LOVE SONGS

 

LOVE SONGS

 

 

By

 

 

FRANK A VOLLMER

 

 

 

SARAH

 

 

 

WHEN ABRAHAM BURIED SARAH

HE TOLD HIS SERVANTS

CLOSE THE TOMB GENTLY

FOR WITH IT

YOU CUT OFF

PART OF MY HEART

 

I REMEMBER MOST OF ALL

HER LAUGH

IT CHEERED ME

WHEN THE PROMISES OF GOD SEEMED HOPELESS

 

HER LAUGH

WAS A YOUNG GIRL’S LAUGH

NO MATTER HOW OLD SHE BECAME

LIKE LAUGHING AT ANGELS

WHOSE NEWS WERE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

 

GOD CALLED HER PRINCESS

AND SHE WAS

OF MY HEART

AND HER FAMILY

 

ROLL THE STONE GENTLY ON HER TOMB

AND LET ME ALONE

TO MOURN HER

AS NIGHT FALLS

 

 

 

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AL

 

 

STAY WITH ME LORD

FOR THE DAY IS ENDING

AND THE NIGHT IS COMING NIGH

 

LIKE A TIDE THAT WILL NOT EBB

FILLING UP ALL THE LOW PLACES OF MY LIFE

SO THAT ALL I SEE

ARE THE MOUNTAIN TOPS OF THOSE

WHO LOVE ME

 

WHAT A GIFT TO BE LOVED

ESPECIALLY IN THIS LONELY HOUR

WHAT A GIFT TO BE LOVED

 

I WOULD LIKE TO GO OUT SINGING

BUT I KEEP FORGETTING THE WORDS

 

STAY WITH ME LORD

I HAVE MANY REGRETS

BUT LEAVING HER WHOM I DEEPLY LOVE

WHAT IS THE ANSWER TO THAT

 

FAREWELL TO DREAMS

TO HOPES

BUT NOT TO LOVE

 

IT WILL BE IN THE GATHERING DARKNESS

A BEACON TO SHOW ME HOME

HER LOVE

A LANTERN TO MY FEET

A FAREWELL GENEROUSLY GIVEN

 

THERE IS AT THE END RESIGNATION

AND REGRET

AND BELIEF IN YOUR LOVE

UPON WHICH MY LOVE FOR HER IS BASED

WHICH GIVES US BOTH OUR JOY

AND SADNESS IN THIS HOUR

 

THERE IS IN THAT BELIEF

THE THOUGHT

THAT WHEN I GO

THAT I SHALL LEAVE BEHIND

 

MY HEART

IN HER HEART

SINGING MY LOVE FOR HER

FOREVER

 

 

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A STORY

 

 

 

 

 

WHEN I WAS A YOUNG AND COURTING GIRL

OUT WALKING WITH MY BEAU

HE SLIPPED BEHIND A CLIFF'S EDGE

BUT I WALKED ON

THINKING HIM PLAYING THE FOOL

BUT HE DIDN'T APPEAR

I WILL NOT BE PART OF HIS JOKE

I THOUGHT

I WILL WAIT HIM OUT

OR SHOULD I WALK ON AND LEAVE HIM

FOR LOVE'S BURDENS WERE MAKING THEIR DEMANDS

I COULD WALK ON AND BE FREE

BUT SUCH FREEDOM I DID NOT WANT

SO BEING LONELY I SOUGHT HIM OUT

AND FOUND HIM TRULY FALLEN

AND CLINGING TO A TREE

A SILLY THING

BUT ONE THAT GRADUALLY BECAME

A PART OF FAMILY HISTORY

OF EYES ROLLED TO THE HEAVENS

OH NO NOT THAT STORY AGAIN

WE WED

AND HAD FULL YEARS

OF HOME OF CHILDREN OF LOVE

HE LEFT TOO SOON

NO MATTER HOW MANY WERE THE YEARS BY CALENDAR

HE WALKED TO LIFE'S EDGE

AND LEFT TOO SOON

NOW I HAVE GONE TO LIFE'S EDGE AND BEYOND

BUT WEEP NOT FOR ME

FOR HE MET ME ON MY DYING

I TOLD HIM

THE CHILDREN ARE WELL

I KNOW HE SAID

I MISSED YOU

I KNOW HE SAID

L LOVE YOU STILL

I KNOW HE SAID

I LOVE YOU TOO

AND SO DOES JESUS

WELCOME HOME

 

 

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A KALEIDOSCOPE OF DREAMS

 

 

 

MISTER FROGGIE WENT CALLING AT THE CASTLE

TO DEMAND WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS HIS DUE

BUT INSTEAD FOUND ONLY REJECTION

DREAMS DO NOT OFTEN COME TRUE

 

LIKE A FATHER PREOCCUPIED WITH CARE

WHO WAS TOO BUSY TO PLAY

WHO LET ME COME TO A PRECIPICE

BEFORE HE WHISKED ME AWAY

 

OR THE FATHER WHO DIED UNKNOWN TO ME

WHOSE BODY WAS ONLY A FORM

WHO CAME AT THE END TO SAY I LOVE YOU

BEFORE HIS MEMORY SCATTERED IN A STORM

 

I MUST BRUSH MY HAIR FREE OF DEMONS

THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT

SCATTER THE DARKNESS WITH LIGHTNING

AND KNOW GOD AND I ARE ALRIGHT

 

PUSH ASIDE ALL THAT WOULD THWART ME

FROM FEELING TRAPPED IN THIS PLACE

SEARCH HIGHWAYS BYWAYS FOR PASSAGE

UNTIL I FEEL SUN ON MY FACE

 

