He got slammed hard, really hard.

He is a really hard

guy, well past even post

prime but really resilient,

more than most.

He’s Burt Lancaster in From Here to

Eternity, tough but fair, standing up

to the power.

He was a star back in the day

in college football and a minister

who didn’t take fake

off anyone

and he never put on the brake

when others dropped out of the race.

He called it as he saw it.

He survived denominational

attacks for standing up for his

principles and then he got the slam

that would have flattened even Sergeant

Milton Warden. He defied fate,

but how would he survive

the tragic death of his soul mate?

How would he now survive?

We can only surmise

and be thankful that for now he is

still alive

and pray, Oh, Lord,

be with that one tough guy,

a lamb who, for all, has held

open your eternal gate.