church, a birthday thing, and a POD

here is the catch up of my day thus far.

Sunday is church day. Our Sunday service starts at 11 am and usually runs until 1 pm. The church is a 30 to 45 minute drive from home. We did our usual. We picked up the grand baby. She loves going to church with Grandma and Papaw. Today, however, after church was a surprise birthday party for the Pastor. He turned 71 today. Because of his health and energy, you would never guess him much past 60, though.

Before we left for church, my oldest daughter "A" called me about poetry. She didn't like the TS Eliot poem I found for her renewal ceremony. She had been searching online for poems and decided to check out the website of her favorite poet. (That would be me, her dear old dad.) She found one she liked but it didn't fit exactly. Tammy mentioned, loud enough to be heard, that she needed a POD. A POD, she questioned, What is a POD? POD is Poetry On Demand. Over the years, several close friends have requested poems for certain occasions. They would tell me the situation and what they wanted to say, and I would go from there. I do have a couple things in my favor. I am very empathic. I can seem to feel what those around me are feeling. It goes back to a prayer I prayed about being more compassionate. Also, I do know how to write. It isn't being conceited, it is just a fact. I call it one of my gifts from God.

"A" found a poem with a couple lines she liked and asked for her POD. The lines she liked were on a brass folding purse mirror that I had engraved as an anniversary gift when her mom and I were married. They were also in another poem I wrote years ago. I took those words and what I felt from her an composed a new poem. I called her this afternoon and she was pleased that it was done (I mean, we only have 8 months until the ceremony.)

You will see the lines she liked in the following poem:

I Knew

I knew you before I knew you

There are things we have and outgrow
There are clothes that become too small
There are toys that become too childish
For all the possessions that come and go
There are things that we keep all our lives
One of the deepest is the idea
That there is someone just to love us
It is reinforced every time
We see lovers holding hands
It grows every time
We see couples steal a kiss
From our birth we have held this knowing
There is someone out there
Someone just for me to love
And to love me in return
So you see,
I knew you
Before I knew you

I knew you, and then I loved you

When I first met you I did not know
I didn’t know if you were that one
I didn’t know where you were going to fit
I didn’t know what place you would hold
But I knew you
You were like a rose
I was captivated by your charm
I was awed by your beauty
The vibrancy of your colors
The sharpness of your thorns
Time passed
And my heart fell in love with you
I knew you
And then I loved you

I loved you, and then I knew you

As our love grew
I began to behold
As the rose opened itself
Revealing more and more
What I knew I knew more
What I loved I loved more
The love became deeper
The knowing became fuller
The more I knew The more I loved,
The more I loved The more I knew,
I loved you
And then I knew you

Before I knew you, I knew you
I knew you, and then I loved you
I loved you, and then I knew you

Ron Simpson, Jr.
October 26, 2008