A Poem

This April's General Conference Boyd K Packer Gave a wonderful talk in which he shared this poem I loved it so much I decided it HAD to go on the blog. And so, here it is:

 

I had a thought the other night,

A thought profound and deep.

It came when I was too worn down,

Too tired to go to sleep.

 

I’d had a very busy day

And pondered on my fate.

The thought was this:

When I was young, I wasn’t 68!

 

I could walk without a limp;

I had no shoulder pain.

I could read a line through twice

And quote it back again.

 

I could work for endless hours

And hardly stop to breathe.

And things that now I cannot do

I mastered then with ease.

 

If I could now turn back the years,

If that were mine to choose,

I would not barter age for youth,

I’d have too much to lose.

 

I am quite content to move ahead,

To yield my youth, however grand.

The thing I’d lose if I went back

Is what I understand.

Ten years later, I decided to add a few more lines to that poem:

 

Ten years have flown to who knows where

And with them much of pain.

A metal hip erased my limp;

I walk quite straight again.

 

Another plate holds neck bones fast—

A wonderful creation!

It backed my polio away;

I’ve joined the stiff-necked generation.

 

The signs of aging can be seen.

Those things will not get better.

The only thing that grows in strength

With me is my forgetter.

 

You ask, “Do I remember you?”

Of course, you’re much the same.

Now don’t go getting all upset

If I can’t recall your name.

 

I would agree I’ve learned some things

I did not want to know,

But age has brought those precious truths

That make the spirit grow.

 

Of all the blessings that have come,

The best thing in my life

Is the companionship and comfort

I get from my dear wife.

 

Our children all have married well,

With families of their own,

With children and grandchildren,

How soon they all have grown.

 

I have not changed my mind one bit

About regaining youth.

We’re meant to age, for with it

Comes a knowledge of the truth.

 

You ask, “What will the future bring?

Just what will be my fate?”

I’ll go along and not complain.

Ask when I’m 88!

And last year I added these lines:

 

And now you see I’m 88.

The years have flown so fast.

I walked, I limped, I held a cane,

And now I ride at last.

 

I take a nap now and again,

But priesthood power remains.

For all the physical things I lack

There are great spiritual gains.

 

I have traveled the world a million miles

And another million too.

And with the help of satellites,

My journeys are not through.

 

I now can say with all certainty

That I know and love the Lord.

I can testify with them of old

As I preach His holy word.

 

I know what He felt in Gethsemane

Is too much to comprehend.

I know He did it all for us;

We have no greater Friend.

 

I know that He will come anew

With power and in glory.

I know I will see Him once again

At the end of my life’s story.

 

I’ll kneel before His wounded feet;

I’ll feel His Spirit glow.

My whispering, quivering voice will say,

“My Lord, my God, I know.”

And I do know!

Enjoy!

-Dassia :D

Sleep

Stretch, yawn, blink tired eyes,
Slow, soft, sweet tired sighs,

Sit, lean, lay head down,
Brush back hair upon my crown,
Sleepy eyelids flutter,
Calm smile on my face,
Slowly my eyes shut,
Awake, no single trace,

Floating on a cloud,
The opposite of loud,
Drifting off into space,
In dream-land my favorite place,

Walking in a forest tall trees over head,
I am no longer snug inside my bed,

Adventures await me with mystical, magical friends,
My happily ever after is nowhere near the end.
Suddenly upon a cave I tiptoe inside,
Just to find Peter Pan to teach me how to fly,

Chim-chimney and spit-spot,
Mary Poppins, a long way I've got,
To become practically perfect in every way,
Just like you can easily say.

I tip my hat and walk around care free of fish or fowl,
When all of a sudden I hear, a blood-curdling howl!
Quickly and quietly I walk towards the frightening sound,
I find myself pined against a rock by a wolf in a single bound,
Another howl, chills go down my back I shiver and exclaim,
Let us be friends, that way there will be no need for pain,

Can you believe this whole time amidst these scary things,
I'm quietly, closing my eyes, Calmly fast asleep,
Cuddled up in my bed, without one single fear,
I'm happy as can be, not one single tear,
Peaceful, Calm, Quiet, Asleep,
Slow, soft, not one single peep.

So now back to our story my patient, listening friend,
I took a turn to see what might, be around the bend,
There it was 9 feet tall a grizzly was in sight,
It's fur glistening, and sparkling in the bright sunlight.
Then ROAR!!!!!! It bellowed through the leafy green forest,
"bravo mister bear this story just might have bore us."

But now this tale must be told you'll make it interesting,
And with a smack of his grizzly lips and then a zapping zing,
A snap of two dozen twigs and a swipe of his furry paw,
I stood there looking up at him with fear mixed with awe.
He looked a me with what appeared to be a grizzly smile,
And holding hands and paws we departed into the wild.















Then we reached our destination, though a little out of breath,
His legs being much longer then mine could reach a bigger length.
A hive full of buzzing bees and honey but before,
That bear could reach inside that hive I let out a thunderous roar!
Being a beekeeper and all I couldn't let that bear destroy them,
So reaching up and pulling him down with the strength of ten,

I shook my head in a fierce "no!" I told him most boldly,
a mistake -may I add- never do so, for I did it much to coldly,
He became angry and plucked me right up from the ground,
And shook me not so very hard but plain and full and sound.

I sit up breathing hard, my heart quickly pounding,

But I am in my quiet room not one single sounding.

My comfortable blankets I'm snuggled in,

Deep, dark, quiet surrounds me within,

Nothing to fear, not a thing scares me.

But now I must get back to sleep.

I turn back over and get comfortably ready,

My hearts beating is back to normal I am breathing steady,

I think happy thoughts, I blink tired eyes.

