Christian poetry

Christian poetry

STORMS OF THE SOUL.

There was thunder in my heart

as a blood wind pushed up waves of emotion.

There was drowning in my tears

as fearful sin made my sea an ocean.

There came Christ from His rest

and He spoke my tempest back to a calm.

There was love in His word

as He broke the power of my fears to do harm.

Now the sun is in my soul

and my blood blows peaceful breezes.

In a world of stormy souls,

who lives undrowned without Jesus?

08/04/97

CATOPTRIC ONTOLOGY.

Once it was, as I gazed in a mirror -

the dim dusty pane unwashed by all tears

that men of age in ages past

cried oft’ for what there-in appears -

God allowed my finger to wipe

the mist of a silvery corner clean

and my mind in its innocent youth to see

the long quested truth as it rarely is seen.

In a fraction of that mysterious glass

were the answers to all the old men’s strife:

"if God is all good, why is there evil?

and what, above all, is the meaning of life?"

I claim not the wisdom to be my own.

’twas the blessing of a single night’s wandering.

Without a tear in my eyes, reflecting the prize;

a heart beating full in a spirit-lead pondering.

Consider the man who lives his whole life -

a dark evil wanton creature of lust -

where upon his death-bed, he calls out "Lord!"

confesses his sin and in Christ he puts trust;

of his soul, which soon departs from flesh

and according to Gospel, as his life he gave -

although not long as a Christian lived -

his spirit, dear Jesus will graciously save.

Yet another will walk through years un-evil.

Live good, live bad; on average live well.

Neither hot nor cold, but warm in life,

unyielding to Christ, will die to hell.

As it is written, so it will be,

the mirror showed clear revelation:

not sweat of man, nor good living, but Christ,

alone leads to our salvation.

This truth is not new, but old as the question:

"How just is a God who works thus?"

"How could a God of love and hope be,

the one to eternally burn and destroy us?"

Patience and thought should persevere now

as I clumsily set out the truth.

Think ye not God foresaw all our sin

when time and creation were in their youth?

Yes, God was present when Satan confided

with Eve and thus Adam in the beauty of Eden.

For God is in all and all is in God

and thus the fruit was allowed to be eaten.

For man must see evil and man must feel pain

and man must be evil and man must cause pain,

so the world will grow dark as it is grown now,

for us to be sinners and experience to gain.

“Why is this true?” you unhappily ask,

as I did and bade the Spirit me tell.

The God of all good allows such evil.

The Lord who made Heaven also made Hell?

We are to worship the Creator of life

and our praise is worth nothing if we are made to praise.

For God wants not robots, programmed to sing:

“praise Him; Holy and Ancient of days.”

But how sweet is the eternal thankful cry

of one whose terrible sins are washed clean,

whose eyes are filled with paradise wonder

that have atrocities in this world seen.

The burden of temptation lifted off their neck.

The laws of the Lord shine on in their heart.

Their voice raised in praises of joy and relief;

that they and their God shall never be apart.

So this, dear friend, is the meaning of life:

to suffer the evil and despair of our years,

to endure the report of beauty’s destruction,

to live with our own and cause other’s fears.

And within the blink of life here on earth,

call out to Jesus Christ with our heart,

for we should trip before we walk

and thus have we stumbled in eternity’s start.

But God’s grace will lift us to our feet

and with holy strength we then endeavour

to walk through time on legs so strong,

we unfailingly journey with God forever.

Bearing with us the experience of falling;

the memory of sorrow and God’s true grace,

when we were beyond the dusty mirror,

trudging in the sadness of the human race.

26/05/95 - Catoptric - to do with mirrors. Ontology - the search for the meaning of life.

SMALL THINGS.

You will find the edge of the universe

Before you find the edge of God

And yet He is the Lord of small things

He welcomes children

Cares for scattered seeds

He counts our tears

And looks for lost lambs

He is the god of small coins

Little fish and few loaves

He invented the mustard seed

And he never misses the shortest prayer

He is powerful enough to say

‘Let there be light.’

And kind enough to bear our woes.

He is a God of astonishing detail

In immeasurable capacity.

06/04/03

EPHPHATHA.

Lord I pray and I know that You are attending.

You can hear this one soul, this one voice

Though Your mind is on billions of others

And You trace the stars of heaven.

You are in the past and in the future,

But You are also here with me now.

I believe this Lord because Your love and power are unending.

You were always in control but You gave me a choice.

You guided me home by the works of others.

Now I sense Your mighty presence,

So help me choose my words with care.

