A selection from
John Paul of Homespun

A WHITE ROSE

by John Boyle O'Reilly (1844-1890)

The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
Oh, the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.

But I send you a cream-white rosebud,
With a flush on its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips

@->->>----

I'D MARRY YOU AGAIN

With tiny tears that glistened,
my eyes were fixed on you.
and thinking of the life we'd share,
we softly said "I do."

Our hearts were knit together
from the time that we first met,
and memories were gathered,
that we never will forget.

While daily living life with you,
you saw the real me,
and still you chose acceptance,
a lifelong mystery.

With many happy days gone by,
and others when we cried
Some days we'd share so endlessly,
while other days we'd hide.

With all the ups and downs we've had,
in learning to be friends,
I know that in this heart of mine,
I'd marry you again.

THE ART OF MARRIAGE

by Wilford A. Peterson

Happiness in marriage is something
that does not just happen.
A good marriage must be created.
In the art of marriage
the little things are the big things.

...It is never too old to hold hands.

...It is remembering to say,
"I Love You,"
at least once a day.

...It is never going to sleep angry.

...It is forming a circle of love
that gathers in the whole family.

...It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship shouldn't end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through the years.

...It is doing things for each other,
not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice
but in the spirit of joy.

...It is speaking words of appreciation and
demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

...It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo
or the wife to have the wings of an angel.

...It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience,
understanding, and a sense of humor.

...It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

...It is giving each other an atmosphere
in which each can grow.

...It is finding room for things of the spirit.
This is a common search
for the good and the beautiful.

...It is not marrying the right partner,
it is BEING the right partner.

...It is discovering what marriage can be,
at its best, as expressed in the words of
Mark Twain used in a tribute to his wife:
"Wherever she was, there was Eden."

LOVE IS...

by Susan Polis Schutz

Love is
being happy for the other person
when they are happy being sad for the other person
when they are sad being together in good times
and being together in bad times
Love is the source of strength

Love is
being honest with yourself at all times
being honest with the other person at all times
telling, listening, respecting the truth
and never pretending
Love is the source of reality

Love is
an understanding that is so complete that
you feel as if you are a part of the other person
accepting the other person just the way they are
and not trying to change them to be something else
Love is the source of unity

Love is
the freedom to pursue your own desires
while sharing your experiences with the other person
the growth of one individual alongside of
and together with the growth of another individual
Love is the source of success

Love is
the excitement of planning things together
the excitement of doing things together
Love is the source of the future

Love is
the fury of the storm
the calm of the rainbow
Love is the source of passion

Love is
giving and taking in a daily situation
being patient with each other's needs and desires
Love is the source of sharing

Love is
knowing that the other person
will always be with you regardless of what happens
missing the other person when they are away
but remaining near in heart at all times
Love is the source of security

Love is the source of life

YOU ARE THE BEST

-Collin McCarty

Your wonderful qualities have made
a lasting impression on me that I
will admire for as long as I live.

You give me so much to be thankful for.

You have wisdom that goes beyond
your words, a sweetness that goes
beyond your smile, and a heart of pure gold.

You take the time to hear my deepest
thoughts, my feelings, and my fears.

You've dried tears no one else could see,
you've helped me find happiness,
and you've taught me that I really can
make some of my dreams come true.

There isn't a more special person
in all the world . . . than you.

A MOMENT IN TIME

by Polly Perkins

The wind did blow, both light and strong
The lovely day you came along;
I watch you climbing up the hill
Alive with color and whippoorwills.

The sun was shining on your hair.
Your eyes sparkled to see me there.
I tucked your loving hand in mine,
For we were one in endless time.

We wandered and dreamed of our love
Till stars were shining up above;
And when the wind began to chill,
We walked together down the hill.

JUST BEING FRIENDS

Friendship happens in that special moment
when someone reaches out to another,
trusts, comforts, believes in another,
and makes a special difference
that no one else can make.

A PLACE IN YOUR HEART

By Ashley Rice

I would like to have a house with a window
to the sea and a tiny garden right outside.
I'd sit out front and listen to the trees
and smile as the world went by...

I would like to have a place with a window
to your heart, so I would know what you
were feeling all the time. I'd watch your days
and listen to your dreams and give you
part of everything that's mine.

I would like to have a house with a window
to the sea and a place in your heart next to mine.
By the window, I'd give you my only key,
so you could come and visit anytime.

I would like to give you a place in my heart,
right next to the wind and the sea.
I'd sit outside on the front porch and wait...

and smile when I saw you coming.

YOU'RE ON MY MIND

by Colin McCarty

I find that you're on my mind
more often than any other thought.
Sometimes I bring you there purposely
to console me or to warm me
or just to make my day a little brighter.

But so often you surprise me
and find your own way into my thoughts.
There are times when I awaken and realize
what a tender part of my dreams
you have been

And on into the day
whenever a peaceful moment
seems to come my way
and my imagination is free to run,
it takes me running into your arms
and allows me to linger there
Knowing there's nothing I'd rather do.

I know that my thoughts are only
reflecting the loving hopes of my heart
Because whenever they wander
they always take me to you.

I CARE ABOUT YOU!

by Colin McCarty

I care about you more than I can say.
And that caring and that feeling
have a meaning that is more precious
and more special to me than I can explain.

But let me try to tell you this . . .

Saying "I care" means
that I will always do everything
I can to understand.
It means that I will never hurt you.

It means that you can trust me.
It means that you can tell me what's wrong.

It means that I will try to fix what I can,
that I will listen when you need me to hear,
and that even in your most difficult moment
all you have to do is say the word,
and your hand and my hand will not be apart.

