I love historic images
Life captured so long ago
Of places I'll never see
Of faces I'll never know

Old images hold within
An unknown mystery
When looking into the image
What story do we see

A moment from years now past
A frozen scene in time
Are a joy to look upon
And are a pleasure to these eyes of mine

Ferrotypes made on iron
Ambryotypes on glass
Dageruotypes on copper sheets
Then the cabinet card came at last

I love these beautiful images
With their hues of browns and black and grays
In each a story longing to be told
Is held in these treasured yesterday's

Gazing into the eyes
Of these long forgotten faces
And seeing how it used to be
In those now forgotten places

Brings great joy to my heart
And much happiness to my soul
To see what and who once was
In our not so long ago.

RLB

The moon tonight shines from the eastern sky
Through the trees crooked and barren limb
And as I look upon this mysterious beauty
I can only think of him

He who placed the moon so high
So that all human eyes might see
Is the same who changed the seasons
That in turn changed the tree

He who gives the moon
It's bright and brilliant light
Is the same who holds the stars
Above the darkened night

He holds in perfect place
Each shining light under heavens floor
With an unseen and a mighty hand
GOD!
To you be praise forevermore .

RLB

A canopy of gray covers all that lies below,
The trees are leafless and barren,
I can hear the bitter cold raindrops
As they crash into the leaves,
That lie dead upon the muddy ground,
I see colors of only dark gray and brown and black,
As I look into the woods beyond my window,
It is a peaceful scene,
Yet,mysterious and ancient ,
For some unknown reason,
I am taken back to another time,
A much harder time in mankinds life,
But a much simpler time for his soul,
A time when it was more quiet,
Man was more thoughtful ,
The world more serene,
Man more connected to nature,
Nature in all her forms,
Reveals to us such beauty,
Such overpowering serenity ,
If we will acknowledge it,
This scene that at this moment my eyes behold,
May be cold and gray and portray despair,
But it is as beautiful as a sunny mountain meadow in the spring,
For just as the meadow is,
This scene is a picture painted,
By the master of all nature,
GOD.
In the beginning God...........
Genesis1:1

RLB

The road of life is ever changing,
It offers to us no one to blame,
But I ask "Why can't only the bad parts wash away ,
And leave the good to remain.

RLB

From out of the ashes of the old
A new year has arrived
Out of the many downs and lows
By grace we have survived

This day begins the start
Of a slate that is brand new
A chance to strive for what is right
A chance to renew

A time to let others know
That by you they are loved
A time to forgive a wrong
A new hope for peace and love

Out of the ashes of the old
We have been given another year
Go forth in faith and courage
Leave behind all doubt and fear .
RLB

People are hard to analyze,
With the angry way they talk and act ,
Though you have committed no offense against them,
Is this behavior geneticaly just a fact?

My mind cannot understand at all,
Their attitudes so hostile,
You think one could self restrain,
But for most that's just not possible,

Retaliation must be verbalized,
They cannot just refrain,
An unnesasary audible word shoots forth,
Exploding from in their brain,

Over some word or act misunderstood,
But too it they MUST respond,
When the best action they could have taken,
Would have been to just let it alone,

But they will not self restrain,
They are not willing to digress,
The only explanation I can find,
Is they want a fight I guess.
RLB