One Last Good Night

One Last Good Night

The last good night before everything changes,

Used to read you bed time stories,

Sing you a lullaby as rocked you to sleep.

Now you are all grown up and we can share joy and celebrate.

Can still be sad that one will be missing when say good night.

August 17, 2016, On last good night at home with son before going to college.

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet.

When We Were Young

 When We Were Young

When we were young

And love was naïve

Not knowing what we didn't know

A young thrill in being together

A happiness in found each other

Seeing where that has led

Father's mercy upon us

As dross removed from character

Purification required for depth of intimacy

Didn't know what we didn't know

When we were young

And love was naïve

Not knowing what we didn't know

Union together in heat of relationship

Boiling impurities and wounds to surface

Drawn off as only marriage can do

Pain and suffering of longings unfulfilled

Intimacy's cry breaking heart of stone

Not knowing what didn't know

When we were young

And love was naïve

Not knowing what we didn't know

After all these years hope awakens

Young love kindles in soul

Redemption for years of suffering

He knew what we didn't know

When we were young

And love was naïve

Not knowing what we didn't know

His loving hand of training and discipline

Teaching how to give and receive love

Exploring what my being truly desires

Not settling for false offers of the world

Transformation's journey full of twists and turns

The journey of love and intimacy

When we were young

And love was naïve

Not knowing what we didn't know

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-056A)

Magical Moments

Pilot, our English Shepherd, captured in the snow

Magical Moments

Magical moments

Flakes captured

Surreal image

See as eye can't

Symbiotic beauty of animals

In element of creation

Graced to participate

Recalling gift of life

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-055B)

Angel Wings

         Angel Wings

Angel wings rustle the tall grass

Solitude on the high plains

Gentle warmth of sun

A late Winter's day

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-046A)

Hole in Soul

    Hole in Soul

            -i-

A hole in the soul

External can't fill

Numbing attempts to be whole

Can't be still

           -ii-

A hole in the soul

Leaking life

Thoughts roll

Internal strife

          -iii-

A hole in the soul

Longing to be free

Heart's desire to be full

Hoping to see

           -iv-

A hole in the soul

What can it mean

Innocence stole

Ache to be clean

            -v-

A hole in the soul

Damage of sin

Absolution's gravitational pull

Toxic poison within

           -vi-

A hole in the soul

A journey to take

A hole in the soul

A life to embrace

          -vii-

A hole in the soul

Redemption

Soul is whole

Soul is whole

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-051A)

Margins

                   Margins

Fine line across the edge of horizon

Gray-blue clouds hug close

Razor thin edge of light seeps through

Against the brown of dormant Winter

Razor thin margins in life

Miss living with all the motion

In a fog going nowhere fast

False importance of deceptions believe

Razor thin margins in relationships

Superficial connection settles in

Emptiness mingles in the space

Wonder why tears grace face

Razor thin margins of mind

Clutter fills every waking moment

Crisis to crisis the norm

Life's one consuming storm

Razor thin margins of soul

So busy trying to fill this hole

People and things just swallowed within

Must quiet self and be still

Razor thin margins in body

Pride in being needed

Sacrifice body for false comfort

Congruence of simpler walk

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-042C)

Drawn Out

     Drawn Out

Internal joy wells up

Springing from hope

Igniting faith

Re-formed and created

Transformation's journey

Dross pulled out in trials

Vulnerability opens purity

Teachable and soft

Who I am drawn out

Distortions removed

Clarity of being

Renewed and alive

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-041A)

Chase No More

            Chase No More

Old black collie chases no more

In blackness prior to dawn

Headlights pierce the darkness

Charging out of the ditch

No time to react on the long dirt road

Each time pass hope to see him waiting

Sadness crosses face

The old black collie will chase no more

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-047B)

Exchange Shame

         Exchange Shame

Transformation's exchange

Must remember the forgotten

Memories awakened for complete redemption

And exchange relationship with shame

For Father's redeeming love

What's been suppressed, unbound

Contempt explored, source healed with a touch

Healing comes - slowly and quickly

Transformed moment by moment

From stain of sin's separation

His waves of love surge and ebb

Gently cleansing stains and debris

Engulfed in His ocean of love

Into His sea of forgetfulness

No longer draining life, energy, and hope

Each breath cleansing and free

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-040A)

Hair On Fire

       Hair On Fire

Always a crisis

Events foreseen, yet ignored

Light their hair on fire

Magical thinking with wave of a wand

Years of neglect resolved with a wish

Hair's still on fire

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-047B)

