Psalms and Laments

Since retiring a few years ago I’ve had the opportunity to do… well… nothing if I don’t want to. During those “nothing” times I do a lot of thinking and reflecting. Which sometimes leads to random thoughts that ultimately find their way to paper. And, it happens very quickly! If not, it’s gone!

Now to be sure, I do not consider myself a poet – not by a long shot! I simply look for a creative way to express a thought or a personal experience I’ve had, that in turn may encourage someone else.

I usually include a photograph. Sometimes the visual aids in telling the story, other times, oh, just because. So, if you’d like, then read on. And, if you want to share with others – of course!

Here is the link to page two of Psalms and Laments.

A few years ago I created a series titled Passages. The 24×36 inch metal print above me is my favorite from that series. Now, reflecting a few years later on the many doors we pass in life, I wrote these words.

Passages

We pass through many doors along our way in life,
Some of those are tough to open, others filled with strife.
Each step we take is weary, each path a heavy load,
Yet through our darkest struggles, we tread the weary road.

The weight of doubt and sorrow can press upon the soul,
But even in our brokenness, God works to make us whole.
Though we stumble, though we falter, or feel we’ve lost our way,
His mercy always finds us, and leads us through the day.

The battles we are facing may seem too much to bear,
But in the quiet moments, He whispers that He’s there.
For in the pain and heartache, His strength is made complete,
And in our deepest struggles, He lifts us from defeat.

So when the doors are hard to open, and the road is rough and long,
Remember in our weakness, His grace will make us strong.
Though weeping lasts a night, our joy comes in the morn,
For though it all, through every door, we are right where we belong.

88 Orphans

Every child is born in sorrow,
Every minute lived wishfully,
Hope of love now and tomorrow,
Written on her memory.

Every heart comes with a story,
Every beat a history,
Tales of grace, no time to waste,
Written down a mystery.

The Wind Blows

The wind blows,
Life echoes,
Flowing through the rustling trees.
Shadows fade,
Memories made,
Carried on the evening’s breeze.

A whispered word,
Softly heard,
Of laughter shared and silent pleas.
The day is done,
The race is won,
Let peace descend on you and me.

Differences

Differences can make life hard,
Even make it tough,
Sometimes we often find ourselves,
Living in the rough.

But in the storm, there’s strength to find,
A lesson in the pain,
For through the trials we endure,
We grow and break the chain.

Though life’s not always kind and fair,
We rise with every fall,
Embracing what we cannot change,
We conquer through it all.

Even…

Even in my darkest night,
My soul gives way to morning light,
My Guide, my Shepherd, leads me on,
Through every storm, until it’s gone.

With every step, my faith grows strong,
I find the place where I belong,
The shadows fade, the path is clear,
New hope emerges, free from fear.

No matter where the road may bend,
I know love’s light will never end,
So, in the quiet or in the fight,
I trust our journey, day and night.

Think About Tomorrow

When I think about tomorrow,
And look toward the dawn,
Consider now the past is past,
With failures all but gone.

The future whispers softly,
A promise yet untold,
A chance to start anew again,
To rise and to be bold.

With hope as my companion,
And courage in my heart,
I’ll face the coming days ahead,
And never fear to start.

Cast Iron

Cast like iron he fixed his gaze,
Upon the future of distant days,
With hope and dreams as bright as flame,
A yearning heart, an untold claim.

The past behind, though worn and scarred,
Fades gently as the new year starts,
He breathes in deep with quiet cheer,
Embracing all the coming year.

The winds may change, the storms may rise,
But still he stands beneath the skies,
Determined still with strength anew,
For life’s adventure to pursue.

So onward now through night and dawn,
With courage firm he marches on,
In every step a promise made,
To live, to love, and never fade.

Bird On A Wire

Bird on a wire, what’s your desire?

“To fly away, fly away, higher and higher,
And feel the wind beneath my wings,
I’ll soar above all earthly things.”

“Then reach for heaven,
Yes – heaven’s home,
And find my rest,
Around His throne.”

Snuffed Out

Snuffed out in the prime of life,
Like flowers without rain,
Their fragrance gone, once nature’s song,
Now only memories remain.

But sadder still we’ve lost our will,
To face these darkened days,
And be the light through endless nights,
Helping others along their way.

When Two Are Gathered

When two are gathered in my name,
In laughter or in tears,
A bond is formed, a story shared,
That echoes through the years.

When three are gathered in My name,
And love is always spoken,
The bond becomes eternal strong,
With cords that can’t be broken.

At The Bus Stop

Standing at the bus stop,
She stood there all alone,
Off to the other side,
Were four girls in their zone.

Then one girl caught her eye,
A smile just for her,
A gesture like a sunrise,
Soft and warm and pure.

The distance started closing,
Two worlds began to blend,
And in that fleeting moment,
She finally found a friend.

Rhythms Of Grace

I find myself in the rhythms of grace,
The melody and harmony fill the void in my space.
Such wonder and unity, our movement surreal,
The Master of canvas, Your colors revealed.
No shadows of doubt, shall darken my way,
Your promise of hope, brings joy to my day.

Summer’s End

Birds and butterflies at summer’s end,
Will soon take flight on southern winds,
Leaving fields of gold and green,
Where autumn’s hues will soon be seen.

Crisp leaves will fall, a gentle sound,
As nature’s beauty will abound.
A time for change, a season’s shift,
As summer’s warmth begins to lift.

But they’ll come back soon next year
And fill my heart with joy and cheer.
To see what’s new, what may drop in,
I’ll start the process all over again.

I’ve Known Lots Of Failure

I’ve known lots of failure,
My feet are prone to fall,
In every trial, in every test,
You’ve been here through it all.

The ups, the downs, the struggles,
I keep coming back to rest,
Beneath your wings, I find my peace,
A refuge when I’m stressed.

Though paths may twist and winds may howl,
And doubts may cloud my sight,
With you the darkness fades away,
And dawn breaks through the night.

So praise to you, my faithful God,
Through every storm I face,
In you I find the strength to rise,
And boldly run my race.

Love Runs Deep

This is the last analog (real film) image I snapped back in 2011 before I went “digital.” It’s titled Love Runs Deep. There’s also a backstory behind the metaphor. I’ll post it below the image.

Reflecting once more on this past work sparked these words. I hope you’re encouraged.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞,
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞,
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬,
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝,

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞,
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬,
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝,
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞,

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐩,
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭,
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧,
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧,

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐰,
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐨,
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐞,
𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞.

As soon as I saw this composition the title came to me. There are numerous metaphors so, I’ll try to share briefly. Years ago Kathleen wrote these words to me from the Song of Songs chapter 8 in an anniversary card, “Place me like a seal over your heart, like a tattoo on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. For love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame. Many waters cannot quench my love, and rivers cannot overwhelm it.” Doesn’t the title make sense now?

But there’s more to the story. Visualizing this image I thought more deeply about its meaning. It goes way beyond her love for me! It goes to the love of Christ. The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus these words, “Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

This image is of graffiti on a pier in the Missouri river at highway 370. The water was up and almost covered the graffiti, but you can still make out the word LOVE. As I stood there making a few more snaps, more of Paul’s words came into my mind. To the believers in Rome he wrote, “I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” #loverunsdeep