This book is about the wonder of love, of marriage, of parenthood, and of life. The ups and downs of living, the power of love to help a person triumph over adversity, the joy of being a father and much more are lovingly described through the poetry inside.

Soulmate

By Richard Reith

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2012 Richard Reith
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4772-7865-9

Contents

Dance Me To The End Of Time............................................1Love Is................................................................2Women..................................................................3And I Love Her.........................................................6Standing Strong Against Cancer.........................................7Soulmate...............................................................8Every So Often.........................................................12Her Veterans Day.......................................................14A Girl's Best Friend...................................................16A Tapestry.............................................................18Her Father's Hands.....................................................20A Simple Peck..........................................................23Aftermath..............................................................24My Daughter............................................................25Family Outing..........................................................26The Invisible Man......................................................28To My New Granddaughter................................................30Angels With One Wing...................................................31Whenever I Dream.......................................................32Firsts.................................................................34Eyes Gently Closed.....................................................35She Finally Tried......................................................36I'm Not Sure I Love You, But...........................................37I Am Tumor.............................................................39Love in a Dream........................................................40If I Could Have Lived One More Day.....................................42Morning Prayers........................................................44Moths..................................................................46My Blessed Pen.........................................................47New Birth..............................................................48On the Marriage of My Daughter.........................................49On the Marriage of My Son..............................................50Once...................................................................51Paradise...............................................................52Slow Dance.............................................................53I Whisper to the Forest................................................54Somewhere..............................................................55Spiritual Love.........................................................56Strangers..............................................................58The Cost of War........................................................59The Lovers.............................................................60The New Marriage.......................................................62The Poet...............................................................63The Puppet.............................................................64The Reminder...........................................................65The Wonder of Love.....................................................68This Selfsame Man......................................................69Today..................................................................70Together...............................................................71Trust..................................................................72If Two Souls Were Ever One.............................................73Her Unexpected Love....................................................74Until Him..............................................................76We Came to Nam.........................................................80Whenever I Dream.......................................................82A Winter Night in Carrington, ND.......................................84You are Love...........................................................85"You Have Cancer" (When Death Knocks at your Door).....................86Losing a Generation of Heroes..........................................88A Doctor, And a Woman..................................................90Coming Together........................................................91Ethereal Love..........................................................92Free and Wild..........................................................93Language of My Love....................................................94The World of the Poet..................................................95Daddy..................................................................96Walk With Me...........................................................97If I Could See.........................................................99A Place................................................................101Better Off.............................................................103

Chapter One

    Dance Me To The
    End Of Time

    By Rich Reith

    I still remember
    the expression in your eyes,
    the tear,
    the joy
    the day I took you in my arms
    and swore to dance you to the end of time.

    Soft and warm in my strong arms,
    Love never wavering,
    Resolve never ceasing,
    We have danced our lives away,
    together.

    The melodies of our life—
    Sometimes soulful and blue,
    sometimes vibrant and uplifting,
    sometimes serene
    and always enduring.

    Through it all we discovered
    the paramount lesson of love:
    It isn't the music that matters ...
    What matters is
    who you dance with
    to the end of time ...


    Love Is

    By Rich Reith

    The gleam in your eyes,
    The beat of your heart,
    The lows and the highs,
    Make fireworks start.

    A kiss on my lips,
    The scent of your hair,
    A heartbeat that skips
    at the love in your stare.

    Your hand's soothing touch,
    Your body near mine,
    That warms me so much
    and sends quivers inside

    Your wry, crooked smile
    In a moment of bliss,
    Two eyes that beguile—
    Yes, love is all this

    The sound of your voice,
    The warmth of your skin,
    Two hearts that rejoice
    As love burns within.

    Your cheek on my chest,
    As soft as a dove,
    Devotion professed—
    All this
    Is love


    Women

    By Rich Reith

    And it came to pass that a Holy Man roamed the earth.
    He came to a small town
    And the men came to him and said,
    "Man of God, tell us of Woman's place in God's world."

    He sat down,
    Lifted up his eyes to heaven,
    Then down to the eyes of the men before him.

    "A woman is a special creation of God,
    The tree of humanity,
    Providing tranquility, unconditional love,
    and life-giving sustenance
    To all who rest in her shadow
    And find safety in her boughs.

    "Her tap root is her spirituality.
    Her root goes deep into the nourishing waters of God's strength
    Sustaining her through the droughts that life puts her through.
    And through this special connection to God
    She brings His peace to all around her.

