Poems from - Death Row - Personal Care - http://maxpages.com/bannister/Digte_fra_Death

Digte & kommentarer
af Darlie Routier og andre
Skrevet på dødsgangen
Gatesville, Texas

**********************************

Memorial Service, June 6, 1997
June 6, 1996, my world was ripped from beneath me. Devon and Damon were taken to Heaven to be with our Lord. I don want to talk about the negative of what proceeded after that tragedy, I want to share what I've learned from this nightmare, so far.
I've learned that happiness doesn't come from "things" but from the people we love. I've learned we all need to stop; take the time to care for one another with kindness and understanding.
Jesus has His arms beneath each of us, and if we would only learn how to listen to what He's telling us, we would know what really matters. In the beginning, I blamed God for my pain, my injustice, and I questioned Him, "Why?" God did not do this; Satan came to kill, steal and destroy. He didn't win because Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice and through His love we have already won the battle.
For anyone who has doubts, please listen to my words, they come from my heart. God is real and He is calling us to His world. I know every day it is God that renews my strength. When I feel as though I can't go on (which is quite often), God brings me encouragement and shows me He is right by my side.
I will NOT become bitter and will continue to fight for justice for Devon and Damon. My prayer would be that each of you would come to know Jesus as I have and allow His love to take you through the trials of life.
Not a minute goes by that I don't think of Devon and Damon, but I know we will be together again; for our time here is only preparation for our eternity.
Please don't let Devon and Damon's death be in vain; don't be afraid to reach out and speak up. Make changes whether it's within yourselves or within this world.
I love each of you and I am so proud of your love and courage. You have showed the world what unconditional love is all about. When you think of me, please do not be sad or feel sorry but praise God.
Devon and Damon were the light in my life and now that light shines upon me from Heaven. I am truly the luckiest woman in the world. Let my love be with each of you because I carry each of you within my heart.
Darlie Lynn Routier -- 5/97 -- Death, Row, Gatesville, TX
* * * * * * * * * *
Sunday, June 1, 1997
By: Darlie Lynn Routier,
Death Row, Gatesville, TX.

Anti-Death Penalty Conference June 19-22 Houston, TX

June 6, 1996, two young boys and their mother were attacked in their home while sleeping and then left for dead. The two young boys were taken to be with the Lord while the mother was given God's miracle of life. Even though she questioned this miracle and felt guilt for surviving while her babies did not, she never questioned that it was truly a miracle given by our Father above. Two weeks later this broken down and grieving mother was arrested for the slayings of her two beautiful boys. Even though she proclaimed her innocence and never wavered, she was ridiculed and beaten by the media and the public.

This mother cried out in anger to our Lord, "Father, how could you allow this to happen - you know the truth!" Little did she know this was only the beginning to the trial of her life and many around her.

This mother cried out for revenge and wanted the man that murdered her babies to die slow and painfully with no forgiveness or peace. Eight months later the mother was convicted and sentenced to death in Gatesville, Texas. Beaten down and no desire to live, she joined a dorm with six other women also living on death row.

In one month this mother learned about forgiveness. She learned that Jesus died for all our sins and no one has the right to play God. This mother's eyes have been opened to a corrupt and injustice system, made up by man not God, a system who only worries about making a name and who wins that matters, where people really aren't people but only a name on a piece of paper. A system where pride comes before doing what's right.

This mother has learned to have compassion and love for other people who have done terrible crimes and hopes for the day she can look her attacker in the eyes and say "I forgive you."

My name is Darlie Routier and I AM this mother, the seventh woman in Texas to be placed on death row. I am innocent of my charges, but that's not what my words are about.

The death penalty is wrong for many reasons and I am ashamed for my attitude before my nightmare began. The state of Texas has no right to play God. We, as a society, have no right to say who lives or who dies. The system is fallible and mistakes are made; two wrongs do not make a right.

What greater testimony can I give? I am a mother who lost my precious boys to someone who is free, walking the streets. But I swear to you today I would fight for this assailant to not be put to death. People have to become involved, they (you) need to allow your voices to be heard. Take a stand! Every human life is worth fighting for. Please take that courage and fight for what is right. Abolish the death penalty. Stand together and let your voices be heard across this nation.

****************************************************

Forever love
**************

My prayers have been answered,
Now I am a happy man.
Cause love has found its way to me
Through our God`s Divine Plan.
It says, "I have to share my
world."
My love and feelings too.
And also be your solid rock.
To make life smooth for you.
The plan requires tenderness
Compassion, joy, concern.
The sharing of ideas and thoughts.
So both of us can learn.
What makes the other person tick
or brightens up their heart.
So we can always be real close,
Whenewer we`re apart.
God`s given me this chance to
love.
Cause of my firm belief.
No longer will my days be glum
Or nights be filled with griefe.
So beautifull, child of God.
Together let us pray, The love with
wich we have been blessed.
Forever it will stay.
Between us, where it does belong.
Growing strong and pure.
Exuding all the qualities.
To make sure it will endure.

