Onward Poem by Bill Upton

They stood and looked at one another
With sad, quizzical looks on their faces.
Some were lost for words,
Others were simply lost.
Hundreds lined in serpentine formation
To pay respects to the young daughter of the pastor-
Taken at 39 years with full family left behind.
Inch by painful inch, the line advanced.
The church in complete solemnity became the fortress,
Providing the appropriate backdrop
For such a heart-wrenching farewell.
Each mourner had looks of uncertainty
As to what encouraging words he could offer
That could even come close to being adequate.
I was thrown off by a silent, direct look
From the eyes of the preacher.
On his face was the undeniable affirmation
That he had engaged in full conversation with the Savior,
And that he was not alone,
And that his trust would not be shaken-even now
At the darkest part of human life,
His faith could not be broken.
He stood on holy ground,
While outside, hundreds of Christian soldiers,
All with the Heart of God,
Marched forward...
As one.