If being young meant being corrupt, he’d have no part
Stubborn, he wouldn’t change his ways

He would simply avoid this new perverse world
To keep himself in the good ol’ days

The days when neighbors looked out for each other
When you knew your mailman’s name

When men held the door for ladies
And success didn’t have to mean fame

He reminisced of days when a living was honest
When families had a father and a mother

When talking in person was the best was to talk
And one shirt was as good as another

But oh how they teased him,
They’d say “He’s just an old man”

And they’d compare his brain
To a lone grain of sand

They said he wasn’t modern or up with the times
They said he was ignorant and out of his mind

They would try to make him angry
Hounding him over and over again

But Old Man Jenkins was the gentlest of souls
And returned only a wrinkled grin

You see, he wasn’t mad or crazy
And he minded not their scorn

He had been storing up a better treasure
Since the very day he was born

After he left this world, they realized
They saw how bad they were wrong

They longed to tell him they were sorry
But the time for that had come and gone

It may be myth, but one once said
And others have repeated it since then

That the gentle soul of Old Man Jenkins
Smiled on them with a wrinkled grin.

The raindrops lead to a peace,
And the peace leads to reflection.
Life could have lead a different path;
Taken a different direction.

From birth, a weight was given to me;
That I shouldn’t freely go about.
Gradually, its effects amplify.
And it continues, without a doubt.

A half of my soul is missing.
Tangled in its greed, it fled.
The half still here, it doubled.
And the other, it is dead.

“If” surfaces now and then,
But usually hides from sight.
Memory is read-only.
So I read, but never write.

The raindrops remain in the window.
And though they cloud the view,
The light still pierces through them,
As the day begins anew.

When His people were as slaves,
God sent plagues to set them free.
But they could not get across the waves.
So God parted the sea!

Jericho had a mighty wall,
So the Israelites found.
They said it was thick, and much too tall.
And so God tore it down!

When they fought against the giant,
They wondered which man to deploy.
Their foe was big, strong, and violent.
So God sent a boy.

Man always acted out of line.
From sin he couldn’t run.
But the love of God is pure, divine.
And so He sent His Son.

Our life is a winding road,
A constant up hill battle.

Each day presents a new challenge.
Everyday has its own struggles.

We do not have the privilege of going through hard times.
Rather, we live through hard times.

But there are those who share the burden.
There are those who take the load.

They are the men and women of MDA Camp,
Who sacrifice a week of every year,

To set a standard of compassion,
By which all should follow.

Their selfishness is nonexistent.
Their selflessness is overwhelming.

It has long since been said that,
“Our camp is your kind of place.”

So, to the men and women of MDA Camp,
We thank you!

If not directly by words,
Then through the great time we have each year.

Keep the fire burning,
And may the spirit of MDA Camp forever live.

June 15, 2005

About this time
When you’re hooked like an addict
You think in your mind
“What’s a Flush’O’matic”

That’s right. An ad
Always a bad time
Right before the bad
Commit the crime

Buy this door
Get the knob, free
You can’t find it in stores
It’s offered only on TV

Ten minutes to call
We’ll even finance it
Short supply, so don’t stall
You don’t want to chance it

Been in a wreck?
I’m an attorney-at-law
I’ll get you a check
Or charge nothing at all

Now back to the show
It’s been half an hour
Keep watching? No
You turn off the power

All is well on this beautiful day,
For a week like none other is well on its way.
School will be out, no homework or tests (ok, maybe homework).
Students, for once, have a chance to get rest.
Of course some will leave to party it up,
Since the thrills in Starkvegas are hardly enough.
As for me, I’m going home to the outskirts of Jackson (Byram isn’t Jackson…yet).
To do, well, nothing, ‘cept a bunch of relaxin’!
‘Tis a great time to forget about class.
Stop getting up early, stop busting your…exams.
Have some fun, play a game like Madden or Halo.
Watch a cheesy film starring Affleck or J Lo.
So whether you take a vacation, or simply go home.
Enjoy every minute, for Spring Break won’t last long.

Long ago, in a far away place
There was a tiny planet in the depths of space
All of its people were all the same
They were all the same color, and bore the same name

An asteroid from space hit the planet one day
And dust came about and went on its way
All around the planet, they were covered with dust
And when they washed it all off, they were left in disgust

It was horrible, like nothing they had seen
For now all the people were blue, pink, or green
Prejudice set in, they couldn’t get along
If the pink said they were right, the blue said they were wrong

The green wouldn’t eat with the blue or the pink
If a green ship was sinking, the blue let it sink
They cooked different foods, they played different games
All the people were different, nothing was the same

But there was one blue person who was loving and nice
He traveled the world to give out his advice
“We used to get along, or have you forgotten?”
“We’re not that different, we have plenty in common.”

“We all like to laugh, and have a good time”
“We like to read poems and hear a good rhyme”
“Variety is good, it can paint a great scene”
“Some houses can be blue, others can be green”

They all had to admit the idea wasn’t bad
Besides, they would have a lot more fun than they’ve had
They all made a promise to forget their harsh past
The blue, pink, and green people came together at last

Another step, another memory,
It consumed him like a flame.
So many things he wished to take back.
So many things fueled his shame.

It could not be his fault, he shouted!
He did the best he could do.
What happened to his trustworthy Guide,
Who promised to see him through?

The sun was blazing in from the West.
He turned to cover his face.
He saw two shadows cast behind him.
Was he alone in this place?

It struck him like a bolt of lightning!
Of course he was not alone.
It was his Guide, his wonderful Friend!
Oh, how he wished he had known.

His Friend never led in this journey.
He was never in front at all!
He always followed, stayed behind him,
To catch him when he would fall.

I dwell on an island.
It’s sunny and bright.
It’s lined by the blue water’s foam.
My house, my possessions,
Are here in plain sight.
But the island is far from my Home.

I look all around me.
Creation I see.
Trees sway and the animals roam.
I will stay here for now,
But soon, I will leave.
For this island is far from my Home.

Corruption is here too,
I’m sad to affirm.
There’s danger when out on your own.
I must take the right paths,
And make the right turns.
Since the island is far from my Home.

We’re here on the island,
With Good and with Bad.
And sometimes we feel all alone.
We can be comforted,
Because we all know,
That the island is far from our Home.

I met her back in ‘85.
It’s been close to nineteen years.
But I didn’t get a glance at her,
‘Cause my eyes were full of tears.

She taught me how to talk,
And how to sing a song.
She even taught me how to walk,
Though it didn’t last that long.

We played while we were home.
We played while at the pool.
But just when I thought she loved me.
She sent me off to school.

She helped me with my homework.
She fed me decent meals. (sometimes)
She made sure I stayed clean.
And she doctored all my ills.

She took me to worship services.
The Bible she taught to me.
Because of her, I can say.
“The truth has set me free.”

I’m now a year through college.
“Back home!” I’m proud to say.
Now you’re reading this poem,
On May 9 – Mother’s Day!

If you haven’t guessed by now,
I’m writing about my Mom.
Clarissa D. Watson,
The daughter of Bob and Tom. (Bob is short for Barbra in case you didn’t know)

These words are so very delicate.
They come straight from my heart.
Of course sometimes they’re funny.
But that’s just a small, small part.

So Mom, we’ve done real well.
We’ll keep on truckin’ down life’s way.
We’ll never get down, for we both know,
We’ll be in Heaven some sweet day.

Thanks Mom