Poems

My Father’s Arms

by Rosa Morey Boynton

Tell me, child, how did you survive?

Why didn’t you give up, let your faith subside?

How did you keep your faith alive,

By casting all your fears aside?

How, Father, could I surrender all my dreams

Of returning home;

Then quit,

After all He has done?

No, I promised

I would not forget

All the pain He suffered,

All the blood and tears so wet.

Those agonizing moments

Symbolize His love for me.

How, then, could I ignore this

And collapse in despondency?

To know that because of Him

I also could someday rise,

This was the glimmer of hope

That continued to shine in my eyes.

I wanted to feel that everlasting joy,

Enveloped in peace and safe from harm.

To have the assurance that once I returned

I would never have to leave my Father’s arms.

~ Written April of 1996, age 16

No Room For Judging
by Rosa Leona Boynton

I'm human; you're human too.
I need my Savior, so do you.
We all have faults, weaknesses, and sin;
Instead of judging others, let us turn our gaze within.
Self-reflection inspires a yearning to change,
To turn to the Savior, and rely on His name.

I'm human; you're human too.
I know I'm not perfect, and neither are you.
If I let on that I don't struggle, I'd be living a lie --
If I deceived you into thinking there was no beam in my eye.
Oh, but there is! And I'm striving to remove it!
Through my Savior's Atonement, I know I can do it!

I'm human; you're human too.
Our heads have all hung down as we've felt shades of blue.
If I share with you, and you share with me,
We'll learn from each other much quicker, you see.
How can I share what I've learned without telling you too
I've struggled, I've suffered, and felt some of what you do?
But there's One who suffered all and felt all our pain
So He could succor us, comfort us, and let just His love remain.

I'm human; you're human too
But there's more to me, and there's more to you.
For this human life is but a speck of our existence
And our body, only half of our true consistence.
For I'm a spirit and you're a spirit too.
Remembering this will help us stay true.
True to who we are and who He knows we can be:
Sons and daughters of God with a great destiny!

We have the same goal and the same destination;
There isn't just one winner in that Heavenly location.
If we all reach out a hand, as we're climbing through life,
We can ease another's burden and help relieve their strife.
We will find when we pause to help lift another --
To think not of self, but for our sister and brother--
That there's no room for judging, just one truth will remain:
Eternal life with our Father is the greatest gift to gain.

~Written December of 2012

My Peaceful Place

by Rosa Leona Boynton

I go to my peaceful place to feel whole and reconnect with my soul.

I go to remember who I am and why I am here.

I go to think about how I'm feeling, how I've been acting, and who I'm becoming.

I go to feel with my heart, listen to my Father's voice,

         and reflect on what He has taught me so far on my Earthly journey.

It may be a time: 

         like waking up to sit and think in the quiet early hours before everyone else rises.

Or a place: 

         like the still forest where I can kneel to pray and feel God's love, as I marvel at His creations.

It may be a memory:

         like sitting on a cliff watching the waves crashing on the rocks below and the soothing, 

         sparkling waves of the ocean continuing on and on in front of me.

Or a picture:

         like a happy snapshot of my family laughing with gooey marshmallows on our hands.

Sometimes it's holding an object: like a piece of driftwood smoothed by the waves of the ocean.

Sometimes it's singing or listening to my favorite peaceful song.

Sometimes it's reading my favorite book or a letter from a friend or family member.

Sometimes it's reciting an uplifting scripture that strengthens my determination 
         to endure to the end.

But my favorite peaceful place is the one I carry with me always.

It is something no one can ever take from me.

The one I don't need to touch, or see,

Because I know and feel it!

It's the peace that comes from knowing I am a child of God and He will always love me!

It's knowing and feeling the greatest love of all: the love of God, which is sweeter than any fruit.

When I feast on His love I am truly filled with the greatest joy and peace:

The only peace that will last forever, the only source for everlasting happiness.

