On That Day

On that day
when the sun is darkened
when the moon does not give its light
when the stars fall from the sky
and the heavenly bodies are shaken
when the trumpets call
and our Lord comes on the clouds of the sky
with power and great glory.

On that day
will I run to the caves
and hide among the rocks of the mountains
calling to the mountains and the rocks
to fall on me and hide me
from the face of him who sits on the throne
unable to stand before the wrath of judgement
because of a life lived
for myself.

On that day
will I stand confident amidst the turmoil
passed over by the wrath of judgement
the Spirit himself testifying with my spirit
that I am a child of God
his glory revealed in me
because of a life lived
for him.

Why Be Angry

Why be angry
with God
when a loved one departs
a parent, a spouse, a child, a friend.

Because of God
never again will they hunger
never again will they thirst
the sun will not beat upon them
nor any scorching heat.

For the Lamb at the center of the throne
will be their shepherd
he will lead them to springs of living water
and God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes.

Angry
at no god
now that would make sense
no purpose, no reason, no justice
just death
a cold, silent end
to meaningless strife.

Be thankful
there is God
and he has prepared a place
for us and our loved ones
and the end of this life
is but a door
to eternal wonder.

Today

Could there be
a better day
than this day
today
glorious
in abundant beauty
joyous
as a song
lifted from the heart
generous
in love
gentle
with kindness
filling the soul
with God's mercy
and grace
oh
could there be
a better day
than this day
today.

Tomorrow

Tired
frustrated
a bit agitated
on edge.

Disillusioned
befuddled
disappointed
let down.

Humbled
contrite
remorseful
and solemn.

Maybe tomorrow
things
turn around.

Praise God
thank God
pray
his will
be done.

Addiction

I did it
again
didn't want to
pledged not to
declared it
a thing of the past
but
tempted
by a thought
a glimmer, a glimpse
I said
no
not this time
but time
sapped
my resolve
and I pondered
considered
maybe once more
I said no
then said yes
and I fought
with
myself
until finally
JUST DO IT
get it over with
done
and so
I did it
again
where and when
will it
end.

Gratification

What I take from the world
and bring into my heart
is not as gratifying as
what I take from my heart
and send into the world.

Contentment

In the deepest chambers
of my heart
beneath the happiness
of things gone right
beneath the sadness
of things gone wrong
lies a rock bed
of quiet contentment
set in a firm foundation
of unshakable assurance
forged from the knowledge
of
Jesus Christ.

Knowledge

It is good to know
a skill and trade
it is good to understand
the economics of life.

It is good to know
imagination and creativity
it is good to know
the beauty of life.

It is good to know
joy and sorrow
it is good to know
the richness of life.

It is better to know
our Lord and Savior
it is better to know
the truth of life.

Will I

When the hurt and deeply wounded
come looking to be healed
will I tell them about Jesus
will I lead them to the Christ?

When the doubting and distrustful
come searching for the truth
will I tell them about Jesus
will I lead them to the Christ?

When the lonely and forgotten
come wanting joy and love
will I tell them about Jesus
will I lead them to the Christ?

Or will I have a hardened heart
turn away without a care
send them on their way again
and tend to my own affairs.

Oh Lord, I pray
please fill my mind with your wisdom
please fill my heart with your love
so that when the lost come calling
I will tell them about Jesus
I will lead them to the Christ.

Macaroni Salad

The water came to a rolling boil
while a 12 year old girl lie dying from a stray drive-by shooting
and our teen-aged son begged to go practice driving.

The elbow noodles cooked
while an illegal immigrant faced deportation
and the family voted on where to vacation.

The celery, onions, eggs, and peppers were diced together
while the children three doors down hid from their drunken father
and our younger ones quarrelled over which games they preferred.

The mayo, mustard, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper were blended
while a young woman walking alone was raped and left for dead
and we debated subscribing to cable, or satellite instead.

