St. Patrick’s Day, a sea of green,
A lively spirit, rarely seen.
It’s more than parades on city streets,
More than the rhythm of lively beats.
It’s the warmth of a community’s embrace,
A day where everyone finds their place.
It’s laughter and stories, old and new,
Under skies that seem a brighter blue.
It’s in the shamrock, in the ale,
In every tale of hill and dale.
A reminder of Ireland’s enduring call,
A celebration of spring, loved by all.
To me, it's memories, vivid and bright,
Of friendships forged in soft moonlight.
It’s a promise of renewal, of beginning anew,
A day when the world feels small and true.
So here’s to St. Patrick, to the joy he brings,
To the songs in our hearts that forever sing.
For on this day, no matter where we roam,
We remember the feeling of coming home.
March 17, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop
In a world where hearts seek companions, pure and true,
A whisper echoes, a message, a different view.
"Don't lament the absence of a Valentine's embrace,
When countless hearts in shelters seek a loving space."
Adopt the love of your life, a soul waiting for a home,
In their eyes, a universe, through which you can roam.
Each wag, each purr, a sonnet of unconditional love,
A serendipitous gift from the heavens above.
Millions of whispers, in cages and halls,
Pleading eyes, through time's endless calls.
"Take me home," they seem to say,
"Let's start our journey, this Valentine's Day."
For love is not just found in human embrace,
But in every wagging tail, in every furry face.
True love awaits in those longing stares,
In the silent hopes of those who care.
So before you mourn a Valentine not found,
Remember the love that in shelters abounds.
Adopt the love of your life, let your heart expand,
For the love of a pet is the most faithful brand.
In their gratitude, in their joy so rife,
You'll find the true meaning of love and life.
So this Valentine's, let's make a vow,
To adopt the love of our life, in the here and now.
February 14, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop
Won’t You Be My Valentine
I’ll be yours if you’ll be Mine
Valentines are very special
They are Friends hard to find
If You Find One, Keep them Close
For they will always mean the Most
They will always Love You no matter what they hear
For between the two of you, God's Love Is So Clear
As time goes by, Our Hearts Grow Larger
We often ponder their departure
We know when Our Valentine has to leave
It’s only for a short time we shouldn’t Grieve
We will eventually be Together Forever
In Our Father’s Arms Happier than Ever
February 12, 2022
Mark Waldrop
In the shadow of Lincoln, a dream was declared,
A dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident," he shared,
"That all men are created equal," his enduring theme.
In the sweltering heat of injustice and oppression,
A dream of freedom arose, refusing to wilt.
A dream that one day, without concession,
The sons of former slaves and slave owners could stand, guiltlessly built.
He dreamed that his children,
In a nation where they'd not be judged by skin,
Would unite in brotherhood, a new beginning,
In the symphony of freedom, a harmonious kin.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring,
From every city and hamlet, the dreamers sing.
With this faith, we carve a path, a new day to bring,
Joining hands, black and white together, freedom's bell to ring.
"We will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope,"
With courage, we stand, with our dream, we cope.
With this faith, we face the uncertainties of the slope,
And in unity, we find the strength to grope.
From the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire,
To the mighty mountains of New York,
Let freedom ring, our dream declare,
Until justice rolls down like water, in our tireless work.
January 15, 2023
Created by
MarkWaldrop
Taken from Martin Luther King Jr.’s
“I Have a Dream” speech
Just a humble Shepard Boy tending my lambs
They follow my voice no matter where I am
They follow, trusting, not knowing their fate
Being chosen as a Safarice, not knowing the date
I faithfully watch over my flock day and night
Bringing me peace under the starlight
Heading home now they are following me
Entrusting their Shepherd with their destiny
January 2, 2023
MarkWaldrop
In valleys deep and mountains high,
A shepherd tends his flock with care.
One hundred sheep beneath the sky,
In green meadows, they graze and fare.
