Thoughts from the Mountain, Words from the Heart

By D.P. Parsons

Thoughts from the Mountain, Words from the Heart is a book of poems, mostly Christian, inspired by God and the author’s family, friends, and life. These poems are meant to inspire and uplift people as they go along life’s journey. Life can be trying sometimes, so if these poems touch one person’s soul, then it’s worth it all, for God doesn’t place a dream in your heart and not let it happen.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662467691

Book preview

Poem 1

That Old Rugged Cross

That old rugged cross has turned a crimson red

All from the blood that my dear Savior shed.

My sins held His hands and His feet that day,

But the love He held carried my sins all the way.

Quite often I drift back there, as I kneel down to pray,

And I can see those battle scars on His hands today.

For He carried all my sins up Golgotha’s hill,

And He held them there till His last breath, lay so still.

Now they say there’s no greater love than to give your life for another,

And I was just a sinner whom He counted as a brother.

So when I look back at that old dogwood tree,

I know the pain He bore, He bore it all for me.

And one day in heaven, his face I shall see

And thank Him once more, for all He’s done for me.

(D. P. Parsons, September 2, 2020)

Poem 2

In the Sweet by and By

There’s a better day a-coming in the sweet by and by

For God shall wipe away every tear from my eyes!

There’ll be no need to worry, no reason to cry.

For a better day is coming in the sweet by and by.

Outside the rain is falling from God’s own sky

As it mixed with the tears that’s falling from my eyes.

And I know I shouldn’t question, or even ask why.

Thy will be done, O Lord, if it’s Thy will that I should cry.

For there’s a better day a-coming, in the sweet by and by!

(D. P. Parsons, September 26, 2008, for my mother)

Poem 3

A Mother’s Love

You stood by me when the nights were long.

You corrected my thoughts if they were wrong.

You watched my footsteps from day to day,

As you pointed my soul in the right way.

You laughed when I laughed and cried when I cried,

And nothing from you could I ever hide.

But most of all, you stood by my side,

With a mother’s love and a mother’s pride.

Now you’re lying here, so quiet and still,

But you know I love you, and I always will!

(D. P. Parsons, October 8, 2008; to our mother, Mable Parsons)

Poem 4

God’s Precious Child

The wages of sin lay heavy on my mind,

As I look into the eyes of a good friend of mine.

But oh, death! You can’t keep him, and this I know!

For up in heaven, death can’t go!

There’ll be no sickness or pain up there!

For only God’s love shall enter there.

It hurts so bad to let him go.

But he’ll live again, and this I know.

So close your eyes and rest awhile,

And hurt no more, God’s precious child.

(D. P. Parsons, October 19, 2008; to Rob Bare)

Poem 5

A Friend

Every moment that we live here on earth, it’s special, and not one second should we waste.

For it’s all given by the Master and guided by His amazing grace.

Every step we take is another step in time,

Though the footprints linger on in the back of our mind.

And when we take our last step, we’ll come to the end,

And all those standing there should be counted as a friend.

(D. P. Parsons, October 5, 2008)

Poem 6

Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus

Happy birthday, dear Jesus; happy birthday, I say!

Had it not been for You, Lord, I’d still be lost today.

In a manger, in a stable, in the town of Bethlehem

Was born to us a Savior, from the Great I Am.

Now I know I wasn’t there in the stable that day.

Yet for my sins, You lay there asleep in the hay.

Happy birthday, dear Jesus; happy birthday, I say!

Had it not been for You, Lord, I’d still be lost today.

Through a virgin named Mary,

God’s love would light the way.

And that light shines so bright from heaven today.

Now I know I wasn’t there when they nailed You to that tree.

Yet You stayed there and gave Your life for me.

Happy birthday, dear Jesus; happy birthday, I say!

Had it not been for You, Lord, I’d still be lost today.

Now I know I wasn’t there when the stone was rolled away.

Yet You shine so bright from heaven today.

Happy birthday, dear Jesus; happy birthday, I say!

Had it not been for You, Lord, I’d still be lost today.

(D. P. Parsons—started 1993, finished 2001)

Poem 7

Please Don’t Make Me Cry

She said, "Kiss me, my darling, but please don’t make me cry!

For you know I’m no good when it comes to goodbyes."

Now there was a little girl who lived next door to me,

And we fell in love, though we both were only three.

She was my buddy, and I was her pal,

And I knew that day, she’d be my only gal.

The years slipped on by, and my family moved away.

But I’ll never forget what she told me that day.

She said, "Kiss me, my darling, but please don’t make me cry!

For you know I’m no good when it comes to goodbyes."

Now we kept in touch, as I grew into a man,

And by the day I turned eighteen, I asked for her hand.

Then Uncle Sam, he called me, and I had to go away.

But as my wife stood there crying, these words I heard her say:

She said, "Kiss me, my darling, but please don’t make me cry.

You know I’m no good when it comes to goodbyes!"

Now the years flew on by, and our hair has turned gray,

And the children are crying. Momma’s dying, they say!

And as I sit here beside her, my tears are streaming down,

As I whisper to her softly in a low lonesome sound,

"Kiss me, my darling, but please don’t make me cry,

For you know I’m no good when it comes to goodbyes.

I know we’ll meet again in heaven on high,

And there we shall live, never more to die.

So kiss me, my darling, but please don’t make me cry!"

(D. P. Parsons, April 24, 2000)

Poem 8

No Tears

There will be no tears when I get home.

There will be no fears, for I never walk alone.

Quite often, I think about them, the ones I left behind!

The girl that I love, Lord, she’s always on my mind.

I’d love to see my mama and my papa too.

