Lumps of Coal and Paradise: Hurts, Humor and Hallelujahs

By Sara E. Rising

Words flow through my mind as water trickles over stones in a stream. Poems come to me, not over time, but in a flash. They must be written down quickly before they vanish forever. These are the ones I was able to capture. Enjoy!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 15, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477111758

Sara E. Rising

I was born in Indiana, and currently live in Texas. I have been widowed 3 times. I have 3 sons, 1 daughter, 2 stepsons, eleven grandchildren, 8 step-grandchildren, 9 ½ great-grandchildren (one on the way), and 1 step great-grandchild.

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Copyright © 2012 by Sara E. Rising.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2012908527

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4771-1174-1

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4771-1173-4

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4771-1175-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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CONTENTS

Prologue

Love

Mary—Friend

Peace

Sassy—A Good Ole Dog

On Beauty

Faith

Commitment

Ode To Bankers

A Loving Heart

Leftovers

A New Dawn

N O T

Dark

Phil

A Prayer

Recollections

A Realization

Dessert

I Been Thinkin"

Self-Pity

Errant Angels

Seventy

A Woman Of Age

Rejoining

Across The Table

Evermore

Rushing

I Forgot

‘Skeeters

I Wasn’t Finished

Not There

Good-Bye Twentieth Century

Poisoned Tongues

His Love

In Love Alone

Life

Inside My Head

Ponder

Jesus Cried

needed: Hugs

More

Always And Ever

Knocking

After Russ

Bill

You’ll Never Know

Bendy’s Hill

Words

Curmudgeon

Victory

The First Man

Two Wishes

For Dee

Skin

Gallant

Rug Rats

He’s Home!

Propriety

I Wonder—

On The Glen

Loneliness Road

No Fancy Box

Me

My Child

Airplane

My Youngest

Don’t Call Me

Mother

The Bed

This Is Christmas!

Two Giants

All The World

9/11… . the attack

Forward And Retreat

My Impression Of Phil

The Desperado

What Now?

Alone-But Not

the hole… .

Grandma’s Watering Can

My Talent—My Gift

the happening… .

The Poetry Book

An Inch At A Time

The Search

He’s There

Nether Regions

The Treasure

As Twilight Comes

The Sleep-Over

His Handiwork

Only On Loan

To Be In Love Again

At My Age

There Is Only One

I’m Here

Thank You-Thrice

The Battleship

Wanda’s Song

Aunt Belle’s Leg

Twilight

Long Roads

The Card Game

Why?

Flashback

Mature Love

The Gift

Bill Strauch

Maxinkuckee Winter

The Pathway

Mindless Amenities

Mistie—My Granddaughter

Christmas Time

My Becky—My Blessing

The Soul Seeks

This Man

Clickety-Clack

My Redhaired Buddy

My Brother

Two Ole Folks

Construction

One Sunday Afternoon

What Will I Do?

Culver, Indiana Living

The Earring

Texas ‘Skeeters

Dawn

Testimony

Woman’s Work

Gentle Love

The Boss’s Birthday

Without Him

Do You Know?

His Mighty Hand

Loss

The Call

To Dee

Demons

Down The Road

If I Barely Close My Eyes

The Light

What Do You See?

What Is Contentment

This I Believe

My Midnight Prayer

Departure

Growing Old

Introspection

Maxinkuckee Summer

One Summer’s Night

That’s All, Folks!

DEDICATION

IN MEMORY OF

my beloved husband,

PHILIP FREDERICK RISING,

who treasured my poetry

and gave me the courage and strength

to go forward.

Thank you, Sweetie,

for the kick-butt attitude you used to inspire me!

I know that if you were here,

you would be my biggest cheering section!

From your Word Smith

Mighty Mouse

Prologue

This book is a compilation of poems started upon the death of

Jerome Mersch, my dear first husband and father of my

four priceless children, through the life and

times of marriage and loss of Russell Callahan, my second

precious husband and the man my grandkids knew

as grandpa, and all the way into,

during, and beyond my third marriage to

Philip Rising,

my dear Humble Phil.

I would have been happy and proud to have

spent my entire life with any one of these

wonderful, loving men. God had other plans.

Love

1976

LOVE is best when it is given

To the one for whom you’re livin’.

Greater than the stars above

Is the joy of giving LOVE.

It’s the fad to sleep with many

But to LOVE just one, if any;

I can’t see how people do it—

Make LOVE and not put LOVE into it!

Call that LOVE? That’s a misnomer.

You can’t LOVE and be a roamer.

I have LOVED. I gave my all.

And I was LOVED. And I walk tall.

Mary—Friend

1977

What is it about a person

That attracts you as a friend?

The very special qualities

On which you can depend.

The knowledge that that person

Will do all for you she can;

Will share with you your sorrows

And lend a helping hand.

Will shine when you are happy,

And feel your great elation;

Will want the very best for you

Without a reservation.

Many personalities

Within a life will spend;

But rich indeed that person who

Has someone she calls FRIEND!

Peace

(2004)

Peace is the sense of well being

Deep within your soul

Peace is a gift which is rendered

From God, who alone makes us whole.

No matter the pain which surrounds us;

No matter the pain from within.

With His peace and His love he abscounds us;

Freeing the Faithful from sin.

Joy is a product of His peace;