FINALLY I WENT TO THE LAMA

TO FIND A MOUNTAINTOP HIGH

FOUND INSTEAD A YOUNG IMP OF A BOY

WHO SAID I’LL SEE YOU BYE AND BYE

 

 

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OOPS

 

 

 

TODAY IS THE DAY

I FORGOT MY ANNIVERSARY

NOT REALLY FORGOT

I MIS-REMEMBERED THE CALENDAR

THAT’S MY STORY

AND I’M STICKING TO IT

 

BUT IN MY DEFENSE

EVERY DAY WITH YOU

IS LIKE THE FIRST

WITH THE WONDER OF LOVE

 

SO WHILE I MAY BE A FORGETFUL OLD MAN

I’M AS YOUNG IN MY LOVE FOR YOU

AS I EVER WAS

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MY SON’S SLIPPERS

 

 

 

 

 

 

MY SON’S WIFE

GAVE ME HIS SLIPPERS

AFTER HE DIED

 

LIKE ME

HE WORE HIS SHOES DOWN

UNEVEN

ON ONE FOOT

 

SO WHEN I WORE THEM

AS HE DID

I WALKED OUT OF THEM

 

WHEN I REVERSED THERM

THEY FIT PERFECTLY

I MARKED THEM L AND R APPROPIATLY

 

I WORE THEM PROUDLY

AND LONG

SO LONG

I COULD TELL THE VALUE OF A COIN

BY STEPPING ON IT

 

HE’S IN HEAVEN NOW

WAITING FOR ME

 

WAITING FOR ME TO RAG ME

 

WHY DID YOU GET RID OF THE SLIPPERS

THEY WERE PRACTICALLY

 

BRAND NEW

 

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JOSEPH'S DEATH

 

IT WAS SUMMER

AND THE WINDOWS WERE OPEN

 

THROUGH THEM

HE COULD HEAR

THE SOUND OF HOUSEWORK BEING DONE

 

THE SNATCH OF A SONG

THE RUNNING OF WATER

THE SOUND OF A BROOM

 

IT WAS HOT

BUT HE COULDN'T FEEL IT

 

HIS SHAWL

WAS ABOUT HIS SHOULDERS

BUT HIS COLD

WASN'T IN THE WEATHER

 

THE SOUND OF THE BROOM

RAN ALL HIS DAYS TOGETHER

 

SO THAT HE THOUGHT HIMSELF

 ONCE MORE YOUNG

AND COMING TO CALL

 FLOWERS FRESHLY PICKED

UPON HIS YOUNG SWEET LOVE

HIS MARY

 

BUT THEN HIS MEMORY DARKENED

AND HIS BLOOD

IN SPITE OF YEARS RAN HOT

 

ANGER POUNDED IN HIS BRAIN

 

I AM WITH CHILD

 

NO A THOUSAND RAVENS CRIED

NO A THOUSAND CROWS REPLIED

 

PANDEMONIUM OF THUNDER

 LIGHTNING FLASH

AND DRIVING RAIN

NO HE CRIED

TO NO ONE LISTENING

 

RACING FROM THE SUMMER STORM

RACING

LOSING

AND WAS CAUGHT

DRENCHED

 

THE RAIN RUNNING DOWN HIS FACE

MIXING WITH HIS TEARS

 

NO HE WHISPERED TO THE EARTH

FACE PRESSED DOWN IN SOGGY GRASS

 

WHY HE SOBBED

OH GOD WHY..

 

BUT NO ANSWER CAME

THEN SOMETHING CAME

 

THE MEMORY OF HER WORDS

 

REMEMBER I LOVE YOU

 

HOW QUICK THE STORM

HOW SUDDEN THE SUN'S RETURN

 

SO THAT THE OLD MAN FELT

 ONCE MORE ITS HEAT

 

HE STRUGGLED TO FORM THE WORDS

 

FROM IN THE HOUSE THE QUESTION

DID YOU CALL

I LOVE YOU

 

DID YOU CALL

I LOVE YOU

 

DID YOU CALL

THEN JOSEPH DIED

 

 

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In the Eastern Church, the death of Mary, Jesus' mothers is traditionally celebrated on august 15. The feast is called the dormition or falling asleep of Mary.

 

OLD WOMAN

 

HOW WARM THE SUN SHE THOUGHT

NODDING NAPPING IN HER CHAIR

KNITTING UNATTENDED IN HER LAP

HOW WARM THE SUN

 

THE CHILDREN ALL HAD GONE

LAUGHING AND LEAPING

THE COOKIES ALL EATEN

 

BYE BYE AUNTIE

THEY ALL CALLED HER AUNTIE

AWAY THEY WENT LEAPING

 

EXCEPT ONE LITTLE URCHIN

WITH KNEE OUT IN TROUSER

AND NOSE ON SLEEVE WIPING

HAD LINGERED BEHIND

SHYLY

FOOT DRAGGING

HEAD DOWN

FACE BLUSHING

HE SLOWLY APPROACHED HER

AWKWARDLY KISSED HER

BELLOWED I LOVE YOU

SCURRIED AWAY

 

HEART ACHING SHE REACHED OUT

HER ARMS GRASPING NOTHING

SO QUICKLY HE RAN

 

OH JOSEPH OH JESUS HOW MUCH DO I MISS YOU

HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN GONE

 

THE OLD WOMAN SAT NODDING

HER HEART WOUNDS REOPENED

SAT NODDING

AND NAPPING

AND YEARNING FOR HOME

SAT NODDING THEN SLEEPING

THEN GOD CALLED HER HOME

 

 

MARY/JOSEPH REUNITED IN HEAVEN