I'm Still Bitter

I rarely think about you any more
You’re good as dead to me
To think I once pledged my undying love
Isn’t that a mystery?

But that was many years ago
I am so much different now
All grown up and backbone strong
Many years behind that gospel plow

Strangers and acquaintances ask me
What happened way back then?
What caused the love to break down?
Write it down now with your pen

Looking back, you said I was a quitter

But I’m not, I’m still bitter

It all boils down to this
It was wrong from the beginning
Red flags scattered everywhere
But Lord knows I still bought the ring

Your lies caused such pain and suffering
It took me years to stand up straight
I’ll never stop loving our kids
But for you? Just toxic hate

Should you try to call me up
I’ll let the phone line fry
Before I’d hear your manipulation
I’d crawl in the coffin and die

Looking back, you said I was a quitter

But I’m not, I’m still bitter

I’d like to say I hope you’re happy
Wish I had a happy tale to tell
But my conscious won’t allow it
Since I quit lying to myself

And while I’ve moved on in life
In a happy marriage now
I can’t help but call you a liar
‘Cause you broke the marriage vow

You tried your best to twist it
And put the blame on me
It’s true I was weak and timid
But I did treat you respectfully

Looking back, you said I was a quitter

But I’m not, I’m still bitter

Like a garbage man pickin’ up the same litter

Ooo, oooo, I’m still bitter

Like a mailman with a blister

Ooo, oooo, I’m still bitter

Like an abbey without a sister

Ooo, oooo, I’m still bitter

Like a president banned from Twitter

Ooo, oooo, I’m still bitter

Looking back, you said I was a quitter

But I’m not, I’m still bitter

By Royce Waxenfelter
7/26/21

Fat Soul

When you’re feeling weary and you need somethin’ to feed ya
Be diligent
Don’t give up, don’t give in
There are others there who need ya

When you’re feeling down and out, your soul is gettin’ skinny
Escape from the hell
Go back to the well
Where there’s joy and love aplenty

God’s filled up my bowl

I’ve got a fat soul

I am no longer so mistaken

A righteous install

Enough love for all

I am forgiven not forsaken

When you feel you’ve lost control, your light is gettin’ dimmer
He’ll turn on the light
Show you what’s right
Change you from sinker into swimmer

When you’re feelin’ all alone, nobody wants to hear you
He’ll hear your prayer
When you’re in despair
You’ve got a friend who’s always near you

God will fill up your bowl

You can have a fat soul

You’ll no longer be mistaken

A righteous install

Enough love for all

You are forgiven not forsaken

When you’re up against a wall and you hear the rifles firing
Don’t be surprised
Run away from the lies
Read God’s word it’s still inspiring

When you think you’ve conquered all and count yourself a winner
Don’t be too sure
It’s Satan’s allure
To make you think you’re not a sinner

So fill up your bowl

Go get a fat soul

You’ll no longer be mistaken

A righteous install

Enough love for all

To be forgiven not forsaken

By Royce Waxenfelter
10/13/21

Proverbs 13:4
The soul of the sluggard desires yet has nothing, but the soul of the diligent will be made fat.

In Portugal

Our faces in the sun, our feet in the sand
When the water washes over our toes
I get a feeling no one else knows
Am I in a dream or am I living it
There are castles on the shore
In Portugal

Can I be beautiful to you

Like a castle in Portugal

Can I protect those who put trust in me

Like a castle in Portugal

The day is planned at our demand
We see stones formed all around us
A thousand years stacked above us
The walls smirk at our planned days
There are castles in the sky
In Portugal

I am forever growing old

Like a castle in Portugal

Will my words last a thousand years

Like a castle in Portugal

We plant our legs into the rapids
Among slippery polished stones
Feel the weight of our old bones
Like humanity crumbling down through time
There are castles in the rivers
In Portugal

Will I one day be remembered

Like a castle in Portugal

Can my memories be forgotten

Like a castle in Portugal

We find them to be a mirror
They reflect our deep emotions
Rising above the surface of the oceans
Defensive outposts where we dwell
There are castles in the sea
In Portugal

Will I bring honor to my family

Like a castle in Portugal

I will rise above in glory

Like a castle in Portugal

by Royce Waxenfelter
11/4/21

The Life and Lesson of Gil Eannes

My name is Gil Eannes, a Portuguese explorer
I hail from Lagos, the royal shield I bear
My master Henry is the son 
Of King Joao of Aviz
Who freed us from the weight of the Castilians

As I ride along the cliffs of the village of Salema
The warm sun sinks into my soul
I see men with their sons
Catching fish from the deep sea
A bond formed for many generations

I look back on my life and the men who came before me
The knights who fought and died for my people
I was named after Dom Gil Martins
The first Grandmaster
Of the Order of Christ, the new Knights Templar

The next Grandmaster, King Joao of Aviz
Hired me in his service
And I grew to know his son
Henry the Navigator
My prince, my teacher, my liege

Schooled in the south by the prince of my homeland
At the edge of the world down in Sagres
We learned the seas and the stars
And tools of navigation
We made maps of the Algarve cliffs and caverns 

My first voyage was to sail where none other had before me
Beyond Cape Bojador 
Beyond the sea of darkness
Yet maps and tools were no match
For a storm forced me to land in the Canarias

My second try was a success in 1434
A ship with two sets of sails
The caravel design of my master
I sailed into the wind
And found Saint Mary’s rose

You may not know my name but you surely know my master
This is an allegory of Jesus the Messiah
Without His lessons and design
I would be lost in the sea of darkness
My successes come through Him and through His Father

by Royce Waxenfelter

10/29/21