When the falling tear
Is caught within the hand
And you fight it back
Tooth and nail
Trying to prevail
And avoid succumbing
To its charms
It’s lure
Though inside you’re
Dying
Longing
And dreaming to fly
So much further
Than where you are now
it hurts
The screaming brain
Wants nothing to refrain
This
Nothing to dull this
Inside you’re yearning
To face this
To come to terms
With this
But like judas’ kiss
Your stubbornness
Betrays you
No one can see
Through you hardened
Exterior…
Yet you aren’t fooling
Anyone
The wool can’t be
Placed over the eyes
Of the Son,
This has only begun
Now you breathe
Once more
Allow the tears
To freely fall
hey it’s your life
Let it begin Anew
Wipe away yesterday
Sigh, then smile
And give tomorrow
A warmer embrace
Than is needed.
Empty Vessels
Emptiness
hollowed out
gonging with the
dulled pang of belonging.
It catches the skin
like a pinch from
that distant Aunt
who grasps your cheek
pronounces how much
you’ve grown
and then leaves
stains of crimson
lips upon your forehead.
We’re too precious
to be distant…
too valuable to
remain empty
unused vessels
harnessed and strapped
with so much untapped
potential.
Faith is evidence
of things unseen
as is the future
for us all.
yet who is it
that commands our presence
who controls our futures
and our paths
yet unplotted and refined.
If vessels are empty
such a travesty for
them to forever
remain that way.
I Go (Poem)
Maybe who I am
Is not all I could be
Maybe who I
Could be
Would be
So much more
Than the shallow
Depth I feel.
I know I am
Not my own
That a calling
Heart ready,
Wants this growing
This holy
Endeavor to
Dig deep
Never sever
Never surrender
In my knowing
The spirit prompts
Me in my going…
And so I go.
The Fight (Poem)
When my strength has tapped out
When all I am is drained away
When all I have is spent and gone
Lord, your strength I need today.
When I am down and for the count
and no one cheers me on
when failure looms in front of me
Your hope is never gone!
Give me a heart of strength
O Lord, I need Your light.
Stand before, beside and behind
So may I boldly carry on
and never quit this fight!
Not today…its my shipwreck!
Candidly
the candles burned down low
time seemed to flow
far too fast.
Awesomely
I crashed and burned
the tables turned
and the dreams changed
into nightmares…
without a care
the walls caved in
exposing my sin
and I was left
with nothing.
How can these
heartaches
mend again?
How can shattered
pieces
be glued back
together?
The cracks will still
show
when the light
is right
but candidly
these candles burn
too low.
Painfully
the seas all
capsize my memories
my logic flees
and all that’s
left is
second hand sympathies.
Why can you see
when blindness
takes the heart of me
when the pain
is more to me
than just a heartache?
Is there freedom
inside?
Some place to
hide?
I’m waiting for
these storms to
subside
maybe
maybe
one day…
but not today…it’s my shipwreck!
One Day
One day
Life became
Death
Breath became
Stilled silence
Calm
Became storm
Whole
Became broken
Wounds
Became fatal
One
Solitary
Day
Sure Judgement
Became Salvation
Real punishment
Because absolute
Redemption
One day
Innocent
Became guilty
Perfect
Was painted
With the blood
Of others
The burdens
Of others
One day
Became everyday
Every promise
Every day hope
Every day
New life
Reborn
Reanimation
Of the dead
One day
Became
Our tomorrow
Instead of
Our past
One day
With Christ
Will open
Our hopes
Transform our
Brokenness
Restore our
Reflections
And make us
Complete
Again.
Biting at the bit
I am standing over my Barbecue grill,
It’s a thirty degree day outside…
It’s balmy!
I saw a high school kid today
In a tank top and shorts
wading through two feet
Of melting wet, cold snow.
The flames on the grill
Pay no heed to spring’s
Faux weather.
They lick the coals,
Consume its fuel
And singe the burgers
making a hissing sound
singing praises along the way.
I am grilling,
We are biting at the bit…
That boy today,
Me at my grill
The children down
The street who are
Trying out still hibernating
Playground equipment.
Biting at the bit of spring
And by sheer will
Forcing these seasons
To turn itself
Winter’s white blanket
green and flowering
Fields…biting at the bit
And willing this spring to
To open up its doors
once again.
Let it be…for now.
Sometimes logic fails
violence prevails
life…gets lost in the details
Sadness descends
like a thick fog
blurring our vision
obstruction of mission
and solitary admission
is required.
The doldrums of the day
can never compare
to living a peace
despite acceptance
often it evades us
leaves us dejected
rejected and hopelessly
infected with a burdened heart
could we overcome this?
Could we find the light again?
We fumble in the dark
tripping over each other
sister and brother
hurting each other
can we truly overcome this?
One day,
one mighty
and awesome day
this too will be but a dream
and when we wake
the lights will be on.
until then our little ambient
of heart and strength
must be enough
so just let it be!
Early Morning Fears
It’s five o clock in the morning
a small pajamaed body
creeps into our bed
silent as a shadow
shaking like a leaf
in the fall
dreams had turned
and now he churns
next to me,
breathing heavy on my neck
heating these old bones
forgetting how it used to be
when everything is possible
and nothing too hard to fathom
it’s five o clock in the morning
and we wake to encompass
our young soul with love
to help him brave through
the nightmares of tomorrow
…this too shall pass.
Imperfection made perfect
To be like Jesus…what does it mean to me?
How can I possibly be like Him?
I am broken
I am faulty
I am a habitual sinner
Yet His love
His Grace
His Hope
Brings me to the very face
of God,
and I am lost
I am no longer
I cease…
but ah, in my place
will be, not now
not in a moment
but will be
His reflection
looking back at me.
This is Holiness
this is where and who
I am called to be.
Pastor's Ponderings 