The Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief

Sept. 11, 2011 | Tom Hoefling

[EternalVigilance]

Just a little poem, from the heart, on what is a somber weekend for me personally, and for my country...

[EternalVigilance]

The Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief

Whether taken by violence
Or by sickness or disease
I mourn them still
And every scrap of memory seize

Funny, but it's the little things
That I still miss so
I can hear them laugh
And my tears flow

It's a cruel world
It doesn't seem fair
I want them back
Even for a moment
Their absence is hard to bear

But God's grace is sufficient
To save me from my grief
To rescue me from my fall
Out of love He came and bore it
He has conquered
He is risen
He is greater than all

-- Tom Hoefling, Sept. 11, 2011

"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

-- Isaiah 53:3

[basil]

It is a well-written, beautiful poem. Thanks you for sharing it with us.

[DCBurgess58]

Memories is a much better rhyme for disease than sieze is. Sometimes a near rhyme beats the pants off an actual rhyme. It’s a trick songwriters use. Lovely thought though.

[EternalVigilance]

Thanks.

This may sound strange, but I have to tell it anyhow.

Living in the Midwest I’ve seen mourning doves my whole life, always in pairs.

But about an hour ago when I went out onto my front porch there was a whole flock of them on the fence across the street.

Seemed fitting.

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thanks for this.

[basil]

I have never seen a flock of mourning doves, either. How very odd—makes you kind of wonder, doesn’t it?

[MHGinTN]

Beautiful, EV.

[EternalVigilance]

Thanks.

Maybe I should add a little background to why this poem says what it says.

This is an extremely somber weekend for me, not just because it is the ten year anniversary of the remorseless terrorist attacks on our country. As if that wasn’t enough.

Yesterday would have been my sister Sally’s 53rd birthday. But she was brutally murdered seven and a half years ago, as some here may remember. She was a FReeper, HeartofGold.

My Mom had passed several years prior to that of bone cancer, but today would have been her 75th birthday.

And so, writing a little bit of something seemed necessary.

[EternalVigilance]

Five years ago today my son Matthew joined the United States military.

Today, right now, this minute, he is pulling up in his driveway, returning from a tour in Iraq.

I'm very proud of him, and of his beautiful wife Christina.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all my friends who helped pray him through safely.

U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. April Davis, 116th Garrison Command, USD-C

[EternalVigilance]

I’m happy for him, but I have a big smile thinking of his two beautiful daughters, Audrey and Abby, who FINALLY have their Daddy back! He’s here just in time for Audrey’s first day of kindergarten tomorrow! :-)

[Mrs. Don-o]

God bless you, and God bless our son, a man to be proud of!

[Mrs. Don-o]

I mean “YOUR” son! Blessings all around!

[EternalVigilance]

Thank you.

[basil]

God bless your family. Give him a big thanks for us!

[EternalVigilance]

Will do. Thanks!

[MEG33]

Welcome Home to your son, Matthew..I am so grateful for his service to our country.

Enjoy, enjoy enjoy!

[MEG33]

Lovely, EV

[EternalVigilance]

Thanks!

[EternalVigilance]

I’m glad my son is home. But, honestly, I can’t help but still have a very heavy heart today. It’s bittersweet. So many didn’t come home, including the sons of two friends of mine: Nelson Carmen and David Jeffers. Never stop praying for those they left behind.

[MEG33]

I don’t and I won’t EV...
May God comfort all who mourn. Your friends’ sons died protecting me and mine..I don’t forget that the families sacrifice, too.

We do not know what is coming..so we must treasure this moment.

God bless you.