Thoughtful Places

By Louis K Broussard

Who, when in a pensive mood, does not revive past events, old friends, and happy times, to bring these into the present lest they be lost into the void of forgetting? Let me breathe the air of my yesterdays, let me trace the paths I can no longer walk, let me be near to the places time has made distant. It is these thoughtful places which I seek

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palmetto Publishing
• Release date: Mar 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9798885903721

Louis K Broussard

Louis Kendall Broussard, Sr, was born in Abbeville, Louisiana, the child of French speaking Acadians. He is an active member in the Acadiana Writers Guild, and also attends an Acadian French Table where French is spoken. He currently lives on a farm in Milton, Louisiana, where gardening is his main interest. Once a year he invites friends and neighbors to participate in the farm's sugarcane grinding and syrup cooking. The cane grinding is done on an 1890 mule-driven Chattanooga Plow Company three-roller grinder. At the cane-grinding event, he incorporates rural arts that he enjoys, such as shucking and shelling corn and turning it into cornmeal, splitting oak into shingles with a fro, and demonstrating shingle roof making. He also dries cow hides, cuts and soaks measured pieces, then makes chair seats the old-time way.Louis has been writing for over twenty years, and has written for a few local news magazines.

Book preview

LOVE

A Home for Thoughts of Love

Love is in the air with the birds and clouds and in the sea with waves and fishes, and in the trees as their leaves rustle with the breezes.

Love comes and goes and wanders through the ethos, perhaps returning or perhaps not.

A friend who thinks of you and from their mind the thoughts wander outward.

Sometimes you too think of someone and from you the thought wanders outward.

Seems as though it knows what path to take, what turn to make, and then it finds you or your friend.

Is it electrical or magnetic, is it spiritual or angelic, or is it either or neither?

It may be a small still voice, maybe yours or it may pass and never come again, a thought not heard.

Let me be still, let me pray, let me know in the purple night or the lighted day that they love me and I love them.

Thoughts move in and out of us into the places that are a home for thoughts of love.

A Valentine's Dream Song

Sleeping but yet I am awake in dreams

A seeming mystery as my night unfolds

In some small way my waking day relies

My slumber in feeble words is now told

As a lovely painting births many words

Though flower petals feel softest from a rose

The song birds singing arousing my heart

Dreaming of Julia offers me a sweet repose

I see her young in the years of supple skin

I feel her gentle smile warming the air

Her happy tears my words can’t justly pen

Seeing the mist glistening in her auburn hair

Recalling Julia's travail giving us two babies

Her motherly devotion deeper than any sea

Her store of patience is a gift she freely gives

Holding closely our babies her love all can see

There beside the cool streams and glades

On this road of our life, we climbed together

Over the hills of sweet Dutch clover

Beside me a blessing now and forever

As the morning breaks, I soon awaken

How sweet were my dreams of my dear wife

The residue of my dreams gently lingers

How splendid she has completed my life

A Valentine poem is like a heart's song

Each and every day offering a new page

Dreams have ways with my old age

Happily, I sing Valentine before life is gone

A Way to Say, I Love You

If all the words ever spoken were put in a book to school

If all the good wishes ever wished were all to become true

If all the sweet tears ever shed were put into one large pool

There would be one more way to say how much I love you

If every song the birds had sung could calm all angry crowds

If every flower's thirst was quenched by the morning's dew

If every cloud with its shade could cool the sweating brows

Then I would search for another way to say, how I love you

If the days were longer and the years would forever last

If time were a figment and my imagination was life's path

If the end was the beginning and the finish was the start

Then all my love for you my dear I may find it in your heart

Happy may your Valentine's Day be

And may your heart be forever free.

Am I Late?

I am late as one who looks for noontime at sunset

Not that I have forgotten but that I never remembered

How is it that in my yesterdays, time was long but now short?

I am late as ‘The Rabbit" but I race as one chasing the wind

I am late to the early morning sunrise at the break of dawn

The sun has risen high in the sky and my shadow is short

I can’t decide, I can’t explain but somehow, I should know

I am late as I look down the track and see a disappearing train

I am not too late to start again for the sun is still shining

I will hurry but with purpose and time I will stretch it long

Much to do about something and no crumbs do I waste

I am not too late to love all the goodness around me

Yes, time to hold a trembling hand and look into longing eyes

And time to feed a helpless soul and speak words to console

Not too late to visit a friend and morn together a loss

Never too late for late is better than never, because never is late.

