The Iron Rod

Another from a while ago. Based of the idea of the iron rod leading to salvation as described in the Book of Mormon.

I came upon a mountain path, following to see what it hath,
And came upon a split of ways, and wondered which trail I should blaze.
Each ran along a narrow drop, but all had rails, fallers to stop.
I followed first the rail of gold, expecting wealth its road to hold,
But soon I found to my dismay, others had stolen the gold away!
So to the fork I then regressed, knowing I had wrongly guessed,
And chose this time to follow wood, for folks would leave it where it stood.
I followed this trail for quite a bit, but never reached the end of it,
For full of termites and decay, the poor old fence just fell away.
I started next on that of stone, but soon I let out quite a groan,
For t’was very difficult to hold, from it’s cover of moss and mold.
And one last time I traveled back, to go upon the final track.
I caught upon the iron bar, expecting it to fail ‘fore far.
It kept me well from the abyss, and led me past the precipice.
Yea, following on this iron rod, I found the path that leads to God.

After Happily Ever After

This is another from a while back when I was really disillusioned with that love thing. It's about a couple, who when they were newlyweds experienced bliss, aka happily ever after, and now their dealing with the hard part after that.

Why do fairytales always have to end?
Though it’s happ’ly ever after, there are heartaches that time can’t mend.
Even prince charming  has a bad day,
Glass shoes and tiaras, soon fade away.
At midnight silk dresses turn into rags,
Roses wilt swiftly, and droop like limp flags.
Cursed spinning wheels prick us again,
And old poisoned apples more potent than when,
We fell the first time,
In what we thought was sublime.
In after happ’ly ever after.

Like You

It's been a while...
Here's one I started a long time ago but finished tonight.

I shrugged as the judge said community service or jail; I chose to help kids that were not physically well.

My first day working in that hospital ward, I met a boy named Benjamin Ford.

Benjie was six and terminally ill, the cancer had taken his strength and his will.

And a tear came to my eyes as he said to me, “Sir, I want to be just like you, strong and free.”

And another fell as I tried to explain, “Ben, on the inside I’m crippled in pain.”

“I’m just like you on the inside, although I’m strong on the outside

My soul is hunched in its own wheelchair, and my spiritual self doesn’t have any hair.

Ya see Ben I’m sick too, there on the inside I’m just like you.”

The weeks went on and my time ran out, but I had the urge to keep comin’ ‘bout.

I spent hours with my new little friend, though it broke my heart every time I saw Ben.

Every day paler and skinnier he seemed to me, his small body was near it’s end I could see.

As he trembled there on his hospital bed, I leaned over and held up his head.

I choked back a sob as I said in his ear, “Benjie my friend you've got nothing to fear.”

“You’re just like me on the inside, although you’re weak on the outside.

Your soul is standing on its own two feet, and your spiritual self will never be beat.

Ya see Ben you are free, there on the inside you’re just like me.”

Karla's Song

Wrote this about a person I met in Peru while I was a missionary there...
I'm postin' it here for Spencer!

Dark blue Peugeot, 1964, there’s not a sound as she softly shuts the door.

Though it hasn’t left the driveway in years, its dashboard is wet with a young woman’s tears.

When the Sorrow welled up down within her heart, she would go to the car and sit in the dark.

Night after night she entered the car, and asked forgiveness from God, for wanderin’ so far.

The memories of all the things she had done, pierced through her heart like the shot from a gun.

But if He’d ever have her, she’d like to come back, she confessed many times to the night sky so black.

And she prayed to her Father above, she cried to Him to send her His love.

She was scared and confused and had long lost her way, but she found it again as she began to pray.

The nights turned to weeks but one common day, just after she’d entered the old car to pray,

She heard a knock on the gate outside and had to choose to go or to hide.

But something prompted to answer the door, could this be the answer she’d been looking for?

Her neighbor from the store down the street, with two young men in ties are the ones she did meet.

They said that they wanted to talk about God, and as they spoke she began to feel odd.

She told them to come back the next day to talk, then went back to her car to ponder that knock.

And she prayed to her father above, she cried to Him to send her his love.

She was scared and confused, but could this be the way? Had she found it again? She continued to pray.

They taught her God had never left her side, although she’d wandered through mists of fear and pride.

As they taught her day after day she began to feel something within her growing bright and real.

And after each lesson she went to the car, knowing Father in Heaven wasn’t to far.

The day finally came all dressed up in white; the Spirit came down and filled her with light.

She said, “This is all true, I feel it, I know that a Father in Heaven loves us here below.

“And through we may wander, we’re never to far, I know ‘cause he found me alone in my car.”

And she prayed to her Father above, and thanked Him for sending her his love.

She’d been scared and confused and had long lost her way, but she found it again when she began to pray.

I Wonder Why

I wrote this today.



Hey girl, why did you pick me, out of all of the fishes in the deep blue sea?
Ya know I’m no trout and I’m no pike, and you could throw me back if you would like.

Now I’m not trying to say goodbye, it’s just that sometimes I wonder why….

Why did you pick me out of all of the masses, I’m not the best of the metals and gasses
I don’t have the most electrons, which is why I’d understand if you wanted me gone.

