The Red Brick Church Built Me

The Red Brick Church that Built Me

If pianos can play, surely there’s a choir to sing

Jesus Hold My hand ‘til Heaven’s Jubilee

 When we can all meet up yonder

Cause some of us have folks to see!

Sunday School and Children’s church with

Sword drills, Specials, Lessons

And Sister Lucy on grand piano

For the Penny March procession

Sister Garsee sang of the Goodness of Jesus

And Bro. CJ strolled over heaven

Bro. Mac and the youth in the upper room

Brought the fire down right about seven.

From rapture drills to victory marches 

Waving flags around  Felix’s recorder

From Jerusalem To Judea and the Uttermost

We’d send up praises over and over

Bro. Bennett trending from his chair 

Off-side for Bible Study Wednesday

Led us to worship, sing, and testify

In the Spirit on Saturday AND Sunday.

Bro. Otis’ orchestra and Sister Catherine’s choir

Were part of every dream

Pick your instrument, Sing your part

And, join the street-service team

We all got saved, and slept on pews

Some with curlers in their hair 

We sang first solos, Walked through prayer lines,

Learned to bend our knees in prayer

A changing of the guard, Bro.Hennigan came

This old church of Higher Ground

Still housed our children, Welcomed us home

When fire sent us back around

The pictures may fade but the Spirit lives on

Binding our hearts as one

Until one day it won’t be a drill 

And we’re finally all gathered home

Daryl

 Did you know him?

I did.  

He was that kind of real friend 

Who told you big

Loved you even bigger

And inspired loyalty 

Because he practiced it as a virtue.

Do you have stories with him?

I do.

Rowdy, funny stories 

Split your belly laughing

Tell it over and over stories

Because he carried adventure with him.

Did you talk about your faith with him?

I always did.

He loved Our Father 

And had great faith 

Believed in heaven

And loved to sing praise

Did he love your family?

He did mine.

He joined us years ago

Adopted some of us 

More than others

But loved us everyone.

Do you miss him?

Yes, me too.

So much to feel

But we won't fill 

His spot

Never. 

Ode to 2020

 

The year was 2020

And there were kicks a plenty

Like one Friday we dismissed class

And none returned but still they passed

 

Each daily news briefing was quite a show

From Fauci to Trump to the whole press row

Somehow the news was so wildly spun

'til you wondered if you’d watched the same one

 

Now stores have their own tale to tell

Like some items weren’t there to sell

Toilet paper that seemed to disappear

And the search for Lysol from far to near

 

We coined new terms like social distance

And wore masks to aid in Covid resistance

We supplemented Zinc, and C, and D

And production lines rushed more PPE

 

We had shut- downs and folks shut in

Take out your food And Less Dine-in

Skip a pew at church, just wave at a friend 

Or In virtual church, praise him and comment

 

Love your neighbor, Limit your guests

Don’t worry the government knows best

And if you’re not essential, stay home and don’t work

All businesses are closed Owners need not go berserk

A cop stole the air from a man on the street

And the nation was awakened, stirred quite justly

Crying for fairness and equity of race

But there’s no easy reset to this pace

 

Some want to defund the police force

And others want to rewrite history’s course

But until we can all love, trust, and listen,

I fear there won’t be a cure for man’s condition

 

Hurricanes hit the land of the south

Twisted the trees, Ripped the roof off the house

Glass was shattered, Frames were bent

We still wonder where some things went

 

Weeks with no power, television, or cooking

Just sounds of generators, saws, and roofing

Trash stacked in ditches, Long logs in the yards,

Everybody knows recovery is hard

 

What we didn’t lose to Covid, or to Hurricane Laura

May have left with Delta, or may not make it thru tomorr-ah

Only time will tell and only God can heal

But there’s no doubt 2020 was real.

 

The last kick of the year was the corrupt election

America’s not a girl with a pure reputation

And, Politics is a swamp and a temple of doom

Until God’s people pray and re-enter the room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MASKS

Multiple faces
Acting as a
Shield to prevent
Knowledge of the Real
Self

Warmth

Put aside differences

Put aside hate and fear

Take time to smile, hug

Even shed a tear

With all human kind

Who have rocked your world

And all the others

With lives whirled

Upside down by storms

Crisscrossed by pain

Until there's nothing

Left save gain.

Holidays deeply grieve

As well as highly lift

The soul of men

As we celebrate THE GIFT

So behold every face

Through the twinkle of grace

Leave your warmth

In the dark, coldest place

Danette

Bethlehem

 

Verse

Bethlehem, a tiny place

So filled with the human race

That they could not see the face

Of the Baby bringing saving grace

His purpose was to save all men

And lead them to be born again

Yet when He came that blessed night

No hungry souls did he find in

Chorus

Bethlehem, House of Bread

Place where my soul is fed

Lord help me see Your face

As I sit here in this holy place

Don’t let me lose sincerity

Lose sight of reality

In Bethlehem, House of Bread

Verse

We’re so busy here below

We forget this blessed truth we know

We’ve become accustomed to the scene

Of all who say they’ve been redeemed

Could it be that if He came

Today would softly call your name

That you with all your hurried ways

Could hear and recognize this place as

Wanted

 One soul wanted 

One heart too

One love wanted

For the lonely blue

Just to hold my hand 

And to be the one 

That will hold  my heart 

'til the living's done 

Not for fancy things 

Not just for show

Not for blazing trails 

Just you to know

So, just hold my hand 

And you’ll be the one 

That has my heart 

til the livings done