    "The roots that spread beneath the earth around her
    Are her family.
    They provide the stability and assurance of the future
    That keep her straight and unyielding through all winds,
    And the capriciousness of life.

    "Her leaves and flowers and fruit are her femininity,
    Her face to the world,
    Bringing beauty and gentleness to an often harsh world,
    Softening the rough edges of those around her.
    You men joke about how she works at her feminine image,
    Of make-up and painted nails and heels and flowered clothes.
    It is these rituals that keep her alive in her womanhood,
    Remind her of her beauty and femininity,
    And keep her strong in her place in the world.

    "Yet, just as the tree you plant today
    Ten years from now will be different,
    So shall the woman you join your life with
    grow and transform before your eyes.
    As she grows, she will focus now on her spirituality ...

    Now on her children ...

    Now on her husband ...

    Now on those outside her family ...

    Now on her growth ...

    For as sure as God designed her to be His angel on earth,
    She shall adapt and grow to best nurture those she loves,
    Those who depend on her,
    Those who love her,
    And herself.

    But just as a woman is ever changing,
    So must you be steadfast and abiding.
    A husband is the rain and the sun
    And the nutrients of life.
    He is the unfailing protector of his wife,
    His children,
    His world.
    He is their constant shield against the wind,
    The ardent supporter of her growth and change.
    He is her protection from the enemies of her growth:
    Fear,
    distrust
    and loneliness,

    Even as he stays constant.

    For just as God and family and world
    Need the adapting nature of a woman,
    So do they need the enduring essence of the man.


    And I Love Her

    by Rich Reith

    She is my breath of spring,
    my shade in the summer heat.
    And I love her.

    She is the scent of jasmine in the air,
    the comfort of a soft rain,
    the wonder of the star-filled firmament,
    and I love her.

    She is the sun in my sky,
    the breeze on my cheeks,
    the sound of birds in the air.
    And I love her.

    She caresses my senses
    with the touch of love,
    the wonder of peace,
    the joy
    of pure contentment.

    To the world,
    she is simply a person.
    To this person,
    she is simply his world.

    And I love her ...


    Standing Strong
    Against Cancer

    By Rich Reith

    Standing strong is not so easy
    when your life is on the line
    And a head that rests uneasy
    cannot count on God's design.

    Standing strong against the demon
    Standing fast against a foe
    When terror's all that's setting in,
    Foreboding is all I know.

    Standing strong for loved ones
    battling with their fears,
    Playing clown from sun to sun
    til real life interferes.

    Walking down that lonesome path
    walking in a trance
    Wond'ring why I deserved God's wrath,
    this fickle circumstance.

    Though doubts and darkness smother me
    I endure with head held high

    I demand
    to stand
    with the ones who live
    and not the ones who die.


    Soulmate

    By Richard Reith

    He saw her over the gulf of eternity
    Sitting under the great oak.
    Her body swathed in white chiffon
    and lace,
    Her knees up
    Her body cradled over the box ...
    the box of gold ...
    her gift.

    She sat there crying,
    Her grief touching every fibre of her soul.
    For inside the box was her gift,
    of love, her soul, her desire, her need.
    The priceless seeds of her womanhood.
    With love
    those seeds would grow,
    venture out of the box into the sunlight,
    and through their growth
    fill her life with color
    the sweet bouquet of flowers,
    the wonder of birds and butterflies
    attracted by it's beauty.

    But her box was grey,
    Covered with years of neglect,
    the seeds resting on bone-dry soil.
    Her heart in hibernation.
    Her tears tracing lines down her cheek.

    He watched her.
    He understood.
    She fell asleep.

    She woke to see him there
    The box cradled lovingly in his lap
    Toolbox by his side.
    He was a million miles away
    across the great gulf
    yet seemed to be right next to her.

    And she watched,
    as his loving hands treasured it
    wiped away the years
    brought back the dazzling shine of the gold,
    made all the years of neglect disappear.

    Time stood still as she watched.
    The gold was battered,
    dented and scraped,
    marks of the pain in her life.
    Each mark disappeared under his loving attention,
    each dent pulled out
    each scrape buffed clean.

    Time, he seemed to have endless time,
    as he focused his love on each flaw,
    one by one,
    tears in his eyes as he understood the pain each one signified,
    then erasing it with his loving hands.

    The gentle light from his eyes,
    and the water from his tears,
    nourished her seeds,
    bringing life and beauty where there once was desolation.

    And then he was there,
    next to her.
    She lost herself in his eyes
    as he tenderly placed the treasure
    in her hands.

