Second Hand Poems

Battered and bruised,
life moves on.
In and out,
finding rhyme,
moving outside
before dancing in
as the strings are pulled taught
before being released
and breaking in the waves
crashing on the shore.

Words casting shadows
as life fills doubt
and passes on words,
full of solidarity
and yet still lacking.
Words praying and hope
even while the feelings
sigh and hope.

What words may I use?
As I stare into the ethereal
and glimpse the spark of life
burning bright in your eyes,
what must I use to express?

Words of hope
and songs of glee,
battered thoughts
and whispers of jubilee?

Words, words and words.
Frail, beautiful and depressing words.
Expressions of humanity
mixed with naive devotion,
the need to be more
and see beyond this world of broken flesh.

What more can I see?
What more shall I say?

Words vanishing
and swept away
as this morning's dew and fog.
Lights pierce and dissipate
just as with our silly little lives.
But hope still remains,
hope that these things are yet to be finished
and that Love wins.

Love will carry.
Love will create.
Love will break.
Love will make anew.

And we shall walk hand in hand,
through the echoes of eternity,
safe with Father
and eternal hope
that every new day
can in fact be so very new.

"Moment of Surrender" - U2

"We set ourselves on fire
Oh God, do not deny her
It's not if I believe in love
But if love believes in me
Oh, believe in me

At the moment of surrender
I folded to my knees
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me

I've been in every black hole
At the altar of the dark star
My body's now a begging bowl
That's begging to get back
Begging to get back to my heart
To the rhythm of my soul
To the rhythm of my unconsciousness
To the rhythm that yearns
To be released from control

I was punching in the numbers
At the ATM machine
I could see in the reflection
A face staring back at me
At the moment of surrender
Of vision over visibility
I did not notice the passers-by
And they did not notice me

One last time

I was speeding on the subway
Through the stations of the cross
Every eye looking every other way
Counting down till the pain will stop"

"In the locust wind
Comes a rattle and hum
Jacob wrestled the angel
And the angel was overcome
You plant a demon seed
You raise a flower of fire
See them burning crosses
See the flames, higher and higher"

Psalm 9

"But the Lord reigns forever,
executing judgment from his throne.
He will judge the world with justice
and rule the nations with fairness.
The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you."
-Psalm 9:7-10

I can't fathom the impossibility of humans caring, loving and wanting to take care of one another.

I can't grasp a God who loves and never ceases to pursue His wayward and stupid bride.

Who am I?
What creature am I?
This guttural sounds disguised as words
and the self loathing
all worn like a badge of pride.

Who are You?
Messiah born in Bethlehem,
first hours spent among animals and dung.
Ceaseless in love covered grace,
crushing the snake with Your heel
even as we drove the nails in.

Nothing can be the same.
The pain ripping me apart on the inside
as I fall from place to place.
I have lived here
but never do I wish to return.
I can cry, scream out for help
and hope for Your return.
To catch me in Your arms
and never cease to pour out Your love on such as I.


I suppose the hope I have is that You don't abandon those searching for You.
Even in my fear, the confusion, the pain...
Feeling so lost and disconnected...someway and somehow make the distance between us not seem so impossibly great as they are.

This chasm between the natural and supernatural.
Flesh and spirit.
All wrapped into one package.
So much pain.
So much confusion.
Oh the regret...

But not for you.
Freedom never could come from free.
Losing the claw marks from my skin,
just dead weight one could never miss.

"I want to go home."