Ripples of Love

by Mark Greenelsh ©2025
Like a skipping stone touching upon a glassy pond, a young father and his son find ways to connect as they journey life together.

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(Verse 1)
Down a forest path they tread,
Son’s hand in father’s pressed,
Summer warmth upon their heads,
Hearts together, simply blessed.

(Verse 2)
Birdsong dances through the trees,
They spot a deer with big brown eyes.
Father points out mysteries—
Nature’s wonders often disguised.

(Chorus)
Like stones that skip across the pond,
Each touch a moment, brief but strong,
These days won’t stay, they travel on,
But ripples affect a lifetime long.

(Verse 3)
Flowers and trees the father shows,
“Stars guide you home when day is done.”
Seeds of wisdom that he sows,
In fertile soil of his son.

(Verse 4)
Leaf boats race on bubbling stream,
Laughter echoes as they go,
By the pond they gather stones,
Smooth and flat for a perfect throw.

(Verse 5)
The boy tells of trouble at school
Holding up a stone his father remarks,
“Water makes a rough stone smooth
Just as trials refine your heart.”

(Bridge)
Time flows like the water clear,
Children grow and seasons change,
But love, purposeful and dear,
Echoes far beyond our days.
Love echoes far beyond our days.

(Verse 6)
Homeward bound on winding trail,
Hand in hand they walk with ease,
Stories shared will never pale,
Special days, kissed by love’s breeze.

(Chorus)
Like stones that skip across the pond,
Each touch a moment, brief but strong,
These days won’t stay, they travel on,
But ripples affect a lifetime long.

Made for More

by Mark Greenelsh ©2025
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” —C.S. Lewis

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(Verse 1)
In this world of fleeting treasures,
My soul aches for your full measure,
For a love no earth can hold,
A longing for streets of gold.
Your word speaks of a better place,
Where I’ll see you face to face.

(Chorus)
Draw me closer, Lord, I pray,
Less of me with each new day.
More of you, your grace, your love,
Lift my eyes to realms above.

For to live is Christ divine,
To die is gain, your hand in mine.
Made for more, for you alone,
Help me know as I am known.

(Verse 2)
Transform this heart of fragile clay,
To mirror you in every way.
Empower me to serve and give,
In your strength alone to live.
Faith replacing earthly fears,
Your presence drying all my tears.

(Bridge)
Nothing compares to knowing you,
No earthly wealth or fame rings true.
Made for more than I can see,
More than I myself can be.
Help me shine your light so bright,
Make each moment for your delight.
Help me shine your light so bright,
Make each moment for your delight.

(Chorus)

Come September

A teenage girl laments possibly losing a blossoming friendship with a special boy when he has to change schools.

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(Verse 1)
We share our books beneath the tree,
Debate which songs are more renowned.
You sketch while I write poetry—
Strange how two lost souls were found.

(Verse 2)
You soothe my fears, I see your dreams,
We laugh at jokes few others know.
The world’s better than it seems
When shared between two kindred souls.

(Chorus)
But come September you’ll be gone,
New school halls, new faces to find.
Will you remember me in Autumn?
Or leave our friendship behind?
I’m not ready to let go.
Though distance makes the heart grow cold,
I’ll fight to keep our embers stoked.
Will you reach out to keep us close?

(Verse 3)
The library was our sacred space,
Courtyards are where we cast pearls.
Now I imagine your new place—
Will there be room in your world?

(Verse 4)
You say “we’ll text,” but do you mean it?
Or slowly let the silence grow?
I’d meet you anywhere between us,
Will you make the effort to show?

(Bridge)
Why must you go? I need you here.
Life’s not quite right without you near.
I’m torn by a widening gap
Will what we’ve built collapse?
Please, don’t just fade away.
Promise me we’ll be okay.

(Verse 5)
The summer stretches long and bright,
Each moment now feels bittersweet.
I’m memorizing how your light
Made loneliness feel less complete.

