A man in whom you could always depend,
A man you'd want for your personal friend.
Whenever you needed him, he'd be there,
A man with those qualities, my friend is rare.
Honesty is a quality for which we aspire,
A quality for which we all strive to acquire,
Its found in someone in whom you can trust,
A sterling quality that's always a must.
And when doing business, the ultimate seal,
Would be a hand shake to close any deal.
And in the future it would be my plan,
To conduct business with that kind of a man.
The perfect model that I'd want to see,
Would be a man of strong moral dignity.
Someone who could hold his head up high,
And look you squarely in the eye.
A true man of integrity is hard to beat,
But he's the man you'd most love to meet.
The kind of a man who stands out in a crowd,
And if he's your friend, he'll do you proud.
- by L.L. Cash 1/1/96
Then I reflected as I drove
Down that scenic winding road,
What glorious visions I did see,
Of what Old Glory means to me.
My chest with pride within did swell,
With visions of our Liberty Bell.
In New York Harbor, standing tall,
I saw Lady Liberty, welcoming all.
There were giant ships, supersonic planes,
Majestic cities and vast cattle range.
And awesome mountains rising so steep
Beside mighty rivers so wide and deep.
I saw high rise buildings and power lines,
In this land of plenty that I call mine,
And the freedom to worship as I please
To a God I love, on my bended knees.
Why, for that old flag some dared to die
So that Old Glory could continue to fly.
It brought to my mind, oh so vividly,
The price that was paid for my liberty.
In places like Valley Forge and Bunker Hill,
Battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancelorsville.
I'm grateful forever and I'll shout it loud,
I live in America and I'm mighty proud.
Proud of my heritage, and proud of this land
That offers opportunity to every man.
I pray that Old Glory forever will fly,
So proudly up there in the sky;
A glorious symbol for the world to see,
Assuring protection for you and for me.
That old flag brought tears to my eyes
As it waved so proudly, up there in the skies.
If it's only a dream, then I really don't see
Why all that I saw meant so much to me.
I'll say it again and I'll shout it out loud
I'm an American, and I'm mighty proud.
- by L.L. Cash
I only know that it's the place
Where I still long to be,
Because of all the fun and laughter
It brings back to my memory.
That old winding driveway,
And the mail box by the road.
The flowers there by the gate post,
Grown from seeds that mama sowed.
Of playing in the stable loft,
Throwing ball o'er the old wood shed,
Or sliding down the stair rail;
Jumping on the big soft bed.
Just sitting on the front porch,
And swinging in the swing,
Those down home things of childhood,
Pleasant memories to me bring.
to gather 'round the fireplace
With pans of popping corn,
And pulling taffy candy
while keeping toasty warm.
Just to see the fancy artwork
Of Jack Frost on the window pane,
And hear the patter on the tin roof
Of the steady falling rain.
The warmth of mama's cook stove
and that old familiar butter churn,
The fragrance of the wood smoke
As the cooking fire would burn.
Oh the scenes and sounds of childhood,
From my life I cannot erase;
As my mind is prone to journey
Back to my old home place.
- by: L. L. Cash
I look at things around me,
At a flower or at a tree,
And I marvel at the beauty
That my eyes reveal to me.
Take the pretty little red bird
That I saw the other day;
It gave contrast to the color
Of a sassy old blue jay.
The glorious beauty of a sunrise
Still gives my heart a thrill,
As does the contour of the landscape
With its gentle rolling hills.
Bright red berries on a bush
Or golden apples on a tree;
Arranged amid its foliage
A treat for anyone to see.
It never ceases to amaze me,
Sometimes it causes me to sigh;
As I marvel at the beauty
Of stars twinkling in the sky.
There's an awesome kind of beauty
In a noisy summer storm.
And there's enchantment in a snowfall
While the fireplace keeps you warm.
Oh there's so much natural beauty
All around us every day;
There's no way one can absorb it,
Why t'would take one's breath away.
So, pick one item of pure beauty,
As you would a diamond, turn it 'round,
then you'll enjoy every facet
Of the beauty you have found.
Thank you, God, for all the beauty
That you have sent our way.
It sure makes life more pleasant
As it brightens up each day.
-by L. L. Cash
I tucked my head as I sat on his bed,
There wasn't but one chair in the place.
I felt so ashamed as I spoke his name,
It was written all over my face.
You see, I hadn't been to visit with him,
I never seemed to have the spare time.
I really did care, I just hadn't been there,
How I'd neglected, this old friend of mine.
The years had passed, they'd gone by so fast,
Nothing there but some old memories.
Once in a while I'd see a faint smile,
As he thought most fondly on these.
There wasn't much left, a picture on a shelf,
In a room almost empty and bare.
On a night stand, in reach of his hand,
A tattered old Bible lay there.
On a gnarled hand, was a gold wedding band,
Which he had worn for many a year.
We talked of his wife, who had departed this life,
With trembling hand, he brushed a stray tear.
He talked on like a child, as we visited awhile,
About old times and people we once knew.
And I thought in my mind, if you could find the time,
Oh how he'd like a visit from you.
With quivering chin, I said goodby to him,
I promised I'd be back real soon.
He looked up at me, and said we'll see,
As I silently slipped out of the room.
Oh someday I, when life has passed by,
Will open my eyes, and then I may see.
It is then I might pine, for an old friend of mine,
To come over and visit with me.
So I made me a vow, as I walked out of there,
Never more to neglect an old friend.
I would find the time, in this schedule of mine,
To go back and visit with him.
- by L.L. Cash
Layman Cash was born on July 5, 1932 in the little town of Pamplin, VA near Appoxmattox. He considers himself a country boy from his growing up experiences on a farm and management of a Dairy Farm in Virgina. He made his profession of faith at age 16 in the Spring Creek Baptist Church in Darlington Heights, VA. Much of his poetry reflects his country boy and Christian Faith experiences. He also takes pride in being part of the group which influenced the starting of a community college at Keysville, VA (intersection of highways 15 and 360).
He and his wife Sandra were married in Brookneal Virgina, close to Lynchburg. They moved to Greensboro, NC in 1974 and have 3 daughters and 6 grandchildren. Prior to moving to Greensboro he served in the military during the Korean conflict, co-managed a Farm Implement business from 1960-1964 and entered the insurance profession in 1964.
He retired from Home Beneficial Life Insurance in 1994 and has been active in voluntary work in the Greensboro community. These include teaching a Sunday School Class at Southeast Baptist Church, coordinating a Helping Hands program for the elderly, delivering mobile meals to shutins, an avid supporter of eight nursing home's worship and poetry programs. In addition he is a active Gideon and member of the Triad Writers Group.
Mr. Cash can be contacted on (910) 274-1249 or at 4100 Enchanted Lane; Greensboro, NC 27406.