The Past

They pass me every day I wake
Here and there the ghosts I see
And though I sometimes wish they'd leave
Our meetings always seem to be.

They haunt me when I want to smile
And whisper when I try to rest
And though I really whish they'd stop
Sometimes it seems it's for the best.

The wraiths I see are burned inside
And I can't make them go
And though they hurt and though they scare
It's seeds of life they sow.

Remembering

This poem has no title. I wrote it when I was twelve or thirteen years old.

The moon shone bright in full glory on midsummer night's eve
Stars lit up the sky, far too numerous to believe
And I wore a painful smile
My heart was torn in two
The soldiers marched mile after mile
Leaving a dust cloud and a marred image of you
I heard your voice call my name
And turned only to glimpse a fleeting dove
I fell to my knees
Tears streamed down my face
Now I am wet, cold, and alone.

On Climbing

I was out climbing with Ben and Terry and I noticed that the undescribable things are the things I was drawn to. How do you tell someone who is not a climber what a perfect day climbing is like? More important still, how do you communicate things that you have trouble describing to yourself to those you love and care about?

There are reasons for everything. There are those who doubt causality with their lips- but I have yet to meet a man who doubts it with his heart. Yet we have limited knowledge and we still must make many decisions every day for we are free (a topic for another time, perhaps). Our decisions effect those around us even when it is not as obvious. Yet what do we base those decisions upon?

How many times have you done something and thought to yourself, "why did I just do that? I did not want to do that but I did it anyways." or "I really should have done that, and I really wanted to, but I did not- what was I thinking? Was I?" The apostle Paul speaks of this in his letter to the church of Rome and I wonder how it is we so easily "justify" things sometimes.

A Brief Time

This too will pass
This body of mine
While you are gone
I may not be fine
But when you return
It will be made well
And here while I wait
I can tell-
This is harder than it seems
This is not so complicated
I have seen it in my dreams
I have seen it is berated
As we suffer here on earth
Please forgive my spirit's dearth
Though it starves a little while
Yet in glory will it feed the mile.

This day I Would Not See

The Lord protect me and keep me through these times. I think I would not choose this day. Yet this may be the most important day I have ever lived on this earth. Let the heavens rain down their mercy upon me. Let the strength of my creator fill me. I would not ask to live this day. I would not seek for it as I have for other things. I have loved you Lord for many years and you have surely loved me more. I would not search for this day unless I sought it to navigate around it. You are holy on your throne, oh Lord. Let me be silent before you- but not yet, there is still a lot of wailing to do. Let me look forward to the day of redemption- but know that you have made this day from eternity. I salute you my captain. Here and now I look to you. My heart is sick and I feel as though death waits for me close by. You are my strength when I am weak. I am weak, Lord. I am weak.

Today and the Judgement, Baby

So Here I am, thinking on the words of one of my fathers. Two days. Let it be. Come Lord.

Here Lies the Body

Here lies the body of one man down
Waiting for its redemption crown
Rotting while it goes to work
Spirit troubled with duties shirked
As the people pass it by
The children scream and wonder why-
A body comes to rest by and by-
Just why is it a body has to die?
Was it living was it dead
Was it ever more than just a head?
What will happen later on
What will happen when it is gone?
Here lies the body, its soul not at rest
Waiting for the coming, to rise up with the rest.

Alien

Deep in the bosom of eternal light
Far from the darkness flowing here
Lies the mansion of delight
And rooms prepared by one so dear.

High in the heavens is my home
Far from the wreckage rotting here
A kingdom with a King upon its throne
And creatures bowing low in fear.

Low in the valley here I wait
Far from Land and Home
Marching with a heavy weight
Under starry dome.

Remember

It's been so long since I've run free
A slave in birth, a slave I die
It's been so long since I've been free
And I do not remember why.

It's been so long since I've seen sky
Trapped beneath my flesh I lie
It's been so long since I've seen sky
And I do not know just how to fly.

It's been so long since I've stood up
And now my load is piled high
It's been so long since I've stood strait
And now it burdens me to die.

It's been so long since I've been whole
The pieces seem all of me
It's been so long since I've been whole
I feel broken from eternity.

It's been so long since I've been strong
I forget just how to call
It's been so long since I've been strong
I don't remember it at all.

Rouse Him- He is needed now and in the hour of my death

Who has heard it in the night?
Who has heard the shots?
We die while they debate,
And we die while we wait.

But we have hope
And we hold fast
And when we fall
We'll be home at last.

I dream a dream
While the world tears apart
I dream a dream
With the pieces of my heart
I dream a dream
And faith holds me sure
I dream a dream
For His blood has made me pure.

Those we wait on as we sink
And those we hope for in the fight
May they know better than ourselves
As we drown waiting for their light
May we not spurn them in their fear
For we ourselves have been afraid
May we not spurn them in our fear
For God, our hope through Christ has made.

Teach me now and in the hour of my death
Awake my spirit deep inside
Fill me with your holy breath
And let the lion come outside

The beast is noble
The beast is hurt
The beast is raging
In the dirt

In this prison He has lain
And paced about with aching fear
And now the time for him to gain
The freedom that we hold so dear.

I sit and wait for you are worth it
And though I may not ever win
I feel the beast begin to stir
The lion Christ has put within.