A Few More Words

By Raymond D. Christensen

Ive seen the rainbows of love

and Ive touched the pot of gold.

Ive felt the rapture of the glory

of mending broken souls.

And I cant tell you, because my tongue

wont curl the words, except to say,

I love you in a very special way.

Raymond Christensen

Raymond Christensen offers a fresh voice in the world of poetry. In his first collection of verse, Christensen meditates upon the passage of time, the impact of love, and the wealth of beauty in nature while encouraging reflection and appreciation for the universe we all share.

Christensen, who has been writing poetry for forty years, shares lyrical expressions that cover a wide range of topics that include worry, lessons learned, faith and prayer, love, choices and consequences, dreams, and life and death. Through it all, Christensen reiterates that each day provides an opportunity to hope, try, and most importantly, love each other.

A Few More Words offers a glimpse into one mans unique journey through life as he poetically reflects on all he has learned and the world around him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LifeRich Publishing
• Release date: Mar 21, 2017
• ISBN: 9781489711496

Raymond D. Christensen

Raymond D. Christensen began writing poetry while a student at Bingham High School. Throughout his life and career as a machinist, he saved his writings in notebooks and shoeboxes. At age fifty-nine, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Design Engineering Technology at Weber State University. Raymond currently resides with his wife of thirty-plus years in Clearfield, Utah. A Few More Words is his first collection of poems.

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Copyright © 2017 Raymond D. Christensen.

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 author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

LifeRich Publishing is a registered trademark of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

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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.

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ISBN: 978-1-4897-1150-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-1151-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-1149-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017903019

LifeRich Publishing rev. date: 03/15/2017

Contents

Don’t Worry

Repercussion

Restful

Charity

Sunlight

Been Seen

Night Shift

Better Things

Hesitation Blues

Look What’s Done

Stepping Stones

Life’s Time

Ugly Duckling

All Told

Once Upon My Cloud

Waterfall and Waterwheel

Mature

New Move

Special Things

Honeydew

Amaranth

The Warrior’s Shield

Do Right

Choices

The Windlass

Time Card Player

Terra Firma

Younger Brother

Original Wrapper

Perfect Motion

Bumped

Thinking of You

Muskrat

Life and Death

Readings

We Share Beautiful Feelings

Pilgrims

Equiangular Approach

Days and Nights

Just for Justin

It’s Real

Take a Look

Jesus Taught Us of the Truth

Easy as One, Two, Three

Seven Wonders

Gardens Like Eden

The Concordance

Misconstrued

What Else

Some Old Feelings

Images

Spoken in Silence

Headway

Dance!

Full View

Ode

Bottom Line

A Few Words

Krazed

Success

Samba

Responsibilities

Moving Too Quick

Puzzle Pieces

Flourishing

The World of Love

Similes

Impressed

Key of the Past

Things I Don’t

Big Issues

To Be Found

Dreams

Wings of an Angel

When I Think

Workdays

Hell-Bent

Early

Repose in Prose

The Will and the Desire

Beat of Life

Cried It Out

Placebos and Loose Cannons

Alternative

Back Again

Dancing Doll

Contents

Innovators

It’s Up to You and Me

Working for America

Still Going and Growing

From: Santa

Free Verse

Encores

High Ideal

The Job

The Very Last Time

Man-made

Deity

Horses

Alternating Current

Jamie

Operetta

Wonder Why?

Disciplines

Benefits at Work

Genre

Driving Influence

Special Things Still

Debt Management

Sift

Sideshow

Hither and Yon

Psalm

Lovin’ You

Tickle Me Pink

Loved

Love Machine

Let Alone

Writing

Loose Buffalo

Echoic

I’m Glad I’m Not a Teenager

Hey, Doll

Needing to Be Friends

Both Ways

For the Future

Tin Ear

Too Little

Depict: The Picture

RJ

Tyler

Eternal Us

Opened Heart

One Ton

Daniel

Somebody’s Afternoon

With Love

Love, Sweet Love

Spoon

Rock and Roll Blues

The Song

Foresters

Living Out Loud

SLC Sunrise

Money’s Worth

Kudos

Pocket Watch

Peace?

