No More

By I.M. Ulysses
(originally written in 1996)

I awoke from a dream
That had left me shaken
The screams of the children
Whose lives had been taken

And my heart cried out, No More

I didn't know why
This had transpired
Why God would allow
These lives to expire

And my heart cried out, No More

I wept
Bitterly I cried
Not holding back
The tears in my eyes

And my heart cried out, No More

They were so young
These poor boys and girls
Living their lives
In this evil world

And my heart cried out, No More

In them was joy
And the hope of the living
The warm smiles they shared
Full of life, so giving

And my heart cried out, No More

But they're gone now
And their joy's heard no more
And on the fields where they played
The flowers adorn

And my heart cried out, No More

I shut close my eyes
And asked God in Heaven
What did they do
Why did it happen

And my heart cried out, No More

In silence I waited
And prayed for an answer
For the riddle of death
That brought such disaster

And my heart cried out, No More

But none was forthcoming
Though I prayed many hours
So I railed at the devil
And his demented power

And my heart cried out, No More

It was he who had caused this
Of that I was certain
So I hoped for the day
When he'd face the last curtain

And my heart cried out, No More

At last I retired
My spirit too drained
I had no tears left
To dampen the pain

And my heart cried out, No More

I drifted off
Into a deep sleep
And dreamed of the children
In the Lord's hands for keeps

And my heart cried out, No More

It was then that I heard Him
His voice falling like water
From the River of Life
That comes from the Father

He struck down the serpent
The monster from hell
Whose name is Destruction
The angel that fell

Then I gasped
For I could not believe
As one by one, the children
From death's hands were freed

They sprang from their graves
To their parent's delight
Their sweet little faces
Bathed in sunlight

All around me
The world seemed to glow
Because joy had returned
To the Earth here below

My heart now beat faster
Then it ever did before
As I praised the Lord Jesus
Who has brought them back home

It was then that I realized
Just what had happened
How the tears of their parents
Had turned into gladness

Our Father's not blind
He'd watched evil's head soar
And when He'd seen enough
He cried out....No More... No More...No More

Dedicated to the memory of the children murdered
in Dunblane, Scotland on March 13, 1996.
Alive in our hearts, now and forever.

Promised Land

By I.M. Ulysses

Across the great plains
Through years of despair
We gather our treasures
For the journey to bare

For nine years and twenty
We've been now forlorn
As we looked to the east
Where lies our old home

A cost was required
A price to be paid
Before it arrived
The day God has made

Call forth the Levites
Let the trumpets sound
The Day of our Exdous
Is near to be found

Awaken the dawn
Unlock all the gates
The prison's been breached
By the angels this day

A light in the distance
Our lives to make right
For this day I waited
Throughout my long night

Father, we're coming
Our hearts beating strong
Hoping You'll right
All of those wrongs

This remnant of life
Has been to me charged
And though I am ready
It will still be hard

Please guard my beloved, Lord
When the waters I pass
Baptized by the sorrows
That lie in the past

The old life is ending
A new one awaits
Born by the torments
Which time can't erase

Let freedom's bell ring
Those songs which were sung
By the ancient Israelis
When their voyage begun

A pillar of light
To guide the way through
Speeding our journey
By night and day too

You brought me this far, Lord
Now see the task done
As we raise up your banner
And give praise to the Son

Out of Egypt and Africa
A people you called
And so with us now
When came the last fall

We're homeward bound
To a place left behind
And a life that's worth living
With God's hand in mine

The Exile is over
By the Father's command
And so we are heading
To our Promised Land

My Woman's Heart

By I.M. Ulysses

Wrapped in a riddle
Deep and profound
The heart of a woman
Is a mystery unbound

How can it be
That in all God's creation
He would dare make
This revelation

Strong and yet weak
It beats the day through
Giving her life
And great power too

Few men can know it
This treasure I sought
Nor of the griefs
That without her I fought

A whisper of life
A kiss from despair
She's shown me a world
With a love that is rare

A sight to behold
A world to make mine
Our spirits entwined
For now and all time

This precious woman
Who found me that day
Wrapped in the sunlight
In mystery arrayed

I've known many ladies
Through my many years
But none that would ever
Dry all of my tears

How can I explain
The joy which she brings
When she unlocked chains
That let my heart sing

I love her, I need her
With her I'm complete
And when that day dawns
Our two lives will meet

Of such a woman
Songs may be shared
But few that could ever
To her may compare

Just like a riddle
She's been set apart
And I stand amazed
By my woman's heart.

