A Soldier’S Thoughts, Memories, and Prayers: A Collection of Poems

By John B. Carter

Lifeindividuals from across the globe have referred to it in countless ways, expressing the vast expanse of lifes little indiscretions through different idioms. Yet, through the eyes of this old soldier, life has beenand still continues to bea journey molded by past experiences and guided by ghosts, with gentle whispers of encouragement. In A Soldiers Thoughts, Memories, and Prayers, readers have the chance to travel through the struggles of life as seen by a soldier. But there is far more to author John B. Carter than just soldiering.

Through death, divorce, loneliness, spiritual heartache, and triumph, there is a single message that remains at the forefront for those traveling through these pages: press on and overcome! From the poignant A Tear on My Pillow to the spiritual How Could I Love God? the author captures the emotions that bring these words to life. Faith is woven into everything Carter does, yet, as the oak tree of his life grows, its roots draw from the memories deep within him.

Throughout A Soldiers Thoughts, Memories, and Prayers, there are photos from Carters family and friends, intending to catapult readers imaginations as the written words guide them from one experience to the next.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781475997491

John B. Carter

John Carter is a father, husband, retired Army Officer. Above all else, he is a Christian. Through his younger years, in times of awkwardness and trails, he relied on his faith. Through strife and sometimes bitter heartache, he clung to his faith. Through years of military service, it was his faith that continued to sustain him as he went through life. He holds an undergraduate degree in Religion and a Masers of Arts in Pastoral Care. He is active in his church; he and his wife now reside in Alabama.

Book preview

A Soldier’s

Thoughts, Memories, and Prayers

_____________

A Collection of Poems

JOHN B. CARTER

iUniverse LLC

Bloomington

A Soldier’s Thoughts, Memories, and Prayers

A Collection of Poems

Copyright © 2013 by John B. Carter.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4759-9748-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-9750-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-9749-1 (ebk)

iUniverse rev. date: 07/10/2013

Contents

Introduction

My Dogwood Garden

When I Write

Dream, Dream

A Tear on My Pillow

Love

This I Promise, This I Pledge

The Wedding

To My Wife—My Love

To My Dearest Friend

I am an Overcomer

My Heart’s Humble Cry

What Manner

Love Talks—Friendship Walks

What Of This Thing Called Love?

My God: A Cripple?

Where Are You, My Brother?

Pearl River

Our Flag

In Your Eyes

Be Strong

Christ Is King—a Psalm of Praise

The Crowd

A Song

Adoration

Death

The Gravedigger Digs

The Light in the Window

A Lame Man Made Whole?

Impatience

Sir-render

Time

The White Field of Harvest

Family

The Rain

Searching the Skies

This Looks like Fall

Your Pains

My Concerns

Miles Apart

My Eyes Are Full of Sleep

My Heart

How Could I Love God?

Duty, Honor, Country

To a Soldier

His Eyes—Mark 11

Waiting for This Day

Lamp unto My Path—Reflections on Psalm 119

A Candle

The Same

The Church

Compassion’s eyes—

Eyes of God

Mountaintop High

My Old Friend

My Love, How Often I Have Thought

My Only Regret

Life

Learn to Live

To the Hills

Merry Christmas

I’m Not Worthy

Shadows, Memories, and Things to Come

Ha-Ha-Ha

Death

The Lamb

They Call

I Want More

My Dearest

Some Say of Love

To Ponder

Where Does Christmas Come From?

The Right

Salvation?

Sea of Color

Sands of Time

I Gazed into the Eyes of a Blind Man

I Know My Redeemer Liveth

Of Psalm 23

I Close My Eyes

the rose

Music

Straying from Home

The Season—It Is Changing

The Dark One

When God Answers Prayer

God Will

The Meadow

Fall

A Field House

My Father’s Hands

It Is All a Matter of Trust

Parting Thoughts

About the Author

Drawings and photos

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Introduction

Drawing%20in%20Intro.jpg

So as I sit here at my old desk, I glean from the ghosts of my past. These ghosts, as they peer over my shoulder, they gaze into the words I write. They whisper, recalling the encounters long since forgotten and emotions long since ignored. They utter words conjuring up visions of experiences, both those of simple, happy feelings and those that are, well, not so happy. These visions—as seen in a faded looking glass—are images of thoughts that seemingly beg for expression as well as prayers placed before the Almighty.

It is these words, then, that I find forming on the page before me; it is these words I pen. As I write, they form each pane in the stained glass window of my life. They tell stories—of love, passion, faith, the divine, of pain and death. Simply put, they tell stories of life!

Yet, if I should fail in my daunting task, who then would enjoy their painted window and journey the pathways they blaze? If not for their labor, if not for each piece neatly fitting into the window, how would those who come behind me know?

I invite you—come, gaze into my world. Come and allow the sun’s rays shining through the glass to envelop your being. For once you cross the colored rays, I challenge you to look for the ghosts—listen to their whispers and allow them to move you. So enter in and come along my life’s journey.

Pic%201%20Dogwood.jpg

My Dogwood Garden

In my heart

My soul travels,

Traveling along paths paved with memories.

There I breathe in the tender smells of my childhood long since past.

I sit and look up,

Gazing through the limbs that shelter my being.

Up there, reaching heavenward,

Are flowers of white.

There my face is colored, decorated by the shadows of the blossoms above me.

I sit, focusing my eyes

On the beauty that surrounds me.

How majestic and simply marvelous!

Their petals form a cross—with the rays of the sun captured in the middle.

I think to myself, how wonderful are these blessings from God!

There in the garden of my childhood,

There in the midst of that beauty, hopes and aspirations were built.

There I am.

My garden—how peaceful.

The sun shines down, peering through cascading draperies of green and white.

How beautiful they truly are!

Oh, my dear dogwoods—it has been said

You are trees that bear a single curse:

Your trunk—twisted,

Your growth—stunted.

Yet, through your springtime radiance,

You bear your true elegance.

Oh tree with blooming crosses—

Your blossoms sweet—that place where my childhood I should always meet.

For there under the canapé of white,

I see the earlier years of this older life and remember.

For those blooms help me to recall

What it means to hope and have faith in that hope.

No matter where I go—no matter what I do—I will always take you with me.

I shall never forget,

I shall hold dear

The memory of my dogwood garden.

When I Write

When I write—

Why is it the truest of feelings that I fight?

When I write—

It is my innermost emotions that must take flight.

When I write—

What was once unseen now reaches for its first light.

When I write—

It is my soul that has been given sight.

When I write—

Once free from their dim, dark places,

My feelings attach themselves to words

Free, as if to ride the wind like a kite.

When I write—

The truth can no longer be buried.

Expressions and feelings, I bow to