Dancing on the Rings of Saturn: A Poet's Inspiration of Love, Friendship and Praise

By James Clarke

Living with Jesus each day is a joyous occasion. As He has given me the gift of writing, His greatest gift is the gift of eternal life. I proclaim each morning, "This is a day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it. Go forth each day with a smile on your face and thankfulness in your heart for God's good grace." I am so blessed as the impetus for writing was the passing of the love of my life, Maurine. I wrote my first poem at the age of eighty. Many of my poems were inspired by those thoughts that entered my mind, or by a word or phrase spoken by another person. I also believe that I have been guided by the Holy Spirit. During one of my sermons entitled "Awesome Wonder," I discussed infinity and eternity to the congregation. This led me to write a poem on both, which are included in this book. In the poem on eternity, I wanted to express this joyous occasion with a grand finish. The last two lines are, "Joyfully we explore the mysteries of the universe, and dance on the rings of Saturn."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 5, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098008420

James Clarke

JAMES CLARKE is a freelance writer and lecturer. His books include The Virgin Film Guide: War Films and Movie Movements: Films that Changed the World of Cinema and he has contributed to The Rough Guide to Film. He has worked extensively in community film-making and film education and several of his short film projects have played at national and international film festivals. He writes regularly for the magazines 3DArtist and SciFi Now. His writing has also been published by Resurgence and Country Walking magazines. James has taught at a number of universities, including the Universities of Gloucestershire and Warwick. James is currently co-writing a feature-film screenplay.

Book preview

Table of Contents

Introduction

I

Maurine

Because of You

I Never Said Goodbye

Unconditional

Silence

As Time Goes By

Friendship

II

Jeanne

There Are No Wheelchairs in Heaven

My Friend John

My Friend Gene

Big Sister

Don Garafalo’s Cucina

Lonely No More

When I Count My Blessings

This Heart of Mine

I Only Have Eyes for You

One Day in Space and Time

Written in the Book of Life

The Kiss

To Find Love Again

A Mutual Attraction

The Dream

Confirmation

Earth Angel

Pastor Tim

Elizabeth

Homeless

Change of Command

Tim and Ruth

Timothy on Deck

Keyboard Artistry

Pipe Organ Magic

Are You Ready?

I Can Dream, Can’t I?

III

Serenity

A Sailor’s Lament

The Sea Is a Lonely Mistress

The Wreck of the Jimmy C

The Wind

Passing the Torch of Liberty

IV

Sun, Moon, and Stars

Night and Day

The Birth of the Sun

Infinity

Eternity

The Sands of Time

Chaos

V

Compassion

Solitude

Love

Serendipity

Mirth

Happiness

Humility

Generosity

The Self

Tranquility

Wisdom

Turbulence

VI

Easter Sunday

Thanksgiving

Christmas

The Fourth of July

Veterans Day

VII

The Long Journey Home

Out of Darkness

Chains

Satan’s Grip

Tears of Sorrow, Tears of Joy

Reflections

VIII

The Apple Tree

Golf Day

The iPhone

Wine

Stick

Bingo!

IX

I AM, Saith the Lord

Death’s Sting

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Song of the Psalmist

Knights of God

The Exhortation of James

The Coming

Hot Rods

X

Mysterious Mojave

Death Valley

Wings

Home

The Language of Love

Can’t Get Enough

Old Age

Rain

An Incurable Optimist

Echoes

Sea of Tranquility

Please?

The Potter’s Wheel

Concentrate

The Mind

Slaying Dragons

In Search of the Holy Grail

Grateful to God

White Rose

Angel in the Snow

To Enter God’s House

The Carpenter from Nazareth

A New Beginning

Falling Leaves

The Mystery of Life

The Prisoner

XI

Amazing Grace

Talk to Me

Mere Words

Hallelujah!

Statement of Faith

A Child of God

The Soul

And the Angels Sing

Majesty

Blessings

Rejoice!

Father, Forgive Them

Forsaken

The Seed

It Is Finished!

In the Shadow of the Cross

A Candle to Light the Way

The Elixir of Life

The Stonemason

Obsession

Paradise

Golgotha

Shadows

War

XII

The Man in the Moon

The Poppy

My Little Mermaid

Beauty and the Beast

A Smile, a Hug, and a Kiss

Fireworks

A Breath of Fresh Air

People Will Talk

I Call Her Sweetie

Captain Sweetie

The Orchid

Games People Play

Lonely Hearts Club

Fragile

Medieval Times

Can Do!