The ingredients were all brought together
while an uncertain unwed mother agonized over her choices
and we backed the car out of the garage
suddenly stopped
and shared a laugh
over the potential embarrassment
of arriving at the fellowship meeting
without the macaroni salad.

My Daughter's Hand

There was a time
when I would hold
my daughter's little hand
and we shared a world
of joy and laughter
purpose and fulfillment.
Now my daughter
holds the hand
of a younger man than I
and shares with him
that joy and laughter
purpose and fulfillment.
I hold the hand
of a memory
and try to understand
there was a time
when I would hold
my daughter's little hand.

Planned Parenthood

Welcome
feel at ease
we can help you with your
problem
and it will be
our little secret
no one else will need to know.
The process itself
is a simple one
really
with some dilating
and insertion
some cutting
and dismemberment
some crushing
and some suction
and just a short time later
your problem is off your mind
and in the
incinerator.
We seldom lose a patient
and a problem seldom
remains
and as for psychological ramifications
well
just remember
we are here
rainy days and sunny
and if you decide
we are your choice
please
don't forget the money.

Share an Easy Smile

Can I sit with you
for a moment or two
and talk about
pleasant things
and share an easy smile
because my thoughts are heavy
with concerns
I can not control
and my heart aches
for wounds
I can not heal
and my eyes weep
at suffering
I can not ease
and my soul cries
for freedom from
chains
I can not break
and before it all
becomes too much
and before I am
overwhelmed
can I sit with you
for a moment or two
and talk about
pleasant things
and share an easy smile?

Gone

The laugh in her smile, the quiver of her frown, the tone of her voice, the manner of her speech, the expression in her eyes, the shape of her face, the fullness of her mouth, the curve of her lips, the turn of her neck, the slope of her shoulders, the sweep of her arms, the grace of her hands, the touch of her fingers, the trim of her nails, the fullness of her breasts, the sway of her hips, the length of her stride, and the gentleness of her step perfectly complimented the desires of my heart, and each day I basked in the joy of her presence.

Then she was gone, leaving a void that would not fold itself back into the tapestry of life but stood before me as a yawning chasm of lonely emptiness, haunting me with memories of who she was and what she meant to me, chastising me over my lack of courage to have embraced her more fervently, to have pleased her more passionately, and to have loved her more urgently.

I cried to the heavens to take from me the ache in my heart but the heavens were silent, and I begged the hands of time to ease my pain but the only reply concerning relief from my sorrow, "Not today, perhaps tomorrow."

Ascent

Murmuring muddled voices
percolate from familiar lairs of sheltered indifference
hidden in the dark, dank cracks and crevices below
mocking this aborted ascent
and coaxing a return to an iniquitous past
and its inconsequential malaise.

Hope and determination
born in the faith from a calling in Jesus Christ
to rise from the shadows and shine in his light,
have become hopelessly entangled in clinging vines of doubt and indecision
now desperately clutching a narrow ledge of fear and uncertainty
and facing an imminent defeat whose only term of surrender
is an abhorrent descent
into that passionless pit of godless existence.

"Climb higher," Christ calls,
his words commanding thoughts
echoing off of heartbeats to the deepest reaches of the soul,
reminding that salvation through his redemptive blood
has secured an undeniable purpose determined at the dawn of all creation,
and as faith finds courage in his strength,
focus returns to the summit
and resumption of the ascent.

Restored

I walked
with the faith of a child,
hope abounding
and wonder in all the world around.
Joy and laughter
cartwheeled beneath beautiful rainbows
arching over sunlit fields
of lavender, lilacs, and wood-rush.
Peace and reassurance
danced hand-in-hand
beneath canopies of adoring stars.

Curiosity called
from beyond a hedgerow,
hinting of tempting adventure
beyond my youthful valley.
A confusing, meandering course
left me lost alone
in a bleak world of thorny thickets
where a cold, angry wind
blew harsh
beneath dark, storm-filled clouds.
A sneering pack
of unrelenting bitterness and sorrow
circled and mocked,
gnashing and snapping
over a feast of destruction.
Despair and desperation
pulled and prodded,
plotting a mournful end
in a black,
bottomless pit
of hopelessness.

