
    like a school boy in a candy store
    I couldn't seem to get enough
    I begged her sweet forgiveness
    then flattered her with truth
    I told her she was clearly
    my personal fountain of youth


    Question Is, Would You? (Spoken Word)

    How many are willing to give up their fortune, fame, superstar name
    and change their aim from money, honey, and material gain
    To teaching love, life lessons, forgiveness, and truth, question is, would
      you?
    Teach that love is essential, beneficial, unconditional
    and give up all of your traditional artificial loves
    Like idols, lustful desires, hate that burns in your heart like fire
    Consuming you inwardly stressing you mentally, taking its toll slowly but
      surely, killing you eventually
    Would you risk losing the popularity contest because you're teaching the
      ills of guns, drugs and promiscuous unprotected sex?
    The opposite of what the popular is teaching, speaking, bringing to the
      masses of lower and middle-classes but the youth are listening to
      these asses, spitting corruption, destruction, disaster, faster than a
      bullet that'll land them in a casket
    I'm only sharing my thoughts and asking questions don't be afraid, these
      are some of life's lessons
    I've had to crash n burn, to learn to live and give; Lord knows I'm
      learning still ...
    Crashing and burning, gotta start from scratch when I thought I had this
      one lesson down pat
    However when fired at I fired back-to-back to back-to-back to back
    Now I'm the aggressor way off track from where God was leading me
      to, gotta get back on track and learn better to handle that ... some
      see where I'm coming from though all have probably been where
      I'm at
    Back to building and rebuilding,
    asking forgiveness and healing,
    just keeping it real with God's children
    hoping these words will reach millions, billions, trillions
    Zillions of youth looking for truth wanting their pangs to be soothed like
      Orajel on an infant's tooth
    Straight to the root of the problem, the pains are spiritual only truth can
      solve them, resolve them and stop them completely not just pause
      them, it was lies and deceit that caused them
    Now, if I was living high on the hog in the limelight would I be preaching
      this, teaching this, believing this, feeding this to you while being a
      hypocritical heathenness, they say the love of money is that evil
      and devious
    So how many are willing to give up their fortune, fame, superstar name
      and change their aim from money, honey and material gain
    To teaching love, life lessons, forgiveness, and truth, question is, would
      you?
    Teach that love is essential, beneficial, unconditional, and give up all
      your traditional, artificial loves, like idols


    So Poetic

    Poetry rolls off her tongue like waves off the sea
    So crisp so powerful so perfect
    Every line gives me chills as they crash down over me
    So I listen so attentive so worth it
    Passionate raging fire burns inside her like verses from scripture
    So touching so pure so present
    Smooth metaphors and similes rhyme without rhyming what a poetic sista
    So talented so blessed so tested
    Effortlessly she enters my mentality and soon I see her vision
    So clear so bright so flamboyant
    Her love, hate, pain, triumphs and trials become an expedition
    So she leads so I follow so rewarding
    Her quick wit is like Nascar I pray to keep up
    So enveloped so engulfed so intrigued
    Quiet as a mute I sit eyes wide shut
    So moved so excited so pleased
    Through a nonchalant tone, she spits words in to life
    So intense so creative so bold
    As number one fan, I deliver praise like a man to his wife
    So appreciative so real so gold
    She is better than my best, moves me to be greater
    So I stand so infatuated so indebted
    Her verses are not merely phrases but energy flowing from paper
    So incredible so unbelievable so poetic

    So Poetic is a personal, self-explanatory poem for one of the greatest
    poets I have ever heard, Ms. Carletta Matlock.


    Buffy

    She has a life is no one's wife
    any man would be lucky
    Beautiful and smart still a child at heart
    bathes with her toy rubber ducky
    Men admire her looks she would be a great hook
    but isn't looking to be hooked at twenty
    She dates off and on nothing serious or too strong
    the male figures in her life are not many
    She realizes she's a queen has high self-esteem
    so she never gets caught up on her looks
    Education is her well that will help her to excel
    therefore she stays caught up on her books
    No babies being born or condoms being worn
    abstinence gives her a better chance to make it
    No Amos or Andy no flowers or candy
    will make her risk her future and get naked
    She makes bad decisions but continues to keep her vision
    on the prize God has promised her in time
    She is still young as beautiful as a song
    that the robins sing about, soft and kind
    She is more than a girl wanting diamonds gold and pearls
    for her eyes are like jewels by themselves
    Her hair is always fresh she knows how to dress
    so stunning you would swear she has wealth
    Yet, she isn't rich nor poor in a ditch
    she has seen some hard times like us all
    She lives in the city not a neighborhood so pretty
    where dead dreams and human life often fall
    Some call her a lucky person I call her determined
    to overcome every obstacle in this world
    So to her I lift my fist and pray more women will be like this
    to Buffy I'd like to say, "You go girl!"


    Sadly, Learning

    Already at fourteen, her heart has been broken
    A million tears flow, speaking words unspoken
    Her mood distinctly dark like the nighttime ocean
    Her smile and good grades suffer through her coping
    She wondered why heartbreak felt painful and sickly
    She wondered how love could go wrong so quickly
    Wasn't love all good all the time she pondered briskly
    Why date me and hug me, then hate me and dis me
    Does everyone perform on this crazy lovesick stage?
    Fall in and out of love at such a tender young age?
    "Will I ever love as deep?" she asked herself in the mirror
    Her heart answered, "Yes, much deeper stronger and purer."

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from FINAL CALL by Anson Hughes Copyright © 2012 by Anson Hughes. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. 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.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Affectionate Expressions....................1
Mama....................2
The Ways of a Good Mother....................3
Grandma....................4
I Take You....................5
I love her....................6
The Fountain of Youth....................7
Question Is, Would You? (Spoken Word)....................8
So Poetic....................10
Buffy....................11
Sadly, Learning....................12
Intriguing Life Verses....................13
Cause I'm a Black Man....................14
Lost....................15
Enough Is Enough....................16
Come Out of Hiding....................17
Maybe This'll Learn Ya....................18
Changing Times....................19
Miss Matched....................20
Curiosity....................21
Satisfying Secrets....................22
My Perpetual Testament (Spoken Word)....................23
Inspirational Verses....................25
Acknowledging God's Work....................26
I Know of One....................27
The Drink of Life....................28
Biggest Catch Ever....................29
All Things Are Mine....................30
Stand....................31
A Time to Hold On....................32
Time Well Spent....................33
HELP WANTED....................34
Ready or Not....................35
Regardless....................36
When Worst Comes to Worst....................37
Change the World With Love....................38
Hold on to Your Cross....................39
Going Through....................40
No Pain, No Gain....................41
Predestined....................42
The Storm....................43
Mercy Is For All....................44
The X-Factor....................45
The Door....................46
Steps of a Good Man....................47
'Tis the Season....................48
The Meaning of Christmas....................49
Compassionate Verses....................51
Cry....................52
Abrupt Departure....................53
For My Aunts....................54
God's Gift Is Love....................55
A Faithful Woman....................56
A Tribute....................57
Sorrow (Spoken Word)....................58
Revelations 19....................63
Final Call....................64