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SONG
Truly the universe sings with Thy glory,
the stars in their beauty echo Your power.
The worlds You created from darkness and void
bear tribute as do earth's creatures and flowers.
Awesome the love that made sunshine and moon
out of the blackness of deep endless time;
boundless the depth of forgiveness given
to those who believe in Your Presence sublime.
Just let me walk with my hand held in Thine,
eyes on the path You have chosen for me.
Just help me walk through the days of my time,
always with love, moving closer to Thee.
© Joyce P. Hale
LOVE INCOMPARABLE
We are of God, in His image made,
created of love, and original sin.
Our God so loved us He gave us His Son
to die on the Cross, our souls to win.
He is my comfort in times of sadness,
my companion when I am alone.
He is my loyal friend and guardian
when all my days are tossed and blown.
He is the One who walks beside me
whenever my heart is dark and drear;
He is the One who carries my burdens
when they become too heavy to bear.
I feel His hand in mine in darkness
and sense His presence in each day anew;
touched by His all-encompassing passion,
I will try to live as He'd have me do.
© Joyce P. Hale
 |
YOU ARE NOT GONE
Although I cannot see your face
or hear your voice so clear,
I feel that you are watching...
I sense your presence near.
I think of you out of the blue
when sunshine showers me....
Oh no, you've never gone away
from heart and memory.
I look for you to come around;
I hear you call my name.
You come to mind so vividly
as breezes stir the lane.
I know you walk along my side
when I am all alone....
They say you crossed the river wide,
but I know you are not gone.
© Joyce P. Hale
THANKFUL
I thank you, Lord, for what I've had,
the love and joy, and laughter;
and may I always keep my sights
on what will be hereafter.
I think not on the ones who've gone
but of our days together;
nor those who now are far away
and love that distance cannot sever.
For nothing ever stays the same,
and change is always certain;
love and happiness is worth it
though now my heart is hurting.
I thank my Lord for love that grows
and lingers deep within the heart,
and waste not time in vain regret
that those beloved must be apart.
© Joyce Petrosky-Hale
 |
A Prayer
Dear God, I pray for those who grieve,
for those who earthly lives did leave;
the ache, the emptiness, the fears,
the anger, and the searing tears.
I cry for those whose broken hearts
are left behind while love departs.
The babe who never lived his days,
the child who didn't finish his play.
The mom who raised her kids with heart,
the dad who always did his part;
the dog that waits to see the door
that opens by that hand no more
Oh, love that never will see end,
Ah, heart, 'twill never fully mend.
A life that must
continue on
without the one whose love is gone.
Oh Lord, please give us strength to stay,
to live our lives from day to day;
to know that all you do has reason,
and everything must have its season.
Amen.
Joyce Hale © May 2001
LOVE LIVES ON
Someday I will leave this shell, this body I call me.
My spirit will lift and dance and sing in happiness so free.
The cross to bear while going home is those within my heart
who love me and are loved by me, for we must be apart.
But only in the flesh, for truly souls and spirits hover,
and truly we will be close by to watch o'er one another.
For hearts are bound by love and time, and never pass away;
and souls that touched in time and love last forever and a day.
Never will their loving visage disappear from mind and heart;
never will their precious moments from our memories depart.
Please remember I'll be near, poised to wrap you in my arms,
always close to comfort you, and try to keep you safe from
harm.
And when your time approaches softly,
time for you to journey home,
Why, there I'll be to walk beside you,
so you won't have to walk
alone.
© Joyce P. Hale
 |
LETTING GO
My Lord, how many nights I've cried...
My God, how many times I've tried
to lay my burdens at your feet...
to give you all my woes complete.
But being fallible, I have also
held them tight - would not let go.
I must learn to put aside
my doubts, and open arms up wide...
For you have told us - Trust in Me -
and I will set you free.
© Joyce P. Hale
 |
God Spoke To Me
God spoke to me this morning, He said He understood
my fears, and love, and empathy for things both bad and good.
I spoke to Him while driving about my awe for Him;
the beauty of the trees and sky, of love and faith, and sin.
I thanked Him for my family - the ones who've gone ahead,
those who gather 'round me still, and paths down which my life he's led.
I marvelled at the beauty of the wonders He created;
the love He shares with us each day, all free and unabated.
I shared with Him my dread and fear of evil and of crime;
I realize we know not when our lives run out of time.
I said I recognize the awesome earth and sky He gave us;
the love I cannot comprehend that sent His only Son to save us.
Now as I drove along this day, the sky was solid cloud.
Although my eyes were on the road, my heart in prayer was bowed.
In sky of grey, for just a second, rays of light burst through.
I heard His message loud and clear - our Father's love is true.
He sent to me a loving sign, so beautiful and clear:
I'm with you each and every day, and every prayer I hear;
I understand your sadness, and try to wipe away each tear.
Fear not, for I am with you, and I am ever near.
© Joyce P. Hale
WARM LOVE WORDS....on ice-cold stone -
"Darling, please know you are not alone.
Please know, the day you left this earth
you took from life all of any worth.
You cast from the sky the sunshine warm,
you stole all the calm and left the storm.
Please wait for me along the way -
I'll follow after with little delay."
So write I to my love who has gone -
Warm love words eternal on ice-cold stone.
© Joyce P. Hale
 |
CRYSTAL TEARS
Oh, Crystal Tears! He gave His all
that you and I might hear Him call.......
....Might hear Him tell His love for us, the wonders of His home....
the self-same home He holds for me and all who care to come.
..Might hear His heart break with a world whose choice is filled with hate;
and sadness for the people who will find His grace too late.
Oh, tears that glisten down the face of One who gladly died,
that we might join our loved ones for whom our hearts have cried.
To show His love and grace to us, and wash away our fears......
He came to earth and claimed our sins, and now cries Crystal Tears.
© Joyce P. Hale
Visit another page of my poetry and photos on Faith.
The top photo was taken one morning in VA.Beach,VA. when I set
my alarm to get up from our hotel room while it was still dark; so I could go
down to the beach and catch the sunrise coming up from beyond the ocean.
The beautiful swallowtail I took when I asked, the day after my mother died,
that a beautiful butterfly be sent for a sign that my Mom was at peace.
The third one is a gorgeous sunset at a park nearby, and the next photo is a
sunrise out through our backyard; the next the sun breaking through
the clouds on a dreary day.
The last photo is of a break in the clouds during a stormy day in March
of 2000, when I was lucky enough to have my camera in hand.
I would be honored if you would sign my GUESTBOOK:
Copyright © 1998 through 2008 Joyce Petrosky-Hale.
Poetry and graphics contained on these pages were created
by me, or are credited or linked to their creators or are,
to the best of my knowledge, public domain property or
purchased clipart/images. Please let me know if any of them
need credit! Please do NOT copy poetry or graphics from this site
without my permission.
E-mail me
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