ImportantThings

The Leaving Train    by Danny C. Wash                                                     We are always leaving from something. When we’re born we leave our mother. When we are about six we leave for school. When we are grown we leave our parent’s home. I grew up & left my parents to marry my wife. We had children and they left us for their lives. When my mother was old she was the first to leave. When my father was old, part of his mind had left already. He was in a nursing home and I would visit him and we would talk. One day he said, “they were taking up   a load down there on a train to leave the other night, but I  didn’t leave with them.” And then one day he got his ticket to leave on that train. He still struggled with it, but then  finally left on the train that was taking up folks. We don’t  always decide when to leave and be taken up on that train. But, some day we all will get our ticket and ride on the Leaving Train.

No Sleep for Me                                                           by Danny C. Wash It is the darkest part of the night when the worrisome thoughts appear and in my bed try, try as I might the fears, they will not disappear. What is that clicking noise so strange could it be that old kitchen range or something worse like an evil rat. My mind is whirling like Casey at the bat. Did I pay the last electric and water bill or will the tub to bathe in the morning not fill? Why did I agree to take the job at that store, when I knew that I can’t work well anymore. My mind from all this oppression is such a mess from thinking about all this I must confess. Tick, tick, tick the old hall clock will not hurry to the morning when I will arise to the flurry of kids & breakfast and no more worrisome thoughts. But back to now & why can’t I get some much needed sleep? I know, I will use the tried and true remedy of counting sheep. One, two, three, fo

  The Cup of Bitterness                                                      by Danny C. Wash         I invited one in who I thought was a friend. We sat at table to enjoy the meal and to talk. We ate our meal together in apparent harmony. But, the one was most false and not true. A lie was found in him and corruption inside was discovered. Betrayal was in his heart. Mammon led him astray and he did follow. At the end of the meal I was left alone with the deep and dark cup of bitterness to drink. The one’s price was mammon’s brief reward. And, I was left with only betrayal for which I must endure & drink it’s evil bitterness to the bottom of the cup, which is most foul; drink it down from this false one so that I may be free of it and live on much wiser from the pain and sadness of the suffering. Only love & grace from above can give the strength to endure the drinking of this cup, so  that bitterness be transformed to the sweetness  of that love from above for others as life

The Turtle and the Squirrel                                          (a Poem for Young and Old Children)      by Danny C. Wash The squirrel boasted to the turtle, “can you climb a tree like me?” The turtle thought and then replied, “can you hide in a shell like me?” The squirrel bragged to the turtle, “can you hop around the meadow most free?” The turtle retorted to the squirrel, “can you swim in the pond or the sea?” The squirrel said to the turtle, “can you bury pecans in the garden of flowers?” The turtle replied to the squirrel, “can you stay under water for hours?”  Okay, Okay said the squirrel, “we can both do different things and not the same.” The turtle thought, as he does, and said, “Okay, I agree but for this we are not to blame.” The squirrel then said, “well then who is to blame for the way we were done?” The turtle thought and said, “whoever made us this way, it is the fault of that one.” The wise old watching owl interrupted, “Who, who has caused all this foolish talk?”