Soldiers On Patrol

Dedicated To: Winston H. Martin

As I ride along the sands of time, I find how precious life can be

Whenever soldiers, engage in wars, to fight for liberty

For me the loneliness job I'll ever have

Is being the commander of an Army Battalion, in the city they call Baghdad

In my short stay in the hell, which I've come to know so well

Death is just a heartbeat away, each second we're on patrol

I try to instill this thought in my troops, to keep them safe from harm

But every so often I've come to learn, it is of no avail

For when the sounds of a bomb explodes, it shatters the dreams we have

Of what is yet to come and unfortunately will never be

At the end of a sadden day, I'll weep with tears in the duty which lies to me

In the letters I'll write to Mothers, Fathers, and wives the ones who are left behind

Each day I prepare our soldiers, for the orders that come our way

And each time I pray no harm will come, from this evil that's so abound

But as the commander of this unit, I need to make this clear

The bravest men, and women I know, are serving our nation well

One day I'll know, peace will come and our troops will head for home

And we'll remember they gave their best for God and country

As only soldiers can

Written by: Roland R. Ruiz

December 28, 2006

The Summit of Your Love

Dedicated To: Pamela Hardin

If I could climb towards the summit, which contains all my love for you
If I could reach, and touch your lips, and kiss softly the thoughts you hold inside for me

What bliss would we enjoy, as I caress the memories we once embraced, so many years ago
As I climb the snow tipped mountain, known as the Matterhorn

From another place and time the thoughts for you I hold inside keeps peace within my mind
Decisions in life are often made, which decides the fate we'll take

As we ride towards the goal we seek, in our stroll to a higher place
Did I make the wrong choice, in turning my heart, from the love you offered me?

I've climbed many mountains in this world, for a mountaineer am I?
But the peak, I could not conquer, is the summit of all your love

So as I age with grace and do what is needed, to seal the fate I've chose?
The dreams for you will always be, of the passion I left behind

And all my vistas of the mountains I've climbed, will be like an afterthought
For the crest I could not capture, is the love that was lost in turning away

From the beauty that lies in your soul

Written by: Roland R. Ruiz
December 21, 2006

Shifting Swells

Dedicated To: The Skippers of the Velux5ocean Ultimate Solo Challenge

Beyond the blueness of the sea, beneath the pale moonlight
I ride the currents of the deep, aboard my solo yacht

Eight weeks out from Bilbao, and forging onwards to Fremantle, on the first leg of the trek
My thoughts of you begin and end, in the twilight of the lonely sky, towards the goal I seek

Each day goes by with memories of us, within my weathered crown
This helps preserve my sanity from being lost, in the ravages of this endless wake?

How I wish you where along my side, as I ride the shifting swells
For all the love I hold for you, I keep within my heart

Every moment alone on this ship of life, which protects me from the perils, which lay beneath my keel?
I hold the dreams that are yet to be, in the portals of our souls

Until this race around the world comes to a graceful end
And I'm holding you within my arms, so I can kiss your tears away

Then I'll know I've faced the test, done my best
And now, I'm here for you

Written by: Roland R. Ruiz
December 02, 2006