Oftentimes depending on ones’s faith

A candle is lit by both families

Who are uniting their children in marriage

That one candle then becomes the symbol

Of the solidarity of the families and friends

Supporting the new couple

But like so much in life

The young couples’s life

Starts with their hopes and desires

Some planned some not

As in any relationship

Ups and downs

Anxiety and enthusiasm

Seem to wax and wane

Maybe even in the same day

Jobs, children, houses

All create their own distractions

For a loving relationship

And yet the magic of ‘love’

Grows and matures

Unless it doesn’t

Slowly imperceptibility

Cracks in a relationship can occur

None can judge as each couple is unique

But three factors can never be forgotten

For the magic of ‘us’ to continue

Unimpeachable belief in your spouse

Might the spouse have weaknesses, etc, cleaning, finances

Yet at the end of the day your spouse is THE one

Impregnable confidence in your self

Are you the richest, tallest smartest

Maybe not but you are as good as they get

Finally the rock solid belief

That as a couple you two are the

Best for each other, your children and for your world

If faith, hope and charity are nurtured between a couple

The candle stands a very good chance of burning brightly

FXC 8/11/19

Copyright

Don’t quite get it

How did we all come to get raised

A million different ways I think

We all watched behaviors of other families

Some were praised by our parents

Some castigated

Most of our parents observations of others

Pointed the way for us to follow

But there never has been a pass fail system

For being a child or a parent

Or for that matter a member of this society

Yet all that being as it is

The question on the table today

Is there a college degree for marriage

Haven’t seen one yet

50% of marriages end in divorce

Many, many are not even bothering

To take the plunge these days

Why?

The learning curve is incredibly steep in marriage

Oh, sure usually the first few years are filled

With Wanderlust or just lust

Of course that is presuming that

Cohabitation didn’t occur before the marriage

But then children might enter the picture and jobs

Now never did see a class on handling that

No book smarts to guide

And then cataclysmically

Children, jobs all vaporize

You are now staring

At a selfie and your loved one

That’s what I’m talking about

Now what do you do

You are unleashed to pursue dreams

Some of which you didn’t even know you had

Are both spouses on board

Sometimes

Sometimes not

Potentially a whole new educational field

A college degree of finishing the deal

Might be alone on this one

Really shouldn’t be

After fifty years should have seen this coming

Have to presume I’ll get tutored

As I did for my first degree

BS in “Surviving”

FXC 8/8/19

Copyright

Not really conceivable now

That we became friends at 11

Actually met you with others

Most who are still with us today

We were embarking on a journey

To change the world

To shepherd lost souls

1962 seems but a distant moment

Yet it changed my life and it’s perspective

We joined hearts and hands in our quest

Most of us were unable to complete that journey

Plagued by doubts and distractions

Nonetheless friends we have remained

Interrupted by other commitments

Family, work travel

Yet now we sit together

On Monday mornings at 9

Not to rehash what might have been

Or what could still be

But now just to smile and bask

In the he warmth of our

Old, tired, but so satisfying friendship

Thank God for you all

I love you guys and always will

FXC 8/7/19

Copyright

Ah, the years of toiling

With Mother Nature

By tilling, planting and nurturing in rain and sun

Tomatoes, cucumbers even pumpkins, canning

Young children running, chasing rabbits away

The scene fading to flower beds

As knees and backs wince and creek with the seasons

Grandchildren now playing with the dirt and watering

But the last grandchild now 3 starting preschool

Leaves the garden for us to manage

As the hot wafts of August days stifle breathing

We already look to the cooler fall

Ever hopeful

That our time in our yard

Will continue

Not wanting to accept or understand

We will not be able to always collaborate with nature

But oh praying so fervently

We will always be able to

See and smell the flowers

Watch the birds and squirrels

Of our life’s garden

FXC 8/6/19

Copyright

Longevity

So it seems

There are some methods

To increase longevity

But first

Questions

Depending on the quality of your life

You might not want to remain here too much longer

But say you do

How is that achieved?

Seemingly not smoking, not drinking, healthy eating, exercise

Will add years to your earthly existence

But then there are those who speak of moderation

In all things

Will still result in increased years

Even have had a few relatives

Who seemed to enjoy

Disregarding sage advice

By living as they seemed fit

And living much longer

Than could have been predicted

Yet the latest prognostication

Of increasing earthly years

Is the happiness

Of your closest friend or friends

Absolutely shocking

That how much you

Do for others would matter

How could self sacrifice

Have anything to do

With happiness

Our own or someone else’s

All though can’t deny

Some ancient writings

From the Bible, the Koran

Have certainly spoken to this issue

Maybe just maybe

Rather than mindless steps

For exercise

Those same steps

Could propel me

To do more for others

What a concept that is!