It means that whenever you speak to me,
whether words are spoken through a smile
or through a tear . . . I will listen with my heart.

TO THE ONE I LOVE

To The One I love, here's a message for you.
To tell you how I feel, To tell you that I'm true.

I love you now, I loved you then.
In other words, my love never ends.

You are the best You are the one.
To make my life complete, To make my life fun.

I'm always here for you, As you will see.
I will never leave you, Throughout Eternity.

I LOVE YOU

The happiest moments of my life
Are those I spend with you
The memories that mean most to me
Are those between us two.

And I'm hoping that this greeting
Will show at least in part
That you alone will always hold
First place within my heart.

TRUE LOVE....

True love given is a promise never broken
In a moment of anger bitter words left unspoken
It's forgiving, forgetting what you forgave
It's each other's pride considered to save.
It's knowing of when one is lost and in doubt.
It's believing together you will figure it out.
It's hurrying to waiting arms at night
It's the comfort and strength you gain from your love'
your guiding light.
It's her smile saying, " Thank God you're here."
It's his smile answering her unspoken prayer.
It the dreams of all the tomorrow's yet to be
It's your futures carefully planned, making it a reality.
the rewards are many, when love is true
It's your adored one whispering,
"I Love You."

WHAT IS A SWEETHEART?

A sweetheart is the someone
you could write a book about.
The one you love to be with
And you hate to be without.

A sweetheart understands your moods,
And laughs at things you say;
Or sees you when you're at your worst
But loves you anyway.

A sweetheart is a knowing look,
A hand within your own;
A voice you always want to hear
When you pick up the phone

A sweetheart is the one you kiss
And make up with again
When there's a little difference
Of opinion now and then.

A sweetheart is the someone
That you're always thinking of
And the very special reason
Why you know that you're in love

RECIPE FOR LOVE

A ream of respect,
A run of romance,
A pail full of passion,
And maybe a dance.

A huge helping of honesty,
A truckload of trust,
A handful of humor
A lacing of lust.

A quart of kindness
A dash of daring,
A half bucket of blindness
A couple cups full of caring.

A declaration of admiration
A liberal liter of loyalty,
A can full of contemplation
A realization of royalty.

A hint of humility
Four feet of fun
Five fists full of friendship,
And faith by the ton.

FROM THE HEART

by Laurel Atherton

In your happiest and most exciting moments,
my heart will celebrate and smile beside you.
In your lowest lows, my love will be there
to keep you warm, to give you strength,
and to remind you that your sunshine
is sure to come again.

In your moments of accomplishment,
I will be filled so full of pride
that I may have a hard time
keeping the feeling inside me.

In your moments of disappointment,
I will be a shoulder to cry on,
and a hand to hold,
and a love that will gently enfold you
until everything's okay.

In your gray days, I will help you search,
one by one, for the colors of the rainbow.
In your bright and shining hours,
I will be smiling, too,
right beside you.

In your life, I wish I could give you
a very special gift.
It would be this:

When you look in the mirror in the days ahead,
may you smile a hundred times more
than frowning at what you see.
Smile because you know that a loving,
capable, sensible, strong, precious person
is reflected there.

And when you look at me,
may you remember how very much I love you...
and how much I'll always care.

THE MARRIAGE GARDEN

Planting Directions

Plant the seeds of a happy marriage garden
in careful tender rows,
between hugs and commitment,
with unconditional love.

Feed with gentle word, and a playful touch.
Cultivate kindness, acceptance, respect.

Sprinkle with secret whispers and private smiles.
Sow between forgive, forget-me-nots, and forget.

Leave plenty of space for individual growth,
communicate every day.
Transplant tired flowers with passion and surprise.
Scatter "I Love Yous" a hundred different ways.

Nurture deep-rooted intimacy, affection and joy.
Weed out secrets, prune away anger and fear.

Celebrate annually all the special days you share.
Your marriage garden will blossom everlasting,
year after year.

LOVE

The simple lack of her is more to me
than others' presence.
Edward Thomas (1878- 1917), English poet.

To live is like to love -- all reason is against it,
and all healthy instinct for it.
Samuel Butler, Life and love.

Oh, love is real enough; you will find it someday,
but it has one archenemy--and that is life.
Jean Anouilh, Ardele, 1948


Love is, above all, the gift of oneself.
Jean Anouilh, Ardele, 1948


To love a thing means wanting it to live.
Confucius, Analects, 6th century B.C.

Love is that condition in which the happiness
of another person is essential to your own.
Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land, 1961

As selfishness and complaint
pervert and cloud the mind,
so love with its joy
clears and sharpens the vision.
Helen Keller, My Religion, 1927.

From WE ARE IN LOVE

by Harry Connick Jr.

I spent last night dreaming of your eyes,
but your hair kept getting in the way.

Your lips dropped in to tell me how you'd been,
but when I tried to kiss them,
my pillow told me I'd missed them.

Your voice dropped by and sang a lullaby,
and it was then I knew just what to do.
I'd fall asleep and then,
I'd dream of you again.

GIVE

Give me love And watch me grow.
Give me attention I need it so.

Give me honesty And watch me be,
A better person Just wait and see.

Give me respect And you will find
I can be loving, gentle and kind.

Give me kindness You won't regret it.
I'll be impressed And I won't forget it.

Give me humor I'll laugh with you.
Be true to me And I'll be true.

Give me a chance To just show you
All the good things That I can do.

Give me friendship And a little of your time,
Then just stand back And watch me shine.

Give me encouragement Just a little will do;
Then let me give All my love to you.

~Unknown

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