Suffolk News-Herald

&uot;By sending the seas of sins crashing into our lives, just keep your eye on the lighthouse, where Jesus is the light of the house, shining his love, mercy and grace to all,&uot;

– The Lighthouse

Every time Ricky Clemons puts pen to paper and creates rhymes, the words he uses aren’t from his mind. They’re not even from his heart. They’re from something much, much stronger.

&uot;The Lord gave me the gift to write,&uot; said Clemons, who graduated from Suffolk High School in 1976 and now lives in Franklin.

&uot;I love writing poems about the Lord, because it keeps my mind on Him. It’s like peace of mind for me.&uot;

About 10 years ago, Clemons’ pastor at Copernium Seventh-Day Adventist church asked him to read a poem to the congregation. Instead, he decided to create one.

&uot;A voice in my head said, ‘I want you to write,’&uot; Clemons said. &uot;I wrote a poem called ‘Jesus is My Savior.’

&uot;I give God all the glory and praise,&uot; he said. &uot;For Black History Month, it’s all about giving God all the glory and praise. He made great black leaders who they were. Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t do it on his own; the Lord inspired him.

&uot;He gives us the knowledge to achieve in life, and I love sharing the Lord’s blessing with others because life’s too short not to enjoy His blessings. I just want one person to read my poem and wake up and realize that he should give his heart over to the Lord before it’s too late.&uot;

&uot;It is I who writes out all your receipts, ones that no man could ever add or subtract, dating back to the day you were born, with the receipt I gave to all the world to be saved.&uot;

– My Receipt

Last December, Clemons took another step toward helping many others do so; his poetry was published in a book, the Brush of Poetry. Also last year, several of his words were transformed into song by lyricist Lucrecha Calleance and can be heard on a CD called &uot;There is a Book.&uot;

&uot;My producer heard her voice sing last fall,&uot; Clemons said. &uot;It blows my mind. It’s amazing how she can just take a poem, put it into song, and make it sound real good.&uot;

For more information on obtaining a sample of Clemons’ work, call 535-9615.

&uot;Jesus gives his love freely, each and every day, as men and women, boys and girls around the world bear witness to its remarkable power.&uot;

– Father Generation