The Fool

Life Force

Fear

The Wall

The Apple

Red, Red Rose

To Frolic

The Cycle of Life

Heart of Love

Safe Harbor

Daisies

My Prayer

Help Wanted

A Friend of Mine

Time

XIII

The Organizer

My Neighbor

Poet on the Loose

cover.jpg

Dancing on the Rings of Saturn

A Poet’s Inspiration of Love, Friendship and Praise

James Clarke

ISBN 978-1-0980-0841-3 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-0980-0842-0 (digital)

Copyright © 2019 by James Clarke

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

Printed in the United States of America

Introduction

This book is a collection of rhythmic literary works or prose often referred to as poems. I find it interesting that so many people who write poems consider themselves as poets. This, of course, puts them, and me alongside William Shakespeare, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, and a host of other famous poets of all time. I would ordinarily find this a little troubling, except for the fact that all poets had to start somewhere. So maybe I am a fledgling poet in training. I also firmly believe that God gave me this gift, and to Him goes all my praise and thanks.

The works in this book fall into several categories;

Maurine, my departed significant other

Close friends where I live and in the church

Ships, boats, the sea, and patriotism

The universe

Human feelings and emotions

Holidays

My personal walk

Humor

Bible translations

Miscellaneous poems as the Spirit moved me, of which there are many

In praise of God

Poems that did not make the cut but may have something that may appeal to certain individuals (of which there are many)

Flattery

At the end of a lunch at a Chinese restaurant, I opened a fortune cookie to find the following: You will touch the hearts of many. Could God have been communicating with me?

Many people have since told me how certain of these works have touched them, or how they can personally relate. I am so gratified that this work has been received with the kindest of words and messages. I hope you enjoy my musings too.

I thought this quote to be quite appropriate:

If you can’t be a poet, be the poem. (David Carradine)

Authors note: Many poems are continued on a subsequent page or pages. Five stars (*****) indicate the end of a poem.

How and Why It All Began

To say that my life changed that unforgettable Friday morning in January would be putting it mildly. As I watched the love of my life take her last breath and depart this earthly life for God’s eternity, a full gamut of emotions wracked my being. I knew my life was going to change but had no idea that God was planning my future for me. I had just turned eighty and had been retired for about fifteen years. I had also just lost my younger sister two and a half months earlier. It felt as though the world was crashing down around me. And so, it is to Barbara and Maurine’s memory that I dedicate this work.

I had met the Lord in a Southern Baptist Church in Henderson, Nevada, in 1953 and was baptized in Lake Mead, behind Boulder Dam. Four years later, in 1957, I was attending a Presbyterian church in Bel Air, north of Los Angeles, when I received a draft notice from Uncle Sam to come join the army. I had been a member of the navy reserve since 1953 and immediately put in for active duty. I was soon shipped to Okinawa to serve out my two-year term. I was away from my church, away from my pastor, away from all my friends, essentially away from my comfort zone. And it was just too easy for me to get away from God. And it was fifty-eight years later on that Friday morning in January that I realized that I had to get back to the church and back to God. Like the proverbial prodigal son, I came back seeking His forgiveness.

When God has a plan for your life, you may not realize the things that happen to you until much later. First, I knew that I could not live in the house we shared for sixteen years. God directed me (although I wasn’t aware) back to Costa Mesa, California, in Orange County, where I had lived and taught at a community college for twenty-eight years. He even directed me to a nearby church where I met so many wonderful new friends. He directed me to an apartment complex for persons fifty-five years and older where I have met so many wonderful new friends also. These were all blessings that I did not realize at that time—all a part of His plan for my life.

I soon came to realize that so many new and glorious things were taking place. First, I was able to finish writing a book on my military career. And then in November of 2015, at the age of eighty-one, I wrote my first poem. Prior to that time, I had penned a three-line haiku that was published in a Japanese garden newsletter. Next, I was asked to become active in the church by giving testimonials, ushering, and eventually becoming an elder. Recently, I was asked to deliver a sermon to our congregation. I have since delivered a third and am readying a fourth. To say that my life has changed since that Friday morning in January is an understatement.

I

That Friday in January was the absolute lowest point in my life. I began to regret the words left unspoken. There was so much I wanted to say to Maurine, but it was too late. I have to feel that she knew how much I loved her. All my thoughts were pent up inside me. I had to find a way to get them out. When God gave