SO MANY TIMES, LORD

I HAVE HAD MY SHARE OF TROUBLES

AND O’, MY LORD YOU KNOW

THAT WITH MY FAITH IN YOU I UNDERSTAND

I HAVE TO JUST LET GO

FOR WE WEREN’T MEANT TO BEAR THE BURDEN

OF SORROW FOR TOO LONG

SO WITH A SIGH AND A REAL GOOD CRY,

THE OTHER DAY I WROTE A SONG

A SPECIAL PERSON SO DEAR TO ME

HAD PASSED AND GONE ON HOME

TO BE WITH YOU WHERE THERE IS NO PAIN

AND LIFE CONTINUES ON

MY HEART WAS BROKEN CLEAN IN TWO

AND MY MIND HAS BEEN IN A WHIRL

FOR LOSING HER, MY SISTER DEAR,

TOOK FROM ME MY OWN WEE GIRL

I KNOW, LORD, YES I KNOW FOR TRUE

THAT YOU NOW HOLD HER NEAR

AND THIS IS WHAT MAKES ME UNDERSTAND,

EVEN THOUGH I STILL CRY TEARS

BECAUSE LOSING SOMEONE WHOM YOU LOVE

ON THIS LOWLY, EARTHLY PLANE

IS FINAL IN THE PHYSICAL SENSE, I WON’T EVER SEE HER AGAIN

UNTIL MY TIME TO GO ON HOME

DOES COME AROUND FOR ME

BUT ‘TIL THAT BLESSING COMES TO PASS

I MISS HER AND AM SO LONELY

FOR THE SOUND OF HER VOICE ON THE TELEPHONE

HER LAUGHTER AND THE THINGS SHE WOULD SAY

O’ LORD, I MISS HER HERE ON EARTH...

I FEEL THAT I JUST WANT TO FADE AWAY

BUT WITH MY FAITH IN YOU DEEP IN MY SOUL

I TRY TO AGAIN UNDERSTAND

WHY THE ONES I LOVE WITH ALL OF MY HEART

HAVE GONE TO YOUR PROMISED LAND

WHILE I REMAIN HERE ON THIS EARTH,

THIS PURELY PHYSICAL ME

TO FINISH MY OWN JOURNEY

TO THE PLACE WHERE I CAN BE FREE

SO MANY TIMES, LORD, HAVE I BEEN THERE,

LEFT BEHIND AND SO ALL ALONE

WHILE MY LOVES TRAVEL THE PATH OF LIGHT

TO YOU AND YOUR BLESSED HOME

SO, WHEN O’ WHEN, LORD, WILL YOU CALL ME...

IS SOMETHING I DO NOT KNOW

I ONLY UNDERSTAND THAT MY LIFE ISN’T OVER ...

THERE ARE PLACES STILL TO GO

I WILL DO YOUR BIDDING AND SPREAD YOUR WORD

AND KEEP MY FAITH IN YOU

FOR EVENTS IN MY LIFE HAVE PROVEN TO ME

THAT YOUR WORD IS O’ SO TRUE

PLEASE SEND ME SOME STRENGTH TO HELP ME

GET PAST THIS MISERY OF MISSING SOMEONE

WISH THAT I COULD HEAR A MESSAGE, LORD

TELLING ME THAT SHE’S SAFE AT HOME

I WILL KEEP MY HEART OPEN FOR A PRECIOUS SIGN

FROM YOU...I KNOW IT HAS TO COME

TELLING ME THAT OTHERS FROM OUR OWN TWO LIVES

NOW HOLD HER WITH ARMS SO GENTLE AND WARM

AND WILL KEEP HER CLOSE, NOT LET HER FEAR

THE CHANGE THAT SHE HAS JUST GONE THROUGH

YET I KNOW FROM OUR TALKS THAT SHE WAS READY TO GO

O’ SO READY TO COME HOME TO YOU

SO MANY TIMES, LORD, HAVE I BEEN AFRAID

TO START AGAIN, FEELING SO SORRY

TO BE ONE LESS PERSON SHORT, IN MY LIFE,

WHEN THEY HAVE GONE HOME TO YOUR GLORY

BUT I KNOW NOW, LORD, THAT I HAVE A PURPOSE

THIS SWEET LIFE YOU GAVE TO ME I MUST LIVE

SEEK THE HEARTS OF OTHERS WHO READ MY WRITTEN WORDS

THAT YOU’VE BEEN SO GRACIOUSLY KIND TO GIVE

ANOTHER POEM, ANOTHER REACH, ANOTHER INSTANT IN TIME

UNTIL ALL THE WORDS ARE SAID AND THEN

I WILL HEAR YOU SAY “COME, NOW YOU ARE MINE”

WITH A HAPPY STEP TO A BRAND NEW WORLD

I WILL DANCE TO YOUR SIDE AND SHALL KNEEL

TO RECEIVE YOUR BLESSING AND EVERLASTING LOVE...

AND THAT TIMELESS, WONDROUS, GONE-HOME THRILL

WILL FINALLY BE JUST MINE, LORD,

MY OWN TIME... MY HOME TIME...TO FEEL

LINDA VALE MARTIN © FEBRUARY 18, 2009