“Family Like No Other”

~APRIL WATSON~

We gather again, hearts open wide,
With hugs that feel like sunshine inside.
Laughter echoes, kids run free,
It’s love in motion, our family tree.

From the youngest giggles to the stories old,
This bond we share is purest gold.
Through every trial, every mile,
We’ve kept each other strong with style.

We remember the ones who paved the way,
Who taught us grace, who taught us to pray.
And oh, how we miss their loving cheer
Their voices, their hugs, their wisdom near.

Grandma’s smile, sweet as July,
And oh! That lemon meringue pie.
No one’s quite matched that golden crust,

yet my mom's sample is a must.
but we taste her love in every trust.

Grandpa’s jokes, his steady hand,
The way he’d help us understand.
Though they’ve gone, their light remains,
In family songs and shared last names.

So lift your glass and lift your voice,
Today we laugh, today we rejoice!
In every dance, in every toast,
We celebrate what we love most.

Family! Loud, loving, perfectly wild,
Every elder, every child.
In this reunion, joy runs high,
With sweet memories that never die.

T H A T R O C K W A S C H R I S T

(Acrostic Reflection)

By April Watson
 

T – Thirsty hearts cried in the sand,

H – He gave them water by His hand.

A – A Rock was struck, and mercy poured,

T – The grace of God was freely stored.

R – Refuge found in barren place,

O – Our souls refreshed by heaven’s grace.

C – Christ, the Rock, would take the blow,

K – Kindness flowed where wrath should go.

W – Wounded once, yet still He gives,

A – A stream of life so hope now lives.

S – Struck for sin, He paid the price...

C – Cleansing hearts with sacrifice.

H – Held by love no thirst remains,

R – Risen Lord who broke our chains.

I –  In the desert or the fight,

S – Still He stands, our guiding light.

T – That Rock was Christ, our source, our sight.

God Is Our Refuge

By April Watson

God is our refuge, our refuge and shield,

Shielding our hearts when the fear is revealed.

Revealed in the storm, yet we’re never alone,

Alone? Never! For He makes His presence known.

Known in the silence, the thunder, the quake,

Quake not, dear soul, for He’s there when you break.

Break not in sorrow; His strength will restore,

Restore your soul till you tremble no more.
 

More than a helper, He's near when we pray,

Pray when the night tries to swallow the day.

Daylight or darkness... He's constant and true,

True refuge and strength and always with you.

The Ruby Spread

By April Watson

We are the children, grans, and cousins, 

Gathered together once again. 

Dressed in purple, 

proud to be Branches of Grandma Ruby's family tree.

Some of us traveled many miles, 

Drawn by memories, hugs, and smiles. 

Some see each other every day, 

Others reconnect in this special way.

Though years may pass and seasons change,

 The roots she planted still remain. 

In every story, every embrace, 

We find a part of Grandma's grace.

We are her legacy living on, 

A family circle, wide and strong. 

Her love was scattered like seeds instead,

And today we stand as The Ruby Spread.

So here's to those who've gone before,

And to the generations still in store. 

May we cherish the bond that brought us here,

And keep it growing year after year.

For Grandma Ruby's greatest gift wasn't gold or fame, It was family

and we carry her name. Not only in blood, but in the love we've shared, 

The Ruby Spread, forever prepared.

"Beast with the Pen – Kevin Lamont Harris"

By April Watson 

This one’s for Kevin Lamont Harris, no doubt,

When he steps to the page, all the noise cuts out.

He don't just write, he unleashes storms,

With verses that breathe, twist, burn, and transform.
 

A beast with the pen, his rhythm runs deep,

He speaks from the soul, no lines ever sleep.

Poetry’s soldier, commander of sound,

When Kevin drops bars, the silence bows down.
 

His words got weight like truth with a crown,

They lift, they shake, they spin heads around.

Raw with expression, sharp with the flow,

His ink is alive, and his vibe? Beast mode.
 

He don’t chase clout—nah, he crafts from the core,

Every stanza he writes opens minds like a door.

Kevin Lamont Harris, that name holds flame,

A poet, a force, with an untouchable aim.

I’ve seen him paint pain, I’ve heard him spit grace,

Every emotion gets carved into place.

He’s the type to write peace into war,

To flip every wound into something worth more.

So this is respect, this is truth, this is love,

A shout from the heart.

To my cousin, the lyrical blade,

You’ve built a legacy. Words never fade.

When the Storm Asks Leuanna to Rise

By April Watson 
 

You are the still hand

on the back of a racing child,

the soft voice

in a room full of noise,

the map they forget they’re following

until they’re miles ahead,

and safe.

You are not made of panic,

though it knocks.

You are not made of fire,

though the heat comes.

You are the breeze that stays steady

when the world spins sharp.
 

Decisions will come

dressed like cliffs,

but you are the whisper that says,

Let’s look first. Let’s breathe.

Kindness is not weakness.

It is steel,

wrapped in velvet.

When you choose it,

you teach it

and the world shifts by inches

because you didn’t break

when you could have
 

Stay calm, even when

the sharp words of others

cut the air like thorns.

You’ve got roots.

They’ve got wind.

And when the day ends

and no one saw

the miracle it took

to not lose your voice,

know this:

You are not invisible.

You are essential.

Your love is the seed

that makes tomorrow gentle.

ENEMIES

By April Watson
 

Even when they strike with hate, respond with grace, not spite.

Never let the darkness win; shine love's enduring light.

Every act of kindness sown can soften hearts of stone.

Mercy is the higher road where Christ Himself was known.

In prayer, lift their names each day, entrust their wounds to God.

Emulate the Savior's way, though the path be hard and broad.

Show them Jesus through your carelove the ones who hurt and stare. 

"You Are Enough"

By April Watson
 

Stop trying to change

for things that don’t matter,

chasing reflections

in a world full of chatter.
 

You twist, you shrink,

you mold and bend

to please a storm

that will never end.
 

But what if I told you

you don’t have to chase?

You are enough

just as you take up space.

The world might not see it,

but that’s not your crime.

You weren’t made

to fit every rhyme.

Let them talk,

let the noise fall away,

you’re made of the stars,

of night and day.

So stop the changing

for a fleeting prize

you are enough.

Right now. As you rise.

A Farewell Whisper 

(In reference to our deceased family)

By April Watson
 

Do not stand too long in sorrow's shade,

Or linger where our footsteps fade.

Lift your eyes to morning's light,

And greet each dawn with hope so bright.

We are the laughter in your song,

The quiet strength that moves you on.

Though time has placed us worlds apart,

We still live gently in your heart.

Do not save your love for later days,

Or leave kind words unsaid in haste.

Hold those dear to you so near,

For every moment is sincere.

When tears arrive, don't turn away;

They speak of love that chose to stay.

But let your grief become a flame

That lights your path, not bears your pain.

Chase your dreams with steady grace,

Find wonder in each time and place.

Watch sunsets glow and rivers flow,

Embrace the life you're meant to know.

Remember us with smiles, not fear,

In every memory we are near.

Not in the silence of the grave,

But in the love we freely gave.

And when the stars adorn the night,

Think of us with hearts made light.

For though our voices cannot be heard,

Love still speaks without a word.

So live with courage, laugh out loud,

Stand humble, gentle, never proud.

Be kind, forgive, let hope remain,

For joy will always follow pain.

Until the day we meet once more,

Beyond this life's familiar shore,

Do not wish your days away...

Live fully. Love deeply. And honor us that way.