Billy Ray Riggs

MILE

Smile when you are hurt,
Smile when you`re in pain,
Smile when things are going wrong,
Smile as you go insane,
Smile when your spirits fall,
Smile as you are crying,
Smile whenn you must smile,
Smile as your soul is dying,
Smile when you`re in trouble,
Smile as your body is aching,
Smile at the funerals,
Smile though your heart is breaking,
Smile so others will feel good,
Smile for appearances sake,
Smile until your face wil crack,
Smile though its fake...

Anthony W Ehlers

You touch the dreams within my soul!!!

All of us have this exiting opportunity,
called life, to meet each moment,
and in the meeting find fulfillment.
The awareness of love brings life to
everything.

Why have I no love???
I never loved, never, smiled, never
dreamed. As it some
times seem, I never lived before.

My thoughts of love are nothing
less than someone else`s happiness,
and dreams.

Though man must love woman to
exist, I am was, come, gone but
never
missed!!!

Why have I no love???
Surrounded what was thoughts of
love, the hearts soars free.
I have tossed the corn, blew out
the candle, then broke the bone,
but still I sit alone.

Pity I have no sympathy for me,
nor desire to be free. For without
love
it will never be.

The rain without the clouds???
Birds flying without winga???
Where
have we heard of
such things???

Why have I no love??? As
days turn into years, and tears, a
loveless death is the only thing
that my empty heart some times
fear.
My thoughts no one shall ever see,
what the emptiness of love has
left of me.

Not a sound, no one to even lower
me into the ground. Unloved,
unseen,
unclaimed.

Why have I no love to Love???
The goal I have now is to seek love
at
almost any price. I beg, for a
little love, just once before I
die, to know some friend, sister,
brother, father,
mother or lover cares.

This stage is yet another
page and grave of my dreams
and fairy
tales and myths. But still, I am,
was, come, gone, but never
missed.

Freddie Lee Wright

**************************
Hold On

Hold on tightly to what is truly important in life...
Hold on to faith; it is the source of believing
that all things are possible. It is the fiber and
strength of a confident soul.

Hold on to hope;
It banishes doubt and enables attitudes
to be positive and cheerful.

Hold on to trust;
it is at the core of fruitful relationships
that are secure and content.

Hold on to love;
it is life's greatest gift of all, for it shares,
cares, and gives meaning to life.

Hold on to family and friends;
They are the most important people in your life,
and they make the world a better place.
They are your roots,
and the beginnings that you grew from;
they are the vine that has grown through
time to nourish you, help you on your way,
and always remain close by.

Hold on to all that you are and all that you
have learned, for these things are what makes you unique.
Don't ignore what you feel and
what you believe is right and important;
Your heart has a way of speaking
louder than your mind.

Hold on to your dreams;
achieve them diligently and honestly.
Never take the easy way or surrender to deceit.

Remember others on your way
and take time to care for their needs.
Enjoy the beauty around you.
Have the courage to see things differently and clearly.

Make the world
a better place one day at a time.
And don't let go of the important
things that give meaning to your life.

author+unknown

***************

For Those Gone Before

i sat down to write
couldn't find a word to say.
the ink in the pen
that flowed so freely before,
declined now to play.
i find no pleasure
in my verse,
it is tempered now with tears.
the magic that was the rhyme
has dwindled in the years.
so many i have loved,
but some i never knew.
with each passing
took me with them too.
i often stood alone
the body past but not forgotten.
now you have gone too
peace be with you
and all the sisters and the brothers.
wait for me by the waters
'til i join you and the others.

************
I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh, excuse me Please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;
Wasn't even watching for you.
We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said good-bye.

But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.
Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My daughter stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked her down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

She walked away, her little heart was broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,
"While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
But the children you love, you seem to abuse.

Look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.
Those are the flowers she brought for you.
She picked them herself, pink, yellow and blue.
She stood quietly not to spoil the surprise,
and you never saw the tears in her eyes."

By this time, I felt very small
and now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by her bed;
"Wake up, little girl, wake up," I said.
"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
She smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."
I said, "Daughter, I'm sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
She said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway."

I said, "Daughter, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

Are you aware that:
If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily
replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind
will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of
it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family; an unwise
investment indeed.

So what is behind the story?
You know what is the full word of family?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER, (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU!