Probably then

Longevity is measured

By the good that is done

FXC 8/5/19

Copyright

Just a little test

Of self awareness

Is your life an accident of birth?

Were you allowed to be born at all?

Now that you are here

How do you see yourself?

Do you believe being rich is a good thing?

Were you born rich?

Do you believe the color of your skin matters?

Are you the color you would prefer to be?

Do you believe society has preferred racial types?

Are you blessed health wise?

No infirmities to interfere in your life’s desires?

Have you been equipped

To correct any inequities

By family, self or society?

Finally at the end of the day

Are you at peace

With life being an accident of birth?

FXC 7//30/19

Copyright

It would seem

Eyes are able to speak

Thus expressions

Like

A glaring stare

The wayward glance

A reproachful look

The come hither look

Pleading or soulful eyes

Or simply the eyes being cast down

Indicating one should sit

And yet those uses are merely one dimensional

There are those moments

Or nuances

When an individual speaks volumes

With their eyes

Like the glance that is laser focused

When the coffee is not ready in the morning

Or when you are riding shotgun

And misread the directions

A short story is conveyed

In a matter of seconds

Full well we have already read that book

Thus we can’t possibly fail to know

Exactly what was intended

By the talking eyes

The intensity itself speaks volumes

Not really even seeking a response

We are left a clear picture of what was meant

FXC 7/27/19

Copyright

Got to admit

Three generations

Have snuck by

Since my teens

Great crisis then also

Times never change

Just whose telling the story

Vietnam and ‘The Man’

Were the main issues

Apparel and appearance

Were the personal manifestations

Of the changes occurring

Long hair, beards

Bra less

Communes

Protests, sit downs

Confrontations daily

Lest my memory fails me entirely

This generation has obtained a

PhD degree in tattoos

Had noticed a few

But a visit to the pool

Revealed a whole panorama

Of style, color, size and purpose

Political sayings, dedications

Warnings, flowers, birds

Some just minuscule

Hardly able to be seen

Others as if a coat over one’s whole back

Even others in places

An old man should not have noticed!

Ah a new generation of artists

Alleluia!

FXC July 7/21/19

Copyright

It’s not like I didn’t have children

I had plenty of children

It’s just that it was a wild and wonderful time

As if I was getting to relive my own childhood

My mind was disjointed

Going in 20 directions at once

Just a phenomenal life

Children, school, work and oh, yeah, married

But that was only for the first 30 years

It has been the second phase of my life

That has raised the bar about pure bliss

Grandchildren who at first I had no preconceived notions about

As if I had never held a child before

Now I was allowed to hold the most

Precious miracle of all time

Everything they did or said

Was to be quoted endlessly

Their gestures, their smiles

As if angels were looking in my direction

But I was not alone

I’ve caught other grandparents

Looking just as silly as I

Now I have the time to reflect

On how these little ones mesmerize us

Their eyes and their little hands

Are so busy doing their little things

That when they look at you or reach out for your hand

It is as if you have been invited to the most private and privileged group

But your presence can only be requested

By eye contact or the reaching out of the hand

Nonetheless even in this small little part of the world

There are FAVORITES

Never have gotten used to having

To wait in line behind NaNa

So be it

I’ll patiently wait my turn

FXC 7/13/19

Copyright

The daughter of a Navy man

Would be expected to make a bed

So straight as to bounce a coin

The children of that woman

Would of course have also learned that skill

Her husband however had escaped that lesson

His father was a lawyer in the Army

His lessons were about the law

Not blankets and sheets

Always understood why

A bed should be made a specific way

Begin the day with structure

But jumping out of bed first

Did not provide a consistent opportunity

To learn Navy bed making

But whoa, whoa

The day did arrive in which

Arising early was not required

Now a lesson I might have learned

50 years ago

Begins

The bed is stripped as the sheets need to be washed

Oh, this is going to be a long lesson

Redundant, redundant

Yes, yes I have had this lesson numerous times

And sloughed it off

But now I am the focus of this woman

The last one to learn

How to make a bed

Even the grandchildren have mastered this skill

So there I am cornered

Near the corner of the bed

My sweet ever hopeful wife

Looking in my eyes

Trying again to impart

Her Father’s legacy

So earnest in her belief

That her passion, her belief in me

Will provide the world

With another proficient

Bed maker

Yes, yes those eyes of faith

Have their effect

As I reach for the other corner

To start our day!

FXC 7/13/19

Copyright