Valley's Dawn

In early morning, she traveled,
When all was still dark and cold.
The mountains surrounding were shadows,
Shapeless and imposingly tall.
In fear, her heart fluttered
And her pace was quick, stumbling
Time and again in the darkness.
Her strength and resolve were nearly
Gone, and her soul cried for mercy.
And then, over the faraway tops
Of the towering, terrifying mountains,
New light began to shine,
And a few birds let out their song.
Then, in a sudden flash, there were
Warm rays of sunlight cutting
Through the oppressive darkness below.
Dawn had come to the valley.
Spirits lifted and strength renewed,
The traveler continued towards home.

Cries for Mercy

(Inspired by the song "If we've ever needed you" by Casting Crowns)

The dead called out in anguish

From the dusty valley of desolation.

Amidst the shipwrecks in the sand,

Ribcage hulls stripped bare of flesh,

They lay, dry bones desperately thirsty.

Their own folly and pride was at fault

And bitterly now they see it all.

Their eyes saw only their own way

And they abandoned their fearless Captain,

But now they call for forgiveness,

A revival of soul and body.

And there, face down in the sand,

The dead were forgiven, their children saved.

Be Still

Be still, oh my troubled soul.

Storms may rock our ship

And the waters may rise,

Crashing over, creating darkness,

Yet the Lord holds us close.

Never shall the waters tear

Us from His encompassing hand,

And the thunder shall not hide His voice.

Be at peace, my weary soul,

And let go of all our struggles.

Letting go may be the only way

To hold onto this life, at times.

Our life is not even our own,

Belonging to our Father instead.

Rest in child-like trust,

Remembering every moment of help,

Thanking Him amidst the rain.

Rest in peaceful, unshaken joy.

Potential

(A friend of mine writes in a very specific style and I tried to do it like he does. It's still nothing like what he does, but I tried) 

Motionless, yet so much potential.

The moment before the actual happening,

The do or die time, pre-leap.

Energy waiting to be released,

Dreams’ wings waiting to be unfurled,

The endless questioning, wondering, fearing;

“Will I fall? Will I break if I fall?”

The moment to talk yourself out

And the potential can cease to exist.

Or the moment to be convinced,

To take the trapped energy,

To go forward, to leap, to say

The words who had no courage to say.

Motionless, yet potential burns within,

Depending on the very next choice.

To be, or not to be free,

Letting go of the safe moment,

Free falling into an ocean, eyes closed.

The safe moment; yet it’s not living.

Giving into the call of life,

Choosing “Today I will truly live,

Potentially break, but I’ll have lived.”

That moment when the pen lies flat,

Leading to when it falls to the ground,

And in so, breaking, but also learning.

To break is to live, to move far

Beyond the time of trapped potential.

Goodbye

The words fastened to my heart,

And weighed it down to an ocean of sorrow.

Hope, a newly budding, young flower

Is trampled underfoot by harsh reality.

The colors of life have washed away,

Faded into a still life, an empty grey.

I had so many dreams yesterday,

But now all I hold are dreary ashes.

I don’t want to say those words,

They make the happening much more real.

You may forget who I am,

Forget all our memories of laughter.

I don’t want to say a tearful

Goodbye.

Sacred Heart

The general buzz of people,

Never ceasing chatter, bees,

Forever swarming, moving, hot

Sun beating down on all.

Everyday life continuing on,

Yet a few break away

And head towards the shadow.

Tall, imposing grandeur, decorated

Inside and out, justly so.

Passing from tepid heat to

Sudden calming cool, refreshing,

The threshold of another place.

Farther in, opening up,

Magnificent circles, curves, creatures,

Faces at every visible angle.

The general buzz is behind now,

Only a memory, last touch

Of a lesser important reality.

Here is what truly matters,

The inspiring silence, whispers

At the heart and very soul.

Self fades away completely,

Insides laid bare before generations,

Holy memories and endless power.

The scent of blessed parchments

And candles of costly prayer

Entwine with the awe of

Standing in God’s holy home,

A harbingering of heaven above.

Flight

The eternal waiting,
and then sudden movement,
slowly crawling, speeding
faster forwards until
the in-between time,
the jump upwards
between earth and
far away heaven.