Poems, Memories, Short Stories

By Edward Kelley

I have always loved flowers, nature, and poetry. I have added some of that to the book.

I was born in a small town in the mountains of Virginia. Some stories are about that area.

I have a nice family that I love dearly; some stories are about them. Poems about Mom and Dad have been added. I have listed a few stories from the Bible that may be of interest to some readers.

I lost my daughter Becky at the age of forty-two. She was precious to me; it brings tears to my eyes as I think of the day the car accident took her from me. I wrote some poems about her.

I have written stories about many subjects. A lot of good memories of my life are in the book. Perhaps others may have good memories of the life they have lived as they read it.

I enjoy reading my book and hope other readers will find it interesting.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9798885404884

Book preview

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Poems, Memories, Short Stories

Edward Kelley

ISBN 979-8-88540-487-7 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88540-488-4 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Edward Kelley

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

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Our Reunion

Puppy Love

Sparrows Point, Maryland

Sundown Prayer

Tears

My Memory

Life Story

Pray Before Sleeping

Prayer Time

Nursing Home

Passing Away

Broken Chain

Not Alone

Our Humble Abode

My Hometown

The New Christian

The Native Americans

The Last Day

The Holy City (The New Jerusalem) Revelation 21:9–10

Old Covered Bridge (Humpback Bridge)

Unemployed

Twilight

The Torn Curtain

Two Wicked Cities (Sodom and Gomorrah)

Christmas

Beauty (The Deer)

Books

Dolly Ann

The Gym

Wild Strawberries

The Camel

Thankful

My Aunt Dot

Gravestones

God's Plan

Heaven Bound

Flower Garden Thank You for Another Spring

Santa Rosa Island

Redeemed

Ruth A Bible Story

Day's End

Complaining

Coat of Many Colors (A Bible Story)

Disaster

Destroying the Body

Elk Hunting

Empty Pews

Drafted

My Friend, We Are at the Crossroads of Life

Amazing Grace

Mother

Mom, Dad, and Home!

Looking Up

Thanksgiving

The Evangelist

Old Age

Memories of Becky

My Family

Monarch (Butterflies)

Little Stinkers

Living Water

Long Ago

Ungodly

Blue Ridge Parkway

Freddie and Me

Repenting

A Tragedy

A Little Jingle

A Fishing Trip

Abraham

A Waste

Addiction

After School

Almost Home

Angels

Animals and Pets

Back Then

‘Bad Girl'

Backsliding

Baltimore Sets Record for Murders in 2017

Battle of Armageddon Known as the Day of the Lord's Vengeance

My Daily Prayer

I Asked:

Gophers Golf Club

The Visitor

Gravestones

Mother

Puppy Love

Burning Rocks

Unemployed

Armageddon (Battle Of)

The Shenandoah Valley

Ungodly

Mom, Dad, and Home!

A Tragedy

A New Life

New Revised Story of Wagon Train

New Revised Story of My Little Boy

The Rainbow

Noah's Ark

Judas (Bible Story)

Growing Old (2013)

My Hometown

The New Christian

Repenting (2010)

The Red Sea (2012)

Leaving Home

Blindness (2020)

My Family

Old Times

Life Story

Martyrs

Jonah (And Big Fish)

Thankful

Cedar Hills (Cemetery)

Lucifer (Satan, Devil, Evil One)

The Circuit Rider

Nine Words to Salvation

Dusty Roads

An Angel Speaks

Too Late

Conclusion

About the Author

A special thank you to Patricia Brown for all her hard work that made this book possible.

Our Reunion

Iremember the last reunion my father's side of the family put together. The Kelleys was a large family from the early 1800s in the United States and many years in Ireland. It was a happy time for everyone. Many of us knew each other for a long time—lots of short visits, a few long visits.

We gathered at the park in my hometown. Relatives come from many places. I come down from Maryland. Others come from New York and other places.

It was nice to visit with the ones we knew and some we had never met before. Children we once knew were grown and had children of their own.

All that home cooking was an added treat. I think a few pounds was added to the waistline.

We had some sadness as we looked around to notice the loved ones that were missing; death had taken so many of them. With tear-filled eyes, we cherished the memory of those departed loved ones gone. But not forgotten is a term we can use.

So many happy times we had as we grew old together. Death can take the body, but nothing can take away the loving memory of our loved ones.

That happy reunion was about ten years ago. I am well past eighty; soon, I will be a memory. I hope those memories of me will be good ones to the loved ones I leave behind.

Live a godly life, my loved ones. And we can meet again in that heavenly place where we will never grow old. Our new body will live for eternity. No tears or sadness in that place God has prepared for the ones who love Him.

Puppy Love

My friend gave me a puppy one day.

I loved to watch little Daisy play

We would walk down to the bubbling brook

While Daisy played, I would read a book

I would wonder why

She chased the little butterfly.

Sometimes I would go

Somewhere

when I got home, she would be

waiting there

With little puppy barks she

would run to me

with her kisses of love I could

hardly see

Many years we grew up together

Many sunny day is a little

stormy weather

I loved her for so long I could tell

When she got up I knew she

Was not feeling well.

On my pillow she slept that night

I hoped by morning she would

Be all right.

This has been, my saddest day

as I hugged little Daisy

she passed away

Now some time when I read

a book

I think of little Daisy playing

down by the brook

Sparrows Point, Maryland

About 1887, a small steel mill was built here and named Maryland Steel. It was built at a place where the British landed an army in 1814 and shelled Fort McHenry in the War of 1812. This steel mill would later be purchased by Bethlehem Steel Company. A small town was built here, near the mill. Bethlehem Steel would become the second-largest steel mill in the United States. About three generations of workers found jobs here.

The little town of Sparrows Point was a busy place. A shipyard was built here. Some ships were built during both world wars. By 1953, thirty thousand people had jobs here.

Imported steel brought difficult times to the steel industry, and by 1960, less than twenty thousand worked here. Each year, more and more jobs were lost. The company was sold two or three times. Only a small part of the mills was operating by the year 2005.

In 2015, the mills were torn down. Many of those old steelworkers, including myself, have so many food memories of this place we called home for so many years.

The little town of Sparrows Point is also just a memory like many other towns that were bypassed by the interstate road system.

Sundown Prayer

We thank You Heavenly Father for the many

years we have lived.

We thank You for the air we breathe for it is

a part of You.

We thank You for the many blessings You

freely give to us.

We thank You for Your Son who shed His

blood to cover our sins.

Thank You for Your Holy Spirit that gives us

comfort and protection.

We feel that the sun is going down on our

life.

If we live a Godly life, we know You are

waiting

beyond the sunset to take us home.

In Jesus's name we ask all things

Amen.

Tears

Most of us have shed tears in our lifetime. Some were tears of joy, but sadness will bring tears to our eyes also.

When our baby is born, mothers often shed tears of love and happiness. When the baby is older and puts their little arms around Mom's neck and says, Mommy, I love you, more tears of love and thankfulness are shed.

When we leave home to start our life, tears are often shed.

That special time when a loved one gives their life to Christ, tears are often shed for joy as we pray to our Savior.

Sometimes I cry for the good blessings God has given to me, and I thank Him every day for a long and healthy life.

Sadness comes to us all. Pain brings pain and tears. We weep sometimes when we are lonely.