With praise for our paramedics

The paramedics in my town
are not a pair. They’re three.
In uniformed allegiance, they save lives.
There’s no way the Lone Ranger
could accomplish what they do.
These masked men answer calls for hearts and hives.

They lift someone who’s fallen down.
They rescue cats in trees.
They chauffeur broken hips to the ER.
These first-responder heroes
are deserving of our praise.
Like the wisemen, they find us where e’er we are.

Responsively they answer
when you dial 9-1-1.
In minutes they arrive. They waste no time.
Their mission is our welfare
and their motive is quite clear.
They want to help a loved one (yours and mine).

What I miss most about my mom

For the first time in my life,
I’ll be motherless this Mother’s Day.
It’s a funny feeling.
I can no longer speak with the one
who taught me how to talk.
I can no longer walk alongside the one
who taught me how to walk.
I can no longer listen to the one
who taught me the importance
of listening to others.
I can no longer sing with the one
who taught me how to harmonize.
I can no longer cry with the one
who wiped away my tears.

God, how I miss that twinkle in her eye.
I miss her affirmation when she’d read my latest poem.
I miss her spaghetti sauce.
I miss her corny jokes.
I miss hearing her say
“Age is just a number and mine is unlisted.”
I miss hearing her remind me how to spell FROG.
“Fully Rely On God.”
I miss hearing her pray.
I miss hearing people say,
“You sure have an amazing mom!”
(even though I already knew that).

This Mother’s Day as I look into the mirror,
I’ll be reminded how old I am.
This Mother’s Day as I look into my heart,
I’ll be reminded I’m still a child.

It’s curious, isn’t it?
No matter how many candles adorn your birthday cake,
you always want your mom.

A tribute to Dr. Anthony Fauci

He’s kinda short,
but tall on facts.
His voice is hoarse.
He’s never lax.
This man with boundless energy
has won our nation’s heart.

Doc Fauci’s smile
(when unmasked)
makes him the one
reporters ask
the questions on the public’s mind.
His bedside manner shines.

He speaks the truth
in such a way
you want to trust him
and obey.
My nickname for this COVID doctor
is Saint Anthony.

Lord, thank you
for this saintly doc
who’s on the news
around the clock.
Please guard his health
and help him lead us
through this virus maze.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day

It’s an Earth Day unlike any other.
But it’s Earth Day nonetheless.

On this 50th anniversary of the annual day
that we show worth to Mother Earth,
we are sheltering in place
and observing this tradition at home.

Long-anticipated rallies have been canceled.
A global pandemic has masked our joy
and silenced our celebrations.
But this virus cannot devalue
the virtues of creation for which we are grateful.

For the glory of nature,
we take pause and reflect.
For the beauty of the Earth,
we sing hymns.

Flowering bushes and blossoming trees
join Spring’s lilies, daffodils and tulips
trumpeting their praise of the Creator.

In light of our responsibility
to care for what has been entrusted to us,
we confess our neglect.

In sorrow for the endangerment of species
we have unwittingly allowed,
we own our grief.

In disbelief of the consequences
climate change has brought about,
we shiver at what global warming will mean
for our children’s children.

With gratitude for the blessings
Mother Earth has bequeathed us,
we renew our commitment to protect life
in all its forms and recognize
our interdependence to survive.

With passion to preserve clean air,
pure water and organic soil
by which Mother Nature has nurtured our growth,
we pledge to recycle, reuse and compost.

With humility grounded in an awareness
that we are stewards and not owners of creation,
we confess a sense of pride and unwarranted arrogance
that has contributed to our planet’s plight.

With praise for our Creator
by Whom all life has been birthed
and in Whom all life coexists,
we voice an anthem of worship
all the while listening for the harmony
from honking geese, laughing dolphins,
bugling elk and surging seas.

“The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it…” Psalm 24:1

The Body of Christ doesn’t need a building

The Christ of the empty tomb
is not put off by empty churches.
After all, He has a history of
surprising His followers
who are sheltering in place
out of fear
or out of necessity.

He’s been known to meet-up
with those who are simply
out for a walk
near their home.

Wasn’t it Jesus who said,
“Where two or three
are gathered in my name,
there am I in the midst of them?”

This Easter season
I’m especially grateful
the Church is not a building
that can be locked up
or burned down.

It is a fellowship of believers
who cannot be denied
the presence of the living Lord.
The Church is virtually
a family of faith.