Sand Mountain Memories: A Collection of Poems

By Fred R. Parks

Growing up in a small Kentucky town, my life was filled with happiness. With a big family and loving parents. as a teenager I started writing poems to show my love to my new bride. Later after the birth of our daughter I was overwhelmed with emotions and found myself writing more and more.
it was after the passing of my Dad that I decided to try and get a book together. I felt I owed it to him as much as myself. With a church going family and a mom that loved telling stories it seemed only natural that I would want to write.
I love remembering the past, people and places that I've been, it's always been so easy for me to write them down.
Sand Mountain Memories, was Thirty Years in the making.
I now live in Mt Sterling Kentucky, Six miles from my childhood home and I often visit those wonderful hills that as a child I couldn't get enough of.
In November of 2012 I was Diagnosed with Progressive MS and I thought now would be the time to get published...
Thank You.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 29, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481776424

Fred R. Parks

Growing up in a small Kentucky town, my life was filled with happiness. With a big family and loving parents. as a teenager I started writing poems to show my love to my new bride. Later after the birth of our daughter I was overwhelmed with emotions and found myself writing more and more. it was after the passing of my Dad that I decided to try and get a book together. I felt I owed it to him as much as myself. With a church going family and a mom that loved telling stories it seemed only natural that I would want to write. I love remembering the past, people and places that I've been, it's always been so easy for me to write them down. Sand Mountain Memories, was Thirty Years in the making. I now live in Mt Sterling Kentucky, Six miles from my childhood home and I often visit those wonderful hills that as a child I couldn't get enough of. In November of 2012 I was Diagnosed with Progressive MS and I thought now would be the time to get published... Thank You.

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© 2013 by Fred R. Parks. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/10/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-7641-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-7642-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013912555

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.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

1. Dad

2. A Stitch In Time

3. When Will?

4. A Mother’s Love

5. I Remember When

6. My Girl

7. Happy Birthday Tiffany

8. I Love You

9. I Wonder If You Know?

10. Did I Forget?

11. Dear Mom

12. Tears Of Joy

13. The Owner Of My Heart

14. The Second Chance

15. My Thoughts

16. The Kid In Me

17. Daddy’s Song

18. I’m Thankful

19. Presents For Mom

20. Dear Dorothy

21. Dear Dorothy 2

22. Get Well Soon

23. Do You?

24. Happy Anniversary

25. Love Song

26. Special Lady

27. Sunset

28. Daddy’s Lunchbox

29. Through These Eyes Of Mine

30. The Long Hard Road Ahead

31. Reflections

32. The Evening Walk

33. Summer Fun

34. Changing Times

35. Stormy Seas Of Life

36. Face To Face

37. The Evening Walk 2

38. Birth, Life, Death

39. A True Friend

40. Death

41. The Third Day

42. Rose Petals

43. My Promise To You

44. As Time Goes By

45. Childhood

46. Time

47. With This Hand

48. Peace In The Valley

49. Something’s Out There

50. The Final Step

51. Jessica’s Poem

52. How Do I Go On Without You?

53. My First Love

54. Pray For The Day

55. The Drunkard’s Story

56. The Dream

57. Just Words On Paper

58. Life Sure Is Hard

59. The Road Ahead

60. Why Me?

61. Time Lapse Memories And Such

62. Farewell!

63. Dreams Of Yesterday

64. Just Thinking

65. A Letter From Home

66. A Love Not Lost

67. Songs Of Praise

68. To Be A Writer

69. My Life

70. I’m So Glad

71. A New Life

72. The Appointed Time

73. The Tree

74. The Trails Of Life

75. In The Still Of The Night

76. From My Window I Can See

77. Do You Remember When?

78. Seasons Change

79. The Vision

80. The Hands Of Death

81. The Dream Makers

82. Tiffany’s Poem, Butterfly.

83. Look My Way

84. Saying Goodbye

85. Coming Home

86. Peter Rabbit And The Farmer

87. Spring

88. School’s Out!

89. Poems

90. Spring Forward, Fall Back!

91. If I Had Known You Were Coming

92. A Hillbillies Poem

93. Christmas Not X-Mas!

94. Santa Is A Crook!

95. Busted!

96. Santa Claus Is Coming

97. One Of A Kind

98. Jerry’s

99. Twenty Four Hours Of Bad Luck

100. I Give Up!

101. Stupid Luck

102. Smoking!

103. The Mule Run Off!

104. Lights, Camera, Action!

105. Wal-Mart Always

106. Wal-Mart Always #2

107. Summit Blues

108. The Making Of A Poem

109. Stand Back Satan, Here I Go!

110. Didn’t It Rain

111. The Body Of Christ

112. Forward Ever Forward

113. Keep Your Eyes On The Prize

114. Brother Randy

115. He’s The One

116. Kentucky My Home

117. Waiting For The Worms

118. The Devil And His Evil Plan

119. Then We’ll Know

120. Some Day Soon

121. Stand On The Word

122. The Man Of God

123. To Hunt For Ginsegn

124. Sand Mountain O0n My Mind

125. Dark Days Ahead

126. 9-11-2001 Remembering The Day!