    "Take it forever!" she started to cry,
    but a tender brush of his lips against hers stifled the cry in her throat.

    "My love," he said,
    "God has placed us on opposite sides of a great gulf.
    Only He can make that gulf disappear, and He will,
    in His own time.
    Until then, we have His work to do,
    each on our own side.
    When that work is done, He will look on us with favor,
    for it is He who sent me to you."

    He took her hands in his
    touched his lips to hers, and said, "But this covenant I make: when
    you need me, summon me.
    I will come to your side.
    And every night I shall return, to wipe away every scratch,
    fix every flaw,
    that life has put on the gift of your womanhood.
    I will lie with you and ease your pain.
    And when the gulf is gone, when eternity is ours,
    I will place your gift in a place of honor,
    So the world will see, and understand
    That I treasure you
    your womanhood
    your love
    your precious spirit.
    They will all know that you have finally received
    the love you deserve."

    And he was gone.
    She wept.
    Then a soft voice was heard from all around her
    and inside her ...
    "My, child. When you thought it was a man you needed
    I let you choose a man.
    But he took your gift, and put it on a shelf
    To wither
    To die.
    When you thought it was a lover you needed
    You chose a lover
    Who simply used your gift as a stepping stool
    to reach over the walls in his life which he despised.

    No, it is not a man you need,
    for a man cannot comprehend your heart.
    And it is not a lover you need. A lover is like a firefly,
    illuminating your life for a moment,
    then leaving you to deal with the darkness
    Until it flashes again.
    So I have taken it into my own hands
    and shown you what you truly need.

    He is not just a man, though a man he is.
    He is not just a lover, though a lover he is.
    He is the man I have given you forever ...
    He ... is your soulmate"


    Every So Often

    by Rich Reith

    Every so often
    there will be times
    you will not comprehend
    why I do some things I do.
    But always comprehend ...
    I love you.

    Every so often
    there will be times
    that you don't understand
    your own anger at me.
    But always understand ...
    I love you.

    Every so often
    there will be times
    when you don't agree with my choices in life.
    Sometimes I second guess them too.
    But always agree ...
    that I love you.

    God made us male and female.
    He placed us
    in different families,
    unique cultures.
    He cultivated our hearts
    in different ways
    and sent us off on different paths
    only to converge them into one with our vows.

    And above all,
    above all other reality,
    God gave us love.

    Every so often
    there will be moments
    when you want to walk away.
    And every so often
    there will be times
    when you feel ready to give up.

    Love gets you through those times
    Love gets me through those times
    Unconditional love is our foundation
    And our house will eternally weather
    "Every so often ..."


    Her Veterans Day

    By Rich Reith

    She sits in the dark kitchen,
    Cup of coffee cradled in her hands.
    Veterans Day.
    Visit to his grave.
    Tears filling her heart.

    He died one day.
    And the bullet that stopped his heart,
    ripped through hers
    a world away.

    Her forever love
    Died one day
    On the sands of some godforsaken desert.
    He died one day
    Protecting the world
    From new Hitler, just as evil.

    They will celebrate her forever love today,
    As every year.
    He died one day.
    And she dies every day, anew.

    She lives now as a gardener,
    Nurturing, watering, raising
    The two flowers of their love.
    Two daughters,
    Who will never remember their father.
    Raised by the woman
    Who will never forget.

    Veterans day.
    But who will lay the wreath
    At the graveside of her heart?


    A Girl's Best Friend

    By Rich Reith

    A dad sits back in wonder
    at the friendship he watched grow,
    Two ships navigating lifes rocky seas
    yet with bonds he couldn't know.

    At six her mother understood
    daughters giggles, squeals and smiles,
    her carefree life, her naivete
    unspoiled by human trials.

    At thirteen her mother understood
    changing self, awkwardness, and doubts,
    first love, first kiss, first everything,
    and stayed her rock throughout.

    At twenty one, she celebrated
    her independence and wonder.
    And held her up through every fear
    Through good decision, and blunder.

    At twenty-six she understood
    The anxiety and joy of new life
    In ways that only a mother could—
    Loving mother, best friend, loving wife.

    Because she'll sit in the kitchen
    with ice cream, one spoon and another,
    And talk of love and life til break of dawn—
    A girl's true best friend ... is her mother.

    And dad just smiles at the bonds that be,
    The understanding, compassion and love
    And thanks the Lord for such as she
    His blessing from above ...

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Soulmateby Richard Reith Copyright © 2012 by Richard Reith. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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