Those little things
With six thin legs
Seem just at night
To like me
Each night I find
One on an arm
Or leg, or ear –
They fright me
And then I cannot
Sleep a wink
For fear that they
Will bite me
[Unless I say
A little prayer
And then that act
Will calm me]
A modern covered wagon,
An RV just as long.
You rent it for a fortnight,
And bring your dog along.
You’re crammed into close quarters;
Your food you have to plan.
You bump into each other,
But trav’lin’ round is grand.
Your home is your conveyance,
The road leads on and on.
Sometimes you meet new people,
Or friends who’d said, “So long!”
You learn about your nation —
Its people varied, great.
Don’t stop too long or often,
Or for your camp you’re late.
Some nights you’re almost shiv’ring,
And others, sweating lots,
But all along it’s worth it
To see fantastic spots.
So come along and travel
In RV, car, or plane,
But don’t forget to walk along
God’s glorious nature trail.
The fruit and vegetable lady
Sells amaranth leaves,
Plums and lemons,
And other things.
She smiles when I ask her name.
“I have lemons for you,” she says.
She sits or stands in the shade,
Most days.
Her garden must be quite a thing.
Daily, abundant things she brings.
But always, the amaranth leaves.
(She calls them spinach.)
“Hot peppers today,”
She says with a grin,
Bringing them from
A bag within.
I hope she is making
Her livelihood,
By grace of God,
In the neighborhood.
If only I could speak —
To tear down strongholds,
To shatter darkness,
To shred the webs of dread deceit.
God’s words alone have this power.
His power brings His blinding light,
His breath — it scours away our sin,
And shatters clever, insidious lies,
Enlight’ning places dark within.
If only I had the power, but —
Surrend’ring humbly to His grace,
Letting my weakness gain His strength,
Perhaps I help the human race.
Can you hear the moon at night?
Its bright beams crashing in noisy light?
When sleepless eyelids long to rest,
With jangled thoughts – unwelcome guests.
Can you feel the soft night air,
The gentle breeze upon your hair?
At least in restless night you feel
Some hint of comfort, the air surreal.
And then beyond the restless fears,
Or aching leg, or head, or ear,
You find inside a solid place
That lets you sleep, with God’s good grace.
“And God saw all that He had made,
and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31a)
———————-
He saw you in His endless dream,
Before a man and woman met —
(No matter if they married were,
Or married, but not loving,
Or married happily, mayhap)
Before a man and woman met —
He knew you.
Before the stars wheeled in the sky
Or crickets sang their lullaby
Before the moon was in earth’s sky —
He knew you.
Before the wind rushed through the grass
Before a still lake shined like glass
Before the young man met his lass —
He knew you.
Planned before the universe
Planned before the poet’s first verse
Planned as blessing, not a curse —
He planned you.
Not a random speck of dust
Planned with care, not in a rush
Surely know this truth you must —
He planned you.
Resting in His mighty hand
Be you poor or richly grand
This truth you now must understand —
He loves you.
Through driest desert and shifting sea,
Through darkest desolation —
Lord, let me gaze on thee.
Through mocking words and misery,
Through strife and consternation —
Lord, may I gaze on thee.
Through times of ease and much delight,
Through times of jubilation —
Lord, keep my gaze on thee.
In laughter, joy, and questioning,
Or worldly obfuscation —
Lord, I will gaze on thee.
Our vision can grow stale and pale,
A shrinking sense of wonder
At all the things that God can do —
Tear unbelief asunder!
As Jesus took a child by hand
And said, let’s imitate them,
Let awe and wonder now increase —
Prepare for His new kingdom!
As children trust unwittingly,
May we ourselves be trusting
In God who ever faithful is
Unlike our human fam’ly.
From trust to fear and back to trust,
Through childhood, middle, and old age,
As we, God’s children, come aware —
Unlearn the lies of bondage!
