Valentine Poem - 2011

Valentine’s Day 2011 (to Sandra)


Let’s declare this Valentine’s Day the most special one of all.
Certainly, it holds the mark of being the most liberating one.
Greatly appreciated resources have been added to the coffers, even.
Allowing freedom to experience a deeper and wider slice of retirement;
Freedom to tap the reservoir of new callings;
Freedom to embrace the wonders of aging gracefully;
Freedom to nurture family and friends, all scattered about;
So let this Valentine’s day be a stamp of approval,
That you be the best thing to ever happen to me!
And that you be the best person with whom to grow old!
Would ya be maw Valentine, little girl, would ya?

Hubby Dear

Promise

I didn’t marry you because you were
Perfect. I didn’t even marry you because
I loved you. I married you because you
Gave me a promise. That promise made
Up for your faults. And the promise I
Gave you made up for mine. Two
Imperfect people got married and it was
The promise that made the marriage.
And when our children were growing up, it
Wasn’t a house tat protected them; and
It wasn’t our love that protected them --
It was that promise.

Thornton Wilder

“First Day of the Rest of Your Life”

Not a lot right now makes sense to me
And I won’t go quietly
Not a lot right now makes sense to me
And I won’t sit patiently

I’m gonna chase my dreams and catch up to them
I’m gonna find you some how, some way, somewhere, some day

First day of the rest of our lives, I miss you already
Last time I saw that look in your eyes, I miss you already
First day of the rest of our lives, I miss you already
The last time I'll see that look in your eyes
I miss you already

I don’t wanna spend the rest of my life alone
Where’s life taking me?
I don’t wanna spend the rest of my life alone
Always traveling

I’m gonna chase my dreams and catch up to them
I’m gonna find you some how, some way, somewhere, some day

First day of the rest of our lives, I miss you already
Last time I saw that look in your eyes, I miss you already
First day of the rest of our lives,
I miss you already
The last time I'll see that look in your eyes
I miss you already

I wanna love my job
I wanna love my life
But most of all, I wanna fall in love

First day of the rest of our lives, I miss you already
Last time I saw that look in your eyes, I miss you already
First day of the rest of our lives, I miss you already
The last time I'll see that look in your eyes
I miss you already

Plant More Than You Harvest © Jim Scott 1990

Plant more than you harvest,
un and water, earth and seeds.

Plant more than you harvest,

give the earth all that it needs.

Plant more than you harvest,

give the earth all that it needs,

the earth all that it needs.

Clear the meadows and the highways,

but plant stout trees between.

Let the forests hold the hillsides, 

cover the earth with green.

Let the forests hold the hillsides,

cover the earth with green,

cover the earth with green.

Plant the grains to feed 

every woman man and child,

Some for all the beasts and birds,

and some to just grow wild.

Some for all the beasts and birds,

and some to just grow wild,

some to just grow wild.


Plant more than you harvest,

sun and water, earth and seeds.

Plant more than you harvest, 

give the earth all that it needs.

Plant more than you harvest,

give the earth all that it needs,

the earth all that it needs.

Tall cedar and the spreading oak 

cool all that dwell below, 

And the fallen trunk helps seeds reveal

the secrets that they know.

And the fallen trunk helps seeds reveal

the secrets that they know,

the secrets that they know.

Some seeds fall by the wayside,

but some will make it through,

On the water or wind or a loving hand

the cycle starts anew.

On the water or wind or a loving hand 

the cycle starts anew, 
the cycle starts anew.

Plant more than you harvest, 

sun and water, earth and seeds.

Plant more than you harvest,

give the earth all that it needs.

Plant more than you harvest, 

give the earth all that it needs,

the earth all that it needs

Nothing We Haven't Seen Before © Jim Scott 1995



Nothing we haven't seen before,

From covert conflict to open wars.

Area prone to domination,

Little hope for repatriation,

So much pain and so many tears

So the lessons can fall on deaf ears.

At what cost the war is won
It's all over

But the revision's just begun.

Everything looks different 
but you're just the same,

Still looking for someone else to blame.

Whispered words of what is fair

Drown in the silence of despair.

All wisdom and advice falls short of help

A mirror's no use 'til you can recognize yourself.

You were tryin' to find that flag of truce

even as the bridges burned.

It's all over

But the second thoughts await their turn.

Without closure, the curtain's drawn.

The wounded search for meaning,

the proud move on

Dreams were dashed and trust was broken

Faith so bound in words unspoken.

Do you pick the rubble 
for what might have been?

No one in their right mind would want to 

feel that way again.

The clock waits to extract its toll

the credits fade

and the regrets start to roll.

So frustration found release

Did anyone remember to speak for peace?

Was it for law and order,

that rights were wronged?

In the name of justice the war prolonged.

Yet through it all some greater love was grown,

And weren't there moments beyond 

anything you've known?

So pack up your guilts and fears,

It's all over

But the memories start here.