Lighthouse

Alpha to Omega

Yesterday, Today, and a Good Pal of Mine

Moments

City Life

Odious

A Little Bit of Heaven

Colorful Language

Template

Blanket of the Sky

Mum

Companionship

Niche

Arcade

First Loss

Trees

Paper Highway

Going and Growing

Gopher Mine

It’s Okay to Dream

Nothing Less

Strata-Gem

Lay Back

Changes

More Than the Regular

Empty Moorings

In Praise

Damsel

Barns and Men

Strong Suit

Salt Lake Song

Clue

Mosaics

Sometimes

Platitude

Beeline

Listen

Times of Our Lives

Dora

Axiom

Original Rhyme

Father

Troubles

Blue Blood

Life and Death and Love

Electric Storm

Learning It All

A Rainbow in the Night

Foil

Chandeliers

Trumped

Attitudes

Simple Thought

Spider’s Web

Onset

Those Days

Dance with the Gringo

Eight Greats

Torments

I Love You

Like Love

Not Entirely Perfect

Sentimental

Memories in Levis

Castles

Starlight

Respect of Persons

Constance

Pirates They Be

Day and Night

Nationals

Edges

The Sorrow and the Laughter

Brevity

Gray Wolf

Journal

Consistency

Old

Instructions

Laughter

I hope you enjoy reading this selection. It is part of what I have written in the last forty years. The work is intended to be personal and entertaining. The poems are my response to the lively world in which we live.

The inclusion of the comic Remark is a little coincidental. Our oldest son often inspired the content and says he is sure I don’t know what some of those segments are about.

Raymond

Don’t Worry

You don’t need to worry.

Don’t worry about anything.

Everything will be okay,

so don’t worry about anything

that could worry you today.

Just don’t worry,

don’t worry about anything.

Let it all slip away.

We just don’t know

where every single piece

is supposed to fit.

So you see,

all sorts of things

can get in the way of it.

When you receive something special,

there is something special to it,

so don’t worry.

Don’t worry about a thing.

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Repercussion

Thunder rolling cloud to cloud,

so very powerful somehow.

So grand and prominent, it seems

to send the underworld scurrying.

In fact, the danger’s past;

the sky’s relaxed, or so it seems …

But other thunder’s harrowing.

Something familiar fills the air,

sweeping sunshine, dust, and briar.

Sweeping trail and bubbling stream

to send the sagebrush tumbling.

In fact, the world is intact, or so it seems …

But other thunder’s harrowing.

Raging foul winds stir the storm,

prepared to run till heaven’s scorned.

Prepared to scour hill and dale

to send the apparitions home to wail.

In fact, the show begins, or so it seems …

But other thunder’s harrowing.

Calculate the storm’s restraint

as molded steel and fresh new paint.

As one new wave will barely pass

to present tempests under glass.

In fact, the thunder rests, or so it seems …

But other thunder’s harrowing.

Restful

Waves undulated via dreams

never saturated, cherished sleep,

Until rest broke sizzling drifters down.

So your slumbering grasp was unsheathed.

Charity

I would that I would serve the Lord

with all my heart and soul,

in truth as do the angels in heaven,

and more that I don’t know.

I would that I would serve the Lord

from midday to midday,

sending away my tendencies

that make me serve halfway.

I would that I would serve the Lord

upon His straight and narrow.

He asks the best love we can share

so the world knows we care—oh!

I would that I would serve the Lord

with pure, honest, and righteous intent,

Within the flock of my soul’s shepherd,

where the lives of saints are spent.

When I worship and I praise the Lord

with true faith of my heart,

then I see when looking up,

our Lord serves the greater part.

Sunlight

Glittering quickly for the moon

with a peering diamond face.

The movement sparkles laughter through,

stopping darkness in a daze.

Been Seen

I’ve seen in my lifetime

generations quick and fair.

Some who forsook happiness

for something less to share.

Some who forsook loneliness

for something great to bear.

I’ve seen no magic substitutes

that can guarantee rewards.

Sometimes risking everything

for substance unassured.

Some pomp with circumstance,

with providence ignored.

I’ve seen ways that never open,

rules that never fail.

Some with persons caught between,

following their own trail.

Others who pull off easily

from atop some iron rail.

I’ve seen tales of comprehension

surround the leading news.

With animates escaping quietly;

unseen, unheard, and unendued.

Some with points mostly accurate

in primary points of view.

Night Shift

Like the passing of slaves

and dancing in heat waves,

not near enough.

Here to know it, never touch,

just like my heart.

Though I’d gather every moment

to save each one inside

a private cocoon,

I’m just quick enough to realize

one grows into something special soon.

Like wishing upon a satellite,

then finding it is the brightest star in the night.

For just a moment, a change of tune.

With the smell like sand dunes.

With the smell like sand dunes.

Step by step, each step slipping to relent.

Cool slips of night still lighten my refrain

until I feel the same.

One sweet note adrift, a small boat

senses sand bar dreams

and a trillion other things.

And a trillion other things.

For reprieve, I reflect on memories.

For more reprieve, I reflect on memories.

Each one special in its right …

This one special for tonight.

Better Things

Who could’ve know ten years ago,

outstanding in their field,

that houses would be standing

where the furrows had been tilled?

And could they beg to differ

in hopes of being heard

above, or with the rising mobs

who hang on every word?

Would no one say, I told you so,

and keep the outer wings

of soap boxes and stages

as we work for better things?

Could the best be known ten years ago

about prevailing costs

for hospital and traveling fares,

and groceries to be bought?

Then could it be accepted

for all the common