Thanksgiving Nocturne

by
Rev Ralph Fotia

November days gather the leaves of September carpeting earth's floor.

Gray skies retouch the colors of autumn.

The reds, yellows and orange turn to pale brown

Clumped around denuded trees stripped for winter.

Autumnal forests prepare for the winter's cutting winds.

Bitter cold awaits the gentle cover of falling snow,

Tucking the seeds and tiny creatures

Awaiting the spring rebirth.

In the dying days of autumn, busy hands prepare the fruits of harvest time.

The cornucopia of God's bounty gives forth a fragrance and aroma

Reaching up as a thanksoffering to God.

Come to that ladened table not just to be fed,

But receive the blessing and the grace,

And feast in thanksgiving and joy.

Come and see the works of the Lord

In the miracle of November's fading days.

Thanksgiving

by Rev Ralph Fotia

'Twas the night before Thanksgiving
When all through the town,
Very few turkeys were running around.

The pumpkins had already been made into pies
While cranberry and chestnuts entice hungry eyes.

When all of a sudden, there occurred such a clatter--
Mother had placed the stuffed bird on a platter.

And what to our hungry eyes did we see?
Mashed potatoes and gravy, and piles of green peas.

To the top of the stairs to the foot of the bed,
We said our night prayers for what was ahead.

Now I lay me down to sleep.
I hope all that good food will keep.

And then on Thanksgiving Day we will raise
Our forks and our voices in words of praise,
And we will remember Thanksgiving of days gone by
With a family of loved ones
And Mom's pumpkin pie.

But before all that feasting and all of that fun,
We give thanks to the Almighty for what He has done.

October Daze

by Rev. Ralph Fotia

October is the month when spring, summer, autumn and winter seem to converge. The temperature plays with days of warm, to cool, to cold and in-between. The world of sports witnesses to the boys of summer looking for Mr. October. The gridiron groans with all that beef and who has momentum. The hoops are already swishing for the long seasonal battle of the courts.

If everything seems to be merging, change is on the way. The autumnal days are upon us and the landscape is giving off its symphony of color. Falling leaves scatter the ground cover for bulbs and creatures digging in for the long cold winter.

The nation is poised looking for change. Alaska goes dark in the winter. Russia is invisible. The stock market has gone south. The surge is now history.

The long-awaited fruits of the Emancipation Proclamation are now hanging low for the picking like a fall harvest. While Wall Street and the banking industry hunt for cash, a whole people are coming forward to collect on their checks.

Three cheers for the USA -- life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

All this in the Halloween days of October. Will it be trick or treat for the American people?