Lost Long Before

I lost you long before I fell
From structures made of men
To underneath the forgotten,
Begging for morsels not my own,
Floundering in the shallow depths of need.

I lost you to my own desire,
While searching eyes grew dim
And all I had was stolen -
Never mine, the echoed cries
That fueled the arson's dying fire.

I lost you in a vain attempt
To have and hold again,
As if tired, used up refrains
A different song would make,
Even played for ears in tune with mine.

Go Back Inside

‘Go back inside’,
The silent voice said,
‘For no one can see you
Out here nonetheless;
You’re better off hiding
Where safety is sure
Than standing out naked
Where you can be hurt.’

‘Go back inside’,
It chastised again,
‘Can you not feel the cold
Of a world wrapped in sin?
Out here the exposure
On your tender frame
You’ll never get used to,
Nor win at its game.’

‘Get back inside’,
The voice nearly yelled,
‘You do not belong here,
Among the debris
Of all that is broken
And hearts that don’t speak
To the ideals you live for -
Come, inside there’s peace.”

Everything Speaks

The trees have a message,

“Stand tall and firm,
Be green and alive
From your roots far below,
Reaching out farther
The more that you grow.”

The sky has a message,

“Look up and breathe,
Be aware of all life
As the winds blow, unseen,
Refreshing and stirring,
Delivering, free.”

The birds have a message,

"Listen, then sing!
Call out for joy in the day!
Soar upon wings
That delight in uprising,
And rest on the branches that sway.”

The earth has a message,

“Remember, you’re small
Compared with the One who
Imagined us all!
Be conscious of infinite
Space, chance, and time -
Keep this perspective always in mind.”

The rocks have a message,

“Stay grounded and strong,
Let the waters rain over your form,
Be still and unchanging
In adverse conditions,
Remaining unmoved through each storm.
 

Everything speaks!

The meaning is one,
For the messenger reveals all truth
In forms filled with beauty
Beseeching, ‘take notice!’
For therein is love’s finest proof.

 

 

I WALK WITH GOD

I walk with God.

Sometimes others follow,

Other times I am alone.

Occasionally, the path ahead is clear,

But usually it is obscured.

It is enough to be beside Him.

 

I walk with God.

At times I’m unwavering,

Other times I hesitate.

Then it appears that we

Travel in circles for a while

Beforeprogressing with direction.

 

I walk with God,

Though sometimes He carries me.

Infrequently, we talk.

Mostly we communicate silently.

There are times when I stumble,

But He keeps me from falling.

 

I walk with God.

Following Him requires devotion

To His way of wandering,

At times it is difficult

To stay close enough to see Him.

Sometimes I watch His back,

Other times I hold His hand.

 

I walk with God.

When He shows me things

Along the way, I am in awe.

When I perceive my own smallness

Next to Him, I am humbled.

 

I walk with God.

Sometimes we stand still

And I have to wait for Him to move.

At times I feel I can’t go on,

And He patiently waits for me.

 

I walk with God.

My road with Him

Is different than any other’s,

Yet sometimes they intersect.

Then I understand what it means

To share a walk with God.

Feeling Winter

The stark, brown lines
Of oaks in winter,
Thin against the endless sky,
Humble in their decrease,
Stretch like the soul
Toward heaven,
Bare and fruitless to the eye
Yet alive down deep
Where sleeping blooms
Await reawakening.

The pale, gray mood
Of clouds in winter
Flat across the widened sky,
Ambiguous in form
And bleak of portent,
Cold in its deceit,
Creeps like the ache of age,
Apparently hopeless,
Yet the warmth of Spring
Awaits reaapearance.

ALIVE

I AM ALIVE.
Like the wind, I come and go.
Like the waves, I swell and fall.
Like the sun, I shine and fade.
Like the earth, I move.

I AM ALIVE.
Like the blooms, I open and close.
Like the trees, I stand and wait.
Like the clouds, I sometimes rain....
Like the grass, I grow.

LET'S BE ALIVE.
Like the priests, we'll sacrifice.
Like the monks, we'll seek His face.
Like the saints, we'll sing His praise.
As His beloved, we'll drown in grace...

 

Not Quite

I am a preacher without a voice,
A clown with a normal nose,
A book store where no one likes to read,
A model that can't strike a pose.

I am a song that's missing music,
A gourmet meal dropped to the floor,
A shining star obscured by the clouds,
A game for which no one keeps score.

I am a bird that's unable to fly,
A flower that doesn't bloom,
A sappy letter lost in transit,
A hotel without any rooms.

I am a fortune with no one to spend it,
An outlet without any wires,
A gun that has no ammunition,
A painting caught up in a fire.

I am a water hose filled with holes,
A phone that can not go through,
A sister born as an only child,
A hopeless case if not for you.

HOLDING OUT

I hold out hope
Like a beacon
Shining forth
Into the future
Its rays breaking up
The dread darkness
Into fleeting specters,
Making room for dreams
To stand, discovered.

The two that remain

Are kept close by,
Delighting in the unseen
Exposed by hope
And giving out light
Of a different kind,
Its warmth disarming
History cold
And chasing fear.
 

These three I carry,

Traversing time
As if it moved
On whispers low,
Neither seen
Nor barely heard
While high above
Clouds of wisdom
Gather with belief.

Schism

Within the darkened dungeon walls

The locks are cinched up tight
So no one hears the desperate calls
For hope, for bread, for light –
While just above a feast is held
Inside the hallowed halls,
As those who walk in freedom
Take the blessings meant for all.

The captives do not know how close

Their rescue, in truth, lies
For they are separated from
The source of redeemed life,
And while they long for being saved
Before they reach an earthly grave,
The privileged won’t dare to go
Into the dungeon’s gloomy glow.

Is there but one who’d dare to help

These suffering souls to rest?
A selfless fan of mercy
And the least of those he bests?
While putting others first, with love,
To offer up the key,
A willing soul to teach them how
To walk amongst the free?

For when we stop to realize

How little we deserve
Compared with how we’re magnified
With favor unreserved,
We can not help but want to share
With all who know the need,
The boundless love and tender care
In God’s great family.

MYSELF

I don’t want to be myself

Sometimes,
When others can’t see
The truth portrayed
And followed after,
Denying all
Beside it looming tall.

 

I can’t bear to be myself

Sometimes,
When isolation
Pulling me sideways
Into its black hole,
Denies the light
Outside it taking flight.
 

I can’t help but be myself

Sometimes,
When everything fits
The image unreal -
Yet we stop looking,
Perception trapped
Inside the mirror’s half.
 

I won’t try to be myself

Sometimes,
Because of the lies
That we believe
Before we know it,
Fair or unfair,
Hence the labels to wear.
 

I won’t show to you myself

Sometimes,
When nothing changes
In dreams transparent,
Meant not to come true
In ideal form,
Thus the mask is worn.