THE OLD MAN AT THE END OF THE HALL


the old man is still waiting at the end of the hall, near the door
dark, disapproving eyes, veins pulsating


the huge frame shadows my doorway
passivity to rage instantaneously
bearing down on my childish frame
innocence collides with anger


i am colder, jagged and out of focus


now i am grown and the old man is weak
my mind still paralyzed with fear
larger than life, his angry criticism on everyone's face
wherever i go


i cannot forgive


the anger so real, so justified
my mind aches to think of it
i fall from prayer to restless sleep


yet beyond my unforgiveness,
Christ entered the room where the old man lay weeping
Convulsively shaking before him, God rocking and soothing him


my father was as frightened as i
that pitiful old man and i cried healing tears
softening the calluses, releasing the knot bound deep in my chest


now that old man is still waiting at the end of the hall
near the door
red, tear stained eyes, lonely, regretful, misunderstood


that old man is still waiting
kneeling at the end of the hall, near the door
waiting for my love, my acceptance
and my prayers

HAPPYTOWN

everyone wants to live in Happytown
no pain. no fear. no death. no hell.
everyone wants a house with a white picket fence
no rain. no floods. no break-ins. no fire.
everyone wants a perfect little world
no war. no dictators. no bombs. no army.
every man wants a perfect woman
no blemishes. blond hair. blue eyes. nice tan.
every woman wants a perfect man
nice job. new car. good money. strong face.
but no one ever wakes up in Happytown
because it doesn't exist in this world
down here it's not so perfect
people bleed. people cry. people break down
yet everyone chases a vision
ignoring...always ignoring the Only Perfection
there is a town called Hope.
deep in the heart, ruled by a King
open to all...the door is a Son
the city is real.

steve M.

I do dimly perceive that while everything around me is ever-changing, ever-dying there is, underlying all that change, a living power that is changeless, that holds all together, that creates, dissolves, and recreates. That informing power or spirit is God, and since nothing else that I see merely through the senses can or will persist, He alone is.

And is this power benevolent or malevolent?

I see it as purely benevolent.

For I can see, that in the midst of death, Life persists, in the midst of untruth, Truth persists, in the midst of darkness, Light persists.

Hence I gather, that God is Life, Truth, Light, He is Love.

He is the supreme good.

But He is no god who merely satisfies the intellect, if He ever does. God to be God must rule the heart and transform it. He must express Himself in every smallest act of His votary. It is proved not by extraneous evidence, but in the transformed conduct and character. It is proved not by extraneous evidence, but in the transformed conduct and character of those who have felt the real presence of God within.

To reject this evidence is to deny oneself. This realization is preceded by an immovable faith. He who would, in his own person, test the fact of God’s presence can do so by a living faith, and since faith itself cannot be proved by extraneous evidence, the safest course is to believe in… the law of Truth and Love.

Exercise of faith will be the safest where there is a clear determination summarily to reject all that is contrary to Truth and Love.

I confess that I have no argument to convince through reason, faith transcends reason.

All that I can advise is not to attempt the impossible.

Mahatma Gandhi

"Death's Great Black Wing Scrapes The Air"

We shout up at the sky
Until our mouths are bloody and dry
Screaming out at a god that seems to be blind
To the suffering of us here below; those pushed aside
Look around and witness the weight of this darkness
I can assure you that ignorance is not bliss
And simply because we've adorned our eyes with such arrogance
Does not mean the unspeakable will cease
Wicked men hoarding necessities
While their fellow men die of sickness and disease

Our children are still starving
Doubled over in pain from the grumbling
Dying loved ones whither and fade
The person we knew stripped away
(All we love will fade
All we love is stripped away)
Men killing their dearest in a fit of rage
Instead of putting the past behind, turning a new page
Mothers drown their baby's in their sleep
As a reprieve cause they don't know the next time they'll eat

We still defile and abuse the innocent
Like items to be sold or owned
Slavery and prostitution is no place for a nine year old

So rage, cry out at the angry sky
Let the emotion fall from your eyes
I tell you the truth
YHWH rages with you
He hears your frantic pleas
Believe me when I say, "He is not some distant thing!"
If you're quiet for awhile, you might just hear Him breathe
He's stood at the bedside of the lowly
Shoulders heaving, His head in His hands
Grieving with a Father's heart, come to retrieve another wayward lamb
It's up to us to hold each others' dignity
Recognize we've chosen the wrong enemy
Hate, ignorance, and inhumanity are what we should be battling
Now's the time for knowledge
Now's the time for Truth
Humanity has already suffered so much abuse
We must take responsibility, and do away with apathy
Unlearn society's teachings
To be blind and selfish
Because what you must learn
Is that the problem is us

From “Being as an Ocean.”

 

 

I've been wrong more than I've  been right. Fooling myself, painted with pride.

Angels of death, darkness and light. Kissing my forehead. Beautifully tasted their

dreams - sown shut my eyes. What do you want from me? Mongrels and goats,

they were the golden hooks in my nose. Fall on my knees. Lift up my face. No longer

deny. Wonderful grace. You made me cry - with one drop of blood. What do you

want from me? You took my hate. Replaced it with love. You took the coal that

healing my tongue. You took my death, replaced it with life. You drove out the horrors

that possessed my mind. You showed my peace when I had none. Shown me forgiveness,

forgot what I'd done. You gave me the sky. You gave me the sea. Take what you want

from me.

IA CA VREI

by Leper

Otto Jensen & Skot Shaw

 

if they x-rayed your soul would they see charred bones

scratched and marred by day to day living and the repetitious

dying – we all seem to die one inch at a time – breath out

breath in before you slip silently into the shadows  thinking

no one sees – no one cares

but you are wrong because your very life has been inscribed

in the heart of Christ and there is no place too dark for him

to go in search of the lost and wounded ones

he will not leave you alone

he will not turn away

your scars do not frighten him.

steve M.

THE OLD MAN AT THE END OF THE HALL


the old man is still waiting at the end of the hall, near the door
dark, disapproving eyes, veins pulsating


the huge frame shadows my doorway
passivity to rage instantaneously
bearing down on my childish frame
innocence collides with anger


i am colder, jagged and out of focus


now i am grown and the old man is weak
my mind still paralyzed with fear
larger than life, his angry criticism on everyone's face
wherever i go


i cannot forgive


the anger so real, so justified
my mind aches to think of it
i fall from prayer to restless sleep


yet beyond my unforgiveness,
Christ entered the room where the old man lay weeping
Convulsively shaking before him, God rocking and soothing him


my father was as frightened as i
that pitiful old man and i cried healing tears
softening the calluses, releasing the knot bound deep in my chest


now that old man is still waiting at the end of the hall
near the door
red, tear stained eyes, lonely, regretful, misunderstood


that old man is still waiting
kneeling at the end of the hall, near the door
waiting for my love, my acceptance
and my prayers