Last Fall

By I.M. Ulysses

The hour has come
Upon me at last
My decision's been made
The die has been cast

Around me the world
Has started the day
By honouring God
With the seasons's display

A final goodbye
A last c'est la vie
From the land of my exile
To a heart now set free

For eight years and twenty
My time has rolled round
But after this season
No more will be found

A lady awaits
In the land of my birth
With a pledge on her hand
For a heart beyond worth

A vow made in love
On that April day
Has guided my path
And shown me the way

As waters return
To their first domain
So comes the moment
When I won't remain

The season of mourning
Has come to an end
A new life's beginning
To help this heart mend

Away to the sunrise
The Spirit demands
I'm sending you forth
By Eternal Command

Pack up your belongings
The Exodus starts
Like the ancient Israelites
You will soon depart

Across the great ocean
Of ripening fields
A west wind will take you
To the land of the Shield

As I ponder these words
The evening sun fades
Casting a shadow
On nature's cascade

From death unto life
I have these years passed
And now I am ready
For the die that's been cast

A last look around
Helps me recall
That after twenty-eight years
It is the last Fall.

For Mary. I'll be home soon, honey, I promise!

One Man Must Stand

By I.M. Ulysses

One man must stand
In the midst of the defeat
And hold fast the ground
While others retreat

One man must rise
And lift up the banner
That rallies the armies
In the midsts of their stammer

One man must hope
As the waters rise higher
His heart all ablaze
To achieve his desire

One man must conquer
And push back the foe
Who dares to advance
Against the weak and humble

One man must reach
Beyond his own grasp
For that is the measure
Of those hearts that last

One man must face
The darkness inside
And find in himself
The strength to survive

One man must strive
To live every moment
When the weak and the coward
Say that he shouldn't

One man must trust
In God up above
Whose power is found
In mercy and love

One man must finish
What he has begun
And rejoice in the triumph
Of the race that is won

One man must pray
With upraised hands
Thanking the Father
Who caused him to stand.

Midnight's Daylight

By I.M. Ulysses

Bathed in the darkness
I saw the day light
Though it was bleak
In the heart of mid night

Sitting beside me
You held close my hand
As we journeyed through
This very strange land

The sky far beyond
Was yet all aglow
As nature put on
The evening's night show

You marvelled aloud
At how this could be
How when the sun set
The sky you could see

I smiled a little
At this your confusion
And considered it was
Just your sweet allusion

It wasn't the sun
That I saw that dark eve
It was your faith
That let's you believe

The night time can't fathom
Your power inside
And it gave me great hope
As I continued to drive

The world goes around
But our time stands still
Preserved for the day
When our vow we fulfill

Such is the strength
Of the hope that's within
Which gives us the courage
To let life begin

That's what I saw
When I looked in your eyes
On that winter's day
When you first arrived

It shines ever brighter
Each time that we meet
And I know in my heart
With you I'm complete

Your love is the light
That keeps night at bay
And helps me believe
When I've lost my way

I saw it that eve
As we headed south
Our spirit's entwined
Without any doubts

Together forever
Our past to make right
We'll walk hand in hand
Through midnight's daylight

Call My Name (I'll be there)

By I.M. Ulysses

Call my name
And I will be there
Speak it at night
And know I still care

In the midst of your terrors
I'll ascend to the skies
On God's fiery horses
To be at your side

Fear not the arrows
That come from hell's soul
My faith was renewed
And now I am whole

Cast to the ground
I was close to defeat
But then you prayed
And the devil was beat

Lost but now found
God's armour I carry
His sword and His shield
In battle I wear it

To fight and to war
For this hour I come
My purpose is clear
As I rise with the sun

The claxon sounds
And my ears with it ring
The Spirit's astir
And my heart with it sings

Summoned again
From my deepest slumber
I awaken to right
Those wrongs without number

Wait but a moment
And soon you will see
The power of God
And His liberty

From Heaven to Earth
I'll be at your side
To have and to hold
And forever abide

At the altar of Christ
When that day arrives
We'll pledge our forever
And all tears will dry

Just call out my name
And know that I care
Because of your love, dear
I will always be there.

For my fiancee, Mary
I love you, babe!