But lo, one lamb, in innocence,
Strays far from safety's gentle keep.
The shepherd, with no hesitance,
Leaves ninety-nine to seek the weak.
Through brambles thick and rivers wide,
With heart of love and eyes so keen,
He searches where the lost may hide,
In places rarely seen.
And when at last he finds the stray,
His joy is like no other sight.
More than the ninety-nine that stay,
His heart with love alights.
For every soul, like each lost lamb,
Is precious in the Father's plan.
In heaven's realm, the Great I Am
Seeks each lost child of man.
So let us learn from this parable,
Of love that seeks the one astray.
A lesson timeless, invaluable:
Each soul is worth the journey made.
Matthew 18:12-14
January 2, 2023
Created by
MarkWaldrop
In pastures green, where ewes give birth,
A tale unfolds of rejected worth.
Bummer lambs, heads bowed so low,
Rejected by mothers, left to woe.
The shepherd, kind, with gentle hand,
Lifts the lamb from the lonely land.
Wraps it warm, holds it tight,
Against the heart, in the silent night.
Hand-feeding love to the broken soul,
Making the wounded spirit whole.
In the shepherd's care, it finds its way,
Back to the flock, where others stray.
Rejected, yet loved, the bummer lamb,
Knows the shepherd's voice, like a sacred psalm.
Jesus, the Shepherd, so good and true,
Cares for us all, me and you.
In moments broken, rejected, and low,
He holds us close, lets His love flow.
No lamb forgotten, no soul left behind,
In His love and care, solace we find.
Bummer lambs, we may be,
But deeply loved for eternity.
By the Shepherd, gentle and kind,
In His embrace, true solace we find.
December 30, 2023
Created by
MarkWaldrop
In a world of doubt, a letter unfurls,
Young Virginia seeks truth, her mind in twirls.
"Is there a Santa?" she hesitantly hurls,
A question that into history swirls.
Church, with wisdom, pens a reply,
"Your friends are mistaken," he does imply.
In a skeptical age, where truths may die,
He defends Santa with words that fly.
"Santa exists, as love does too,
Generosity, devotion, a perennial hue.
In a dreary world, without the view
Of Santa's spirit, joy would be askew."
Unseen wonders, Church unveils,
Beyond what sight and science entails.
A curtain veils the world in trails,
Yet faith and fancy set their sails.
Tearing apart a rattle's noise,
He delves into life's unseen joys.
A realm where faith and love deploys,
A truth that time never destroys.
"No Santa Claus?" he declares with glee,
"Thank God, he lives eternally."
Through ages, he'll bring childhood glee,
A timeless tale of festive gaiety.
Created by
MarkWaldrop
Taken from an article in The Sun entitled “Is there a Santa Clause”
Article published September 21, 1897
Snowy view in Carpathian Mountains, winter landscapes series.
In the quiet of December's embrace, I sit,
A silent night, wrapped in a wordless knit.
Moonbeams dance with tree lights so bright,
In the hush, a symphony of starlight.
Children slumber, their dreams unfold,
Yet my heart, in the silence, remains untold.
A plush red blanket, a comforting shroud,
I gaze through the window, in silence, endowed.
The wintry woods stand in tranquil repose,
As the night, like a river, silently flows.
How to find hope on this long, silent eve?
In the whispers of shadows, what stories weave?
I take a breath, seek solace in the still,
Yet my heart resists, an unquenchable thrill.
In the quiet, a journey to hope's soft light,
A dance with shadows on this silent night.
December 19, 2023
Created by
MarkWaldrop
In humble steps, a manger His throne,
Jesus came, God's love brightly shown.
Not a demand for fealty, but a tender call,
Affection revealed, embracing all.
Grace wrapped in swaddling, a gift divine,
A Savior's love in every design.
Allegiance sought through compassionate gaze,
In manger's embrace, eternal love stays.
December 17, 2023
Created by
MarkWaldrop
