The Parable of the Walk

The Believer is likened unto a man who went for a walk.

He chose to pursue a worthy destination and carefully selected his path and pace. However, after setting out he forgot where he was headed, which path to take, and how rapidly to place his steps. He became distracted and enticed by wants and temptations that were not part of his walk. He allowed his mind to rest on the futile things of darkness. Soon he found himself tired and lost, walking alongside other wanderers on rough, steep, and dangerous ways.

Yet in his time of need a light in his heart awakened his spirit and he recalled the wise words often uttered to him by those who cared. These truths mercifully reminded him of his prior pursuit and he became grieved that he had abandoned his walk. All around him were unfamiliar faces and places and he wondered at how he had arrived here.

 
The man searched everywhere, asking, seeking and knocking on doors until he found the Teacher who called Himself the Way. The smile of His Lord and King beckoned him to follow. Secure on his chosen path again, he kept his eyes fixed on Jesus and his feet on the narrow way. Evermore he would strain towards his goal - not looking behind nor fretting - but actively learning by imitation, as a child does, how to walk uprightly.

Lost in Haze

If I could stand and watch the sky

So splendid in its motion smooth,

And soft within its billows high

To see the wonder of your love,

Then would I gaze for hours on end

To view the grand procession slow,

Observing that the birds pretend

A higher path they do not know

Though far beyond as you pass by

They linger long on sunny days,

Wishing for the wings to fly

To reach the summit lost in haze

And soar up there without a care,

The earth below a tiny field

Of flowers fading, once so fair,

For those who to the ground would yield

Forget there’s more than life down there.
 

Hearts of Women

These hearts of women,

Blatantly colored,
Flash and shine
In the fashion of dance
As they give and offer,
Create and dream.

The hearts of women,

Made to fly freely,
Sing, and laugh
For the sake of lightness
Often grow heavier,
Misunderstood.

These hearts of women,

Callously broken,
Cry out and mourn
Like a jaded soldier
As they succumb to pain,
Scarred and let down.

The hearts of women,

Beautifully crafted,
Hold onto hope
In the form of potential
For love’s restoration,
Their fondest wish.

DYING

The dream lay dying
In a manner of neglect
As the crippled cry
Of clanging cymbals
Sounded its pretense
And love languished
Along the lavish illusion,
Hiding hungry hope.

The vision vanished,
Leaving lonely the language
Once spoken sweetly,
Now silent and slow
To recover reasons
For forming fondness
Within the voice once vivacious,
Now of negative note.

Will the wounded win?
Where and why does wonder wait?
A miracle maybe
Could curtail collapse
And daunt demolition
Eager and evil;
Possibility's promise
Healing hardened hearts.

WINTER SAYS

The winter says
You can not stay here,
Time has come to remind you
There is more outside
Than inside man
And cold is the night
But frigid the day
When you can't see
Yet think to control
This illusion, this dream
That life belongs to you.

The winter says
Death can come slowly,
The warmth of breath stolen
When bitter the wind
Carries the sunlight away
Though you fight it,
Clouds thin and gray
Bring the dawn of confession
That here is eternal
Collapsed into vision -
All is God's refrain.

CLOUDS

The colors, once bright,

Fade like dreams,
Clouds move in
Like anxious thoughts
Threatening rain.
They clutter the sky,
Dispersing gray
Into that once clear
And creating omens
Dark and stormy,
Hanging overhead.

The day, once new,

Passes with time,
Others move in
Like marching soldiers,
Demanding more
To fight obscurity,
Exhausting options
Once considered good
And turning the light
Into darkness again,
And again it returns.

All These Truths

All these truths forevermore
Linger in the mind renewed,
Awakened to eternal sense
Of all that limits timelessness
And begs to narrowly define
The life that beyond limits dwells,
Existing of its own accord,
No explanation nor defense
To smallness that would come against
The sweet perfection uncontained
And rampant in the other realm
Where few have ventured in this way,
Though time surreal is often gain
As new perspectives grow
And the light, eternal, stays.

The Gift

This gift came wrapped in friendship bright

And unexpected it was,
Both surprising and inviting,
Deeply heavy in empty arms.

Ne’er did I think He loved me so

To offer such extravagance,
Both to complement and challenge,
Invaluable in idle hands.

Opening took care and time

Avoiding damage old and new,
Both awareness and wonder dawning
Before unfocused, tearful eyes.

This honor came without condition

Although its purpose was clear,
Both to prove as well as answer
The call of an undeserving heart.

Teach Me

Teach me how to make your Spirit

Strong in me like wind,
Pushing over waves against the shore,
And make it shine as bright as day
Reflecting on the sea
That I might show your glory ever more.

Teach me where your words are hidden

Deep within my heart,
Rising to the surface in my need,
And let them fill my mind and mouth
‘Til nothing else remains,
That I might ever help to feed your sheep.

Lord, teach me how to rise above

The curse of what I feel,
Swelling to an upsurge in my tears,
And in that weakness you be strong
Inside me that I know
The touch of Love engulfing every fear.
 

Please teach me how to live this life

Gliding as on wings,
Searching out with confidence your face,
And soaring high above the world
To overcome with you,
I pray that I might dwell within your grace.

The Guard

I will let the guard stand down

If you will come near slowly,

Showing what you hold within your hand -

But I can’t take a shot

From the one I see as holy

Or I’d have to face the castles built of sand.

 

I would love to listen

If you dare to share your feelings,

Showing how the fragile play the game –

But I can not repay

The cost of your involvement

With this one who’s destined to be blamed.

 

I might extend an offer

In the giving of my trust,

Showing who will honor it the most –

But when the deal is broken

I’ll refuse to own the sadness,

Preferring not to ever come that close.