hungry crow

long beak and jet-black eyes

head constantly moving as you strut around the courtyard

dressed in crow feather black and blue you scavenge the grounds for food

you risk vulnerability by approaching benches where humans are seated eating lunch and looking at screens

you scamper toward a dropped french fry and eat it as if it is a worm, then continue to scan the grounds for more

head bobbing, hips wagging, you walk from bench to bench

if the humans were any less engaged you could eat directly from their styrofoam containers

god with us

in the routines of the day and in the stillness of the night, you are with us

in the joy and in the laughter, you are with us

in the sorrow and defeating circumstances, you are with us

in the anger and frustration, you are with us

in the abuse and trauma, you are with us

in the unexpected and unplanned happenings, you are with us

in the solitude and quiet moments, you are with us

in the noise and activity, you are with us

make us increasingly aware of your presence with us

slowness is your way

when i am stuck in traffic and running late

when the task is taking longer than i would like for it to take

remind me that i lose you when i am in a hurry

remind me that i cannot hear from you unless i slow down and listen

remind me that slowness is your way

start of the day

i love the start of the day when the house is quiet

and my mind is free from the worries of the previous day

or the concerns that will surely come with the day that is before me

and i close my eyes and listen to the silence

and my heart is pulled into an ancient, divine presence

and i am enjoined with gladness of heart

as i abide in an ageless community of love

everything comes alive

everything comes alive with the first rays of sunlight

wet drops of dew slowly slide down blades of grass

tree branches stretch out as if yawning

flowers sway gently in the wind

birds chirp as if to say “good morning, how are you?”

a squirrel pokes his head out of a tree branch examining his surroundings

a turtle sticks it’s limbs out of his shell and begins crawling toward the light

everything comes alive in the morning

 

everything comes alive with you

for the world has no existence apart from you

by your word the sun shone forth

land was formed with oceans spanning in between

animals roamed from the heights of the mountains to the depths of the sea

while birds soared in the skies above

and mankind emerged from the dust

everything comes alive in the beginning

 

everything comes alive inside of me

a million images flash before my eyes

thoughts leap around inside my head

blood pulses beneath my skin

hairs stand upright on my arms

my chest contracts with every breath

water forms in the corners of my eyes

everything comes alive inside of me

sounds

sounds connect me to the world around me

from my sofa i hear the refrigerator churning out ice cubes

then the air conditioner cuts on dampening other noises until the temperature is regulated

outside i hear birds communicating in the early morning hours

squirrels are mostly quiet until they become territorial

dogs growl and bark announcing their presence

a lawn mower rumbles in the distance

a construction crew is jack hamering concrete not far down the street

horns honk as people rush to their jobs

a passenger plane departs from a nearby airport

and i am awake to the world around me

saturday morning rain

everything is calm this morning

no light spills through the window

grey clouds cover the sky

the only sound is the pitter patter of raindrops

and i am at peace within

awakened to your love

here i am

and you with me

you in me

and i in you

gazing upon you

gazing back at me

i am awakened to your love

 

you refine me with fire

you melt away my dross

you take my every loss

with you to the cross

you make all things new

and my soul is renewed

as i am awakened to your love

distraction

what is most vital?

what keeps me from it?

which direction am I pulled?

is this my normal bent or am i so used to bending that i no longer stand up straight?

 