I’d tell them once more how much I love you!

Now I found this note inside my buddy’s hand

And as he lay there dying, I tried my best to understand.

There will be no tears when I get home.

There will be no fears, for I never walk alone.

Then my friend closed his eyes, as if he’d went to sleep.

I sat there so troubled, as in his blood I did weep.

There will be no tears when I get home.

There will be no fears, for I never walk alone.

Now it took me awhile, before I could understand,

But I know my Lord was there holding his hand.

And there will be no tears when I get home.

And there will be no fears, for I never walk alone.

(D. P. Parsons, November 30, 2006)

Poem 9

Daddy at His Best

Now I know it was cold that day when they laid me in the ground,

And my children were crying, for their daddy’s not around.

Lord, look at my woman, in that black satin dress!

Even while dying, it seems Daddy’s at his best.

The price of a bottle, that’s what took me away,

And tore down this happy home, where I used to stay.

Now it was cold that day when they laid me in the ground,

And my children were crying, for their daddy’s not around.

Lord, look at my woman, in that black satin dress!

Even while dying, it seems Daddy’s at his best.

Now I listened to the preacher at my funeral that day.

He was talking about the bottle and how it took me away.

Lord, please take me back, if only for a day,

And I’ll take that old bottle and throw it far away.

Now it was cold that day when they laid me in the ground,

And my children were crying, for their daddy’s not around.

Lord, look at my woman in that black satin dress!

Even while dying, it seems Daddy’s at his best.

(D. P. Parsons, February 10, 2000)

Poem 10

Thank You, Lord, for Being There

Thank You, Lord, for being there every second of the day!

And when the darkness falls, it’s Your light that shines my way.

Now there’s a gentle breeze a-blowing, so softly through the trees,

As I find myself praying, down on my knees.

It’s so good to have a friend and a place to call my own,

Knowing in the darkness, I won’t be alone.

Thank You, Lord, for being there every second of the day!

And when the darkness falls, it’s Your light that shines my way.

Now I know one day, I’ll lay this body down.

But I’ll be in the arms of Jesus before it hits the ground.

Thank You, Lord, for being there every second of the day!

And when the darkness falls, it’s Your light that shines my way.

Thank You, Lord, for being there every second of the day.

(D. P. Parsons 1993)

Poem 11

Let Me Be Content

Let me be content with that, that belongs to me,

And not be jealous over other things that I might see.

And if all that’s set before me is a lonely piece of bread,

Let me bow my head and give thanks, like the scripture has said.

And if I have two coats and my brother has none,

Let me give him the best, for he is my Father’s Son.

Let me lay up all my treasures where they won’t decay,

So I can find them again in heaven someday.

For if the best I have given, like my Lord has done for me,

I know one day in heaven, my mansion I shall see.

Let me forgive others, as my Lord has forgiven me.

That all shall be well, between my brother and me.

And if I can do this as I take my journey home,

It’s gonna be a better place long after I’m gone.

(D. P. Parsons, August 7, 2020)

Poem 12

This World We’re Living In

Such bitterness and anger, all rolled up in sin!

What an awful place, this world we’re living in!

I look in the mirror each and every day.

Forgive me, O Lord, for any part I might play.

Everything that I was taught, from my youth on!

Now they’re trying to tell me in my heart that it’s all wrong.

In Thy Holy Bible, every word I know is true,

And all the strength I have, I know it comes from You!

Whether I’m up on a mountain or down under the hill,

Let me hear You whisper, Peace, be still.

Then the waters all around me shall listen and obey,

As they did for Peter back in Your day.

I know You walk with me as I journey on my way.

Give me strength, O Lord, I pray.

It’s such an awful place, this world we’re living in today!

And it seems to be getting worse as I travel on my way,

Headed toward that city in heaven someday.

(D. P. Parsons, August 7, 2020)

Poem 13

Let Thy Winds Blow Softly

If I could only put on paper, how I’m feeling inside.

Lord knows my heart is breaking, and it’s getting so hard to hide.

Let Thy winds blow softly through this heart of mine.

As I gently turn the pages to another place in time,

Lord, take me back to many years ago,

When I could feel Your love wherever I would go.

As I look around me, trouble is all I see.

And as it takes a hold, it’s slowly killing me.

Let Thy winds blow softly through this heart of mine.

As I gently turn the pages to another place in time,

Lord, take me back, if only in my mind.

Back to the year of nineteen hundred and seventy-nine.

I was just a young man, fixing to turn nineteen.

With my whole life before me, though I was still a little green.

Now I can still smell the roses. Lord, they smelled so fine!

As I sat on the back porch of that little place of mine,

The world never looked any better, and the people were so kind,

Back in the year of nineteen hundred and seventy-nine.

I would sit on the riverbank, with an old fishing line.

And as I talked with You, Lord, everything seemed so fine.

Let Thy winds blow softly through this heart of mine.

As I gently turn the pages to another place in time,

Lord, take me back to many years ago,

When I could feel Your love wherever I would go.

(D. P. Parsons, August 6, 2020)

Poem 14

The Road We Traveled

Never once did I think that road we traveled on,

That very same road, would one day, take you home.

For we traveled down that road so many times before!

Driving so fast, as we knocked on heaven’s door.

Just a couple of teenagers, so blind we couldn’t see,

And death was just a word that never meant much to me.

But now that I’m older, looking back, I can see,

God sent his angels, just to watch over you and me.

Now I’ll never forget that day, when I got the call!

I couldn’t speak a word, not a word at all!

Then my teardrops started falling, like the rain outside that day.

For on the other end, another voice said,