Now I’m not trying to say goodbye, it’s just that sometimes I wonder why….

Why did you pick me out of all of the guys? I sit around for hours just wondering why.
Just answer this, please give me a clue, what’d I do to deserve a great girl like you?

Now I’m not trying to say goodbye, it’s just that sometimes I wonder why…. I wonder why…

Why did you pick me out of all of the guys? I sit around for hours just wondering why.

Mushroom Go!

So. Those were some of my older poems and tuneless songs and there will be more to come, but its time for a word from our sponsor. Mushroom Go is an amazing webcomic I stumbled upon yesterday when i followed the link from another of my favorite webcomics. Mushroom Go is set in the Mario Bros universe and follows the story of a Toad named Go. He begins the comic in the middle of quicksand with severe amnesia and was rescued and later accepted into a band of pirates. The writing is clever and intriguing and the art, though a little tough to swallow at first, with its rough edges grows on you and really adds a new dimension to the comic. I can't wait till the next installment comes out and would highly recommend Mushroom Go to any serious Mario fan or any webcomic junkie!

Weather

‘Ya hear about that rocky mountain hurricane, or the snow on the west coast?

Or the tsunami hittin’ the Great Plains, or that Juneau’s burnt like toast?

Lately the weather’s been under the weather, the meteorologists agree.

It’s been so insane, can’t even trust your weather pane. It’s on all the channels on TV.

Ooooh.

Winter’s burning up with jealousy, and the sun’s hate is bitter cold.

You must be the cause of this anomaly, because you girl are so bold.

Lately the weather’s been under the weather, the meteorologists agree.

It’s been so insane, can’t even trust your weather pane. It’s on all the channels on TV.

Ooooh.

You’re  brighter than the sun, more powerful than thunder,

You move me more than any wind, girl you are a wonder!

Lately the weather’s been under the weather, the meteorologists agree.

It’s been so insane, can’t even trust your weather pane. It’s on all the channels on TV.

Ooooh.

Crazy

These days I’m going semi half neurotic

And they say I’m acting quasi part robotic.

What did I do to get me so bionic?

And is it something that maybe might be chronic?

Perhaps the work of some great hypnotic?

What ever it is is there an anti-biotic?

Am I insane or am I simply dying?

Am I in love or am I really flying?

What is the deal? I am sincerely prying.

Just tell me now if you wish to stop my crying.

Have you found the source of my proper confusion?

For I have come to the following conclusion:

Like a hermit I’m in a pensative reclusion,

Probably due to an emotional contusion

Thus causing a grand sentimental fusion

That might send me to a mental institution.

Am I insane or am I simply dying?

Am I in love or am I really flying?

What is the deal? I am sincerely prying.

Just tell me now if you wish to stop my crying.

I thank you now for your present kindness

And patience as I cerebrically undress

Although you want to you cant really help this

So go on your way but please do not be depressed

Cause I have found my real deep root weakness

This roller coaster is due to the stress….

I get from you.

I’m not insane and I’m simply surviving

I’m not in love and I am done with flying

So here’s the deal I am sincerely sighing.

Just leave me now if you wish to stop my crying.

I’m not insane and I’m simply surviving

I’m not in love and I am done with flying

So here’s the deal I am sincerely sighing.

Just leave me now if you wish to stop my crying.

Just leave me now if you wish to stop my crying.

Real Life

Is this the water from the shower or my tears?

And though it takes the dirt away, why don’t it take my fears?

And now it burns me, was that the water or my pain?

And if the latter, why don’t it go down the drain?

I can’t tell my feelings from reality.

All I do, reminds me of the pain, and the hurt, and the loss, and the shattered dreams, deep within my soul.

All because I lost you.

I’m in a traffic jam, is it mental or real life?

And of those sirens, the police or inner strife?

Are those trucks or tricks of mind there in my mirror?

And are those memories or angry car horns that I hear?

I can’t tell my feelings from reality.

All I do, reminds me of the pain, and the hurt, and the loss, and the shattered dreams, deep within my soul.

All because I lost you.

Stare at the ceiling, but all I see is black.

Is it the evening or another cruel attack?

My clock is glowing, though there’s no light in me.

When the dawn breaks will it finally set me free?

I can’t tell my feelings from reality.

All I do, reminds me of the pain, and the hurt, and the loss, and the shattered dreams, deep within my soul.

All because I lost you.

In the beginning...

Well, first post. Should be a big deal right? Should we christen it? Throw a baby shower? Yell "I got the first post!" I think I'll keep it low key and just give a brief overview of what is going to be here, sorry all you party lovers. Ok, intro, here we go:

This is going to be a place where I can put whatever I feel like.


Pretty sweet, huh? What's that you say? That intro is not specific enough? *sigh* I guess I need to give you, the public, what you want, right? Here goes:

This is going to be a place where I can put whatever I feel like. What I feel like posting will usually be poems and song lyrics that I write, the occasional short story, maybe odd digital designs that i whip up every once in a while, and the rare actual "observations of Ben" (what this blog is titled) about my life.

There you have it, party's over for now.