127. Don’t Let The Devil In

128. The Preacher

129. I’m Tired Of It!

130. Easter Sunday

131. The Land Of Zima

132. Salutations To Stephen King

133. World War Iii

134. Nasa; The Challenger

135. Tour Of Duty

136. I’m Thankful For The Day

137. Wind-Talkers

138. The Red Man

139. In The Army Now

140. Send Down The Rain

141. I’d Like To Go Back There

142. Christmas Gift

143. The Last Sunday

144. Head-Lines!

145. Ice Storm Of 1994

146. The Blizzard Of 1996

147. The Award Given To Me By Me

148. The Flood Of 2000

149. What Bluegrass Means Too Us

150. Shadows Of My Mind

151. Bluegrass Music

152. Can’t You Hear The Voice

153. Lord It Looks Like Rain

154. Hold To His Hand

155. The Church Where I Found Jesus

156. No Room For Doubt

157. Lord Don’t Shut The Power Off

158. Didn’t It Rain, The Song

159. America

160. Give Us Strength!

161. Turn The Michaela Page

162. A Love Like This

163. Lucky Man

164. Happy Mother’s Day

165. Look Yonder Coming

166. A To Z, You And Me

167. Mama

168. The Final Log

169. Life In Prison!

170. What Would You Give?

171. Just Thinking About The Day

172. Thinking About Life!

173. Drift Off And Dream

174. If Only

175. Entertaining Angels Unaware

176. Quotes By Fred R Parks

177. Goodbye Ole Friends

178. Judgment Day!

179. I’ll Fly Away

180. Thanks For Everything.

181. From A Sinner To A Saint

182. Burdens Of Life

183. Happy Birthday, Little Cora

184. Prayer Time

185. Judy Ray; Memories Of Mom From; Eva

186. Maybe?

187. My Mom

188. Praise The Lord

189. One Of Those Lazy Days

190. The Father Of Bluegrass Is Gone

191. Carry The Cross

192. The Certificate

193. Answers In The Night

194. My Heart Belongs To You

195. The Trip Back

196. Long Before There Was Me

197. When The Holy Ghost Came In

198. Dreaming Of Home

199. Touch Me Again Lord

200. About The Writer

201. Happy Father’s Day

202. The Story Of A Dead Man

203. Those Days Are Gone

204. Wouldn’t It Be Great?

205. Covered By The Blood

DAD

I took the time to set with him and listened as he talked. I went with him to watch him work, in the evenings we would walk.

I cried the day he got sick I felt so empty inside. I laughed and joked around with him just hours before he died.

He wasn’t rich with money but with love he was a king. He made my life worth living not wanting anything.

I’ll try to live without him but I pray we’ll meet again. Not only did I lose my dad but also my best friend.

MOM

Do you know how much I love you, could I tell you one more time? You’re the reason for the words I write the reason for this rhyme.

You were there when I took my first breath and started down life’s road. Your hands that softly held me also bore a heavy load.

You fed me when I was hungry spoke words of peace when I was low. Just how much I love you, I wonder if you know?

You were there when I found Jesus and won the victory. When Satan held me in darkness you were a light for me.

I want to give you flowers but they would only fade in your light. Gold would only shine awhile and Diamonds aren’t right.

How can I say I love you and make you realize? I know you love me too each time I look into your eyes.

Fred R. Parks

A STITCH IN TIME

When I was little I would run to mom each time I had a fear. She could fix almost anything and always with such care.

When I was sick she was my comfort, speaking words of cheer. Telling me stories on those sleepless nights that only I could hear.

Silver Threads and Golden Needles was my dad’s favorite song. Mom used the kind that came from God hidden beneath his throne.

Thread held us together with a needle made from love. When no longer she could see to thread it she just prayed to God above.

No matter the trials that come my way, troubles will always disappear. A stitch in time with God’s Wondrous Thread makes the way seem clear.

