Loss – Woodsmoke and Cardamom

When Love Has Gone

by Lucy M. Young

What do you do when love has gone
And your life seems barren and cold,
When the plans you made and the dreams you shared
Your heart no longer may hold;

When hope and joy have been cast aside
And despair is your constant companion,
When it seems there is nothing worth living for
And you long for a quiet communion

With someone who really can sympathize,
Who can quietly understand
And fill up the void where love once dwelt
With the warmth of a friendly hand?

Well, you hold up your head and you put on a smile
And you walk with your shoulders thrown back;
Just whistle a tune and before very long
You'll be feeling the warmth you now lack.

You'll find it, you know, if you really try -
God never meant us to be sad.
With a smile on your face and a song in your heart
That is real, soon your heart will be glad.

He’s Leaving Us

by Lucy M. Young

He's leaving us and going home to You.
We'll miss him, Lord,
But he'll be so much better off with You -
No more suffering or sadness,
Or struggling for every shallow breath;
No more wakeful, pain-filled nights.
He'll rest in comfort close to You.

I know that You were with him at the end.
I felt Your presence, Lord.
You held his hand and led him gently
Through his final hours here on earth.
Love him, Lord.
Grant him the peace and joy
That only You can give.
Help us bear the lonely emptiness his passing leaves,
And let him rest forever in Your love.

A Real Gift

by Lucy M. Young

photo by Filipe de Rodrigues on Unsplash

A gift is not a real gift
Unless it hurts to give it,
And we can't find true joy in life
'Less it hurts a bit to live it.
To give away a useless thing
Or something we don't need
Is like throwing trash in the fire
Or pulling up a weed.
If we give away a lovely thing
We care about and treasure,
Our small amount of sacrifice
Makes giving it a pleasure.

Could we really see the beauty 
Of a lovely sunny day,
If skies were always bright and blue
And never a stormy gray?
Could we enjoy a bright today
And never dread tomorrow
If we have not experienced
A bit of grief and sorrow?
So we must live with joy and pain,
And share our choicest treasure
To ever know true happiness
And love in boundless measure.

In Memoriam

by Lucy M. Young

Today I visited the cemetery
And walked among the gray memorial stones.
It was so peaceful there -
The sun shone brightly through the new green leaves,
Flowers blossomed around the stones
And birds sang softly, joyously
In praise of springtime's resurrection.

I paused beside the grave of my beloved nephew
To pray and to remember all the joy he'd brought into my life.
I could almost see his happy smile,
The mischief in his twinkling eyes
And hear again his clever witticisms
As he managed to find humor in misfortune.

Our country's flag waved proudly o'er his plaque,
A tribute to his service in Vietnam.
Who knows what horrors he encountered there,
What pain and mental anguish he endured,
The helpless grief to see his buddies fall,
And the depth of loneliness so far from home and family?

But now he is at rest,
His earthly tasks completed.
No longer must he suffer pain or sorrow.
Happiness and peace are his forever
As he rests within the gentle arms of Jesus.

photo: Kenneth W. Burrell - beloved nephew, son, husband, father, brother