The Most Sensible Thing to Do

What do you do when it seems
You've lost much time a running,
And all your plans and dreams
Have outrun all your cunning?

Not because you've wasted a minute;
Nor cause you've twiddled your thumbs,
But not having tasted rest in it,
Alas! The cognizance numbs.

So pause a while, while you can
To relish the breeze a passing,
For what pain does profit a man
A world of treasure amassing?

If like me, you are done with fleeing
Fleeing away, or from, or fleeing to,
To stop striving and start being
Is the most sensible thing to do.

Eric Anthony Trott

18^th February 2025

LORD, to You I Bring my Cause

LORD, to You I bring my cause;

All that You give me is Yours.

Help me understand my worth;

You raised me up from humble birth.

Thank You for the air I breathe,

The sky above and earth beneath.

The love of family and friends:

Truly, Your goodness never ends.

LORD, behold I stand and plead;

Not my wants but what I need.

Your provision let me know;

Nothing less, and nothing more.

Not affluence, but instead,

Just give me my daily bread.

Give me LORD, the clothes I wear,

And a heart to always share.

Show me LORD, places to go,

Folks to meet, Your love to show:

Give me a place to call home, 

And most of all Your Shalom.

Eric A Trott

2nd August 2022

For as Long as Age Its Shadow Casts

I think of times, not long ago,

When I was younger and stronger too:

When all the world seemed all aglow

And I had plenty of things to do.

 

My mind was sharp, my hands were strong,

And passion drove my every move;

I could navigate ‘tween right and wrong,

And sail the ocean, myself to prove.

 

But as time went by, and years have past,

I’ve found that life’s a sensational dream,

The adventure ends when it should last

You’re rudely awakened, or so does it seem.

 

So, we fantasize trying hard to feign

A younger, stronger, more appealing me;

To turn back the clock, we try in vain

And daydream of all we wanted to be.

 

But the secret lies in being content

With all of life’s rich experience,

And in knowing that we represent

Our generation’s confidence.

 

So live life well, and live it complete,

Cherish each moment, while it lasts,

And you never will be obsolete,

For as long as age its shadow casts.

 

Eric A Trott

7^th June 2022

Nido

 

Nido walked into our family

On a warm summer’s day.

And she has made herself a part of us,

In her own little way.

 

She came home as a puppy,

A precious little sight.

And she’s been such a blessing,

That brought us such delight.

 

My wife, she had a fear of dogs,

But she didn’t mind a pup.

So, she accepted her willingly,

Not realizing she’d grow up.

 

Grow up she did soon enough;

My wife didn’t mind at all:

And of those who love her most,

My wife now leads them all.

 

Now, Nido is a charmer,

She can easily win your heart:

But you cannot fool her,

For she can be pretty smart.

 

She’s such a joy to be with

At the end of a tiring day;

Showering you with her doggy love,

In her own little doggy way.

 

We’ve come to take for granted

This joy that we have found;

And I just can’t imagine a time,

When she’s no more around.

Eric A Trott 

10^th January 2018

 

I Love Poetry

 

I love poetry,
And I really can't say why:
It's somewhat a mystery,
Why it gives me such a high.

I guess there's something
About playing around with words;
And somehow expressing
What my heart's inclined towards.

It's always amazing
When I'm thinking about a line,
Phrasing and re-phrasing,
A thought to define:

It's hard to explain
What goes on inside my head,
I'm analysing pain
And my heart speaks instead.

Eric A Trott

March 21, 2021

May I Still

If on life's road, my strength should fail,
May I still tarry to contend,
With will and zeal to prevail,
My earthly purpose to defend.

And should it be, that all seems lost,
May I still persist in this hope,
That no matter what the cost,
Beyond my sight, there's boundless scope.

Should I but tread where angels dare,
In vain and foolish presumption,
May I still have the sense to care,
For kind and thoughtful correction.

And should it be, that friend or foe,
Should need a hand along the way,
May I still have the grace to know,
That I must never turn away.

Eric A Trott

March 2, 2021 

When all My Dreams have Fallen Asleep

When all my dreams have fallen asleep,

And all I have are memories to keep;
I'll look back at every used to be,
And relive each special memory.

Reminiscing on the things I've done,
On the battles lost and the battles won;
Now looking back I cannot complain,
For all my endeavours, they weren't in vain.

And remembering all my foes and friends,
Successes, failures, and meeting ends,
Each kindness received I shan't forget,
Nor stumbling moment shall I regret.

And I shan't be bitter, but I shall forgive,
I'll harbour no grudge for as long as I live:
For what value is life if without love?
And when shall I learn that if I don't right now?

When I've lived to the full, this life on earth,
And spent my time on what it was worth;
I'll look above with a grateful heart,
And thank my Creator and then depart.


Eric A Trott

February 26, 2021

How Precious is such a Friend!

Will we value, will we forget, What is and was before us?

God looked down from His throne on high;
What He saw did pain His heart:
For all the earth and all the sky,
Was ravaged in every part.

Selfishness is where it all starts;
It's the root of every crime:
And evil did besiege our hearts,
As we vainly squandered time.

We all had drifted far away
From God's original plan:
And so, it widened day by day,
The chasm between God and man.

Now God in love, gave us His Son,
To die on Calvary’s Cross,
To pay the debt of everyone,
So our gain would be His loss.

But we still turned our backs on Him,
In the pursuit of our greed:
As our hearts grew dark, our sight grew dim,
And we forsook our primary need.

So we filled our courts with injustice,
And we confused love with lust;
And with hate, pain and prejudice,
Oppressed the weak and the just.

And all creation groaned in pain,
Under our ruthless regime:
The cry to be restored again,
Reached the ear of God Supreme.

The earth was littered with plastic,
And the sky was filled with smoke:
There was need for something drastic,
So, The Creator once more spoke.

He reminded man, that life and death,
Were not in the human hand:
And the universe, its length and breadth,
Were more than we understand.

Though this was not God's intention,
T'was not what He would have planned:
There was a need for intervention
Of His sovereign, almighty hand.

So, He sent a tiny virus,
To bring us upon our knees.
To humble us and teach us,
That He's God who hears and sees.

Both the humble and the mighty,
Rulers, servants, rich and poor,
God allowed all, this tough and weighty
Situation to endure.

And while He locked us behind doors,
He cleaned up the mess we made:
The air, the forests, the oceans, the shores,
Nature's restored life displayed.

The animals are free again;
The birds are back to singing:
And after all the strife and pain,
There'll come a new beginning.

But have we learnt our lesson yet?
That time alone will show us:
Will we value, will we forget,
What is and was before us?

Eric A Trott

25th July 2020

Seeking Life’s Real Meaning

I’d readily toil in rain or sun,
Just to earn enough to live;
But I’d rather like to help someone
And to have enough to give.

For seek I, not just bread to eat
Or a place where I can sleep,
But a meaning to make this life complete
And peace to always keep.

Aye, what is life if lived alone,
With not a bit of sharing?
And what man is a man with heart of stone,
Not for his brother caring?

So, my fervent prayer shall always be
To live each single day
With strength and courage and a heart that’s free
From guilt along the way.

For whither I go from here I know not,
Nor wherefrom I have come,
Beyond the truth that life is short,
From birth till rest in sum.

Eric A. Trott

31st July 1991