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ALYSON
Sweet Alyson, we dreamed of you
Before your frame was formed,
Though we knew not what joy you'd bring
From the moment you were born.
Our hearts were yours before you knew,
Before you heard your name,
Before our eyes beheld your face
And your precious little frame.
But with your birth, sweet Alyson,
We've come to realize
Our love for you depended not
On your tiny little size,
But on the fact that you are ours,
Created out of love,
A precious gift so undeserved
Bestowed by God above.
We loved you then; we love you now,
Our love continues on,
And always you will have our hearts,
Our precious Alyson..
A DAY AT THE POOL
Your brown locks glisten in the sun
As by the pool you play,
With no thought of tomorrow's cares
Or your tears of yesterday.
Your childlike happiness is found
In moments such as these,
In drops of water on your face
Dried by the gentle breeze.
I carve this picture in my mind
And to the fact resign
That all too soon so grown you'll be,
No longer to be mine.
But for now, my little water bug,
My happiness is found
In knowing that you're here with me
Splashing water all around.
And knowing, too, that when you've grown
Beyond childhood years and school,
My memories will long remain
Of this day beside the pool.
THESE PICTURES OF ME
Grandpa and Patsy -
My two best friends;
When one of them tires,
The other steps in.
Together they teach me
That love starts here,
With the wag of a tail
And the kiss of tear.
I'm small now, it's true,
But when I am grown,
These pictures will tell of
The love I was shown
By a man and his dog,
Who knew well, you see,
The lessons I learned
In these pictures of me.
My days, though filled with much to do,
Are usually not my own,
And few are the moments afforded me
To reflect on the blessings I've known.
But when those fleeting moments come
And my mind has time to clear,
My first thoughts always are of the love
I am shown by my William, so dear.
His first thoughts are not of himself,
Though entitled to this he would be,
But rather his mind is focused on ways
He can best take care of me.
With no thought of the benefits
Or rewards his action brings,
He dutifully spends each unclaimed hour
Taking care of the little things.
The things I'm likely to forget
And the things I'd never think of,
The things that no one else would do,
Motivated only by love.
Faithfully he takes the time
To help me through my day
By phoning just to say hello
In his ever cheerful way.
And always my welfare is his concern,
Ahead of even his own,
And though apart, I've had his heart
And have never been alone.
And when my burdens seem too great
And my courage is all but gone,
He's always there with words of hope
And a shoulder to lean upon.
And patiently he waits his turn
Behind other time demands -
His turn to know the side of me
That makes him feel a man.
And though in jest the score's been kept
Of the times that he was "wrong,"
He surely must know that even so,
For me, he's been right all along.
How could I ever repay the debt
Of gratitude that's owed
For his selfless acts of kindness
That have helped to ease my load?
What could I say on this Valentine's Day
To make him know how much
I treasure my "Prince" and his love for me
And will always need his touch?
His touch in all the little things
That I've come to depend upon;
The touch of his strong hand in mine,
That tells me I'm never alone.
So blessed I am to know the joys
That because of him are mine,
And thankful to God I will always be
For Prince William, my Valentine.
PRINCE WILLIAM
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Happy Valentine's Day, My Bill,
From Your "Princess"
Another day on the message board
For my daily dose of Clay,
And there it is, the usual talk
Of the photos and news of the day.
The all too familiar posts are there
Praising "our" Clayton so dear -
That hair, that smile, those eyes of green
And always, that voice so clear.
Yet on this day the topics they stray
From the usual adoring themes
Into a far deeper, more poignant display
Of what Clay's life really means.
And as I read I am moved to tears
By the stories of people like me,
Those whose lives are changing in ways
They never imagined could be.
And somehow I must, if given the chance,
Convey to this young man,
Do you know what your witness has been?
Do you really understand?
Do you see God working through you?
Do you really understand
How God is using you for good
Much more than you had planned?
And do you really understand
The difference that you're making
By your influence on others
And the stands that you are taking?
Though perhaps not obvious to you,
The stories can be found
Of how your love for Jesus Christ
Is turning lives around.
A woman whose cancer has claimed her hair
And whose future is bleak at best
Has found in your music a sweet escape
And a place for her mind to rest.
