My Title of Liberty

BROKEN OPEN

© 2002 by Jessie E Turner

An eagle soars in the open sky
Free to leave her nest and fly
Free to rise above the plain
Majestic in her own domain.
But every eagle on the swell
Was once confined within a shell
Nor could it be quite what it must
Until it’s broken through the crust
Broken shells set new life free
And open possibility.

An acorn resting in my hand
Contains an oak tree strong and grand
With roots to nourish it grown deep
And mighty limbs and branches keep
A promise there within the shell
A secret kept so very well
But it can’t be all that it must
Until it’s broken through its crust
A broken seed sets new life free
And opens possibility.

I keep another embryo
Within the chambers of my soul
It waits to start the plan divine
Transforming this small life of mine.
I cannot be what I must be
Till I allow it to break free
And thus allow the broken part
To be my broken, contrite heart
A broken heart sets new life free
And opens possibility.

DEDICATION

© 1999 by Jessie E Turner

Oh, Father,
Bless this home
That the spirit of contention will depart
That harmony, understanding, and love will prevail
That all who enter here will come to know
    how precious they are
That their lives will be forever blessed by their associations here
That this home may be a haven where each who enters
Will be nurtured and fortified
    against the corroding influences of the world
That we will remember the important things
Forget pettiness
And think often about the beauty in our lives
Bless us that we may live fully
Cultivate the best that is in us
Discover the gifts of joy
You've hidden along our way
Remember to be grateful for our blessings
    And
Be willing to give of ourselves for the betterment of all

ORDINARY MAN

© 1998 by Jessie E Turner

You just can’t tell by looking at a man
The measure of his soul.
What seems mundane to the world out there
Is a tiny part of the whole.

He’s an ordinary man
Just doing the best he can,
But beneath the ordinary part
There beats an extraordinary heart.

The small and weak things of the earth
In time confound the wise.
An ordinary life well lived
Is the noblest human prize.

He’s an ordinary man
Just doing the best he can,
But beneath the ordinary part
There beats an extraordinary heart.

So go on being an ordinary man
The best you can each day
Someday you’ll see you have touched lives
In an extraordinary way.

You’re an ordinary man
Just doing the best you can,
But beneath the ordinary part
There beats an extraordinary heart.

REMEMBER THE BLUEBIRD

© 1998 by Jessie E Turner and David C Mead
Jessie wrote: "Forgive me for being sentimental. This weeks poem was in a notebook I brought back from my recent visit with my mother. It comes from a story my father used to tell. He and I wrote this poem together. It is about a whistle, a little bluebird, one of the few toys the Mead boys ever owned. The second part was about his experiences in World War II. My sister, Abby, put a tune to it so we could sing it. (I have retained his spelling and punctuation.)

'Twas only a bluebird
The simpelest of toys
But it was a trasure
To two little boys.

We grieved when we lost it.
We searched 'most all day:
When all else had failed us --
We knelt down to pray.

We asked the good Lord's help
To show what to do
Then stood up and picked up
Our whstle & blew.

    Remember the bluebird
    Remember the day
    When two little boys
    Knelt together to pray

We finished our childhood --
The time rumbeled on
We entered a manhood:
Near all peace was gone.

We then joined the service
Each in his own time
We met on ocassion --
Would scheduel incline.

We weathered the kayaws:
With help from above
And firm resulution
Of faith, hope & love.

    Remember the bluebird
    Remember the day
    When two little boys
    Knelt together to pray

The following poem was written especially for me when I was among the first one hundred to buy her new book, Moon in the Day Sky. Jessie wrote: Now, as promised, here is the poem I wrote especially for you today, Dec 14, 2006. This one didn't come with rhyme, but I like it, and it is a tribute to you - one who does rhymes very well! After I finished, I thought it might make a Christmas tree. I centered each line and look what happened!
With Warm Regards,
Jessie

TO THE WRITER Writer of words Writer of more than words Writer of thoughts and feelings The stories behind what makes us human Writer Take us on a journey into who we really are