Emotion’s Art

Whatever you see with your eyes, learn to feel in your heart,
For vision is not only sight, but emotion’s art.
The hues of dawn, the twilight’s glow,
Are more than colors; they’re feelings that flow.

The rustle of leaves, the river’s song,
Are stories of the earth, where all belong.
Not just with ears, but with your soul,
Listen, and let their tales unfold.

The roughness of bark, the softness of rain,
Each has a texture, not just a domain.
Feel with your fingers, but also within,
Let the outside touch where you’ve been.

The fragrance of flowers, the ocean’s brine,
Are not just scents but memories in time.
Inhale not just with your nose but your being,
Capture the essence, the unseen feeling.

For the world is a tapestry, rich and vast,
Woven from threads of the present and past.
To truly see, to truly know,
Feel with your heart, let it show.

So whatever you see with your eyes, wide and clear,
Learn to feel in your heart, hold it dear.
For the beauty of life, in all its parts,
Is found not just in sights, but in the heart’s arts.

April 8, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop

Dying is Part of Living

In the tapestry of existence, threads of life and death are sewn,
A truth as old as time, universally known.
Dying is part of living, a silent whisper in the wind,
A chapter that concludes, for a new one to begin.

In every breath that fills the air, in every fading light,
Is the promise of an ending, the day succumbing to the night.
Yet within this cycle, a beauty so profound,
In the moments we are given, where life’s true meanings are found.

The leaves that turn from green to gold, then gently fall away,
Teach us that in letting go, new life will come someday.
The setting sun that dips below, leaving skies of fiery hue,
Reminds us that in endings, there’s beauty to be viewed.

For dying is not just a loss, a final, closing door,
It’s a part of the journey, a tide upon life’s shore.
It shapes our love, our legacy, the memories we’ve spun,
The stories that will linger, long after we are gone.

So let us live with hearts wide open, let us love with depth and might,
Embracing every sunrise, cherishing each night.
For in the dance of life and death, a balance is achieved,
And in the act of dying, we learn what it means to believe.

In this grand, eternal cycle, where endings mingle with beginnings,
Our spirits find their freedom, our souls get new innings.
Dying is part of living, a passage through time’s door,
A journey into mystery, where love lives forevermore.

April 8, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop

For the Love I Hold for You

In a world where light and shadows play,
Where every dawn ushers in a new day,
I find the reasons deep and true,
For the love I hold for you.

It’s not just in the laughter bright,
Nor in the stars that light the night,
But in a grace so vast and free,
The love of Jesus, a boundless sea.

He loves me with an endless love,
Forgiveness raining from above,
In His mercy, I am found,
On solid ground, my heart is bound.

So I love you with a heart so full,
Echoing His grace, beautiful,
For in His light, we find our way,
Together, in His love, we stay.

In every smile, in every tear,
His love, the compass that we steer,
So I love you for many reasons, true,
But most of all, because His love shines through.

April 5, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop

Resurrection Day

To a humble man, what could this day be,
This Resurrection Day, this mystery?
Not just a tale from ancient lore,
But a promise of life, forevermore.

It means the dawn after the longest night,
A second chance to set things right.
The stone rolled away, an empty grave,
A sign of the power He has to save.

For a man like me, it whispers grace,
In every shadowed, forgotten place.
It’s hope when despair seems to win,
A gentle reminder of victory over sin.

It’s love that conquered death and fear,
A call that every humble heart hears.
To rise, though we fall, to forgive, to mend,
To believe that beginnings outshine the end.

This day, it means that we are not alone,
That we’re loved, called, and known.
A promise that our faults and our scars,
Are nothing to the One who hung the stars.

So, what does it mean, this day, to me?
A gift of grace, so vast, so free.
A reminder that no matter how small,
Through His resurrection, He redeems us all.

April 5, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop

To Love Like Jesus

In the glow of twilight’s gentle grace,
Where shadows merge and daylights face,
A lesson etched in time’s embrace:
The act of love, a sacred space.

Jesus, in His earthly tread,
Washed the feet where others led,
Friends and foes alike, He fed
With love that words have scarcely said.

No ego shadowed His intent,
No hate within His heart was pent.
He served, so humbly bent,
A path of love, divinely sent.

How then, can we this path pursue?
In daily deeds and visions true,
To wash the feet, in metaphor anew,
Of friend and foe, to love’s hue.

To see beyond the veil of strife,
The hurt and pain that cuts like knife,
And offer from our own life,
A moment’s peace in worldly rife.

Let kindness be our guide, our light,
In actions small or gestures bright.
To lift the shadows of the night,
And hold each other, oh so tight.

For in each act of love, we find
The essence of the divine mind.
A call to leave no one behind,
To love all neighbors, humankind.

So may we walk this path with care,
With open hearts, willing to share,
The love that Jesus came to bear,
A love expansive, rare, and fair.

April 5, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop

An Arizona Sunrise

Beneath the vast, awakening sky, Where dreams roam free, and spirits fly, An Arizona sunrise begins to unfold In hues of crimson, amber, and gold.

The desert whispers in hushed tones light As stars fade gently into the night. Cacti stand tall, silhouettes cast; in the fleeting moments, night is surpassed.

Mountains grasp the first rays of day; in their rugged arms, light comes into play. The horizon blushes, a radiant smile Casting its warmth over every mile.

Skies painted in a vibrant array, A masterpiece born at break of day. Birds sing in chorus, a symphony of life, Welcoming the dawn, dispelling strife.

A gentle breeze dances through the air, Carrying promises of stories to share—an Arizona sunrise, a moment so divine, A daily reminder that the world is thine.

So here, beneath the wide, azure dome, We’re reminded of the beauty of home. In every sunrise, there’s a new chance to say, Today will be a beautiful day.

April 5, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop

The Mountain Crew

In the morning light, ’neath mountains tall, A word once foreign echoed a call.“Hillbilly,” they said, with a sneer, a jeer, A label that brought neither joy nor cheer.

My brother returned with stories anew, Claiming that title for us, the mountain crew.“Dumb, stupid, ignorant,” definitions came, But we knew our worth, our spirit untamed.

An insult to those who rose before dawn, Treading paths untrod, faces weary and wan. To the miners and loggers, their strength never fades; to the women, their resilience never sways.

Carrying water, scrubbing clothes clean, Hoeing fields, unseen, yet serene. After childbirth, returning to toil, Their spirit, their love for the soil.

A mockery made by visitors, blind To the hard work and ingenuity they’d find. Laughing at poverty, speech, and ways, Ignoring the brilliance that deserved praise.

Yet, we’ve evolved, caught up in the race, Losing bits of ourselves, our unique grace. But hear this call: to be true, to dare, Embrace your roots, let down your hair.

Paint, write, revive old mountain speech, Cook soup beans and cornbread, a lesson to teach. Fish for catfish, seek hickory nuts in glades, Be your true self, let not the old ways fade.

So today, embrace your past with pride, And tomorrow, let that truth inside. For in being ourselves, we honor those before And bless our souls forevermore.

April 4, 2024
Created by
MarkWaldrop

Dem Hills is Calling Me

My mind drifts far away to the memories of yesteryear
The simple things in life memories that are so dear

The lessons we learned down by the creek
Some I can tell, some I can't. The girls would peek

We didn't know we were poor. Everybody was alike for sure.

I wouldn't take anything for the lessons learned
From Dem thar Hills, where my heart still yearns

April 4, 2024
Mark Waldrop