i can hear him praying
colonel a. thomas 1902-2003
By Jacques Armstrong
granddaddy wasn’t long-winded
in daily conversations
but when he started to pray
you knew you were going to be
awhile
“o God our help in ages past…”
the salutation was
the longest part
you just knew the Lord was
more than magnified and smiling
by the time he got to
the crux of the matter
“…our hope for years to come…”
next came the Lord’s prayer
and the blessings he
asked for blessings for everyone
on the planet namely
one by one
“…our shelter from the stormy blast…”
the crux of the matter may have been something
as everyday as
the blessing of the food
“…and our eternal home…”
when he prayed
you could almost see God
nodding and smiling saying
well done my servant alfred
“our Father which art in Heaven…”
now for the close
he always gave the same number of points for this
‘cause he went over every accolade in the salutation
and asked God to continue to be that
“…hallowed be Thy Name…”
in his everyday conversation
granddaddy called Him the Master
and you knew
he could go to the door and knock
be let in
and have long philosophical conversations
“…Thy Kingdom come…”
in later years (after 100)
he would say
i didn’t get a word
from the Master today
in reference to his departure from earth
“…Thy Will be done…”
this was a man who with his wife lena
saw 6 children through college
in jim crow alabama on
non-existent wages
and separate but equal formal education
his prayers protected
and made everyone
prosper
“…and we will continue to give You the Praise
the Honor and the Glory…”
he woke me up at three in the morning
to tell me this
(i asked God for thread and
He sent his servant alfred with a rope)
“Amen…”
colonel a. thomas 1902-2003
By Jacques Armstrong
granddaddy wasn’t long-winded
in daily conversations
but when he started to pray
you knew you were going to be
awhile
“o God our help in ages past…”
the salutation was
the longest part
you just knew the Lord was
more than magnified and smiling
by the time he got to
the crux of the matter
“…our hope for years to come…”
next came the Lord’s prayer
and the blessings he
asked for blessings for everyone
on the planet namely
one by one
“…our shelter from the stormy blast…”
the crux of the matter may have been something
as everyday as
the blessing of the food
“…and our eternal home…”
when he prayed
you could almost see God
nodding and smiling saying
well done my servant alfred
“our Father which art in Heaven…”
now for the close
he always gave the same number of points for this
‘cause he went over every accolade in the salutation
and asked God to continue to be that
“…hallowed be Thy Name…”
in his everyday conversation
granddaddy called Him the Master
and you knew
he could go to the door and knock
be let in
and have long philosophical conversations
“…Thy Kingdom come…”
in later years (after 100)
he would say
i didn’t get a word
from the Master today
in reference to his departure from earth
“…Thy Will be done…”
this was a man who with his wife lena
saw 6 children through college
in jim crow alabama on
non-existent wages
and separate but equal formal education
his prayers protected
and made everyone
prosper
“…and we will continue to give You the Praise
the Honor and the Glory…”
he woke me up at three in the morning
to tell me this
(i asked God for thread and
He sent his servant alfred with a rope)
“Amen…”
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