All my poems, etc., part 2

If you are coming to this late, and seeing a lot of things that I call Facebook Poems, there is a reason/excuse. About mid-June, I hadn't posted anything anywhere, nor texted anyone, and I don't like to talk on the phone ... so I decided that, when I can, which is almost every day unless the internet is down or I am out of town and do not have access, that one of the first times I'll do each day is write something - usually a poem - on Facebook. I label it simply "Facebook poems", though they cover a lot of subjects. I am labeling THIS note with all the labels I have used. That way, if you click on some label/subject that you think you might find interesting, everything I've labeled as such will show up on this blog. Thanks for reading what I write. I hope that you get a smile, or a laugh, or some encouragement, or that they make you think, etc. Feel free to comment on things I write, too. Thanks. (I am having to post this twice so as to show all the labels that I've made!)

12:10 a.m. JANUARY 1, 2010

Last August, I bought a ticket to the Alabama Symphony Orchestra's New Year's Eve concert at The Alabama Theater. But I learned a month ago of another NYE event. So I lost my $30 ticket, but I attended a much better one. Rather than being with 2,000 strangers, many in silk and furs, in a nose-bleed seat in a dark theater downtown from 6-8 p.m., I spent 4+ hours with casually dressed friends, in a well-lit room, with food to spare since we all took some. I got home right at midnight. Eunice & Lorene were able to be there only a few minutes. The rest? 4 men and 4 women. Harold brought his harmonica and Appalachian dulcimer. Boy! Is he good on both! I took my autoharp (mostly in tune). There were some games, though only Rook was played (Joyce, Chester, Marilyn, & Steve). Marlene was mostly cooking. Shane was looking up lyrics & such on his laptop computer. Things got quiet after Steve asked the blessing - you can't talk with your mouth full! Then we got out church song books, and sang ... and sang! I mostly sang lead so Steve could sing tenor, though he told me to take tenor on "Were You There when They Crucified My Lord?" - but I get shrill when I get high, as I'm mostly an alto. We took turns choosing a song. We sang 25 or 30 (not counting the few secular songs with dulcimer and autoharp earlier)! I wish I'd taken my tiny digital recorder! Even with my singing, I think we sounded pretty good. We closed with Steve reading the poem I just wrote, and Harold leading the closing prayer. Since I had to get up as usual at 5 a.m. to go to work on the 31st - the boss did let us leave at 3 p.m., I started fading about 10, but it's going to take awhile to come down from this "high"! What a wonderful way to start not only the new year, but any day! Thanks to God for friends!

NEW YEAR'S EVE

What a way to end the year,
Gathered with friends that we hold dear!
Thanking God we made the drive tonight.
Through good and bad, happy and sad,
Sometimes a tear, but mostly glad,
Looking toward tomorrow's dawning light.
We never know how long we'll be,
How many days that we will see.
We'll rejoice and we'll be glad today!
Still we long for Paradise.
We're not rich in human eyes.
Contented, hopeful while to God we pray.
So to God our praises give,
Grateful, too, for where we live.
Bless our families while we laugh and sing!
So to close this year right now,
Guide us all. To You, we bow.
Bless us all, Dear Lord, our Priest and King.
Keep us out of Satan's path,
So that we won't see Your wrath.
Living true and never as pretend.
Watch us. Love us as we leave,
Finally now this New Year's Eve.
This we pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.

- by Netagene, in about an hour today -