poets and poetry Archives - Tony Funderburk

Nope, the future does not exist. But you can still pretty much take some things for granted. Typical things like the sun rising in the East tomorrow morning. But there’s really no guarantee that everything will be the way it’s always been.

So, there’s no reason to be upset with me for saying this about the future. I just share it to point out how important it is to get as much learning and understanding as you can. Understanding what makes human beings tic is a key to treating each other better. The future, utopian or dystopian, does not exist today.

That’s my point. Matter of fact, I’ll go one giant step further than that.

I believe if human beings would learn to enjoy serving one another instead of stealing from and murdering one another, that description you find in the Revelation, at the end of the Bible, wouldn’t have to come true. Nope. I don’t believe, for a second, that our loving Creator decreed all that before the foundation of the world. Yeah, I believe He would love to see it not come to pass. But, will it? It’s kinda like this…

Will the sun rise in the morning?

Will the songbirds all be singing?

Will some words of wisdom visit?

Will the world go on forever?

I challenge you to read that poem to your kids or grandkids. And when you do, by the time you get to the second verse, you can say well, maybe, and point to them. And don’t be surprised if they say maybe not. It’s just a theory I have. Test it out and see if those little rugrats substantiate my theory.

If you have a blessed hope for the future, let’s stay connected. It’s super easy. Here’s how:

It’s good stuff based on the power of God’s love. And, I’ll send you download links to music and The Very First 6 Days (a rhyming book for kids about the creation week) right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies. Just add your email to the form and let’s connect right away.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

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Here are the links to the flashes of light I shared in the Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional and on the Rhyme and Reason PodcastEpisode 1003:

Get my Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional, my ongoing Devotional that’s Logical AND Emotional. Because then the flashes of light I share on my website come right to your inbox. So you can spend your valuable time reading and listening instead of searching. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

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Back To The Future. I’d say there’s a good chance you saw that movie. So, you probably remember that certain song by Huey Lewis and the News. The power of Love. It’s catchy. Huey sings it well. And it’s got a good beat.

The real POWER of love I’m always harpin’ on is only found in one place. And that place is actually one Person. And that one Person is, let’s all say it together, Jesus. I know I’m preachin’ to the choir right now. But “the choir” needs to speak up more about the whole Jesus. Here’s what I tell people. And I hope you do, too. Of course, you can put your own personality into it and use your own words. But tell them. Because most churches don’t now.

The world (and many Christians) say “God is love.” But God doesn’t say that. He says He is:

I just did a search in His book. And I couldn’t find anywhere in there where He says, “I am love.” No, when God describes Himself, you’ll find a lot of references to the effective power of His love. But no references to Him BEING love. He’s the source of it. But He’s the God of justice AND mercy. Because He loves you.

Yes, that’s completely sensible. Because God understands that in order for love to be true, it MUST be freely given. So, He freely gives His to anyone who will receive it. Yep, you get to choose whether or not you will. Because God gave you your own will.

And the POWER of His love provided (and still provides) the way you can know the truth and receive eternal life. But He never has, doesn’t now, and never will force you to believe in, trust in, or love Him. You are free to be your own little god. The person who is nicer, wiser, and more loving than anyone. I suggest you wise up and don’t choose that option. Because nobody in the whole world has ever done anything to deserve His

If this was the last day of my life…

If this was the last thing I could write…

If this was the last time I could pray…

© 2018

Get my Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. Because the flashes of light I share on my website come directly to your inbox. So you can spend your valuable time reading instead of searching. And, to show my sincere appreciation for your time and attention, I’ll send you download links to books and music, right away. Kids from 3 to 103 can enjoy these fun goodies.

The form can be filled in the actual website url.

Stay tuned,

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It’s so cool how fast little kids learn to talk. You’re so young when you start talking that your parents have to tell you about your first words. My mom told me I spoke way before I was a year old. But you know how moms are. And I’m more the strong, silent type. So, I tend to believe I waited till I had valuable information to share before I started spouting anything out.

