Linda M. Crate- Three Poems

rotten ambrosia  

when the ashes of
this world
breathe in me these
menacing fires
cause me to become
apathetic and indifferent
using my words
like icicles cutting through
the wounds inflicted
in me,
You remind me of Your scarred
hands the sacrifice You made
for me so i could
obtain eternal life, and i am
called to be different
than all these embers of words
flecking their hatred and pain into my
soul; a gentle reminder
telling me to better than this because
You know i am a good person
buried beneath all this pain and agony
when all i can see is failure and
perversity and disgusting wretchedness
You remind me that Your love
covers all my offenses
so i'll shine my light won't let anything
cover it again
i'll be a blessing so all can see
Your love shining in this dark and depraved
world dancing it's nightmares around
us, a deep pit of sheol to share
with us the secrets
of the lying prince whose ambrosia
rots their hearts.



rise above this
 
You
are the song i want
to sing,
when psalms are
brought to birth i hope my lips
only remember Your name
because there is no god
like my God
He's conquered death
through His son Jesus;
He who breathes fire into the
sun, and life into the
trees; who allows
foxes to run into vineyards
He who makes
veins in the leaves; an intricate
design in a simple life
how much more has He put into us,
but we want to cling to the
simplicity of our sin and our desires;
tether ourselves to the delusion that the
only our needs and wants matter
He called us not to be of this world,
but of His world and so even
when i'm seething
i try to smile kindness in my words
to be the light He's asked me to be because
there's always pain and misery
in the blackened wings of this earth
we've got to rise above it
through His love.



only HE matters
 
for once in my life
i've opened my
eyes
i've seen the monster i can
be, and i don't like it
only He can love this disgusting
creature rippling in my
veins;
all this envy, fury, and wrath
burning in my inferno
of my soul
He calms all their bitter waves
crafts me into something
beautiful
when i allow Him to sculpt me
into something more
than destruction
because anyone can use their words
to destroy, but we need to use
them as He does to build others
up because the truth is only HE is perfect
only He is worth praise; yet we are
made in His image
to praise
His holy name, and the works
of His hands;
arrogant men cannot abide in their pomp
they are like the beasts that
perish,
this he taught me,
and so i've swallowed my pride
i will sing His name and praises all my life
because only He saves and He is
my portion even when my
closest friends
have abandoned me.