Baby's Home

Touching hands at the table

Giving thanks for food and more

Sharing love as they are able

True love never keeps the score

In their home a life of leisure

From a world that's gone awry

Hearts are tended by each other

Locked and warm and kept inside

Meals are cooked by Baby's venue

From her stores of pages kept

Delighted in her chosen menu

Planned in dreams as Baby slept

The coffeepot its song is singing

Biscuits baked are thin on tin

Thick honey sweetens every morsel

In the kitchen she reigns again

In the house a Christmas Toyland

Elf and deer of Santa's clan

On display in various dress are

Posing Santas sit and stand

Fir, spruce, and trees in color

Lights that blink and tinsel's sheen

Create a wonder of color grander

A winter land and festive scene

A baby in the hay lined manger

Savior's mother beholds her child

And these two behold the magic

In the scene so meek and mild

If by chance you should go there

To this home of love sublime

You’ll see cookbooks of many pages

But it is love on which they dine

Evening Shades

‘Twas a fairytale in my youth

I plucked that fragrant rose

And placed it in the folds of time

There to love her ever more

My dreams become more than wishes

And my wishes more than wants

And love has come to fill my heart

It filled each and every solitary part

Winds are charged by season's change

Love like seasons knows no bounds

Humble prayers from her selfless heart

Has emblazoned her golden crowns

As with hulls that nurtures its fruit

Then they die and fall aside

Like a setting bird guards her clutch

Until the rainstorm subsides

Time has taken those we loved

And time heals our loss

Though we cling to those we love

All ships have bars to cross

For now, my love I have you near

Shielding the reaper's blade

Eternity reigns in heaven

I fain the evening shade

The rose has lost the morning dew

The sun is nearly done

Our hearts are joined in sweet accord

Wed years have made us one

My valentine cards and cupid darts

With love divine its shaft

I will love you in all your days

Metered in a poet's craft

Father's Light

A spark smoldering turned into a flame

It filled my life giving me a new name

It gave its light in most gentle ways

And spawned the seeds of every day

One seed grew in a wife's dear heart

Filled with love to never part

Another seed was also sown

Into his children as they’re known

His touch of love his steady works

Fed new flames for his life's concert

The burning flame became shining light

For it was to guide the children's flight

When our course took us afar

His shining light was our North Star

Let us clear the fog so our eyes can see

We too are stars in life's endless sea

Some need our light to lead the way

As a compass for their life's highway

We can plant the seeds of His intent

And give our light till we are spent

My father was a lighthouse shinning bright

When in my ship and lost from sight

He stood by me throughout the storms

His beacon kept me from many harms

Now he has passed the torch to me

To help guide the sailors on the sea

And be a father a lighthouse tall

For a guiding light prevents a fall

House for Sale

A stake its sign stands sublime

Announces a house for sale

You may buy the house with its lawn,

But my home is not for sale.

My home you see is where I’ll be

With the ones which I keep

The house a shell we may sell

But my home is with my sheep

Things will change and we’ll rearrange

With each new day we live

A house is not a home may sound strange

But only a home can house the love I give

I Choose Love

When and where love is present the difference is as darkness is to light. For the eyes, love shows the beauty in the ordinary and each part is perfect in its effect. To the touch, love makes fingers as soft as feathers, the skin as warm as a fur coat, and the heart as gentle as a lamb. It comforts those in need, lifts the spirit of the downtrodden, and heals with forgiving tenderness. From the voice of love come words sincere as a savior, as true as a deed, as replenishing as cool water, and as effortless as a whisper. Arms embrace in love that gives reason for living, but even more a reason for caring. Love is the cement of relationships, the seal of a promise, and the consummation of everything that comes before it. If I had to choose from all the riches of the world or a love filled life in mediocrity, without hesitation or reluctant regrets, I choose love.

Julia

Like a flicker becomes a flame

First a soft whisper of your name.

Then rises like a gentle hill

Becomes a mountain, your name still.

A gun shot into a canyon fired

Repeats the sound until it's tired

Like the calm gentle swell at sea

Becomes the surf upon the beach.

In my mind gently you pass within

To fill my heart and give me strength

A presence like a staff so strong,

And keeps this man the whole day long.

As you fill and swirl within this shell

Enter my heart let your presence dwell

Seconds to minutes and hours to days

Now and tomorrow till eternity fades.

Life in the Touch

Life is in the touch by us or to us

A rose in a vase or petals in our hands

A baby in our arms or one in tears

A whimpering puppy or a cuddly kitten

A touch by silence or a thunderstorm

No time goes by without a touch

So, touch me in the morning light

Hold me like it may be our last

Tell me what my heart longs to hear

Touch me with warm and kind thoughts

Keep me from the darkness of lonely

When I die take my touches with you

Keep my smiles, my laughter, and kisses

And touch others, allow others to touch you

Love Lingers

I knew you when the dew was fresh upon your face and your love was waiting to be tasted like cool, clear, spring waters. Soothing to my eye, gentle to my lips, so tender to my touch and in the garden of life you beckoned. I could not, no I dare not pass you by for fear I would never pass this way again. I stopped and plucked your heart carefully but deliberately. Now two shadows and two hearts have become as one. Drawing nectar like the bee, your nectar filled my soul and the sweetness still lingers on my breath. Breathing in and breathing out, time passed like a summer rain. The pages are near the story's end as I fumble with my life's journal. As I opened it, I found a rose placed long ago between the pages of my mind. It is still fresh in my heart but weathered lying on the page. Fragrant to my memory but faint when I bring it to my face. I asked myself, why was I so blessed to have had you to cherish? Providence like a ringing bell, it brought me to the path where you kissed the sun, blessed the bee, and brought to the garden all you are to me.

Love or Romance

Love is like a cake that is baked to perfection

Romance is the ice cream that delights the cake

Love with no romance is happiness with no smile

Romance is the laughter that prospers love

Love with romance or romance for love

If love is a single rose, then romance is a bouquet

Kiss in the morning and the coffee becomes sweeter

Hold hands while walking and neither will fall apart

Talk of your love and the heart will confirm it

Listen to the heart and let feelings well

Death of love occurs when romance takes leave

Love is a flame but with romance it becomes a blaze.

May It Be You

If I should write a verse pray tell

Of some sweet memories’ lingering spell

That resounds like a ringing brass bell

May it be of you

If I should paint with hues of ink

Of love of life and thoughts I think

That life with you was but a blink

May it be with you

If I should sing songs of love

Of young and old and turtle dove

And how we fit like hand in glove

May it always be you

When verse should fail to listening ear

And paint should blur and even smear

And song's last words just bring a tear

May there still be you

Mother

What mother does not celebrate when seeing her infant smile? What mother does not feel inward joy when her little ones lift their hands toward hers? She watches these buds that soon will bloom into the masterpiece she envisions. She is more than aware of the invested hope in her heart and soul for the ones God appointed to her charge. Every dawn begins a mothers’ day as she weaves though their lives with threads of love which bind. Threads of patience, listening, love and care hold this patchwork together. Though the fledglings leave her nest, though the roads wind and turn taking them