Saturday, July 20, 2013

Always and forever

Grief is a fickle fellow
He pays his visits
unannounced
at odd moments

Today I saw your picture   
And my heart cried out in pain
You and I were young again
Always and forever friends
I saw our time together
I thought of what I'd say
if only I could reach you
Surely not for you I weep
But for the love so sorely missed
For all that might have been
I grieve, but not in vain
for the One who bore my griefs
takes every tear unto Himself
gives me comfort, hope and peace
I am free to celebrate
who you were, the love we shared
so glad you were in my life.
Till we meet again.......

I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you...John 14:18

Friday, July 12, 2013

Assembly


A congregation 
assembles to testify
at early sunrise.

Or you could say...

Under my window
the flock assembles
to sing
at early sunrise.

And one more....

On porch step risers
the choir gathers
to rehearse
at early sunrise

Friday, July 5, 2013

Sleepless


Sleep eludes me
ducks into a closet
filled with yesterday's dreams
One by one I dust them off
and stack them on the shelf
"That's impossible,
You're too old for that,
Not good enough for this.
Don't bother with them anymore."
Shall I let them sleep
Leave them for buzzard food?





Maybe it would be better
to give them to the One
who turned the water into wine.




Saturday, April 13, 2013

Ichabod?


The glory has departed
and soon the house will follow.
Nothing holds her here
The laughter of the living,
The words of the wise,
The folly of the fool,
recorded on her walls
are consigned to silence.
A strip of tin from the roof
flaps in the wind
as if to say good-by
but still she waits.

Does she wait for science
to unlock her mysteries?
Or to be laid to rest in peace,
destiny fulfilled?

She was laid to rest
in a blaze of glory.








Saturday, March 9, 2013

The Shift

(Cheat River)

Yesterday and every day before
She waited for me to come
Today, no one waits.

My soul retreats like sap           
in dormant trees of winter

I wonder
Do they feel the whipping wind?   
the chill of draping snow?
the heaviness of the dark?


They're telling me to rest
in hope of spring to be
when winter's work is done.

But unto you who fear My Name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his beams and you shall go forth and gambol like calves released from the stall and leap for joy...Malachi 4:2





Saturday, January 19, 2013

The Vigil




She lies in state
not quite gone
still breathing

The watchers wrap around her bed
spill over and fill the house,
an entourage to escort the faithful one
to the celebration on the other side.

They wait as time drags his feet
to give them moments of gold.
Murmers rise and fall
in rhythm with her breathing
She speaks
and every word is captured
in buckets of tears
and gales of laughter

They watch,
as they text, crochet, pace,
play Solitaire,
work online, eat, pray,
hold her hand, sleep.
Morning comes,
Her caregivers are strewn on their beds
as she breathes on.

As they wait and watch
golden moments become golden days
to be captured and held in store
for rainy days.

She tiptoes to the door of death,
turns, then walks away
She is waiting, she says,
for her Master to call her name.
Stillness pervades the bedside
Voices fade to whispers
as this becomes sacred ground.
Gently her Shepherd comes
to claim His own,
She alone hears His voice
and swiftly answers His call.

Who was this woman?
A pillar of faith
Physically weak, spiritually strong,
She would say, "It wasn't me,
It was my faithful Lord,
It was His amazing grace."