image by Glegle, on Pixabay
Hearts of Joy Magnified
As solo flutist played
at morning church service
an uplifting melody,
I reflected upon
how I found myself drawn
to its pure, simple beauty…
An ensemble of three,
with strings plucked merrily,
sweetened background to its play.
Yet what I felt most plain,
through the verse and refrain,
was the joy in hearts displayed—
each note echoed above,
praising God for His love,
by angelic hosts arrayed.
*
Fallen Heroes Shining Above
To all of you
we know by name,
yet whose faces
lie below,
who buzzed the air
or sailed the sea
or manned ridgelines
in the snow;
Who flew so high
or kissed the depths
of deep valleys
undersea,
who crossed trenches
and braved shrapnel
to push back
the enemy;
We only saw
your silhouettes
when God called you
to His reign,
freeing your souls
from bonds of earth
amidst courage
and great pain;
When we behold
the brightest light
illumining
from above,
we feel you still
in strands of warmth,
the sun pulsing
with your love.
Douglas J. Lanzo, an award-winning poet and novelist, has had 372 poems find homes in 66 literary journals and 7 anthologies across the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, England, Wales, Austria, Mauritius, India, Japan, and Australia. Doug’s debut novel, The Year of the Bear, won several literary awards, including Ames 2023 Best YA Book of the Year. His second book, an Army Ranger romance suspense novella, will be released by Ambassador International in April. Doug resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with
his wife and twin sons and fellow internationally published poets, enjoying nature, tennis, fishing, and chess. His author’s website is located at
March 2024 issue
Beautiful touching poems. I'm especially touched by the poem "Fallen Heroes Shining Above."
"we feel you still
in strands of warmth"