And even though that sounds like bragging, it’s true. Because it’s true of all newborns. Kids get all goo-goo gah-gah over letters and sounds because they see and hear adults.

Yeah, you and I learned to talk mostly by watching adults.

It’s amazing when you get right down to it. You’re born with the ability to make sounds. But those sounds don’t mean anything. At least not to the adults who listen to your gibberish. But what if that gibberish is somehow connected to your Designer? Yeah, what if God is still wirelessly connected to you when you’re a newborn. And what if He sends you the code and decode “software” to decode your parents’ language?

And what if you’re then able to re-code that language into your own unique voice?

I’m not saying that’s how it happens. Just that it’s cool to consider.

Now, think about how the English language is basically only twenty-six letters. And think about how we’ve managed to put together thousands and thousands of words from those twenty-six letters.

I love the simplicity in the design. The extra cool thing is, you don’t have to do anything special to an infant to get them to understand us.

They’re already “hard-wired” for language. Of course, that’s no surprise to anyone with a Christian worldview. The Designer knows what He’s doing. And so all you gotta do is act naturally.

Ever since I found my I’ve manipulated and formulated letters into words. And words into music. And I still find the whole process fascinating. I’ll never get tired of it or bored with it. What about you? Does language fascinate you? Do you pass that awe and wonder on to the little ones who watch you to learn to talk?

Letters and sounds go together…

With a voice we can talk to each other,

We only need twenty-six letters

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Now and then, with a keyboard or pen, I go back where I’ve been.

I find it difficult to write anything without trying to make it rhyme in my head. Or without pondering the rhythm of the words. It isn’t obsessive. But it IS almost constant. And dare I make a mention of the need for this attention to words? Oops. I did it again. Well, it’s no sin.

Drat! There I go without even trying. You gotta believe I’m not lying when I tell you I don’t mean to. It’s just something that I do. And there’s no lasting purpose to it. I don’t know what makes me do it.

When I asked my good friend, Emma to help me with this dilemma, she let out a snicker. Then I wondered “why’d I pick her?” I could solve this on my own and then leave the rhymes alone. But if you have a solution to my rhyming execution, would you send me a note and tell me?

A little help, please.

Maybe your problem isn’t as serious as mine. But when you lay it on the line, it’s important. We’re all here for each other. Every sister, brother, and mother. And father. But so much of the time we’re so disconnected, misdirected, and unaffected. What’s wrong? Where did we shift? What caused this rift?

It’s not a matter of some mystical, magical hocus pocus. It’s a simple shift in our focus. We follow our own hearts. And that’s where the trouble starts. Your heart is not a good leader. In fact, it’s often a bottom feeder going for the lowest common denominator. In doing so, it becomes a terminator of wisdom. And wisdom is the key. For you. And for me. For anyone who’d rather benefit from lessons learned instead of getting burned over and over.

Is wisdom discovered? Uncovered?

Or is it something you’re born with and have to practice? Please, please. It’s none of these. It’s knowing the difference between wrong and right. And seeing the light of truth. OK. Where does truth originate. I don’t mean to agitate. But the answer is God. Without Him, it’s a matter of opinion, and every little minion has one of those.

So, in my rhyming way, today, as I do most every day, I’d like to offer a little help. It would be more than nice if you took my advice, but I’ll leave it up to you.

Look into God’s word. Don’t just go on what you’ve heard. Discover what He actually says. I believe you’ll find truth you never knew that can completely change you and your eternal destination. And to show my dedication, I promise to help you when I can because God says to help my fellow man.

Now and then, if you have any questions, share them with me. And I’ll do my best to help you see…

God’s love.

Now, maybe you don’t know me well enough to buy something from me, yet. Ok, let’s change that. Get to know more about me and my worldview. Join the growing body of believers who’ve signed up for the Tony’s Rhyme and Reason Daily Devotional. And enjoy my daily flashes of light from the power of God’s love.

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OK kiddos from 3 to 103. I’ll just let you know, right up front, that I’m here for you. Because I know that you fit into one of these categories. You are the:

And maybe you’ve even come up with something else you think describes your effervescent and irresistible personality. If so, good for you. Or is it, good ON you these days? No matter.

