Forever

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ~ Isaiah 41:10 

 

Our hearts –

they ache – they harbor pain,

a pain of grief and loss.

Our minds are clouded by the tears –

and just can’t see the Cross.

Our searching thoughts –

they try to grasp

at whys not understood,

unable to accept this hurt

is somehow for our good.

Doubts –

they tend to make their home

right amongst our fears.

Days seem hard

and nights are worse,

fighting back the tears.

Desperate -

at times finally,

we get upon our knees

asking God to guide us here,

to hear our many pleas.

God –

He gently holds us up

and  never lets us go.

He comfort us with peace so whole

just like we long to know.

And along the rocky road from here

He leads us by His hand,

teaching us  His gospel real

and showing us His plan.

And gradually, we come to learn

that life is more than now

so in His strength we carry on,

slowly, strong, somehow.

And forever is our perspective

and  so, we long for home,

enjoying how He’s blessed us,

never left alone.

Cast

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you.

~I Peter 5:6

Uncertainty and worries, they

caressed my reeling mind.

A heartlessness pervaded – such

as I’d thought I’d never find.

The courage that I’d grasped before

I watched – it moved like sand,

that despite my violent protests

slipped right through my hands.

A whirlwind of “what if’s” raged strong,

the storm of “never” blew,

and every single question there

undid what I’d called true.

Faltering in oblivion

- a place I’d been before –

I searched in vain for sweet peace

to calm my essence flawed.

Yet anxiety: a begrudging friend

Had attached itself to pride –

an ego had now grown some more

and refused to leave or hide.

So upon my back I carried it:

a heavy, dreary weight,

and despite the call to cast it off,

I claimed it as my fate.

Too proud to leave such fear behind,

too fearful to let pride go,

I floundered, falling far behind,

grasping what I didn’t know.

It was only a humility,

worked by the Spirit divine

which tore the burdens from my back

- the ones I’d claimed as mine.

It was only Grace that taught me

that burdens such as these

are to be cast upon God, who hears,

who grants a true release.

Cast, rather than carried

is now my theme song for such fear,

And guided by the Spirit of Hope,

True peace is always near.

a dreamed resolve

Without leaps of imagination or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all is a form of planning.
~ Gloria Steinem

Resolve seems sweet when near asleep,

When day has not yet broken,

When the mind – in grandeur – makes such claims

That have no merit spoken.

In dreaming a reality

That will never find existence

One finds a joy – a hidden hope

That in reality sees resistance.

The conversation within our head

That need no second party

With out the mess- or second guess-

Yet with conviction true and hearty.

It is only life that seems to stand

In the way of resolution

And only truth that guides to where

A hope can find solution.

cherry blossoms

“It is by no means an irrational fancy that, in a future existence, we shall look upon what we think our present existence, as a dream.”
  ~Edgar Allan Poe

There was once a time

she’d walked amongst

the cherry blossom fire.

She’d chased her dreams,

and touched suns rays,

floating even higher.

The sunsets glow –

it watched her

as she fastened on her wings

& flew beyond “what if”

to where

only happiness could bring.

Those days,

each distant memory

seemed to glitter compared to what

she saw there in the mirror:

silver hair

and things forgot.

The portrait that still

admired her

held a face she longed to hold:

one stolen by the sunset

and turned

to all things gold.

The future

in its scarcity

held days that had been numbered.

So she lived amongst

the cherry trees

& kept dreaming as she wandered.

the fire

“The fire had swept past them and was now far ahead, breaking across the distant stubble in a low red wave. Behind them, and all around, was a world of smoke and blackness - black for cinders, black for ashes, black for mourning. The smoke and the stench still covered everything; and dotted all over the landscape like bitter red roses on the black earth were burning things - logs and fallen trees, stumps and limbs, fence posts and farm buildings.”

-Colin Theile, February Dragon

The putrid wind, it kissed my lips

with all things death and dire.

The sullen, sluggish, smoggish fog

-aglow- was rising higher.

A strange sense of serenity

encapsulated fear

as not a voice, but a fiendish roar

was heard by all those near.

The sky was very fury:

an intoxicated parade

of smoke and ash and embers

that drifted in its haze.

