Raton First Presbyterian Church

Faith, Hope and Love

Faith pierces the gray morning clouds,

and a new age has dawned.

A Faith that outstretched wings of Peace will soar,

through stormy skies now calmed.

With Faith we’ll wake to see that promised day,

when swords are hammered into plows.

Faith that moves hills and mountains about,

a Faith that believes and will never Doubt.

Hope with hearts bared and prayers extolled,

that only good will come to pass.

When disease, hunger, the orphaned and cold,

are no longer memories of our past.

Hope that shapes a World of dreams,

and one that keeps us safe.

Hope with a soft and warm caress,

a Hope that will fill our Emptiness.

Love, an unbreakable golden thread,

that weaves through Hearts and Souls.

When Love resonates with Truth from above,

the Heavens open, a Universe unfolds.

Love heals those who stand in it’s Light,

and guides those lost in the Dark.

Love without blame and endless in scope,

a Love that Forgives All, through Faith and Hope.

Reprinted with permission from Jim Sularz

Let the Heavens Sing
I will walk through fields of chrysanthemums,
with giant dragonflies in gloried hues.
In a curved space-time continuum,
I’ll stand in wonder, they’ll peer and zoom.
I will reap, from deep treasures ploughed,
when love’s full measure is weighed in me.
Where far flung coalescing spirit clouds,
conceive their stardust progeny.
With bright candle lights, melt my waxen wings,
rekindle my spirit shadow to set me free.
Then, within my soul, I’ll rejoice and let the Heavens sing,
that it be Earth, I’ve come back to see!

Believe
When blossoms drop and withered fall,
one final drink from solace rain.
A chilling night, dark shadows steal,
lost seed that’s washed away.
Last tears subside, bright stars peek out,
a guiding light beyond timeless shores.
Tethered souls sail through faith-filled seas,
await Tide’s harbor doors.
Young restless larks preen at water’s edge,
launch wide-eyed and catapult free.
Neither stop to sow nor worry themselves,
instead, they just – believe.

A Meadow’s Sanctuary

A morning Meadow - tall, red-yellow speckled,

now, humbled low by the wind.

Conifer Sundials – mirrored shadows,

slowly stretching, dancing, and then diminishing -

along blurred edges of a lush, flowing Sea.

Feathered, high flying Eagles soar, circling small and wide,

against a blue, white pillowed sky.

… a Crow caws.

Nuzzled Prairie Dogs, with tethered tails, scamper for cover,

for danger spirals, just above.

Harvester Ants marching in tiny zigzagged columns,

tunnel an ever deepened Colony -

twisting around canvassed rocks and roots.

Lightning fast Dragonflies – thin tinsel winged airships,

darting, spinning, some kissing.

And white petite wild-flowers,

bobbing from Honey Bees, stand quivering.

Multi-colored Butterflies flutter, undecided,

and brown-helmeted Grasshoppers oddly peer -

like Praying Mantises, eager to leap.

Chirping Sparrows, with cocked tails,

sand-bath in a warm, thirsty, summer Sun.

And Cat-tails, bursting,

pierce through a sparsely wooded Island.

A distant thunder-clap,

and crawling, flat, anvil-headed Clouds -

slide down majestic, snow-capped mountaintops,

marking the hour, like clockwork, this time of year.

Dusk comes, bathed in a warm, orange-amber hue,

waxing and waning with a melting Sun.

A Red Fox stirs, finding at twilight’s gate,

fresh promising scents, for Her young.

And black masked Raccoons steal away,

through soft, cool moonlit grasses –

in a hushed, clown-like parade . . .

As I dwell in this Sanctuary of place and spirit,

beneath an infinite, star-painted canopy.

I know with certainty - of mind, heart and soul,

that when God’s rainbow palette had hardened and dried -

All were - Forever One.

Jim Sularz is an engineer and the author of the above poems. He was stranded in Raton during a snowstorm and to the delight of many recited some of his poems. He has granted permission to use several of his poems on our website. Following is a reply to my email and brief biography along with a link to copyright information.

Hi Shirley,

I would be flattered if you did so. You have my permission to use any of my poems on your church website. Since you enjoy poetry,

I have included a few more of mine of various topics. I hope you enjoy those too. I wrote "Soldiers Called" for my Father, and "Through Mother's Eyes" for my Mother.

Regards,

Jim Sularz

Hi Shirley,

I thought I would provide you with some background information on myself and also provide you with my US Copyright information just in case you need it. Also, I have attached a copy of the Original Union Pacific Gazetteer Rail Road Schedule from 1870. "Stops Along an American Dream" is based on that particular train schedule.

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Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota - 1949. Degree in Electronics Engineering and Nuclear Instrumentation / Control. US Navy Instructor 1974 - 1978: Naval Reactors Facility (Idaho). Vietnam Veteran (USS Enterprise CVAN 65). US Navy for nearly 8 years.

After the military, I hired on with IBM as a Field Engineer (Large Systems Mainframe Support)and then continued my technical role at Amdahl Computers as a Regional Systems Engineer. Currently employed at Fujitsu America as a Senior Staff Systems Engineer.

Married with two children.

I've been writing poetry for about two years. My first poem was "The Sun Burns East to West."

U.S. Copyrights:

http://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?Search_Arg=Sularz&Search_Code=NALL&PID=LADnJb5Hdo38k7wpZrVodQ-sg3DL&SEQ=20110217101956&CNT=25&HIST=1