In The Room With Lynne
my room flies along
Sixty miles an hour
floating along the road
Sun shining
breezes blowing
view of fields and byways passing
My journey takes me northward
Minnesota in my radio
music mends my spirits
Bach, Mendelsonn, more
fill my car with sound
I’m prone to sing along
operatic melodies flowing
sometimes I help direct
in a stumbling humbling way
Then the piece is over
silence fills the room
a voice is saying something
commenting on the music
on the master
on the times and places
Lynne Warfel’s in the room
her voice assured, knowing
so very much ’bout music
and it’s good
Names like Rachmaninoff,
oh so many names
from ages past
their music stands the test of time
their scores are still the living
breathing music
that carries us, sends us
closer to… something
these masters and creating
that put the melodies,
the counter music
molded it together
caused instruments to be created
and bringing it all together,
creating voice and instrument
creating mind and memory
creating wind and string and sound
creating spirit and ear
laying it out note by note
compounding it, soaring on
across the years, the ages
to me?
A thing called love?
A thing called anger? Passion?
Yes, light and dark
Exalting and depressing
all found in the music
And all in the room with Lynne
Selah, Lin 3/10
Lynne Warfel
Seas of Emotions
clear, cold desert air chilling
sky blanketed with an ocean of stars
A particular, specific star shone down
on a particular, specific stable
where a little boy was born
A first born
to a woman young
and a Godly man
The cover of time
slipped back in place
Yet, it seems,
almost back to back
that boy became a man
and came to town
Celebration time, the calendar said,
a remembrance of a people set free
Indeed, a cause for joy
and a parade
This particular man
in a specific way
rode through waves of people
Hosanna! Hosanna!
They shouted in happiness
and then it was over
The lowest spot on earth nearby
the lowest spot on earth was coming
Come Friday
the darkness, anger, despair and evil of man
would boil over
And a particular man
in a specific way
would walk a different road
ending on a wooden cross
Spikes, holding Him there
until darkness came
and the earth trembled
and a soldier said “Surely…”
We can climb the highest mountainsor sink in agonizing despair
We can laugh, our whole body shaking
or weep, and beg to die
The story has not ended
Because that particular man
in a specific way
broke the rules of life
Yes, he died, was buried,
but He rose again
Fully human, fully alive
He walked and talked and ate with friends
He is the link
between God and man
You see, now, that
“God sent His son
they called him Jesus,
He came to love, heal, and forgive;
He lived and died
to buy my pardon
and empty grave is there
to prove He lives.
Because He lives
I can face tomorrow
Because He lives
all fear is gone
Because I know
He holds the future
And life is worth the living
just because He lives.”*
Selah, Easter, 4/10 Lin
*Gloria and Bill Gaither, 1971
Monday Platefulls
maybe over running
It’s Monday morning
and it’s not gonna work!
Too much to do!
Too many places to be!
How is this gonna play out?
Thank the Lord for the gift
of life and opportunity
energy and health and thinking ability
Two steps back
think
prioritize
write it down
Praise for the day
the beauty in it
and the blessings of place
this place
this time
these people
to come to our place
to take our place
so we might go to His….
Now move the mountains!
Invest in people
and in things eternal
Just do it!
“Got any rivers,
you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains,
you can’t tunnel through?
God specializes
in things thought impossible…
and He will do
what no other power can do….*
Selah, Lin Monday morning 4/10
* unknown author of a chorus
Monday Morning Fog
came to a head this morning
Fog wrapped around the farm
settling like a cumulous cloud on us
Eerie kind of feeling
walking out to work
trucks and trains
a half mile away
sounded oh so close
Even the birds were hushed
from their usual sun up chatter
The air seemed so heavy
like it wanted to lay its burden down
I guess it did!
Fogged us in!
Made us feel so small again
so captured by the weather
Rain and snow
ice and wind
each take their turns
And now comes fog
urging us to bow
to recognize
how little we really control
gently passing
the good old sun
fixing things up
Breaking through
burning away the fog
The Son does the same
He is patient, so patient
He breaks through
‘burning away the fog
“We see through a glass dimly,
and then face to face’…
And is new every morning
with faith fullness.
Selah, Lin 5/10
The Farmer in the Dell
people change with them
Take a walk
down merrily lane with me
Pull up your mind’s eye
to picture a wooded valley
stream dancing through it
sparkling water, happy place
a bonny bonny day
I see some lovely pastures
some slowly grazing cows
I hear them call, and answer back
they start to move my way
Milking time
feeding time
throw down some piles of hay
Bucket in hand
I grab the stool
a seat on a peg
begin to fill the bucket
Another day
on the farm
I am part of it
From the soil
tilling, toiling, shaping
like dad and grandpa
I spend my days
in rhythem with the seasons
Growing things
planting, caring, harvesting
Amazed at sun up, again at sundown
My muscles do their work
I am a living farmer
another Dell
this one sits in office
One eyed, keyed
it has a brain
and does a lot
to help me farm today
I travel through it
gaining knowledge
zinging around the world
It’s awesome, but ages quickly
three years and out, most times.
Wrapping these things
into one person
the living breathing farmer
day by day we’re changing
Doing it better
doing it faster
subbing labor for machine
yet inside
I’m still the same
Could you see me
in an office
walled away from nature?
The generations mold me
so that deep inside
my life scratches where I itch
I’m home
on the farm
my hope is here forever
as long as life shall last
It’s part of me
I’m part of it
Blessed, I remain
the farmer.
Lin 2/10
S and S
after the blow
are so very welcome
The brightness is high
sunglasses a blessing
oh how the world glistens!
Rain changed to snow
ice freezing on trees
silently enduring the burden
then came the wind
laced with snowflakes
round and round it blew
All night the moaning
whistling of wind
roads drifting, cars sliding
CRASH! Tragedy struck…
A precious young girl drove too fast
We all shudder, then weep
when a young one is lost
but our hearts are in our throats
“There but for the grace of God…’
There are other lost young ones
still living, but lost
We must hurry on
to share Good News
Life here is temporary
but heaven is permanent
We need to share
how to get there….
Lin 2/10