Leaping higher for a moment

and then back down to earth,

each searing flame seemed to dance

in a test of will and worth.

And when at once resided

the blackened landscape wept

and spilling into a greenery

of secrets left unkept.

the moon

“The moon is friend for the lonesome to talk to.”
 - Carl Sandburg

The moon, it hung enshrouded

within a veil of lace.

It set the night to glory

and shone in very grace.

The swollen orb of gentleness

quietly lit the sky

as the world reclused into its dark

and let beauty pass them by.

There was no such obnoxity

or pride within its glow,

yet a confidence was exuded clear

as it hung so bright and low.

The path it carefully followed

was one divinely shown.

And humbly, moving through the hours

it soon let the day be known.

the gift of peace

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. 

I do not give to you as the world gives. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

John 14:27

 

 

A war is being fought right now
in the East, or around the table.
The sullen faces speak of grief
and we’re just coping if we’re able.
 
The bitter taste of discontent
and grief – it stains our voices,
as we mumble prayers or heartfelt pleas
and count our numbered choices.
---
The sky lit up some years ago
and angels spoke of glory.
Shepherds heard the scene of praise:
soon the world had heard the story.
 
A child, newborn, had been sent to earth
to bring peace to a world of hurting.
His words and deeds - such truth and grace
led to a sacrifice: converting!
 
“Peace,” He said, “I leave you,
and not peace like which you know.”
His peace was whole – with no room for fear
to undermine or overthrow.
---
His peace won’t stop our battles
but will shine a light so clear
that not one shadow will hide an evil
wherever that peace is near.
 
His peace leaves not a troubled heart,
but sheltered by God's shalom,
by His peace – His Spirit’s own peace
He guides us hurting, home.
 
Right here and now, amidst our wars
the hardship may outlive us
but short our lives, and brief our pain
we savour that peace He gives us.

what if and beyond

“For I have always been a seeker, a dreamer, and a ponderer on seeking and dreaming...”

- HP Lovecraft

My sun of hope arises

at most every chance it gets,

peering past the darkness

of all previous regrets.

Its rays extinguish reason

and attempt to banish doubt;

Any kind of misadventure

it carelessly cancels out.

The hues of rampant stupidity

and foolishness light the sky

as I fasten on my fairy wings

and actually believe that I can fly.

On a precipice, silhouetted,

I leap and wave my wand

to fall to the sweet insignificance

of “what if” and beyond.

the piano song

 The pianokeys are black and white
but they sound like a million colors in your mind

- Maria Cristina Mena

Upon ivory keys his fingers stood

and the ebony reflected.

Not a sound escaped the untouched strings

which for years had been neglected.

Dust settled slow, and lights turned dim

and dim and dim and dimmer.

The sleek suspense sliced the air thin

and thin and thin and thinner.

Just when she thought all breath was gone

the air came rushing round her

with a melody sweet, though morose and low.

She allowed it to gently surround her.

Grey clouds gave way to thunder

that begged her ears to dance,

as the tune tore chords asunder

every time it had the chance.

Then slowly, sweet, it healed that soul

which since long ago lay broken

each movement made, each simple note

spoke volumes once left unspoken.

So adamant and so convinced

of such gentle pulchritude,

those keys combined till tenderness

met the sound of grace renewed.

And somewhere near, though yet unseen

her heart was being stirred

by those daring dreams of bold elegance

in the piano’s song she heard.

the stars

Lift up your eyes on high,
 and see who has created these things,
 who brings out their host by number;
 He calls them all by name,
 by the greatness of His might
 and the strength of His power;
 not one is missing.

~Isaiah 40:26

Let me show you the stars tonight

that are lighting up the sky.

I don’t know their names or places

but lets watch them shoot and fly.

Lets absorb the stillness of the night

and take in all the beauty

as we listen to the wind’s sweet song

and watch the moon fulfill her duty.

Let me show you the stars tonight –

watch, see how they shine,

some have asked the reason why

but the answer isn’t mine.

All I know is their beauty

and that their intricate design

was formed by my Creator

who’s made this sky so fine.

Let me show you the stars tonight

take some time to stand in awe

and tomorrow, remember the prettiness

of the constellations that we saw.