By Dennis Patton
NO SMALL WONDER
As I stroll along the beach, God speaks softly to me in the whisper of the wind and the sigh of the breeze;
and the cry of the seagull that soars aloft with deft gracei’m a blip on the sand; yet, the seagull spots my face!
And I can’t help but wonder what God sees in me, amidst His treasure trove of stars and prized galaxies.
Then I remember the story of His grace, and His love: His son died for me, a diamond in the rough.
Still, I can’t help but marvel at the wonder of it all;
His ocean is so big, and my boat is so small.
— Mike Pafundi Deceased
GOD’S HANDIWORK
As sure as Winter follows Fall
Spring will come and with it all
The truly glorious, wondrous things That rainy days and sunshine brings. The peeking flowers, the budding trees,
The chirping birds and buzzing bees. A robin’s egg, a butterfly,
A fluffy white cloud in a clear blue sky. From early dawn to setting sun,
God’s handiwork is never done.
— Lucy Allen Benton
UNBROTHERLY LOVE
They sat on opposite sides of the church,
Hard-headed Clem and his stubborn brother.
They had not spoken in seventeen years
But did their best to out-pray each other.
Charley prayed loudly the Lord to forgive
Cantankerous Clem, to make his love stronger.
In his rebuttal, Clem prayed for an hour.
If Charley prayed loud, Clem could pray longer.
Seems that Charley had stolen Clem’s woman
And Clem loved the notion of holding a grudge.
Charley thought Clem should forgive him by now
But neither mule-headed brother would budge.
Hannah enjoyed the feuding and praying.
She’d holler, “Amen!” Just egging them on
Till Clem decided that she was no bargain,
As mean as a bear, a heart cold as stone.
Clem declared that Charley deserved her
And Charley said it was right nice of him.
Then in a voice that silenced that woman,
“Lordy! I wish I could give her to Clem!”
— Faye Boyette Wise Deceased MOONS FOR STRIKES
Today, you run through fields again where wildflowers bloom. To rhythms of birdsong, you make your way up hills to paint rainbows for the Master.
The uneven gait is gone, the pain, the years that took their toll.
In that timeless world where you are once again a child, you flirt with starts and roll moons for strikes.
I cannot fathom how far eternity is from Earth.
My heart cries when it seems so distant I cannot touch you.
In that World of Forever, you have new beginnings, and there is no scent of flesh.
— Harding Stedler North Little Rock
To submit poems for publication, please send poems of 16 or fewer lines to Dennis Patton, 2512 Springhill Circle, Alexander, AR 72002, or patton_dr@ hotmail.com. The Saline County Branch of PRA is scheduled to meet at 1 p.m., at the Parkview United Methodist Church, 514 North Border Street, Benton, AR, on March 26.