Damaged Insulation

    Damaged Insulation

Dielectric damaged

Solid insulation split

Cracked at X0 bushing

Allowing moisture to penetrate

Current transformer's irreparable damage

Recycle is their redemption

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-042B)

Engaged in Early Light

         Engaged in Early Light

Fox moving quickly

In early morn' light

Snow floating softly

As he moves across snow covered stubble

Beauty of fluffy tail

Graceful movement

Efficient as continues quest

Present enough to observe what's around me

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-011z)

Feedlot

            Feedlot

Damp aroma clings to air

Feedlot two miles away

Wafts thick as temperature warms

Gradually olfactory dulls to smell

To one smell of goodness

To another a stench

To another a steak

To another an offense

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-037Z)

Morning Commute

      Morning Commute

In the predawn hour

Shadow takes form at side of the road

Mule deer deciding on shoulder

Break hard as sudden pivot and bounds away

Tail lights spew red

Back into the shelter of darkness

We each resume our journey

Shadows melting as sky lightens

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-037A)

Deep Anchors

         Deep Anchors

Love's spark ignites

As hope blows softly on embers

Once given up as dead

A phoenix rises from cold ashes

Seed that must die

Fall's into ground

Warmth of sun on dark place

Resurrection birthed in womb

Years of waiting, hoping

Finally wind of life blows

Awakening that which has lain in the ground

Roots gone deep before breaks the soil's crust

Attuned to harsh conditions

Driving deep anchors of soul

Internal transformation grows

Soon external fruit known

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-038B)

Facing Mortality

  Facing Mortality

Each passing day

Building decade upon decade

Awaken to reality

Facing own mortality

On edge of periphery

Subtle change no longer ignore

Feel an extra ache

Body knows time passing

Young soul captive in aging body

Aware of time now

Each day becomes more precious

On this side of eternity to walk with Father

To know Him before body fails

To know Him before return back to Him

Intimacy with Him reflected

Living together our love flows

Advancing His kingdom

Surrendering my interpretation

Allowing Him space to dwell

That I might know Him

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-039A)

Re-Cover

      Re-Cover

Ripped and torn

Used and time worn

Needs re-covered

Sin damaged and stained

Doesn't have to remain

Need re-covered

Shame has a fabric

Bound in black

Still need re-covered

Exposed and bare

Broken in despair

Still need re-covered

Vulnerable and humble

Love washed clean

Re-covered, re-deemed

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-039A)

Love Breaks Through

     Love Breaks Through

Love floods with warmth

Awakens frozen places

Hope arises in barrenness

Found again in Love's embrace

Deep at soul's core

Love sparks dead place to life

A breath of life in innermost being

What once was dead resurrected

A re-form-nation of being

A transformation begins

Metamorphosis from death to life

Wayward, lost parts found

Restoration of all that's lost

All in a moment

One touch of His hand and everything changes

Once dead, now alive - love breaks through

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-035C)

Beech and Elm

              Beech and Elm

Wind surges like the surf
Pounding as breaks upon beech and elm
In sets of waves the wind cycles
Gusting warmth over Winter's snowy remnants

Trickling of water in rivulets
Dripping as ice yields swiftly
Wind lustfully drinks
Robbing rivulets of reaching river

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-035Z)

Come Alive

          Come Alive

Fiery blood horizon line
First edge of red sun
Appears casting pink hues
Softly on gentle clouds

Pink tint blankets the hills
Glory of another sunrise
Awakens all that Winter numbs
Come alive my soul

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-034B)

Stains Deep

       Stains Deep

Stains so deep
Marking strands of DNA
Seared into memory
Automatic body response

Washed clean in His blood
Jesus paid it all
No need to double pay
Scrubbing clean deep stain

What once was, no more
Redeemed and claimed
No longer stained
Cleansed by the blood of the Lamb

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-032A)

Wolf Moon

       Wolf Moon

Wolf moon fills the night
Full moon's light
Seductively dressed in white

Awakens primal call
Of time prior to the Fall
Climb over internal wall

Adventure awaits under pale white
See differently in dimmer light
Shadows linger in the night

Tear down false suffering's wall
Not fatal to fall
Respond to beauty's call.

The full moon in January is called the wolf moon.

About the Author:  Brian Bucks lives on a small horse ranch in Western Nebraska and is a husband, father, electrical engineer, and poet. (17-012A)