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Comments
As you often do, you reached me. You named something I did not articulate, but felt. It is innocence indeed that is elemental to that frame of mind required to "see the kingdom of God." And both poems spoke of this. The first one leaves me no wonder that you grew into a poet. Fine poetry committed to memory, like scripture, is further appreciated as we grow, for it remains there in the heart. When I was but 3 years old, my mother helped me memorize the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Of course, I had no idea what it meant "in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity." But as I grew, I did come to understand.
My daughter informs me that a package has arrived for me "from Ambassador Press." (I'm in central PA through next summer, but have kept my mailing address down there in DE.) I'll be down to Rachel's for Thanksgiving, and am looking forward to whatever lagniappe(s) you may have sent me.
The picture of the little girl, above, is a friend's daughter. Both of his children are the kind of people I wanna be "when I grow up." Her name is Grace.
Life does indeed have loveliness to sell
As has happened a number of times before, I wrote a lengthy comment in response to your comment and the exquisite photo of your granddaughter (I assume), and I also included one of my poems that captured the essence of what you tried to communicate with your comment and with the photograph. I had just about completed the response, and blip! The entire comment was lost. It was late and I was too frustrated to try and send it again. This morning after my time of prayer and meditation, I was working on a new book that I’m writing, and I was thinking of the about the subject of “innocence” when the poem that I had included in my long lost comment came to mind:“A Blush of Innocence.” In the original lost commentary I explained the original inspiration for the piece which was an experience that occurred more than 30 years ago when I taught Children’s Fellowship, and I had gone away for a period of time and returned a few years later. One of the young girls that I taught had blossomed into a beautiful young lady, and I was amazed at how quickly she had grown up. She was not even aware of my presence, and she probably didn’t even remember me, but I marveled at her poise and maturity. After a few moments of talking back and forth with her friends, someone said something humorous, and she began to blush. In that instance, I recognized that glimpse of innocence in her eyes, a precious glint that you wish you could freeze frame and keep forever in your heart and mind. Later I came to recognize a similar look in my daughters’ eyes, and when I completed the poem inspired by the experience with the young girl, I dedicated “A Blush of Innocence” to them. Your comment about your desire to be like a child when you grow up expresses my same sentiments in “Man-child, Giddy-up Going on the Great Adventure.” The photo also reflects this same idea. In thinking about innocence, I came to realize that this trait is not only present in little girls but little boys also have this quality until it is somehow tainted or corrupted or defiled. Having such thoughts, I revised “A Blush of Innocence” and added a scripture as an epigraph or introduction and modified the language so that it refers to children rather than just girls.
Once again I see that all things work together for the good, for if I had sent you the original message with the copy of the poem with no revisions, I may not have experienced this remarkable epiphany that your comment and photo generated. By the way, the radiant light captured by the camera gives it an even more angelic effect. It is breathtakingly beautiful. Thanks for sharing your comments and the photos.
In the original comments that I had intended to send to you I also included another poem which I was required to memorize when I was a junior in high school (that was fifty years ago), and I still know it by heart. The first stanza of “Barter” by Sara Teasdale came to mind as I was thinking about the beauty of children. I trust you will enjoy both poems.
Your friend and brother,
Lonnell
Barter
Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children's faces looking up
Holding wonder like a cup.
Life has loveliness to sell,
Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.
Spend all you have for loveliness,
Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstasy
Give all you have been, or could be.
Sara Teasdale
A Blush of Innocence
Remember now your Creator in the days
in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come,
and the years draw near when you say,
"I have no pleasure in them":
Ecclesiastes 12:1
A blush of innocence upon the face
Of budding children at a tender age
Is the rare reward of those who trace
The essence of youth to its purest stage.
The heart of a child is an open garden
Where the rarest of flowers flourish and grow,
Though time schemes and devises to harden
The heart with weeds and walls that hide the glow.
Pure innocence blooms in a young child’s eyes.
Look upon the glowing face and cherish
The petals, the bud where such beauty lies,
For fruit shall come and the blossom perish.
Though beauty spans beyond adolescence,
No smile outshines a blush of innocence.
Lonnell E. Johnson
From Stone upon Stone: Psalms of Remembrance
Revised 11-22-08
Upon Turning Twenty-one
The day came and went,
but felt no different—
a day like any other,
yet why so much significance.
This special date:
June 17, 1963
Should mean so much to me,
But I felt as I did at seventeen.
Was I then a man or am I yet to be?
I felt that way when I turned 55! Guess I'm a man-child, too. I know kids who are like what I wanna be "when I grow up"!