Poetry

It’s a Mystery

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Lord, so much baffles and confuses us,
causes consternation and pain.
Much like acid rain,
we insist on short term gain
to our detriment.

It’s our right!
and it’s a mystery.

We got really good at making,
and then at selling,
then consuming.

China was impatient
to grow too,
and so they did.
Now in their cities
they hardly ever see the sun
or blue sky,
but they’re getting so much better
at building fancy cars.

It’s their right!
and it’s a mystery

You have yours
so I’ll have mine.
Let me manifest my destiny!
Don’t get between me
and my ocean.

When did wisdom become
a dirty word,
or a stumbling block
to progress?
When did the law
and justice
become enemies,
the first for revenue,
the latter
to symbolically appease.

Might may make right,
but all fists
grow old
and lose their grip
on fortune.

It’s giants’ rights,
and it’s a mystery.

Is it just my sore knees talking
or the explosions in the news?
Why are so many
willing to kill
to express their views?

I confess to being weary
with us,
the human race,
the evil
too easy to express.
Father, help me lift up my head.
I’m not strong enough
on my own to abide,
so help me with Your Word
to find peace inside,
and believe that this all
will pass away,
and
a new earth
will replace
this way.

Lord, help us learn to build
instead of tearing down.
Help us practice solutions
and build bridges.
Let us replace Facebook rants
and political hate
with better choices
and level voices.
Let us be the men and women
we admire.
Help us to be quiet enough
to hear you speaking.

Let the mystery of
why so many harm
become the mystery
of why so many heal.
With your grace,
help us be the ones
who reveal
Your love for human-kind
through Your death
and resurrection.

Thank you Lord,
for listening.

Jesus & John the Baptist

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John the Baptist preaching
in the wilderness of Judea,
saying,
“Repent for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand.”

He prepared the way for Jesus

the kingdom is at hand

baptizing in the Jordan river

the kingdom is at hand

then Jesus came from Galilee
but John said, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do you come to me?”

in the Jordan river
the Holy Spirit came down
in the river
as a dove
with the heavenly sound
of the Lord
saying,
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
I would be on my knees!
In the Jordan
Jesus and John
in the Jordan
Pharisees and Sadducees
the beginning of the end for these.

in the Jordan

“Do not let your heart be troubled;”

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

In the shadow of the cross you were
and yet you said, “don’t let your heart
be troubled.”

You took the time to prepare us on earth
and let us know there would be brighter days.

I believe.
I believe you went there for me.
I believe.
I believe in brighter days.
I believe.
You’ve already gone there for me.
There’s a place with my name on it.
Heaven’s ready glory days.

I and U

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I
a
door
U

the
1
eye
most
trust
in
side

U
reached
4th
with
2
hands

With
U
eye
doughnut
knead
2
Hyde

In
sail
or
swim
or
sink

with
U
air’s
know
missing
link

No
matter
how
ruff
the
see

I
a
door
U

Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
Revelation 3:20

Please and Carrots

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Would you feed me please
and carrots?
It’s what this little bit of me
most dearly loves.
For other children
see,
it may be macaroni
but tender colorfully
grown fare
are what please me.

Would you feed me please
and carrots?
Just stay away from me
see,
with those doughnuts.
They only make me feel slow,
I’m certain
don’t help me grow,
and surely
worse
I perceive,
than no lunch.

Noise

It’s noisy out there…
city fare constant pounding
resounding
to the tune of progress

engines winding up
and winding down
moving citizens round
where do they stop?
they don’t stop…
they rebound

even listless feet
beat the street while
other feet
passing
are in sync
creating rhythm

no chance
for tedium
from the strum
of a corner
guitar whose star
waits
to be discovered

there will be others
to take his place
when the pace
is too fast
and at last
a pause
in the action
occurs

what would it be
worth
if all the
noise on
earth
simply stopped?

would we be
deafened
by the
silence?

Here You Are

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Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher).

Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'”

Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.
John 20:15-18

“Why are you weeping? Who are you seeking?”
To a heartbroken Mary, after His death and resurrection.
Jesus, it can’t be You! Teacher, can it be true?
Maybe if I hold You close,
and I keep my eyes open
this time, you won’t go
Please tell me
you won’t leave me
again.

I know that I cling,
but seeing you again
makes me want to sing.
How could you leave a second time?
I don’t understand.

But I believe,
and trust
and love You
Now that I’ve seen,
I’ll tell everyone
that you rose
and it wasn’t a dream

The stone rolled away
here you are
in front of
your empty grave

Now the
world
must
know

death
no longer rules

for here You are.

Weather: Like a Bolt of Lightning

Jesus, you…

hit me like a bolt of lightning, the highlight of my younger days.
Just a taste of that Holy Spirit
and I never felt the same. Your kind of power God makes the knees
buckle, but then again makes us
strong. Oh God, that burning bush for Moses, surely made him come
along. What about Paul, who was
Saul? Baby, after that flash on the road to Damasc’, testimony
forever changed. What a monster
flash! Da dooby doo dooooo dwee up dwee up up up and away in the
upper room, that place was hop-
pin’, there was no stoppin’ shakin’ nearly every day. Like a bolt
of lightning, You hit me like
a bolt… of lightning. Like a jagged bolt, of lightning… oh oh
a bolt of lightning, Hit me one
time! Whoa woh oh! Weee oh oh mmmm’ oh, hmm, hmm hmm… dweedle
oh, oh! and that’s all.

Fog! The Poem

What’s this? I thought we already addressed fog for the weather series! Emily Anne, of http://unkilleddarlings.wordpress.com commented that she thought “there was a poem in there somewhere, waiting to be extracted.” Well, rather than listen to the muffled shouts of “let me out” by the Fog poem, I’ve decided to be merciful and do just that.

Held between hills
like water stopped up in a funnel
that low-level cloud
presents
for morning
formation
but it lacks the discipline
to hold steady for long
better at ease
than attention

It’s everywhere and nowhere
at once
a twirling mist
seeing through you just
laughing at
impregnable
barriers and borders
and motions

Stepping aside for a car
then stepping back in
like a haughty star
you might move through me now
but sister…
believe me
you’ll never see far

A field of cows
might appear half-calf
an orchard of trees
could seem
half-staff
it can define your mind
indeed
like mine
without coffee

delayed
not landing

foggy

London
and trench-
coats
foggy

from directions
all four
cast

foggy