And I bet just knowing that relaxes you to your very soul. Right? Yeah, because until I popped into your email inbox, you were fretting about something. And you know what they say about fretting, don’t you? Well, I don’t know what they say. But I’m sure it isn’t complimentary or reassuring.

Anyway…

Back to why and how I’m here for you.

I’m here for you because you need a break from the negativity, vulgarity, and instability of the news and the “newsmakers.” And you need a reason to smile, forget about who said what about whom, and just remember that God is gonna make everything beautiful, bright, and completely right again one fine day.

I had some special words I wanted to share with you about that. But I seem to have misplaced them. I’ve searched under my computer. Down the side of my desk. And even under my cap. But the words appear to have vanished into thin air (because nothing vanishes into thick air).

Well, there’s my quandary. My dilemma, plight, and predicament.

Did I put the words in a bag

© 2014 Tony Funderburk

As always, thanks for joining me on another ride on the rails of Rhyme and Reason.

Before you go, jump on the The TRUTH. And join the growing band of believers who enjoy my books, daily rhymes, songs, and videos about the Rhyme and Reason and power of God’s love.

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I’m not a fan of hot weather conditions. Yeah, there’s a pun hiding in plain sight, there. But I’m not gonna pun-ish you, more, right now. If you’ve been staying inside to lounge in the coolness of air conditioning, believe me, I’m with ya man. And it IS a manly thing to do. Here’s why.

At least they can for the writer who dares to relax in the air conditioning with his (or her, and those are the only two choices) head in the metaphorical clouds. Oh, and his mind off things that don’t matter.

Aye, as they say in olde Arland (that’s Irish phonics for Ireland), and that’s just what I allowed m’self ta do just a sprinklin’ over 10 years ago. And the result is this Rhyme Time riddle. Forget the hot weather conditions for a few minutes. And see if the wee lads and lassies can solve it and tell me…

Can you guess where I am now?

But the grass is just close by.

I’m in something you might love

Little bugs crawl on my face,

But now here’s a little twist…

If that puppy sees a cat

© 2013 Tony Funderburk

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I remember Ted Kennedy’s shaky voice, during a eulogy for his brother Robert, as he quoted George Bernard Shaw  who said, “Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not.” I’m not sure Ted OR Robert were capable of anything more than why and why not questions. I hope so. But I won’t know until I leave this world. And maybe then it won’t matter. But I DO know that KNOWING why is awesome.

And the biggest why question is the one about our existence. Why are we here? If you don’t KNOW the answer to that, you’re liable to come up with all sorts of foolish stuff. Not the least of which (in fact, maybe the most of which) is how everything came from nothing.

Foolishness. And for one main human reason. And one main supernatural reason.

The human reason is: there’s NO such thing as nothing.

The supernatural reason: something from nothing isn’t natural. It doesn’t happen. So, if it DID happen, it would have to be supernatural. Above that which is natural. Outside of all that is natural. Beyond everything that is natural.

Supernatural!

Uh-oh. That takes us toward a supernatural Designer. Because all of creation is FULL of design. And you can’t logically look at design and say it happened all by itself. You know, automatically, it had a designer. And this highly complex world, solar system, galaxy, and universe we live in is held together by design. Not accidentally.

I pondered that sort of thing, way back in 1987, when I still hadn’t found the love of my life. And I wrote a poem (because, yeah, that’s what real thinking men do) about my questions. A lot of why questions. But I ended the poem with an acknowledgment of my ability to KNOW even when I didn’t have an answer. And here’s how it went/goes…

I pause; I wonder,

I yearn for freedom;

So why can’t I make this happen?

Why don’t things change no matter how I try?

I sit. l listen,

A song; a feeling.

When I’m being optimistic

© 1987 (August 26)

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A train can’t make turns at the next intersection the way your car or pickup can. They have to follow the tracks. But even trains can go just about anywhere. Because there isn’t just one set of tracks.