(Chorus)
When come September you’ll be gone,
New hallways, new faces to find,
I’ll wait for you each Saturday dawn,
Hoping you won’t leave me behind.
I’m not ready to let go,
And I’ll fight the heart grown cold.
I’ll tend our friendship’s fragile glow—
Please, help me keep us gold.
Please, help me keep us gold.

More Room

A young woman struggles to leave her quaint childhood home in order to move to a new home once she is soon married.

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(Verse 1)
I’m packing up my childhood dreams,
In cardboard boxes, neat and tight.
The kitchen wallpaper’s faded seams
Still smell like Sunday morning light.
I trace the doorframe pencil marks—
How tall I grew from year to year.
Now gathering these tender parts,
My old bedroom disappears.

(Chorus)
But Papa says I’m not leaving home,
Just building another one of my own.
Love doesn’t choose, it multiplies,
One heart, two houses, open skies.
I’m not saying goodbye forever,
Just hello to something new together.

(Verse 2)
The porch swing creaks its lullaby,
Where fireflies lit summer nights.
I kissed my first love by July,
And danced beneath Christmas lights.
Now I’ll have a porch to share,
With him who holds my hand so tight.
Different stars, the same night air,
A new swing swaying in moonlight.

(Verse 3)
The garden gate where Mama grew
Her roses, red and cotton white.
I’ll plant my own in morning dew,
And learn her secrets, hold them tight.
This oak tree held my rope swing high,
I’d fly and touch the clouds above.
One day my children too will fly,
From branches rooted deep in love.

(Bridge)
Papa found me crying there,
Surrounded by my yesterday.
He brushed back strands of tangled hair,
And this is what I heard him say:
“Sweet girl, your heart’s not made of walls,
It stretches wide, it doesn’t break.
Home isn’t just these weathered halls—
It’s the people you embrace.”

(Verse 4)
So I’ll carry this place inside,
The joyful times and humble grace.
I’m not erasing, just stretched wide,
My heart now holds a bigger space.
This house will always be my home,
The next one will be home as well.
Love grows larger as we roam,
More memories made and people held.

(Chorus)
‘Cause Papa says I’m not leaving home,
Just building another one of my own.
Love doesn’t choose, it multiplies,
One heart, two houses, open skies.
I’m not saying goodbye forever,
Just hello to something new together.
Just hello to something new together.

Discovery Lane

by Mark Greenelsh ©2025
A teenage boy wants to get to know a girl because she stands out in the crowd of bowlers as one who is kind, positive, intentional, and persevering.

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(Verse 1)
Friday night at Sunrise Lanes
Teens collide like crashing waves.
Burgers, fries, and milkshakes flow
My weekly place to go and grow.

(Verse 2)
With friends I aim to beat my best
Focused on my bowling quest.
Life’s like this—stay in your lane
Or fall to gutters of disdain.

(Verse 3)
But tonight my eyes keep straying
To lane five where she is playing.
Something in her quiet grace
Sets her apart in this loud place.

(Chorus)
She’s more than just bowling
She’s going somewhere
Not just rolling through life
But taking it there.
She attends to what’s broke
Touching lives with hope.
I want to know her story
And join along her journey.

(Verse 4)
Her ball curves toward the pins
Sometimes strikes, sometimes spins.
But every throw, she wears a smile
Patient with each passing try.

(Verse 5)
When Tim slips on lane seven
She’s the first to help him stand.
She cheers her friends with joy
And listens to advice employed.

(Verse 6)
Frame by frame, her score improves
Steady climb, determined moves.
Not the best, but getting there
Purpose balanced with tender care.

(Bridge)
Our turns align like destiny.
Our eyes lock. She’s all I see.
Time slows amidst dancing light.
I step back, so she can fly.

(Verse 7)
She rolls a spare, spins with delight.
I raise my hand in proud salute.
Her palm meets mine, electric touch.
In that high-five, I feel so much.

(Chorus)
She’s more than just bowling
She’s going somewhere
Not just rolling through life
But taking it there.
Trading in our bowling shoes
Walking out, just us two.
I want to know her story
And join along her journey.