there are tears about the past

there are fears that hold me back

but i am still living

the blood is warm underneath my skin

i am not retreating

my heart is still beating

even as i move closer to the grave

morning sun

the newness of dawn

surrounds the trail

where the trees are a cathedral

ushering me into the morning sun

my heart is full

cool weather

warm sky

love eternal

forever to abide

faithful as

the sun in the sky

day after day

pouring forth speech

covenantal love

never to be breached

to a runner

She is wild like the tangles of her hair

spiraling out in all directions

there is no place that she won’t go in conversation

and no land so foreign that she would not travel in person

yet all of the exuberance that she possesses may just be a way to run

She is uninhibited like a hawk in the sky

soaring free from the shackles of modern convention

unconfined by the trappings of the world

unique and unbridled, enthusiastic and expressive

and like a lone fawn in the forest, often prone to run

Her eyes sparkle with amber hues of champagne

light and effervescent, full of mystery and surprise

like bubbles in a glass, joy rises within her

drawing me in, yearning to know her fully

yearning to know and not run

She is stubbornly attached to her convictions

and often swims against the current of popular opinion

unable to fully accept ideas until they become ideals

and are firmly planted in her mind

even if they cause her to run

And these are all the ways that I have come to know her

and these are all the little things that I love about her

and while I yearn to know her more fully

I am only left with what I have been given

in the times when she does not run

my stomach is full

Lord it is hard to serve you when my stomach is full

I’m stocked up on groceries like it was Y2K

My gas tank is filled up and my car is brand new

My clothes are all spotless I’m dressed to the nines

I’ve got five thousand friends on facebook and they all have plenty to post

My bank account has more than I will ever need

All of this prosperity must mean that you’re blessing me

but Lord it is hard to serve you when my stomach is full

I focus on my own needs and ignore your commands

tennis shoes and teardrops

Tennis shoes and teardrops

Bicycles and benches

Cobblestones and candlelight

Memories in pale moonlight

Paddleboats and picnics

Melodies and memories

Soft green grass and clear blue eyes

Underneath the cloudy skies

Balconies and balustrades

Flights of stairs and curly hair
Countertops and kitchen sinks
My heart is full of precious things

crisis of conscience

Flat on back

feigning sleep

I need heat

to come to me

Settle me

into these sheets

Rock me gently

into sleep

Awakened now

to productive cough

Head is clear

heart is heavy

Everything

that was important

is not so today

Relationships

have more meaning

than anything that I achieve

Live for love

whether or not

you receive it

always be
the one to bring it

deep mystery

Comparison is the thief of joy

and I've been robbed many times

So much life has passed by me

like water under the bridge it won’t come back

It moves down to the sea where it is lost forever

and I am stuck here on the bank

Too old for the young girls and too young for the old

I’ve sat at their tables and I didn’t belong

It made me long for something more

It makes me long for home

or at least the same face every evening

where we know we belong

and our lives are rolled together

like two verses of a song

where the chorus brings us together

Like rain on the sea we are joined together

in a deep mystery

great city

Oh great city,
Where streets connect at intersections
and commerce happens at every corner
business transactions with a handshake
and legal documentation to support
Where structures are erected or torn down
in the name of progress
where campaigns bring loyalty to ideals
and divide people over the issues

Oh great city,
Where sturdy buildings are reminiscent
of bygone eras and the lifestyles that went with them
shrines for the working class and monuments to the daily grind
Where moral codes are eroded by the hands of time
like a shirt in a dryer or under a hot iron
the heat is absorbed in the pavement
and wears down all who walk upon it

Oh great city,
That is still yet to come
Whose architect and builder is God
Who alone is immortal and lives in unapproachable light
Who prepares a place for all foreigners and aliens on earth
who live by faith in what was promised and not yet received
They shall posses gladness and joy
in that great city where God is present
and Jesus is Lord of all!

waking up

Let the wind blow through me

awakening what is deep within

cutting through the bones

past the marrow and the joints

flowing through the veins

to find a heart that beats within

From pale white to warm red

oxygen brings life

and anoints a joy to crown my head

bringing life to what was dead

waking up like a little boy

rising from his bed

Wake up, wake up o sleeper

rise up from the dead

Christ will shine upon you

and anoint your weary head

hope

I'm wide awake
it’s the middle of the night
and I reach for the light
on the bedside table

Something has taken me
and won’t let me be
I am restless and unable
to know why it’s gripping me

But I consider that my suffering
is not worth comparing to the coming glory
so I wait in expectation
although I’m subject to frustration
I wait for redemption
and for this hope to come to me

I’m wide awake
it’s the middle of my life
what plan do you have for me
hope that is seen is no hope at all
but don’t leave me hopeless in spite of it all
just give me a clear call
and a mind that is fixed on the joy set before me

For when I consider my suffering
it is not worth comparing to the coming glory
so I wait in expectation
although I’m subject to frustration
I wait for redemption
and for this hope to come to me

let them know you

Let them know hunger

let then know thirst

let them know pain

heartache and disease

Let them know about

things such as these

Let them know murder

anger and pride

jealousy and

hate for mankind

Let them know this

deep inside

Let them know heartache

loss and tragedy

life without meaning

and emptiness inside

Let them know despair

and feel crippled from their pride

So that they may seek you

in the midst of the pain

So they may reach out

and find that you remain

never far from us

loving each the same

So that they might know you

instead of all the fear

and that they might reach out

to find that you were always near

Close to the brokenhearted

you come closer and appear

Close to the brokenhearted

you come closer and appear