Creation

THE ELUSIVE LADY

The Moon became quietly jealous

One night when I surveyed Venus.

The usual glory reserved for her

Went to the dancer with Perseus.

At first, she passed for a star

Sparkling high above a church roof

But as she moved down further -

Her ample speed gave proof.

Outgoing clouds didn't shroud

The evening sky of cerulean blue.

Enchanted, I stayed around

To observe her quick rendezvous.

Fair Venus shined like a jewel -

Like one worthy to be set in a ring.

Because she was so beautiful -

She sent a jaded Moon waning.

The wide net of the Milky Way

Was cast and failed to pull her in.

She outshined the Dog Star

And evaded sly Orion

And as the Sun moved below -

He teased her with stealing her glory.

She lusted for that power

And disappeared after him shortly.

Tho' I know her general stream

And her light is brilliant and dense -

She's been gone. I haven't seen

The Elusive Lady since.

~~~~~~~

Color my small world -

Oh, fair Yeshua -

With a streak of globe mallow

Inside a rocky draw

And the morning calm

Of bergamot and lupine -

So I can stop time

And set my gaze upon them -

And a swath of poppies

Glowing in the sun

And a glint in the breeze

As if to show Your love.

I'll go and walk about

The garden variety -

Knowing that this niche

Is where I want to be.

~~~~~~~

A rose gave up her secret

Of its origin – of its beauty –

In the shadow of her crescent –

Fiercely hushed once to me.

She told me of a plan of love

And a Master Gardener who

Has a touch of silver that betrothed

The rose to the morning dew

And described a plane in between

Nothing and a foundation –

The design of which is unbreached –

That lies in an unmeasured dimension

But her exact words were lost

To the enjambment of my memory –

Moreover – my comprehension lapsed –

Found lost inextricably.

~~~~~~~

I saw a woman emerge from a shadow

With a sly demeanor and look about.

Her sequined dress was aglow.

She didn't know I was also out.

I watched her remove a silver shoe

And stick her foot into the mere –

One of the darkest ferrous blue –

As if testing the temperature.

Her dress was even more brilliant -

After a countenance of approval -

When she crossed the bleak horizon -

Careful not to soak her lunar veil.

~~~~~~~

There exists no place

Outside the Lord's grip -

From the outposts of space

To the eclipse of a pit -

He's never far away

And even more so -

He's on the war field

In the foxholes -

In the nursing ward

And in the catacombs.

Where else should He be

But with the wounded

In body and spirit, prithee?

As two are wed -

Jesus - be ever with me.

~~~~~~~

Bless each palo verde bloom –

Those cuplets kissed by the sun

My vision wants to consume

That thus have raptured my love.

See how they speckle the tree

With a burst of yellow bright

And upon the branches flit

By the wind that blows nigh –

Leading me not to consider

The force behind nor why

But to admire how they arch

In reverence to the sky.

~~~~~~~

STAR OF WONDER

Star of wonder, star of power

Bluest of steel blue

It shines at the midnight hour.

More wondrous than Regulus

Its eight points burst forth

Beautiful and careless.

Calling moths to flight

The bowsprit lantern burns

Inspiring them to a new height.

It wades through the black sea.

Turn your face this way –

Shine on me, shine on me.

~~~~~~~

Always, a change of plans

Interrupts my tranquil course –

Set forth by circumstances

It appears, for the worse.

I resent it, I begrudge –

It chips away at my mind –

Finally, I'm forced to oblige

And surrender my time

But once by hushed words –

I learned of a blessing:

What seemed a dreadful recourse

Placed me in a better setting.

That's why when the Thief flees

You shouldn't be too upset

For the Divine may be

Watching out for your interest.

~~~~~~~

Like gold of Havilah

God is true and straight.

I can exhort Adonai

For His tender heart.

Be it ambivalence

Or the hour of drear

Wherever prayer is

The Lord abides there.

Royalty and rivalry

May erupt with hate

But He will take my leave

Untouched by the flame.

~~~~~~~

How capricious it is

To follow the tail of a comet

And skip across Saturn's rings -

To wade in endless streams -

Cloaked in ether's blanket

Of midnight fantasies -

Where I've other lives -

I'll never completely tell of them

But to the Pleiades.

