Poem #4

From my youth I was taught to fear you O Lord my God,

and worship you only, all of the the days of my life.

And indeed I did attempt this solemn duty;
I learned reverence and honor
and trained myself to serve you.

But you would not accept my sacrifices,
or the righteous deeds I offered.

Still my floundering attempts at spirituality were not lost on you.

And in time you broke through my religion,
bludgeoning me with grace over and over again,
until I was too tired to resist your affection .

Jeremiah once contended that you overpower us,
that in the end your will prevails on us
like a fire in our bones that we cannot restrain.

I can't say I have found this accusation false,
but, for both our sakes, I'm glad you do.

Poem #2

We ought naught disparage disparity
or call to question those desperate days
when the dream seems far from coming true,
and the dawn delays before its breaking.

For the dreamer is dearer to the dream-maker
than circumstance may suggest,
and there is deep beauty only found
in the deserts that stand before promised places.

Love long labored for
Does not wax and wane with time,
And that which is purchased at great price
Is not oft neglected nor easily forgotten.

It may be otherwise in other worlds
where there were no falls,
no broken covenants or prodigal sons,
but that is not our fate.

The things most precious in life
must be purchased at great cost,
and they may tarry over long,
yet they are sweeter in their fulfillment.

Poem #1

I wonder what it’s like for you,
quietly listening
as we grasp for lofty phrases,

hoping to articulate thoughts we had
in fading moments
when we glimpsed into other realms.

What are you thinking when we struggle
to locate
the right words for the task,

and what are you feeling when we manage
to fabricate
some feeble attempt at eloquence?

I wonder what it’s like,
for you read words
written by shaking hands

with eyes of timeless grace that
somehow is
perfect for our weakness.