I Nephi

"Having been born of goodly parents",
"I will go and do the things", ...

In my youth, 
I learned, of these scriptures. 

Now I am reminded, that the thing Nephi did,
was to take the life of a drunk, 
for the Torah, and A Book of Remembrance. 

I have done hard things.

Pray for the redemption of a family,
deeply mired in sin and corruption.

Served a mission among people, who desired not, 
what I had to share. 

Find a woman to share my life,
who held a temple recommend,
and honored my parents.

Paid a handmaiden, twice, 
to have an abortion, not.
So then, I could father a child.

Spend years visiting, a beloved one,
in a locked-down facility,
to remind him he was more,
than his crime. 

Find a gardener to plant,
a crop to preserve life,
of the one I adore.

Spend years living with a man,
and visiting my wife,
when he had no use for me, till I was nine.

I can and have done hard things,
Nephi did hard things,
you too can do hard things.

This I know, you can.

1 Nephi 1:1

1 Nephi 3:7

The Byington Brothers Bar Fight

This is the story, my uncle told me,
as I grew into a man.

On Saturday night,
I could be found,
at his dinner table,
playing cards, or a game of Risk.

After the game was over,
deep into the night,
he would tell me, the family lies.

Not sure how much of the story, was true,
and how much of the story was a myth,
designed to lead me into, manhood. 

The Byington brothers,
grew into manhood, in a one-room cabin,
In Winder Idaho, at the top of the West Cache Canel.

Growing up without a momma
can leave one cold and hard,
but also resilient and independent. 

On Saturday night, the Byngton brothers could be found,
sitting at a bar, quarreling amongst themselves. 

Perhaps it was The Bloody Bucket.

In those days, music was played,
on a Nicolodian, jukebox,
a song would be selected,
then a nickel was inserted. 

If a fresh nickel was inserted, before the end of play,
a new song replaced the current one.

One lady tried continually, to listen to her song.

Another patron, thereafter inserted his nickel,
ending her music selection.

One of the brothers warned the patron,
this action did not please him,
and the next time it happened,
he would clean his clock.

The patron headed not, this warning,
as the Byington brothers were then,
quarreling, at the bar, amongst themselves. 

So when the patron, failed to heed his warning,
the Byington brothers proceeded to clean his clock,
they then returned to the bar,
and continued quarreling amonst themselves.

So what was the point, of the story?

Family is family, and remains undivided,
to those outside the family, circle. 

It is okay, to quarrel with your brother,
but we must stand united, to defend the family,
from the outside. 

on momma's lilac bushes

I noticed them, today.

In returning,

From the yearly trip,

To clean the graves.

Growing they were, in front,

Of the home, where we raised,

The babies.

Momma's lilac bushes.

My wife and son,

Care for them now.

Once they stood, as a divider,

Between my Dad, and Mrs. Shiffman.

Yearly, Dad, would trim then back,

Partly, to clear the drive,

and partly to anger, the neighbor, lady.

The bush once stood,

as a point of division.

Now it stands as a symbol of union,

As my wife and son, together,

Nurture, momma's Lilac Bush.