Linda M. Crate- Three Poems

no greater love 

 

sometimes Your scarred hands are the

only ones that remember me,

brushing away all my tears i cry into being

taming the sea of emotions that try

to erode my heart into oblivion — 

You smile at me when the world shakes it's

head at me in disappointment, create

rainbows to restore my hope after seasons 

of fierce rain; i wonder why You chose me to serve

you when i'm but one pearl in the world

flawed and broken, spilling moon silver dew

upon the grass when the sun's meant to shine — 

Your patience and kindness has led me

to still waters that wash away my fears, and i have

nothing to repay You with; still You remain my friend.

nothing

 

once i thought i was nothing,

but You told me i meant something to You

took me out of the sea of my self pity

made me open my eyes to those whom i had not seen

spoke to me kindness to bestow upon them

to dance rivers of joy in my veins

when i thought only darkness could remain

Your scarred hands bled for me,

and i could not understand why this should be

You told me Your gift was for all 

that they should all be spared the agony sometimes our

own bad choices bring, and so i sing the same

song as your doves because i know no greater kindness

will or ever will be bestowed upon me. 

heaven bound 

 

tongues wag

in church and out of church

wonder what this love is

God speaks of and Jesus is because

this town is rife with gossip and judgment calls

it doesn't sound like forgiveness

nor compassion that spilled from the mouth

and heart of our Saviour;

i'd like to nail these sins upon the cross,

and let them die as He did

without letting them rise from the dead

as He did —

judge not lest ye be judged

seems to have been forgotten because it's too convenient

to pray for forgiveness they seem to forget that sin

is sin and none is greater in the Maker's eyes;

a murder and a liar are all the same to God,

maybe if we understood that we wouldn't do the things we do —

perfection is a hard thing to aim for being flesh we know

we fail, but it's too easy to be reluctant to change

falling into the excuses that we're only men

called to be different we ought not lay down in the dust and scream defeat

so easily we should strive to be better people for our Lord who

crafted us all from the dust making us each special and beautiful in our own way

to touch the world with His light, to turn all eyes heaven bound.

Steven Jacobson- Three Poems

Light of Gold

the sun reaches out with tendrils of

radiant splendor, stretching forth across

the heavens and redefining our world in

longing reverence.  the light bursts

through the clouds, showering and adorning

the land and sea.  the hues mottle and color

the mountains and valley below.

life is fruitful and full of wonder,

and just as the sun shines in our faces,

so God wants His glory to shine in all

our hearts.

Abounding Child

the body of a child like

a vessel holding precious liquid,

the mind of a child like

an empty slate board,

the innocence of a child like

a pure and golden,

the heart of a child like

overflowing carafe of vintage wine,

the soul of a child like

rich and resonating with love and laughter,

the spirit of a child like

an eagle soaring high with grace and glory abounding,

the love of a child like

pure woolly white driven snow covering a pristine landscape,

the life of a child like

ageless and free forever and ever……

Light N’ Life

the stars circle spiraling

inward taking on new meaning

as the twilight fills the air.

the stark randomness walks with

memorable stature and form.

we are forever mesmerized

taking part in a grander

scheme being of light and dark.

the sun playing and dancing

apart of a deeper thought

and forever coupled with the

forthcoming of light and life.

Gerald Bosacker- A Poem

AND WHICH ARE YOU?
 

Gamboling grasshoppers fritter and play
devouring all that stands in their way,
but saving squat for harsh winter’s sway,
daring demise with ho-hum eclat.

 

Consider then, the hardworking bee
who stores up his efforts for you and me,
eschewing rewards for that industry
while doubting not, his mortality.

 

I fault my self, but which are you?
Are you part of the enslaved few,
shunning life’s pleasure just to accrue
the assets of those more serene than you?

 

BEHIND THESE LINES:
   When does ambition become greed? All noble virtues become a bad word when taken to excess.  Thrifty to excess, becomes miserly, and cautious turns craven.  The grasshopper honeybee analogy has long endured but I play with the platitudes involved, seeking wry humor.
   I tried to identify with the hard-working bee, but I would not tolerate a keeper taking more than half of the products from my hardwork for his gain, like the honeybee suffers.  Would you?
    Likewise, I could not linkup with grasshoppers chewing up somebody’s hard work.  Most of my peers fall somewhere in between the examples of hard work and sybaritic play and consumption, I hope.  If I drive someone to their dictionary, well and good.

Linda M. Crate- Three Poems

make me more than this moment 

Caster of fears

drive them away

they are crippling and debilitating today 

Maker of rainbows

dance some joy in me

let the scars of yesterday fade

into Your blue jade oceans;

if i must be a prophet let me be as Moses

overcoming my fear to speak to people

let me not be melancholy as Elijah

if i have a heart let it be like

David's who was a man of Your word 

let me not fall in these narrow streams of mankind

for You made me for something more than this.

light

i see broken halos of light

everywhere i walk

have Your angels forgot their posts

or are they the fallen ones

whose judgment is yet to come?

are they the guardians You sent to

protect us from all the vile things

that deceive us and try to ensnare us in their

clinging ropes or are they just shadows

of a past long forgotten?

dry bones that need life breathed into them

as Ezekiel did ages ago, i feel sometimes i am one

of those bones brittle and frail i need to remember my purpose

so please breathe it back into my heart as only You

could for i know i am meant to rise from these

sorrows that i won't always be broken,

but sometimes it's hard to believe You'll shine Your

light through someone flawed as me.

wisdom 

Your wisdom is all around me

breathing in the clouds,

growing in the grass,

hanging in the arms of trees

so why is it that so many cannot see

Your face? why is it that they can

see these beautiful things,

and Your imprint lost to them with eyes

blind yet seeing they walk on;

i hope one day Your wisdom will shine upon 

them as i cannot bear the thought of what

should happen to them, otherwise.