Autumn’s Back Porch: Reflections of a Life

By Mike Hall

This book is a collection of poems dealing with the author's own personal reflections about life. They are works of encouragement, faith, and social consciousness meant to uplift the reader in their daily walk through their own individual journey. They were written as a message of hope for the trying times in which we currently find ourselves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Resource Publications
• Release date: Mar 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9781725293670

Mike Hall

Major Mike Hall joined the Coldstream Guards as a boy drummer in 1960 at the age of fifteen years. After years of ceremonial duties and active service in the United Kingdom and overseas, he became the Senior Drum Major of the Regiment. Passionate about military music, Mike has written training manuals for the Army, co-authored the Drummers' Handbook, composed many musical scores culminating in the production of two CDs of Flute and Drum arrangements. With his wealth of knowledge and experience, Mike has been requested to give a series of lectures for student band masters at Kneller Hall on the subject of writing and arranging for Corps of Drums. In retirement, Mike continues to maintain strong links with The Corps of Drums Society in the role of Training Development Officer.

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Autumn’s Back Porch

Reflections of a Life

Mike Hall

Autumn’s Back Porch

Reflections of a Life

Copyright ©

2021

Mike Hall. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipf and Stock Publishers,

199

W.

8

th Ave., Suite

3

, Eugene, OR

97401

.

Resource Publications

An Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers

199

W.

8

th Ave., Suite

3

Eugene, OR

97401

www.wipfandstock.com

paperback isbn: 978-1-7252-9366-3

hardcover isbn: 978-1-7252-9365-6

ebook isbn: 978-1-7252-9367-0

03/20/20

Table of Contents

Autumn’s Back Porch

Introduction

Poems of Personal Reflection

Autumn’s Back Porch

Love of My Life

Anniversary

Reliving the Spring

Love’s Fire

The Keys to My Heart

No Regrets

Thinking of My Dad

Thinking of My Mom

In His Shadow

Why Do You Teach?

Holland

Hildi Joy

Holland’s Best Friend

Hildi’s Day at the Beach

Holland’s Backyard

The Tree

The Man of God

Skip

In the Cool of the Evening

Running

My Odyssey

Patience

The Mountain Stream

The Mountain Lake

The Race

Our Senses

Bluebonnets in the Spring

Honey

Pop’s Big Surprise

Cycles of the Seasons

Poems of Encouragement

Keep Trying

Do Your Best

Life Moving Forward

The River

Experiences

I Wish

Lessons From the Classroom

Courage

Dreams

Ripples

Why Not Me?

To Chase Perfection

Meet the Teacher

Be a Hero

Change

A Christmas Story

The Lighthouse

Life Is a Marathon

The Whole as One

Fill the Breach

Dare

Start of School 2020

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

Hopes and Dreams

Missed Opportunities

A Gentle Nudge

A Job Well Done

Poems of Faith

God is Waiting

The Tug-of-War for Man’s Soul

Miracles

Faith, Hope, and Love

In a Quiet Moment

Psalm 23

The Voice

Never Enough

A Selfish Man

Who is Jesus?

Be Strong and Courageous

Please Lead Us

God’s Little Witness

Run to the Father

A Comparison

You Are

The Ultimate Sacrifice

My Anchor

My Song

Through God’s Eyes

In Jesus’ Footsteps

How Long?

At the Foot of the Cross

Poems of Social Consciousness

Primary Colors

Life According to Mark Twain

Pandemic Hell

Can We?

Through the Eyes of a Child

Fatherhood

When a House Becomes a Home

My Brush With Death

Never Too Late

The Grandfather Clock

My Right to Defend

Old Glory

Words

Foolishness

#ImFedUp

Golden Rule of Cynics

Wisdom

Life Without Football?

Anger

The Way Things Are

Acceptable Number

Be Ever Vigilant

The little Man

One More Day

The Great Imitators

Echoes in the Halls

Apprehension 101

We Need to Laugh

Masks

The Master Mason

A Flatlander’s Tale

A Flatlander’s Tale

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Post Hike

Acknowledgments

About the Author

for Cynthia

Life has been good to us.

I love you.

Introduction

I began writing the words in this book in May of 2020 as a way to pass the time while we were sheltered in place. As I began to write more and more, the project turned into more than a way to pass the time but an outlet for my thoughts and beliefs, a way to share with others what was on my heart.

I have been a teacher for more than forty years and a husband and father for almost that long. I am truly in the end of my autumn years, hence the title. My words are an honest reflection on my views about family, work, society, life, and faith. I wanted to write in such a way that my meaning would be clear and not leave the reader scratching their head wondering about what message I was trying to convey. I wanted to mix in humor to let the reader know that life does not have to be some type of ultra-serious march through time; laughter and some element of fun needs to be a part of the journey that any person takes through the span of one’s life. It is my hope that these words will cause the reader to pause and reflect on their own journey through this life we have been given and find inspiration and encouragement in the words penned on these pages.

It is not my desire to come off as some authority that has all the answers to the questions of life. I am simply a man who is trying to offer some incites as a way to help the reader find answers of their own which will help give some level of meaning and comfort in their own individual walk.