Not only is it impossible, it’s a misguided idea to even try.

So, what does this have to do with anything in your life? Maybe nothing. In fact, I know most of the people who read what I write or listen to what I say on my podcast don’t have an issue with trying to follow multiple tracks in life. But you might not be one of them. And you might be someone who, like Mary MacGregor sang back in 1976, is torn between two lovers. One of them is YOU. And the other is the “higher power” you sense is “somewhere out there.”

All this fuzzy philosophical stuff came up in my brain when I looked at a picture someone shared on social media. It’s an account filled with amazing photography and art. Beautiful colors. Amazing settings. Just plain fun to see.

One of the pictures was of what appeared to be lighting on some railroad tracks. And, in my fat-headed poet brain, the image represented the journey you and I take in this life. So many people want to know the meaning of life. But way too many of them believe it can be discovered if you just “follow your heart.”

If you’re still young, that won’t have nearly the impact it does on people who’ve lived several decades. But it’s SO true anyway. And when you consider how long eternity will be, your time on earth will eventually seem faster than the time it takes lightning to strike.

So, my recommendation is to pick a “lover.” But I highly recommend you check into the “higher power” option. Because there most definitely IS a higher power. And He created you. He has the most famous name ever. And, sadly, way too many people are uncomfortable with the mention of it.

But you’re only here because Jesus made it possible for you to be alive. And He made it possible for you to have the option of eternal life. There IS a sort of catch. He is the ONLY way to that eternal life. You might say He laid the tracks and it’s up to you to choose to follow those tracks. In fact, I just said it.

So, will you do that? Or will you just be another flash of…

Lightnin’ on the tracks

Parallel begins

© 2023

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What does it take to see the color of music? Well, take an old boom box, some music, paints, and an ultra slow motion camera, and you’ve got the ingredients for razzle dazzle. Check out this video:

Here’s the link to the colorful, slow-motion video in case that works better for you:

(https://youtu.be/5WKU7gG_ApU)

Because music doesn’t actually have a physical color. Neither do words. But words and music (and many other sounds) can paint the most beautiful, colorful pictures in your head.

50 years ago, when I was even younger than I am now, I carried a 19 cents Bic pen and a spiral notebook with me everywhere I went. Because I wanted to be prepared, at all times, to write down any and all poetry that worked its way to the right side of my brain.

For the first eight months of that year I lived in a small town, of about 1500 people, in Eastern Kansas. (life sure can circle back on itself, but more about that some other time)

Anyway…

I remember a drive out into the Kansas countryside one Spring day after a rain. I had decided to take in the damp, fresh air, and rural scenery to see what ideas might spring up (see what I did there?). And I figured I was prepared to talk about fast-moving streams. Or fertile, green fields of grass. Or even rainbows of wildflowers.

But, instead, I pulled over and stopped next to an old country fence. There was sort of wide spot in the road, and there was no traffic, because, well, as I said, it was rural Kansas. And I rolled down the window and sat there listening to nature. No city sounds. No hustle bustle urban sounds. Only the hustle bustle (wow, I think that’s the most times I’ve ever said hustle bustle in one paragraph…nope, I just added another one) of birds and bugs and breezes.

A drop of rain. At the very tip of a limb on young sapling. I wondered how the little drop could just hang on to that limb. Why didn’t it fall off? And then, a sun ray made its way into the little drop, and it started to shine out a tiny rainbow.

It was such a small, almost insignificant moment. But I knew I was the only person in the world who was ever gonna see that particular drop of rain on that particular limb. Yeah, I know that might not mean a darn thing to you. And you might even think it’s silly to place such emphasis on something that happens trillions of times every day.

But, even in the smallest things, I see ways to appreciate what a complex, yet simple, world God created for us. And, being a poet, it brings me great pleasure to write about as much of it as possible.

So, on that Kansas spring day, all those years ago, I thought about the color of music as I wrote…

If you could listen to a glisten,

Glisten is the happy sound of happy children

This is but a moment in our lifetime.

© 1974

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