It's the peace that comes from trusting in the Prince of Peace Himself.

This peace is born of faith, hope, and charity: the pure love of Christ.

It's the peace that comes from building upon the surest foundation: the Rock of our Redeemer.

His peace is always there for me – it comes when I call on Him in prayer, picturing our reunion, and feeling the arms of His love encircling me eternally.

~Written June of 2013

My Best Friend

by Rosa Morey Boynton

Marching onward through the storms

Pressing forward past the pain

Enduring all to the end

Doing the best I possibly can.

And yet, I would never have made it this far

Without the guidance of my best friend.

Together we can conquer all

With Him as my strength I will never fall.

I will stand tall and do my best

And I know He’ll make up for the rest.

Through the dark hours of despair and fear

I know my best friend is always near.

He’ll comfort me with His outstretched hand,

Hold me close, without reprimand.

Since I love him, I will obey His command.

He’s the reason why I live

So everything I have, to Him I’ll give.

How can I return His self-sacrificing love

To the One who will forever live up above?

Such a thing I feel cannot be done - - -

To equally repay the love He has shown.

With perseverance I travel through life

Remembering His love, example, and strife.

My imperfect life He will continue to mend

Until I can once again be with my best friend.

~ Written April of 1995, age 15

What Their Dirty Knees are Saying

by Rosa Leona Boynton

What their dirty knees are saying:

Run, fall, get back up. Jump, fumble, get back up.

Kneel, examine, don’t worry about your pants -- they wash.

What their dragging feet are saying:

Slow down. Look! Here’s something new I want to investigate.

Take time to stop and smell the roses.

What their dirty hands are saying:

Excavate. Dig. Explore. Discover.

Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty -- they wash.

Their dirty arms wrap around your neck as if to say:

“Thank you for playing in the dirt with me!”

What their wide eyes are saying:

Look! Relax. Gaze at the clouds, the stars, the grass blowing in the breeze,

the tiny creatures crawling around us.

What their dirty pant pockets firmly planted on the ground are saying:

Just sit and observe the world with me. Appreciate every moment of every day.

Spend time relaxing and just observing nature.

What their listening ears are saying:

Did you hear that? What was that sound?
Come and sit down. Listen. Be still. Just be with me. 

~Written May of 2007

A Mother’s Touch

by Rosa Morey Boynton

Surely, a mother’s is the most sacred call.

She divinely comforts one and all.

She gently lifts up those who fall

With a mother’s touch.

How can she bring peace to a baby’s face

With nothing more than her loving embrace?

It is truly a gift bestowed by grace,

To pacify and soothe with a mother’s touch.

When a child falls and skins a knee,

How can one fill their face with glee?

Is it by soap, a bandage, or hankie?

No, it is simply through a mother’s touch.

Her presence adds a glow to the room.

She inspires you to grow and bloom.

Her garden is filled with roses that blossom

With nourishment from a mother’s touch.

The lives she has touched and turned around

Will forever be grateful and joyfully sound,

“It’s amazing all the love that is found

In a mother’s touch.”

~ Written for my mother when I was 18

My Father’s Gift

by Rosa Morey Boynton

Father, I honestly love you for all that you are.

I have looked up to you for guidance, as my North Star.

You’ve raised me up to the Lord, and taught what is right.

You have given me direction, and clarified my sight.

You taught me never to give up in what I believe.

You’ve seen me break the odds, and the impossible achieve.

Thank you for lifting me up to the stars!

Without you as my support, I never could have made it this far.

When you are near children, your face lights up with a glow.

The gentleness in your eyes causes my heart to overflow.

Your love for children reminds me of when I was yours to know.

I still am your child, and will be forever, despite the inches I grow.

Your wisdom has been a gift, to which nothing can compare.

You took the time to teach me, showing how much you care.

Thanks for being there to strengthen me and uplift.

I will live by your counsel so you will know how much I cherish

My Father’s Gift.

~ Written for my father when I was 18