A teenage girl who could not find
A reason her life should go on
Found your Jesus - there on your wrist
And a Friend to lean upon.
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Another who lost her spouse too soon
And, with him, her reason for living,
Because of you now smiles again
And has a new reason for giving.
A lady whose grief for the dog that she lost
Had made her days sad and blue
Now fills her void speaking words of praise
For the Lord who gave us you.
A grandma whose daughter will never have
The grandchildren she longed for
Now spends her money on CDs for those
Who long to hear you more.
And often they say, "I wonder if Clay
Will ever know how much he's loved
By those of us whose lives he has changed
In ways he couldn't have dreamed of."
And one story yet remains to be told
Of a life with great burden to bear.
That story is mine, and you've helped me to find
A Respite from all of my cares.
So Clay, though I know not of your plans
Or what your future may hold,
I know without question that God loves you
And has given you talents untold . . .
To use for His glory just as you have done
And help others to understand
That by fame or power or riches untold
Is not how He measures a man.
But rather it is by how we act
And think and feel and love,
And whether our witness in this life
Points others to God above.
And now as I read the last post of the day
On the board where this story began,
I pray that through me, God has spoken to you
And helped you to understand . . .
That you're making a difference and leaving a mark
Far greater than you could have known.
You're a light shining bright in a world of dark
That burns for Jesus alone.
Do You Really Understand? ©
Presented to Clay Aiken
With Great Admiration, Respect and Appreciation
for Your Music and the Difference You are Making
Sally Jewell
December 22, 2003
© 2004
© 2004
© 2004
© 2004
© 2004
My father's love was seldom shown
In ways a child could see,
In goodnight hugs or stories told
Upon a welcome knee.
He never sensed my need to hear
Just one approving word
To let me know I'd made him proud,
And none was ever heard.
He could not show what love he may
Have held there deep inside.
I could not make him say those words,
No matter how I tried.
But tirelessly he worked for us;
We never did without.
Meeting our physical needs is what
His life became about.
Mom was there for the other things
And she loved enough for two,
But still those words that eluded me
My heart would yet pursue.
In later years when illness came
And my father needed ME,
I began to know the love that as
A child I could not see.
He'd said, "I love you" every day
With every loaf of bread,
Piano lessons, clothes and shoes
And blankets on my bed.
But no longer did I need those things;
No longer could he say
I love you in the way he'd known,
So he found a different way.
He spoke, "I love you, Sally," and for
The first time since my birth
I felt that I had made him proud
And proved to him my worth.
And in the years that followed
As my father slipped away,
Those words became my resting place
As we struggled through each day.
He lived his life through sickness
Just the way he always had,
With a quiet determination
That was so much like my dad.
And while he now rests peacefully
Waiting on his Father above,
My heart now rests in knowing that
I had my father's love.
My Father's Love
Thank you, Daddy. Rest Well.
Love, Sally
May 25, 2005
Poetry by Design
© 2005
And who could forget my hot dog crave
And your cookout for me in the hail.
What a kind gesture to do that for me
Right down to the cooking detail.
And now we share so many things,
But my favorite, I'd have to say,
Is laughing with you at Wayne, Ryan and Drew
On Whose Line Is It Anyway?
I love your lean, athletic frame
And the way you make me feel,
But most of all, I love the way
You always say the word will.
But seriously, Baby, with each passing day
I grow to love you more.
In you, myJohnny, I'm sure I've found
What I've been searching for.
With all my love,
Jessica
Johnny,
Remember that day at Eskimo Joe's
For their Mardi Gras celebration?
You couldn't have known it, but even then
I was watching with great admiration.
I couldn't believe how you had it all --
Intelligence, good looks and charm,
And then I began to picture myself
Right there on your long, skinny arm.
Your dark hair and blue eyes were all I could see
And as I watched you, I knew
We were so much alike with our sarcastic wit
That you were the one I'd pursue.
And finally it came, my first date with you
When we hung out with Jimmy and Heather,
And then our first kiss, I'll never forget,
It was you, me and Heather together.
And while Heather slept, I made my move,
And at that sweet moment I knew
That though he was hot in that Pirates flick,
Johnny Depp has NOTHING on you!
Poetry By Design
© 2005
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