Branches Reaching

by Mark Greenelsh ©2025
A tender glimpse of a loving father and son whose caring roles have now reversed.

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(Verse 1)
His hands once split the wood
Built our home with calloused palms.
Now I stretch his fingers out
As he sits in quiet calm.

(Verse 2)
The oak in our backyard
Grew as I watched him rise
Before the dawn each day
Resolve behind his gentle eyes.

(Verse 3)
He taught me how to stand
When life’s storms would rage and roar.
“Be the shelter,” he would say
“For the ones you’re living for.”

(Chorus)
The greatest gift we bring
Is love that costs us all
Branches reaching out to give
Even when the strong trees fall.

(Verse 4)
I massage his stilled limbs
He says, “Son, don’t fuss for me”
But past his stroke I see the oak
Who once carried all for me.

(Verse 5)
“These moments,” I confess
“Are treasures in my heart”
His tears fall like autumn leaves
As we sit here close yet apart.

(Bridge)
Some strength isn’t measured
By what our hands can do
But by the love that flows between
The old oak and the new.

(Verse 6)
“I love you,” whispers soft
Dad’s words now slow and slurred.
My thumb wipes tears away
The sweetest sound I’ve ever heard.

(Verse 7)
I kiss his weathered cheek
His eyes now slowly close.
This oak may bend with time
But his roots, how deep they grow.

(Chorus)
The greatest gift we bring
Is love that costs us all
Branches reaching out to give
Even when the strong trees fall.

Just for a While

by Mark Greenelsh ©2025
After her grandfather passes, a grieving teenage girl knows she can’t dwell in the past, but longs to relive cherished memories just for a while.

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(Verse 1)
Gravestone ‘neath my trembling hand
Cold where once your warmth would be.
Waves crash where we used to stand
Walking, talking, you and me.

(Chorus)
Just for a while, let me stay here
Just for a while, in yesterday.
The world keeps turning, I know
But let me hold this memory
Just for a while.

(Verse 2)
Remember when you brought me Blue?
Puppy wrapped in your old coat.
“Care for something beyond you”
Life lessons that you wrote.

(Verse 3)
Hands on wheel, you by my side
Patient through my learning curves.
“Mistakes don’t define your ride
It’s how you handle the swerves.”

(Chorus)
Just for a while, let me stay here
Just for a while, in yesterday.
The world keeps turning, I know
But let me hold this memory
Just for a while.

(Verse 4)
Teaching you to text that day
As you laugh at family posts.
Trading songs on rainy days
Our hearts spoke through the notes.

(Verse 5)
Working the kitchen, singing along.
Thrift stores where treasures hid.
Helping the needy made us strong
I aspire to love as you did.

(Bridge)
The concerts where you danced with me
No care for who might see.
You lived each moment fully
A timeless gift you gave to me.

(Chorus)
Just for a while, let me stay here
Just for a while, in yesterday.
The world keeps turning, I know
But let me hold this memory
Just for a while.

(Outro)
Sunset paints the sky briefly
As I rise to say goodbye.
Thanks, Grandpa, for being with me
One more time, just for a while.
Just for a while.
Just for a while.
Just for a while.

When Time Grows Thin

To keep from drifting apart a father and son make time to invest in one another, rather than passively hoping to find time to connect.

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(Verse 1)
Diverging paths a dad and son tread.
One coming, one going, not much said.
Growing distance taking effect
Yet both hearts longing to connect.

(Chorus)
Time like a river, flows deep and wide
But love’s current can turn the tide.
Devoted to a sacred bond shared
They build a bridge to each other there.

(Verse 2)
Together round a fire each week
Phones tucked away, they began to speak.
Flames danced bright between their souls
Lighting fires that made them whole.

(Verse 3)
The old shed leaned with weathered boards
They raised their hammers in one accord
Building on what they had before
Creating something so much more.

(Bridge)
Time’s a thief in worn-out shoes
Takes things we think we’ll never lose.
But love buys back what’s been stolen
Mending hearts that once were broken.

