Poems, Personal Stories, and Observations

Posts tagged ‘peace’

Sleeping from Grief

[“When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found
them sleeping because of grief, and he said to them, “Why are you
sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”
(Luke 22:45-46)]

As darkness falls,
Do we sleep from grief,
Or weariness –
Discouragement deep?

Or cynicism,
Or harsh derision,
Or is our sleep
Another kind?

Brought on by drugs,
Or too much wine?
From entertainment,
TV time?

Or trying to end
Our emptiness
With false romance
Or casual sex?

No matter why
We’re sleeping now,
Must ask for grace
To wake somehow –

To take up cross,
Accept all loss
Of worldly glory –

Must tell the story
Of Jesus’ love,
His always-love.

Let grace come in,
Fill souls within.
Our peace receive,
And let grief sleep.

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Faces in a Crowd

[Written during a trip to Europe, during the 2015 refugee crisis]

As I ride down the metro escalator,
Hundreds of faces look up,
Going the other direction.

Each face has a story —
Joys and sorrows
Unknown to me.
What is going on
Behind each face?

As I read the newspaper
Thousands of refugees
Are crossing borders.

Each face has a story —
Joys and sorrows
Unknown to me.
What is going on
Behind each face?

May every face
Find peace
In their own heart.

May every face
Be willing
To give peace to others.

[9/6/2015]

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The Scouring Sea

How much the ocean lifts my soul,
And fills my lungs with freshness full,
Clears cobwebs from a cluttered mind,
Breathes in new life, leaves cares behind.

In symphony the waves do roar,
They crash upon the sandy shore,
Wash, scour and sift the detritus,
And leave essential things for us.

Oh ocean, like my God so good,
Please cleanse my heart, if that you could.
Remove all bitterness and strife
And grant me peace for all my life.

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Slip of the Tongue

How could I do that awful thing,
With words to bite, with tongue to sting?
How could I cut off other’s words,
To thus imply, “You are absurd.”?

With ease I fall and don’t suspect
The words I say might have effect.
And sure myself have often known
The hurt of words from other’s tongue.

So, grant us, Lord, we do implore,
Our tongue to hold, our words to store.
And let instead encourg’ment come,
So we’ll have peace when day is done.

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I’m Dancin’ Again

I’m dancin’ again!
Through the pain,
And through the tears,
I’m dancin’ again.

Because the dead are raised to life,
And peace will come through fearful strife,
Because the wrong will come to right —
I’m dancin’ again.

Because my heart,
Though so confused,
Is slowly, gently being infused
With grace, and truth, and light.

Because the pain is for my good,
Because He’s always understood,
Because with God I really could —
Learn to dance again.

Because the cross will cure my sin,
Because He’ll bring me peace within,
The peace that silences the din —
I’ll dance again!

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Too Much Me

There’s too much Me,
It’s plain to see —
On this we can agree.

Too much of Self,
Let’s put it on the shelf —
My soul needs help.

It’s by God’s grace
I can embrace
The truths I need to face.

So thanking Him
Comes peace within;
Begin again.

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A Child Be

How can I His child be
When worldly cares relentlessly
Beat at my door?

I must let go,
Let trust decide
And be my guide.

Let go with wings
And songs that sing
Eternal glory.

Give up my way
And eyes must stay
On unseen Lord.

Does He now know
My suff’ring deep?
Of course; ‘tis His.

And calmly will I
Go to sleep
And rest in Him.

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Faith, Poems

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I Dreamed That It Was Raining

[Written during the California drought of 2014 and during the Ferguson, Missouri, riots.]

I dreamed that it was raining
And streets were wet again.
The cars went by
And gave a sigh
As water splashed on them.

I dreamed that it was raining
And children laughed aloud.
With gleeful hoots
Their muddy boots
Through puddles gaily plowed.

I dreamed that it was raining
And clouds burst forth in flood.
Their waters calmed
The violence strong
And peace could now be found.

I dreamed that it was raining
And living water sped
From streamlets high
To rivers dry —
The thirsty land was fed.

I dreamed that it was raining
And black made friends with white.
The past was healed,
Their friendship sealed,
With harmony in sight.

I dreamed that it was raining
Upon the wasted land.
The thirsty earth
Could now give birth
To many seedlings grand.

I dreamed that it was raining
And cleansing tears were shed
O’er mem’ries deep,
I now could sleep,
Could rest upon my bed.

I dreamed that it was raining
And God forgave my sins.
He calmed my fears
And dried my tears,
And I could live again.

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Jumbled Dream

Written while taking a walk in the neighborhood.
Just playing with the sounds of words —
Hope it might have some meaning for you … 🙂

——————————————————————————————

I fell into a dream and screamed.
I fell into a vat and laughed.
I flew around the sky and cried.
I prayed, and then my fears were stayed.

I broke into a song and longed
For peace within my troubled heart.
I wrote this poem with these words
To stop the threat of life absurd.

I felt the wind against my skin.
I felt the peace well up within.
I tried to give you all my heart —
At least, I made a running start.

I sang the song of always-love.
It flew in air, like peaceful dove.
The Spirit came down from above,
And told me what His secret was.

I fell into a new romance.
It made me jump about and dance.
Alas, ’twas just a thing of chance —
A fluke, a spark, a happenstance.

And now I see that nothing lasts,
Except the love born in my past.
The Love that brought me from the womb,
And will be there when I meet tomb.

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On the Wrong Side

(Reflections on D-Day and other conflicts)

What happens when
You’re on the wrong side,
Through no fault of your own? —
You didn’t ask to be born.

What happens when
You’re one black among whites
Or one white among blacks?

What happens when
Your skin’s another color,
Your religion is different,
Or you’re the former enemy?

Peace has been declared,
But it takes take time
For hatred not to flare.

I’m on the wrong side sometimes,
But I have to live.
Please give me a chance.

Don’t judge me by labels
And prejudiced fables.
Though some may be true,
I’m a person too.

And I, too, must learn
To open my heart,
To make a new start.

To open my mind,
To learn to be kind,
Though we might disagree —
We need to be free.

To see you as special
Would really be helpful.
To see your great worth —
It really can’t hurt.

To learn to forgive,
That’s how we must live.

(June 6, 2014 – 70th anniversary of D-Day, World War II)

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