Loneliness – Woodsmoke and Cardamom

Loving A Sailor

by Lucy M. Young

Loving a sailor is not all play
In fact there's very little of gay
It's being young and feeling old
It's mostly to have and never to hold.

Loving a sailor is all milk and no cream
It's being in love with a misty dream
It's getting a Valentine from a southern base
And sending a stamped letter with an upside face.

It's hoping for leaves you know won't come
It's wondering if he'll ever get home
And when he does it's laughter together
Unconscious of people, of time, of weather

It's hearing him whisper his love for you
And your answering whisper that you love him too
And then comes the ring and the promise of love
And knowing you're watched by the Father above

And loving a sailor is good-bye at the train
And wondering if you'll ever see him again
And reluctantly, painfully, letting him go
When inside you're crying for wanting him so.

Then you watch for a word that he is well
And wait thru a long dragg-out "no letter" spell
And your feet are planted in sand not sod
And your source of strength came solely from God

Loving a sailor is unidentified fears
And crying until there are no more tears
And hating the world and yourself and the war
And stamping and kicking 'till you can't fight anymore

And really meaning the prayer that you're saying
And when the mail comes you bubble with joy
And you act like a baby with a shining new toy
And you know he is oceans away
And you just keep loving him more everyday.

You're proud of the job he's helping get done
And you don't care anymore if loving's not fun
Then you grit your teeth and muster a grin
You've got a job and you'd better begin
You've got a fight, the same one he's in
We've got a war and you'd better help win

When comes your birthday, you're a year older today
But you feel just the same as you did yesterday
You're not, you've changed, you're wiser [and] stronger
You can weather this way if it's twenty years longer
You'll work and you'll sweat every hour of the day
Your job will be hard but you'll sure earn your pay
You're tired and you're weary but you're doing your share.

So loving a sailor is bitterness, tears
It's loneliness, sadness, unidentified fears
It's nothing to take for a darn lot of giving
It's fretting, sweating and living
No, loving a sailor is really not fun
But it's sure worth the price when the battle is won.

Sunday Morning at Home

I cannot go to church this Sunday morning
And sadness fills my heart.
Dear Lord, forgive me this self-pity;
Take it away, destroy it,
And fill me with joy and peace
Of knowing You are with me
Despite the fact I cannot meditate 
In your friendly little church;
Listening to Your word,
Sensing Your presence near me,
Calming my anxiety and uncertainty
While I attempt to solve my daily problems.
Dear Lord, forgive my weakness and despair
As I stumble through the cold and lonely darkness
Where I cannot feel Your presence.
Walk with me, dear Lord, and let me lean
Upon Your everlasting love.
Fill me with Your light and let me know
That You are with me even though I must remain at home
While others worship in Your sanctuary.

To Help A Lonely Man

by Lucy M. Young

He's temperamental, hard to please,
Unreasonable and cranky;
He's always on the lookout for
Some form of hanky-panky.
Trusts no one, judges harshly,
Believes the worst of all,
His views are warped, his vision short,
His bitterness a wall
Around his sadly barren heart.
He does not understand
The joy of unselfish love,
Nor want a helping hand.

Dear Lord, watch over him I pray,
Forgive him, soothe and heal
His cold heart, his suspicious mind.
And teach him how to feel
Compassion and forgiveness.
Please show him how to love
And trust his friends and family,
And believe in Heaven above.
Then show me how to help him.
With You to lead the way,
We'll both find greater happiness
As You guide us day by day.

Sunday Alone

by Lucy M. Young

Another Sunday morning, Lord, and I must stay at home
Missing the fellowship, the joy and peace of worship in Your church.
I long for the tranquility I feel on entering Your sanctuary.
There trouble, sadness, worry disappear
My soul rejoices.
My heart, no longer burdened with the problems of my daily life,
Is lifted in Thanksgiving.
Where two or three are gathered in Your name
There You will be among them;
But Lord, when I must worship all alone,
Will You be with me?
Will You be near me, strengthening my faith
And guiding me serenely through the day?
I don't know why I'm questioning Your presence
Because I know when I forget myself and rise above self-pity
That You are with me always.
Even in the darkest depth of sorrow and despair,
I know without a doubt that You answer every prayer if only to say "No".
Your answers may not coincide with what I want to hear;
But You know what is best for me 
And I'll abide by Your decisions, Lord, whatever they may be.
And even though I cannot be in church today
Your everlasting love will comfort me
And fill my heart with hope.

Never Alone

by Lucy M. Young

Once I wandered alone and lonely,
 My heart was empty and cold;
There seemed to be nothing to live for,
 Nothing to which I could hold.

Then one day He spoke to me softly,
 I didn't hear Him at first;
But slowly and gently He entered my heart,
 My soul was no longer accursed

With emptiness, bitterness, sadness -
 They'd been driven out by His love.
I rejoiced in my new-found freedom
 Given me by my Father above.

Lord, I come to you now in thanksgiving
 For the many blessings you've given;
I am never alone, for I walk each day
 With my wonderful Father in Heaven.



photo by Sebastian Unrau on Unsplash