Then you loved me.
Reaching tenderly
for my frightened hand,
you saw beyond my wretchedness
to the arching rainbows and canopies of stars
patiently waiting
in a forgotten place and time.
Understanding and comfort
slowly and soothingly
stood a hesitant and faltering gait
on steadfast footing.
Gentleness and faithfulness
nourished a starved and naked soul.
And at my side
you walked with me,
restored,
through the thorny thickets,
beyond the hedgerow,
and into a once abandoned world
of joy and laughter,
peace and reassurance,
and love.

You Are

You are the grace and the beauty,
the tranquility and the song.

You are the blossom in blooming,
the laughter and the joy.

You are the sunlight and the rainbow,
the spirit and the wind,

You are the warmth and the passion,
the excitement and the flame.

You are,
the love of my life.

Whenever You Are Near

Whenever you are near to me
my heart smiles
and my soul

rejoices
in the transcendent beauty of love.

Whenever you are near to me
my spirits rise
and my passions flame,
awakening
to a new promise of life.

Whenever you are near to me
my mind swirls
and my thoughts blur,
searching for sense
in emotions beyond my own understanding.

Whenever you are near to me,
I want to hold you
even nearer.

I Thought I Knew

I thought I knew what I was doing
when I did the things I used to do,
and I did not think there was anything
anyone else could say or do
to make me feel any different.

Then one day you did something
that no one had ever done before
and once you had done that,
I discovered there was a way of doing things
that was different
from the way I had been doing things
and I realized
that the way I had been doing things
was contrary
to the way things should be done.

Now I do things differently,
and everything I do
is done in a better way
because now whatever I do,
I do it with love,
and love is a better way,
which is something
I would have never known
if you had not done
what you did
when you brought love
into my life.

My Heart Smiled

I awoke
to wireless reports of mayhem and anxieties.
I traveled to work
in a congestion of noisy traffic jams,
clattering cattle cars,
and immobile subterranean shuttles.
I raced the clock
to meet deadlines and commitments.
I was belittled, besmirched, and nearly beheaded
by bottom line boasting bosses.
I labored through daylight
and slumped beneath stars.

I ventured homeward
haggard and weary,
tired and trodden,
yet through it all my heart smiled,
thinking of you.

Everything About You

There is music in your voice
     and laughter in your eyes.
There is tenderness in your touch
     and warmth in your embrace.
There is grace in your footstep
     and gentleness in your walk.
There is beauty in your smile
     and wonder in your kiss.
There is everything about you
     that fills my heart with love.

What I Want Most

What I want most
is to walk hand in hand with you
to the highest mountain top,
far above the cluttered world
that only seems to keep us apart.

I want to walk with you through sheltering clouds
that keep us in a world to ourselves.
I want to shout out loud
and listen to the echo repeat over and over,
"I love you, I love you, I love you."

What I want most is to know you love me.
I want to know there is a forever,
and forever our love will last.

Complete and Full

My love for you is complete and full.
It consumes my heart
and spreads through the corridors of my soul
like the soft glow of candlelight
chasing away the darkness of loneliness.

My life, my self, my very being
I live to share with you.
As each day passes,
my desire grows stronger and stronger,
for the love you send in return
lifts me to unlimited heights,
inspiring me to reach for the best in life.

Your love is the torch igniting my passion
the feast for which I will forever starve.
You are the answer to all my prayers, hopes, and dreams.
I love you with all my heart.

Your Love

Your love
has lifted me
from the morass and tedium of everyday life
weighing like a heavy anchor
on so many lonely souls.

Your love
has cut loose
my own anchor of doubt and despair,
freeing me to reach
for all I desire.

Your love
has unlocked
the chambers of my heart
and released into my spirit
the happiness of being alive and in love.

Your love
is the sun
nourishing my soul.
It is the spark
to my spiritual fire.