It is worthwhile to share more time with them as they are getting
older. Make balance among all things.
Fill life with love and bravery and we shall live a life uncommon.
Live life to it's fullest!

Thank you,

“REMEMBER IT’S ME”

Why should we worry about those in jail?
        Their life is a mess, doomed to fail.
     They cheat and lie and some even kill,
When there’s nothing left, they might even steal.

My time is to valuable for them and their kind,
     There’s places to go and things I must mind.
     I’m busy right now doing God’s perfect will,
        Someday I may go if they are there still.

Then Jesus said son, “I died for them too,”
     Remember it’s me and it’s not just you.
       I’ve called you to go wherever I send,
Preach to the lost and show them their sin.

       For I have some who are in chains still,
Minister to them and you’ll be doing my will.
     Their souls are dear to my Father and me,
     Teach them the Word that they might see.

       Remember the thief on the cross that day?
He’s here with me now, this new place to stay.
     So whenever you go to speak to my friends,
       Tell them get ready, it’s nearing the end.

If you go where I send and speak what you hear,
          I’ll open blind eyes and open deaf ears.
         So when these things you are sent to do,
          Remember, it’s me and it’s not just you!

Written by: Edwin Smith
September 10, 1999
Recorded and sang by: Samuel Cormie
Copyright 72920
October 24, 1999

*Edwin Smith er sjælesørger for de dømte på Terrell Unit*
************
When Tomorrow Starts Without Me

When tomorrow starts without me,
And I'm not there to see;
If the sun should rise and find your eyes
All filled with tears for me;
I wish so much you wouldn't cry
The way you did today,
While thinking of the many things,
We didn't get to say.

I know how much you love me,
As much as I love you,
And each time that you think of me,
I know you'll miss me too;
But when tomorrow starts without me,
Please try to understand,
That an angel came and called my name,
And took me by the hand,
And said my place was ready,
In heaven far above,
And that I'd have to leave behind
All those I dearly love.
But as I turned to walk away,
A tear fell from my eye,
For all my life, I'd always thought,
I didn't want to die.
I had so much to live for,
So much yet to do,
It seemed almost impossible,
That I was leaving you.

I thought of all the yesterdays,
The good ones and the bad,
I thought of all the love we shared,
And all the fun we had.

If I could relive yesterday,
Just even for a while,
I'd say good-bye and kiss you
And maybe see you smile.
But then I fully realized,
That this could never be,
For emptiness and memories,
Would take the place of me.

And when I thought of worldly things,
I might miss come tomorrow,
I thought of you, and when I did,
My heart was filled with sorrow.

But when I walked through heaven's gates,
I felt so much at home.
When God looked down and smiled at me,
>From His great golden throne,
He said "This is eternity,
And all I've promised you."
Today for life on earth is past,
But here it starts anew.
I promise no tomorrow,
But today will always last,
And since each day's the same way
There's no longing for the past.
But you have been so faithful,
So trusting and so true.
Thought there were times you did some things,
You knew you shouldn't do.
But you have been forgiven
And now at last you're free.
So won't you take my hand
And share my life with me?

So when tomorrow starts without me,
Don't think we're far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I'm right here, in your heart.

- David M Romano (December 1993)

My best Friend
We don't go shopping
or go out to lunch
We don't go to church and
then to Sunday brunch
We cannot hug
or hold each other close
That is the thing that we both
miss the most

My friend is close to me
he's in my heart
But every time I see him
a glass keeps us apart
We have no private conversation
to tell our secrets or dreams
And when we are apart
our tears fall in streams

Long, neatly written letters
is how we interact
Some have dried tears
that cause a huge impact
Some echo with laughter
about funny things we do
But mostly they have lonliness
from the days that we wait through

My friend is not an animal
although he lives in a cage
He is not an angry person
though he is filled with rage
He is kept in silence
though he has so much to say
I speak about his innocence
and the price he's had to pay

One day soon I'll hold him
close and tell him how I care
Until then we have prison life
What a thing to share
We've been fighting long and hard
demons we cannot see
We're fighting this battle together
my best friend and me

**********************************************
After a while, you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,

And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesn't mean security,
And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts,
And presents aren't promises.

And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes open,
With the grace of an adult
Not the grief of a child.

And you learn to build all your roads on today
Because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

After awhile, you learn
That even the sunshine burns if you get too much.
So you plant your own garden, decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure...

...That you really are strong
And you really do have worth.
And you learn and learn.
With every new change you learn.

***********************************************

Reiner Stensgaard Goldau
Ydbyvej 184
DK	7760	Hurup Thy
Denmark
+45-97-407628
goldau@adslhome.dk

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