Happy Birthday, Jesus.

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The Tree of Heaven
(an Easter Ballad)

By Ernestine Cobern Beyer

The trees flung up their branches
And in the dark they cried:
"On one of us long, long ago,
The Lord was crucified!"

A weeping sapling murmured:
"Alas, how can I grow?
On one of us the Savior died.
I would I did not know!"

And all night long a sighing
Became a brimming flood;
Petals fell like teardrops,
And sap ran forth like blood.

Until at dawn of morning
From whirling clouds of flame,
A Voice consoled the forest
And comforted its shame.

"Blame not, O trees, your brother,
For this I say to you:
The tree that was to be the cross
Knew not for what it grew.

"It loved the sun, the starlight;
It sheltered nesting birds.
Its boughs were stirred with music,
It sang with leaves for words.

"In innocence and beauty
It grew from day to day,
And in its peaceful shadow
I often knelt to pray.

"Then came that grievous morning--
The day men did the Wrong.
They stripped me of my garments,
The tree, of leaf and song.

"I died. I rose to heaven
Where cherubim shone bright
And stood in dazzled wonder
Before the Glory Light.

"And while the angels gathered
To welcome me and sing,
I bade the tree to Paradise
And God's eternal spring.

Beneath its boughs the cherubs
New-come to Heaven play
Until their eyes, grown stronger,
Can bear the Glory Ray.

"So harken, tossing branches!
Let every tree adore
The Cross that is the symbol
Of love forevermore."

Then cried the little sapling:
"Sing out that all is well.
Ye twinkle-footed rivers,
Run 'round the earth and tell.

"Rejoice, rejoice, my brothers!
Come praise with windy lute
The Tree that bore the Savior.
(O blest and piteous fruit!)
Praise, praise the Tree of Heaven
Nor let one leaf be mute!"

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The Leprechaun

*By Ernestine Cobern Beyer

I met a little leprechaun.
He gasped and quavered: "Ooo!
I'm seeing things! Be off! Be gone!
There's no such thing as you!

"You can't be real, you ugly thing,
So I'm not scared," he said,
"Though you have neither tail nor wing,
Nor horns upon your head!"

I looked at him, then ran, my dear,
As would, I think, have you,
'Cause people sometimes disappear
When leprechauns say: "Boo!"

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From the wonderful book of
poetry for children,
Read Me a Rhyme, Please!

& with many, many thanks to
Ernestine's daughter,
Barbara Beyer Malley,
for permission to post:) *K*s

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Anyone who would like to view Dawn's appearance on

the Today Show can catch it here...

Dawn already wrote words of praise for the network -

I'm a bit disappointed that she didn't appear alone,

but after having taken on Yale last month, it's

obvious she's no lightweight.

More follow-up later today from The Dawn Patrol,

with a list of her upcoming tour dates (including

one in May at the Seattle Chesterton Society) listed

here.

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Author and blogger Dawn Eden will be on NBC's
"Today" Show Monday, March 3rd @ 10 A.M. ET...

Dawn will discuss her book, The Thrill of the Chaste:
Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On,
now in its sixth printing. It's available in English &
Spanish,with soon-to-be translations in Chinese &
Polish...

Read more about it @ The Dawn Patrol.

& YAY DAWN!!!

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March

By Ernestine Cobern Beyer

"Ho!" roared March, and his lusty cry

Made all the leaves and papers fly.

The clotheslines leapt at his jovial glance,

And the flannels jigged in a scarecrow dance!

"Hi!" laughed March, and he winked an eye

At a slim young thing who was coming by,

But April fled in her flowery clothes

And slammed spring's door on his bold red nose!

With thanks, again, to Barbara Beyer Malley,

for permission to post her mother's wonderful

work.

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Thank You Lord Jesus,
Amen.