~~~~~~~

Oh, star – brightest star –

That's first in the sky –

I don't need advice;

I just need an ear.

Nobody else must know

But I feel terrible.

You seem quite capable

Of fighting evil's blow.

Shine for my heart –

Let your fire burn my strife

With resilience tonight;

Shine on with luster.

The sight of you is crisp –

Your wisdom is your silence;

I lay this up to heaven

And trust it upon your lips.

~~~~~~~

What love is this

That spellbinds me

And keeps me returning

To read scripture?

Older I will get

And wiser I will be

'Til these times end

And I've endured.

~~~~~~~

Just as sleep bested my eyes -

There came a looming presence -

Strange and full of mysteries -

That alit upon my rest.

There wasn't a familiar word

Sufficient for such trespass

So silence was the measure

For my unexpected guest.

Time was also dissolved;

Every thought - every breath

Was confounded by a love

I scarcely struggled against

But the hour was growing late

So He flew off to find a heart

More predisposed and awake

And gave me over to the dark.

~~~~~~~

When long days drag on me

And my soul cries in the dark

Then I speak my prayer in sleight

And He slips it into my jar.

Prithee – give it wings to fly up

Beyond to the sapphire throne –

Leaving me amidst where I am

Yet I do not feel alone.

Someday when time is cut sharp –

I'll retrieve it from Whom I belong

And finding a full jar of prayers –

Know that I was never alone.

~~~~~~~

Music starts my little church

And bids us goers "come forward" -

Timid and cleansing at first -

Bringing voices to one accord

Then her voice waxing loud

And the piano's tempo

Make the atmosphere bound

To become a crescendo

When our song meets Him above

And the sweet chorus repeats.

Did such music greet Asaph

At the foot of heaven's gates?

~~~~~~~

JULY 11TH, 1991

Time, as I felt it, stopped

As the Sun gave up its power and waned

But for an interval. I was lost –

Called away from the mundane.

Given like a vision from God –

I was shown one of absence

Contrary to a comfortable thought

But at the mercy of physics.

I am One with the Stars and Earth

And all Things of eternity;

That doubt of universal birth

Was overshadowed by gray reverie.

~~~~~~~

TRIOLET #3

For the favor of people and greed

I will not bring shame to my namesake.

A believer's crown, they don't esteem;

For the favor of people and greed

They lie and do a hideous deed

But take heart – enjoy what's good and straight

For the favor of people and greed

Will only bring shame to your namesake.

~~~~~~~

See there marches Orion

With Sirius close at his feet

Tarrying not long in the air

To begin the midnight hunt.

His quickened breath congeals –

His boots crunch the fallen snow –

His eyes attempt to discern

Between tree and furtive shadow.

Mark the occasion and time

Of this harvest moon's fair

And note the dog's primal talent

For smelling blood and fear

Not to bring down a mighty elk

To quarter and tan its hide –

What they instead come upon

Is Aries in a clearing field.

~~~~~~~

God never promised you and I Eden –

Only thistles, but even a thistle

Will grow tall in shaft and be edible.

Was that not sufficient for Adam?

~~~~~~~

When pillars fail

When walls break

My angel can bear

The unknown weight.

If darkness prevails

He comes striving

To lead me down trails

I've never been.

~~~~~~~

So that you shall be blessed

I pray more than you are aware

For you because you are

A friend of many friends.

May age not break your stride.

Remember all of your days

And on your tongue have praise

For those on whom you relied.

May God look down and see

You at play like a child

And like a parent smile

When their child shrieks in glee.

I pray that the crazy ways

Of this revolving world

Neither make you deterred

Nor dim the light in your eyes.

~~~~~~~

Oh, joy! at the night sky

And the wonder it declares.

How flirtatious! How they flare –

The many stars on high!

There's Castor and Pollux

And Rigel and Betelgeuse

And look! – Aldebaran bids adiós

As he swaggers west.