Mike Hall

Poems of Personal Reflection

Autumn’s Back Porch

Sitting and rocking on Autumn’s back porch,

A cool wind blowing through my hair,

My eyes taking in the foliage of brown, gold, and red,

Watching the leaves falling in the backyard of my life,

I am at peace while I sit here and rock,

Recognizing God’s wonders in all that I see.

My mind drifts as if floating on the wind,

Following a thread backward through memories of long ago,

Memories, plucking at the harp strings of my heart,

Built from a lifetime that I’ve shared.

Picking through these photographs of my mind,

I choose to reflect on those which bring joy to my soul,

Remembering my beautiful bride,

Given by her father on a warm June night,

In a ceremony filled with love and joy,

Marking the beginning of a cherished walk together,

Raising our children of which there were three,

Watching them through their toddling years,

Listening to the pure joy of their laughter,

Marching off to their first days of school,

Navigating their way through awkward middle school years,

Ending high school with their own graduation,

Taking them off to college, so their degrees they could earn,

Meeting their future spouses during their time spent there,

Seeing the love in their eyes as they all were married.

Starting their own lives together is as it should be,

Growing in their love as they walk through life with their chosen other,

Chasing their dreams and building their own shared memories.

God has blessed me with a wonderful life,

No time will I waste wishing for do-overs,

Applying the lessons learned along the way,

While eagerly chasing my new dreams to fulfill;

Reaching beside me for the hand of my wife,

Excitedly awaiting the days we have left to share,

Building more memories through the winter of life

Taking more photographs in my mind to file away,

Asking for God’s continued blessings,

While sitting and rocking on Autumn’s back porch.

Love of My Life

I remember the day I looked into your eyes;

My heart was completely captured right away;

Your smile made my soul come to life,

Like grabbing the brass ring or winning a prize;

I knew your feelings I had to sway

And convince you to become my wife.

Our love began to grow and grow,

And we knew it was meant to last;

On a day in December, you changed my life;

My joy, I could not help but show,

When you said, Yes, after I asked

And agreed to become my wife.

We have had more ups than downs

As we have journeyed together,

But our commitment remains for life;

As we continue to make our rounds,

I know any storms we can weather,

As long as we remain husband and wife.

Anniversary

On a June night many years ago,

In a ceremony full of joy and love,

I committed my life to you, as you did to me,

In a church full of family, friends, and God above.

As we looked into each other’s eyes,

We pledged to love, honor, and cherish each other,

Keeping God firmly in the center,

While remaining faithful and true to one another.

The life we started that night has been blessed

With three children and events too numerous to count;

As time passes, memories sometime will fade,

But my love for you continues like an ever-flowing fount.

Through all our trials and tribulations,

Walking arm and arm along life’s avenue,

Fortified by a love that will never waver,

I’m still thankful that my life is entwined with you.

Note: I wrote this for my thirty-eighth anniversary.

Reliving the Spring

We are born filled with hopes and dreams

Even though we communicate with nothing but screams

The spring of our youth is carefree and light

As we play along basking in God’s delight

Marriage marks the summer of life

Full of promise and love to share with your wife

Child one, then two, then three come along

Each one singing their own special song

Children grow up much to our regret

Our life is now filled with an abundance of fret

Summer is now for theirs to begin

The laughter of their children causes me to grin

Grandchildren are one of life’s great treasures

Helping me relive my spring with all its pleasures

Love’s Fire

The fire of passion burns bright in our youth,

Raging and leaping ne’er out of control;

The will to harness should be our desire,

Or the fire of lust will all consume.

When attraction fans the flames of the pyre,

Let friendship first be our primary goal,

Then steady the fire will burn for our warmth,

Allowing each to cozy up in its glow.

The fire of love must be cared for this way;

It needs the chance to burn all the night through,

Nurtured with patience through the course of time,

Ever watchful against its burning out.

The fire burns brightest when cared for by two;

Guard against the distractions of living;

Complacency and neglect are subtle;

Both work unceasingly to steal the flame.

A partnership works best to share the load,

Equal in nature both working together,

Sacrificing, giving, eyes on the fire,

Never resting to let the flame burn low.

It’s ne’er too late to rekindle the fire

If the flame dies down to glowing embers;

With the soft breath of hope blowing again,

There is still time to recover the flame.

And as we grow to old age, hand in hand,

As time marks us with wrinkles in our skin,

Let humankind see we still care for the fire,

We still keep the fire of love burning bright.

The Keys to My Heart

Long ago in the days of my youth,

I gave away the first key to my heart.

I fell deeply in love, that is the truth,

And promised faithfully never to part.

Our love continued to blossom and grow;

As a result, our first child came along,

A daughter was born on which my love to bestow;

My heart cried out with a joyful song.

She had eyes of blue and hair the color of gold;

She was born to be a runner right from the start;

I thought I would read Are You My Mother until I was old;

To my firstborn girl, I gave the second key to my heart.

My wife and I realized we had more love to share,

So an additional member of our family was born;

A baby boy gave us more for which to care;

A loud blast sounded from my heart’s trumpet horn.

His eyes were also blue and hair the color of the sun;

I thought he and his sister were exceptionally smart;

Building with LEGOS proved to be loads of fun;

My son now owned the third key to my heart.

And low and behold, another daughter blessed our life,

With a dark head of hair and her mother’s brown eyes;

With surprise on my face, I looked to my wife;

Again, God had blessed us