Fred R. Parks

WHEN WILL?

When will the rhyming stop and the writer in me take flight? When will the sun I feel inside chase away the night? How much longer will it take before the words start to flow? Releasing my true feelings allowing the kid in me to grow.

I can no longer live on memories that plate has already been cleaned. I getting to old to make new ones but still to young to be weaned. Milk was good when I was little after all it allowed me to grow. But now that meat is before me there’s nothing left for me to show.

I’ll write about childhood memories until time releases the pen. Then on such a journey I shall go never more to pretend. They’ll line up around the block to meet the man who wrote this splendid tale. I’ll just set back on a bag of money and grin, saying yes I remember it all so well.

I guess the rhyming will stay around awhile, I think it’s what I was called to do. To me its just second nature as easy as wearing a shoe. I know a day will come when cherished memories will start to fade. Then each word wrote down on paper will to a darkened mind light the way.

I’ll say that I remember it as long as to the page I hold. Looking down to read each word will stop old age as memories then unfold. Words written down as a young man will help the old man to recall. Read to a crowd for just a thrill or pinned up neatly on a wall.

It matters not to me where they go once I get them on the page. Bound in leather, placed on a shelf or wadded up and thrown away. My pleasure comes after the words are wrote and at the end I sign my name. It’s only then that I know the work is done, No two poems are ever the same.

Life holds so many memories it’s hard for me to pick out just one. That’s why I try to write something down each day so I’ll have something to look back on. So, when will the rhyming stop and the writer in me take flight? When will the sun inside my soul chase away the night? Never That’s Right!

Fred R. Parks

A MOTHER’S LOVE

She holds her baby close to her pulls it gently to her breast. She knows in her heart when her child is sick, tonight there’ll be no rest.

When her baby cries she cries too, the tears roll down her face. She’ll find no more peace ’til her child is well, she’s faithful in her race.

Her love she gives so freely when the trials are at her feet. But when they do come in she’ll stand and fight. Not once will she retreat.

There’s nights that sleep doesn’t come but she’ll rise to face the day. As long as there’s breath in her lungs she’ll never fail to pray.

Please dear Lord hear my cry and save my child from this pain. I would feel so empty without her, Lord send the Latter Rain.

She’ll spend hours on her knees at night while the world is fast asleep. She prays that God will make things right before the troubles get to deep.

She’ll fight the Devil toe to toe, not thinking of her own life. If it means dying so her child might live she’ll gladly pay the price.

There’s nothing like a Mother’s Love no greater thing on earth. It’s to them that we owe our lives, no way to measure their worth.

Never take her love for granted, she’s precious in God’s Eyes. With all her strength she’ll show her love, the greatest sacrifice.

Fred R. Parks

I REMEMBER WHEN

My mind often drifts back in time to the hills I use to roam. The little paths I use to walk so far from my home.

Trees that I could climb on then, now seem so tall. They were only babies then, in my childhood I recall.

The house that I grew up in is still standing day to day. Although it seems so empty now since God called Dad away.

I still hear his voice sometimes and recall the things that he would do. How we miss his presence and his strength to see us through.

Growing up with mom and dad and a family so dear to me. As I look back now I’m thankful at how lucky someone could be.

Life wasn’t always easy but it was always good. If God would allow I’d go back again for one more day if I could.

The smell of clothes hanging on the line and supper on the stove. The love we shared in that house where I watched my childhood go.

I think back now to stories that mom would often tell. She made me think I was somewhere else with all the sights and smells.

Those days will never be forgotten in my mind I still recall. How good we had it growing up, we thought we had it all.

So always keep your memories locked up tightly in your heart. And the memories from your childhood never will depart.

Fred R. Parks

MY GIRL

I told her she was pretty, she smiled and bowed her head. I told her that I loved her and watched her face turn red. You’re so shy, I told her What’s a boy to do? But little did I know she would make my dreams come true.

As time went by she wasn’t so shy and started opening up to me. Then one night while all was quiet she whispered, baby makes three. A happy boy, with thoughts of joy as thoughts of a baby ran through my mind. So much to do, Lord help us through! Then her face began to shine.

It didn’t seem like no time at all our little girl was born. She came from a prayer with Cole Black Hair, Then they laid her in my arms. I thought I would faint when I looked into her eyes she was perfect from head to toe. Just like your mother, I thought to myself you even have her glow.

We brought her home and watched her sleep worries running through our minds. But it didn’t