Charles Griggs
While working the lonely graveyard shift as Police Dispatcher at our local college, I began remembering things about the family that the wife and I had lost one year prior. It was due to their house fire two weeks before Christmas in 1991. Since that time the holidays have been days of deep sadness. We know it will eventually pass, but time goes by so slowly when such memories are concerned.
The poem “Dear Lord God” took shape and I jotted it down. It was the first of many that I shared with my wife and my internet group. The responses and moral encouragements were unbelievable.
As memories and events unfolded in my life the poems have continued to evolve.
His childhood years were spent ‘below the tracks’ and in an assortment of homes, both foster and institutional. Often hearing as a lad that he would never amount to anything, he was pleasantly surprised when his poems, brought on by a family disaster, seemed to be appreciated.
While in his sixties he joined a “WordPerfect” computer group on the Internet and in a forum he called, “Chollie’s Follies”, submitted a poem every month for over a year. The group dubbed him their “Poet Laureate” and were convinced he should attempt to get his poems published. This book is the direct result of their convictions, those special friends he found “This Side of Heaven”.
Dear Lord God
We know it’s wrong to question the workings of Your plan.
We just can’t help but wonder and we hope You understand.
To us the kids You’ve only lent to teach, to hold, to love.
We sure can’t help but miss them. Do you hear us Lord above?
The loneliness since they’ve been gone is oh, so hard to bear.
We long to see and hear them, to tousle with their hair.
We don’t know if we raised them the way You thought we should,
Or had we made too many mistakes as only parents could?
We don’t know if the aches and pains will ever go away,
If we’ll find peace and happiness on some future day.
We long to know if they miss us and think about us some
And if they’re up there waiting for the day that we shall come.
I wonder if in Heaven they ever think of me
Or is their life so beautiful their parents they can’t see.
The holidays are coming Lord, and we don’t know what to do!
We still have Jan and Jenna, but we wish these days were through!
Now Lord we need a favor and we ask it as a friend.
Please grant us forgiveness for these hearts that just won’t mend!
We also ask for one thing more before we let You go.
Will You tell them “Merry Christmas”? We really miss them so!
The Remagen Bridge
T’was on vacation in Germany, one day so long ago
That I was given half a chance, my Christian life to show.
A bus trip to the Remagen Bridge was offered one and all
The wife and I had time to spare so we gave them a call.
The bus was fairly loaded, but silence reigned supreme.