Your love
enflames me
with passion and desire
filling me with hope, strength, and courage.

Your love
tells me
I am alive.

Unmistaken

When I wake in the mornings
my thoughts are filled with images of you.
You are never the same,
always hinting at the promise of a new and scintillating excitement.
The more I know you,
the louder my heart beats for you.
A look, an embrace, a kiss from you
are my fondest pleasures.

When I hold you close,
so close your heart
beats inside my own,
I feel our very souls embrace
and I am complete,
for my happiness is one
with its source.

My love for you is unmistaken,
for there is no mistaking
what is true in my heart.

Beautiful Visions

When I am alone, 
my thoughts drifting through my memories 
like feathers in the mist, 
I wrap myself in a shroud of beautiful visions, 
and spend time thinking of you.


I hear your radiant smile 
laugh with the promise of joy. 
I taste your tears 
wash away the bitterness of disappointment. 
I startle 
at the scent of your mysterious privacy, 
and I delight 
at the touch of your dance. 

I see the passionate excitement 
in your hushed voice, 
and I feel the inseparable love 
of two souls 
sharing a great discovery.


I think of you
and I am no longer alone.

A Thousand Dreams

I crossed a barren, desolate expanse
fraught with dark depressions
falling sharply into the inky blackness
of bottomless depths.

I cut a swath
through an enclosing thicket
of fallen dreams
and broken hearts.

I swam a sea
of muck and mire,
struggling against a great tide
of suffocating indifference.

I scaled
towering peaks
with jagged rocks
poised to bleed my heart of desire.


I came
to a garden
rich with the tantalizing sounds
of whispered breaths.

I drew
from a well of endless love
and tasted the sweetness
of fulfilled promises.

I rested
on a soft cloud of tenderness,
blanketed by petals
of comforting reassurance.

I dreamed
a thousand dreams.
In each,
I followed my heart to you.

Love at First Sight

If some prognosticator
of great renown,
or mystical soothsayer
peering into a crystal ball,
had knowingly spoken
such a notion into my life
I would have scarcely believed them,
for what they proffered as foreknowledge
I would have dismissed as mere fodder
for legendary tales
or whimsical daydreams,
reserved for fantasy followers
and those who walk the edge of other worlds.

Then my gaze
caught the glimmer of eternal beauty
reflected in the depths of your eyes,
and what had been for me
indiscernible,
in an instant
became real and undeniable.
It was sudden
and without warning,
taking the shape and form
of a promise once given
but long ago forgotten
then finally fulfilled.

Your soul
called to me
with a soft, sweet, gentle song
of a peaceful, tranquil come-hither.
Your essence
whispered a fragrance
of reassuring touches
as it swirled through my senses,
intoxicating me with a new awareness
of life as it was meant to be lived.

It was but a moment in time,
but it was a moment
transcending all measure of time.

I saw you,
and I discovered the impossible truth
of love at first sight.

Obsession

At first
it was but a distant speck
at the farthest horizons
of my imagination.
A seemingly insignificant
wisp of a dream,
destined to be swept away
by the rush of life,
it gradually grew to consume more and more of my conscience.

It became
a lingering companion,
constantly drifting through my thoughts.
a habit,
something to be pursued.
I began to look for it,
wait for it,
expect it with a tingle of excitement.

Now
it is an obsession,
a stirring desire.
It has entwined itself
with the very fibers of my soul.
It has become
the focus of all my thoughts and actions.

I am
prisoner
to the spell of your love.

I Know of a Place

I know of a place
unremarkable in style and stature. 
It draws not so much as a glance 
from casual passers-by. 
It is the destination 
of not a single royal entourage. 
It does not embrace 
the grandeur of a significant architectural style, 
nor does it reflect the tastes 
of a particular social influence.

It is simple and plain, 
nothing more than 
shelter from the storm, 
yet it is the place 
for which I always long. 
It is the chosen end 
to all my wandering paths. 
It is where 
my sweet love waits for me.