THAT I SHALL REMEMBER

THE FLAME OF LOVE

THAT ONCE WAS SHARED

NOW SEEMS BUT AN EMBER

BUT THE JOY AND AFFECTION

THE LAUGHTER AND LOVE

IT IS THAT I SHALL REMEMBER

SOME DAYS WERE LIKE THE FIRST OF SPRING

WHILE OTHERS BLEAK AS DECEMBER

BUT IT WILL BE THAT FIRST STOLEN KISS

IT IS THAT I SHALL REMEMBER

ON THE LONG DAYS ALONE

AND THE ENDLESS NIGHTS

THAT  TEST ALL OF A MANS TIMBRE

I MUST NOT FORGET THOSE DAYS SO BRIGHT

FOR ONLY THAT I SHALL REMEMBER

JBT 7/20/14  

LILLIES

I OFTEN THINK OF LILLIE'S THAT WERE PLANTED

BY MY GRANDMOTHER EACH SPRING

THEY SEEMED TO ALWAYS REACH FOR THE SUN

THEY WERE EVERYWHERE; THESE BEAUTIFUL THINGS

AND EACH YEAR THEY RETURNED WITHOUT FAIL

YET NEVER 2 SEEMED QUITE THE SAME

BUT THEIR BEAUTY SEEMED TO ONLY INCREASE

AS NATURE DOES LEFT UNTAMED

AT RARE MOMENTS OF REFLECTION

I THINK OF HER AND THE BLOOMS GALORE

AND I REACH FOR HER IN THE FADING SUNLIGHT

LIKE HER LILLIE'S THAT BLOOM FOREVER MORE

AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER

IT WAS A COLD NIGHT I RECALL

WHEN WE MET FOR THAT FIRST TIME

SEEMED I KNEW FROM THAT MOMENT

YOU WOULD SOMEDAY BE MINE

WITHIN NO TIME AT ALL

WE WERE PLANNING A LIFE

WITH A HOME AND CHILDREN

AND YOU AS MY WIFE

WE WED IN THE MIDDLE OF JUNE

SAID THE WORDS "TIL DEATH DO US PART"

THAT EVERYONE SAYS ON THAT DAY

AND EVERY WORD WAS WRITTEN IN MY HEART

I LOVED YOU AS STRONG

AS I THINK ANY MAN COULD

THOUGH I KNOW I DIDN'T DO

ALL THE THINGS THAT I SHOULD

IT WAS AUGUST WHEN YOU LEFT FOR GOOD

YOUR DESTINATION I DON'T KNOW

BUT I OFTEN THINK OF OUR LIFE

WHEN THE WINTER WINDS BLOW

THAT LIFE OF OURS IS ALL OVER NOW

ALL THE LOVE, ALL THE LAUGHTER

SEEMS LIFE FOR ME WILL ALWAYS BE

AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER

JBT 06/15/2014

I ALWAYS SHOW UP

I ALWAYS THINK IT WILL BE BETTER

AND I WILL LIVE IN HAPPINESS AND WEALTH

BUT IT SEEMS THAT EVERYWHERE I GO

I ALWAYS TAKE MYSELF.......

ALL THAT NOW REMAINS

A GARDEN OF STONE

WITH GRASS A BLUISH GREEN

AND WEATHERED DATES ON MARKERS

TO OFTEN NEVER SEEN

I AM OFTEN FILLED WITH WONDER

A SENSE OF SORROW AND LOSS

THOUGH MOST OF THESE I DIDN'T KNOW

THESE NAMES NOW COVERED IN MOSS

FOR ALL WERE LOVED BY SOMEONE

AND THEY LOVED JUST THE SAME

BUT NOW LIE HERE FOR ETERNITY

TO MOST JUST A DATE AND A NAME

A FATHER, MOTHER, SON OR DAUGHTER

THEY WENT THROUGH JOY AND PAIN

NOW WEATHERED MARKINGS ON COLD GRAY STONE

IS ALL THAT STILL REMAINS

JBT 4/27/14