Slowly, softly, sleepy sighs,

As calmly I go back to sleep.

This time in a dreamy treat...

Candy canes and lemon drops,

In my mouth I want to pop!

A gingerbread castle and a candy hut,

With red vine ropes, and almond nut,

 

Skittles, chocolate, cream filled,

Gingerbread men I want to build!

Sour patch kids and liquorish!
Bubble gum and Swedish fish!!

All these yummy treats around,
These everywhere, me surround,
Yum! My mouth is watering,
Yum! My eyes are bugging!!

Candy, Candy, everywhere!
I want to eat it so beware,
A beautiful fairy comes out,
From behind A big candy mount,

Have all the candy you wish to eat,
As much as you want, all my treat,
Jelly beans and tootsie rolls,
Fill-up all these big bowls!

With that I woke-up but sorta sad,
That I couldn't eat candy, that made me mad.
All well I'll have to wait another night,
To make everything alright.

-Dassia

Ouch!

Throw a ball, dodge and then,
Run, trip, and do it again!
Playing games, so much fun,
Until horrible disaster's come.

My friend looked down at her leg,
"Oh no! Oh my! What's this?" she said
A deep bloody gash was there,
And yet she had not any fear!

Her dad came over to look at it,
"Stitches" he said doubt no bit,
Some agreed some argued,
And my friend quietly refused,

But in the end off we flew,
To get her stitched up maybe with glue,
We tried to find the emergency room,
It took us a while, but then we zoomed,

Right up to it she hobbled out of the car,
We hurried in to a door quite far,
But we made it and entered into a room,
But it was as empty as a tomb!

Finally someone came to help us out,
We went into room 14,
No, no, no. Then here's the remote,
It made her feel like a queen.

The nurse came in and looked,
At the wound, so quite deep,
He got it ready. Took the bandage off,
Pushed some buttons with a beep!

Then with a needle the doctor came in,
Then a hearty hand shake and a grin
And injected the needle many a time,
We flinched and flinched her mom and I,

But my friend barley noticed it,
She definitely didn't make a fit,
As he hooked and sewed and tied some knots,
It didn't hurt after all those shots!

After that we were all done,
They wiped it off the cut all gone,
Instead she looked like Frankenstein,
(not really though) Just a line,

Put on our shoes then out the door,
Now we felt like we could soar,
Home for smores and a drink,
That was it, I bet, I think.
-Dassia :D

Going Crazy.

This last week we went to Shakespeare showdown and Vanguards outdoor adventure. We had so much fun but by the end of the week we were going stark mad!!

I am slowly going crazy,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, switch!
Crazy going, slowly am I,
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, switch!

A week we had full of fun,
Of missionaries and burns from the sun,
Of tired girls, and counselor time,
Good enough for a rhyme.

We danced one night from 7 'till 10,
The next night we wanted to do it again!
We had so much fun with our skits,
Of Shakespeare and banana splits!

Then we played curses and a guest speaker,
Hiking after putting on a sneaker.
We did a cope course and timed it too,
Then off a zip-line we all flew.


Giggling in the night,
Relating life to our flashlight's
Singing about PB&J
Everything is just okay.

But then! We all are going crazy!
What oh what shall we do?
We are counting up to six,
And singing backwards too!!

We can walk up and down,
Eating mayo around the town,
Throwing sandwiches at subway guys,
Carrying backpacks and then they fly.

Another guest speaker, trip over a rock,
A teeny tiny little white dot.
Cold, cold, cold. Hot, hot, hot.
New sunburns never stop!!


Late every night, early everyday,
Backwards is every one's name,
Rachel-Spencer Isaiah-Grace,
Putting different names to different face,

Hiking up and down the trails,
Little deer with little tails,
Making everyone nervous,
Then chopping wood while doing service.

Singing a lot of camp songs,
All the day and while long,
Many plays, and silence sweet,
Smiling to everyone we meet.

For we have the best group of all!
Vanguard youth, standing tall,
V I Pineapples!! Best fruit of all,
Burn it up small, small, small.

Comedy of errors,
Seeing moose and bears,
Just kidding! But please be happy,
Pineapples make every other fruit crappy.

Gypsy, nun and nunja,
Signing orange shirts,
Little fun squishes,
Squirting in the dirt.

POP! Say that in an accent,
Those who swear must repent.
And everyone was going crazy,
Doing chores so we don't get lazy.

Do you like green pineapples?
Do you like yellow pineapples?
Do you like brown pineapples?
Do you like too ripe and prickly?
Even if it is squishy and drippy?

Shakespeare showdown was so much fun!
From acting workshops I learned a ton!
Impromptu and make-up class,
Were late! Hurry! Running fast!

The week felt like a day.. eek!
But each day felt like a long long week
After each exhausting day,
We were ready to hit the hay!

The boys challenged us to an all nighter,
But after devotional at the camp fire,
We were so sleepy our eyes just shut,
We were zonked, we just have bad luck!

Chores full of silly fun,
Cabin craziness for everyone,
Walking up and up and up,
VIP! Ya, yes, yup!

Cornfuzling stuff Shakespeare did create,
But shed many tears as the air-mattress deflate,
What a week we had full of amazing fun,
But now showdown and adventure are all done.

As this news sunk in deep,
We cleaned the cabin and wanted to weep.
This news was so, so sad.
After a week of fun, that's bad.

"I miss you already" and "I'm going to cry"
We all felt that we somehow might die.
How sad it was that we must go,
We all felt down after this show.

But on the way home there was still fun,
And our friendships have just begun!
We felt the spirit our testimonies have grown,
Our examples we have shown.

I can't wait for next year,
At showdown,
From now on a smile,
Instead of a frown :D

-Dassia