Sailing With the Moon © Jim Scott 1995

The evening cool awakens
passing days elusive spirits
with no need for that sun's hot-headed face.
They revel in the mystical
and have no fear of shadow
for they know the darkness as a holy place.
Their nocturnal take on science
is their personal defiance,
They play and love
and morning comes too soon.
Laughing at the sun, Sailing with the moon.

She knows the Spring by blossoms scent,
and the Autumn by the wind,
and knows you best by possibility.
She hears your heart in your voice
and knows your mood in your step;
The grace of one who does not need to see
to see.
Cutting through the interference,
unswayed by mere appearance.
With the sense to sense when all's in tune.
Laughing at the sun, Sailing with the moon

"Going Home" lyrics

"Going Home", set to the music of Dvorak's 9th Symphony, third movement.

Going home, going home,
I'm just going home.
Quiet-like, slip away-
I'll be going home.
It's not far, just close by;
Jesus is the Door;
Work all done, laid aside,
Fear and grief no more.
Friends are there, waiting now.
He is waiting, too.
See His smile! See His hand!
He will lead me through.

Morning Star lights the way;
Restless dream all done;
Shadows gone, break of day,
Life has just begun.
Every tear wiped away,
Pain and sickness gone;
Wide awake there with Him!
Peace goes on and on!
Going home, going home,
I'll be going home.
See the Light! See the Sun!
I'm just going home.

Words are by William Arms Fisher and Ken Bible.

Lyrics to 'Hot Rod Lincoln'

I relive this ditty, time and again! Maybe 1957 release date.

ARTIST: Charlie Ryan
TITLE: Hot Rod Lincoln
Lyrics and Chords


[As recorded by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen]

My pappy said, "Son, you're gonna' drive me to drinkin'
If you don't stop drivin' that Hot Rod Lincoln"

Have you heard this story of the Hot Rod Race
When Fords and Lincolns was settin' the pace
That story is true, I'm here to say
I was drivin' that Model A

/ E - / A7 - / B7 - / E - /

It's got a Lincoln motor and it's really souped up
That Model A body makes it look like a pup
It's got eight cylinders, uses them all
It's got overdrive, just won't stall

With a 4-barrel carb and a dual exhaust
With 4.11 gears you can really get lost
It's got safety tubes, but I ain't scared
The brakes are good, tires fair

Pulled out of San Pedro late one night
The moon and the stars was shinin' bright
We was drivin' up Grapevine Hill
Passing cars like they was standing still

All of a sudden in a wink of an eye
A Cadillac sedan passed us by
I said, "Boys, that's a mark for me"
By then the tail light was all you could see

Now the fellas was ribbin' me for bein' behind
So I thought I'd make the Lincoln unwind
Took my foot off the gas and man alive
I shoved it on down into overdrive

Wound it up to a hundred-and-ten
My speedometer said that I hit top end
My foot was glued like lead to the floor
That's all there is and there ain't no more

Now the boys all thought I'd lost my sense
And telephone poles looked like a picket fence
They said, "Slow down! I see spots!
The lines on the road just look like dots"

Took a corner, sideswiped a truck
Crossed my fingers just for luck
My fenders was clickin' the guardrail posts
The guy beside me was white as a ghost

Smoke was comin' from out of the back
When I started to gain on that Cadillac
Knew I could catch him, I thought I could pass
Don't you know by then we'd be low on gas

We had flames comin' from out of the side
Feel the tension, man, what a ride!
I said, "Look out, boys, I've got a license to fly"
And that Caddy pulled over and let us by

Now all of a sudden she started to knockin'
And down in the dips she started to rockin'
I looked in my mirror; a red light was blinkin'
The cops was after my Hot Rod Lincoln

They arrested me and they put me in jail
And called my pappy to throw my bail
And he said, "Son, you're gonna' drive me to drinkin'
If you don't stop drivin' that Hot Rod Lincoln!"

Pakistani Nat'l Anthem

While in the Peace Corps we sang this every day!


Pakistan National Anthem Lyrics

Pakistan

Latin Transliteration

Pak sarzamin shad bad

Kishware haseen shad bad

Tunishane azmealishan arze Pakistan

Markazeyaqin shadbad.

Pak sarzamin ka nizam quwate akhuwati awam

Qaum, mulk, Sultanat

Painda ta binda bad shad, bad man zele murad.

Parchame sitarao hilat

Rahbare tarraqio ka mal

Tarjumane mazishane hal jane istaqbal

Sayyai, khudae zul jalal.



English:

Blessed be the sacred land,

Happy be the bounteous realm,

Symbol of high resolve, Land of Pakistan.

Blessed be thou citadel of faith.

The Order of this Sacred Land

Is the might of the brotherhood of the people.

May the nation, the country, and the State

Shine in glory everlasting.

Blessed be the goal of our ambition.

This flag of the Crescent and the Star

Leads the way to progress and perfection,

Interpreter of our past, glory of our present,

Inspiration of our future,

Symbol of Almighty's protection.