(Verse 4)
They laced their shoes and hit the trail
Through morning mist and evening’s veil
Remembered yesterday’s sweet grace
While dreaming of tomorrow’s place.

(Chorus)
Time like a river, flows deep and wide
But love’s current can turn the tide.
Devoted to a sacred bond shared
They build a bridge to each other there.

(Verse 5)
On quiet nights they’d tune and play
Guitar and flute in harmonic sway.
Finding rhythm, finding song
Two different voices growing strong.

(Outro)
Though time grows thin like morning frost
They find what never should be lost.
Their river runs, not separate streams
But interwoven, waking dreams.
But interwoven, waking dreams.

Harmony

by Mark Greenelsh ©2024
When your relationships are strained align with God first and let him help you straighten everything else out.

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(Verse 1)
It’s been quite awhile, since we’ve been in tune.
You’re the rising sun, I’m the waning moon.
Our rhythms are clashing, like a discordant song
Where notes are broken and tacets are long.

(Verse 2)
In the same space, yet we’re worlds apart
Our minds are scattered, like leaves in the park.
I yearn for kinship, your engaging grace
But the quiet consumes us, in this lonely place.

(Verse 3)
You have your goals, and I have my dreams.
Once woven together we’re splitting at the seams.
I miss walking hand-in-hand down life’s road.
Now we’re just going through motions, playing our roles.

(Bridge)
What can we do, to find our way home?
Aligned as one, not estranged and alone.
Life may steer us off course, but my heart’s forever here
I’ll fight for our love, for you are so dear.

(Chorus)
Though we’re out of sync, and the journey is long
I’ll love through the struggle, to rebuild our union.
I want to be your partner, your kindred spirit again
For there’s more to our story, chapters yet to be written.

I believe in you and I am committed to us.
I’ll work to meet your needs, to lift you up.
Today take my hand, one with God let’s be.
Trusting in him to compose our symphony.

Snowed In

by Mark Greenelsh ©2025
Extended family members who were at odds nearing the end of a holiday rendezvous, eventually make the best of unfortunate circumstances when they get snowed in.

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(Verse 1)
Aunt Martha glares at Uncle Pete,
While cousins bicker, tempers heat.
“Tomorrow morning, I’ll be gone,”
Each mutters as the night drags on.

(Verse 2)
But winter had a different plan—
The snow fell thick across the land.
Morning broke with drifts piled high,
No one could leave, though some would try.

(Chorus)
We’re snowed in together, like it or not,
The cold outside, the tension hot.
But maybe there’s a chance to see
That love can melt hostility.

(Verse 3)
The power went out, complaints arose,
As darkness added to their woes.
They built a fire, fought stubbornly,
Then shared blankets, reluctantly.

(Verse 4)
Hot cocoa made with thoughtful care—
“Too hot!” “Too cold!”, murmurs aired.
No marshmallows could be found,
Just grumbles echoing around.

(Bridge)
Little Emma pressed her nose against the glass,
“Look how the snowflakes dance as they pass!”
While others saw a prison made of white,
She found magic in the winter’s bite.

(Verse 5)
Then Uncle Joe began his tale,
Of blizzards past and winter’s gale.
Each relative jumped in to say,
“That’s not how it happened that day!”

(Verse 6)
Young Tommy fetched the Twister mat,
The adults groaned, “We’re too old for that!”
But soon they twisted, laughed, and played,
As days of anger slowly did fade.

(Chorus)
We’re snowed in together, but look at us now,
We’re bending, stretching and remembering how
It feels to be family, to laugh and to care—
The warmth that we’re building is melting the air.

(Verse 7)
The power returned, the snow had ceased,
They walked to dinner, hearts at peace.
Above them stars shone crystal bright—
When hearts give way, people unite.

(Chorus)
We were snowed in together, and we survived,
Found joy in the chaos, learned to forgive.
Sometimes it takes a storm to see
That love’s what makes a family.