I believe in Your love, You embolden me so I dare

To raise this one voice, hear my soul,

Though the seas of Your cares roar

And the thunder of worshippers roll.

Your spirit knows my needs, though I am dimly aware

How clumsy my words seem - like a child’s,

But Father you are there -

Forever -

The source;

The foundation of stone,

And now, as I fall silent,

I know You will hear my spirit groan

And I thank You.

15/07/01 - Based on the Mark 7:35.

DAWN LIGHT

What is the condition of The Work in the world?

In fear of death or alive with awe?

No, not the swan song but the dawn lark

not a last gasp but a ferocious roar

the trumpet starts and ends the charge

a prayer tunes each end of the day

and the army of God’s people rises

to find that we all face the same way.

07/12/03

DESCRIBING GOD.

I have heard it said:

God is the energy of the universe

He’s the perfect potential of our nature

I have seen it pictured:

God bearded and reaching across the cosmos

With flowing robes and glowing eyes to Adam

God may indeed be these things

But he is far more

When I try to ponder

The infinite and forever

My tiny time trapped mind stumbles

I run out of numbers

Out of descriptions

And God is the ultimate of the infinites

Satan promotes the description of God

He wants us to define him

Thereby removing the need for faith

Thereby confining God

To our minds

But God is quantum

If you fix one of His natures

You cannot see the countless others

God alone can describe himself

He alone has the capacity to see

His entirety

And he said,

I am.

25/05/03

A PSALM OF ETERNAL LOVE

The unstifled note of the wind in the pines,

shall live a day less than my love;

and less time hath the stars than my faith to your shrine,

to shine in the deep curve above.

If bodies cease to be and thoughts become all

then I’ll ceaselessly think on thee;

and time may flow by like drops in a river

that grows to an endless sea.

Through creases and greys and the fading of days

I’ll sing ’til my last song is sung.

My corpse may crumble, my immortal soul age,

yet my love remains forever young.

21/04/94 - This was originally meant to be a love poem, but it grew into something more significant.

GABBATHA.

And did He really stand,

before those traitors and the triers

and silently reign in peace and pain

over all His crucifiers?

They said He was a blasphemer

to fill the crowds with fury.

They said He claimed to be a king

to sway the Roman jury.

And yet, in mock reverence they crowned Him

and draped a purple robe around Him.

They did all this and washed their hands

with the gore of whip and rod,

while He stood on trial before them

and they stood on trial before God.

24/02/02

EVEN TODAY.

In the desert, make way for the Lord.

In the house of sin, prepare His seat.

Praise Him with your humility.

Learn as He washes your feet.

On the dark hill, do not betray Him.

When the cock crows thrice, do not give Him a kiss.

Do not hide in shadows when they crown Him.

Be there in His strife as you were in His bliss.

Will you strike and mock your unknown brother?

Such as these are Him - to clothe and feed.

And do you judge without discernment?

Will you wash your hands while others bleed?

Do not watch for the Groom at your ease.

Starve not your camel for the needle’s eye.

Fear not this longest of cruel nights.

The One you should fear counts the tears you cry.

And when you hang next to Him, do not curse.

See His victory beyond His death.

You listened in peace when your belly was full -

now hear the words on His final breath:

“Today you will be with me in paradise.”

04/01/02 - Luke 23 v. 39 - 43.

AFTER DOXOLOGY.

When I think on myself,

I become drunk in this heady air

And Champaign youth bubbles tickle my swelling ribs.

Still dizzy from a spinning world,

A turning head and my late rocking cribs.

The patterns I walk are fractal.

The soles of my shoes tread on shifting infinite towers

And I lord it over my history;

My mind spinning webs

Of insubstantial fancy and thought-thin powers.

I love too much my pretty hands.

I dwell too much on the façade of this temple;

this grave bound feisty frame.

I work it leaner and over fuel it,

Sometimes burning it on every cylinder,

Other times leaving it to rust in shame.

Now sober, I seek my speck on this grain in a space eddy

- this little earth -

Making light of myself and praying for enlightenment.

I trust God to be the truest judge of my worth.

28/06/02

All my poetry is copyrighted (in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988) and some of it has been published. They are here for your enjoyment and commentary. If you do wish to use them in any form of publication you will need to contact me (tai_tree@yahoo.co.uk). I reserve the right to be recognised as the author of these works.

HELP KEEP THIS SITE UP & FREE! Click here and visit the donations page.

DRUMMING - POETRY - TEACHING - PHOTOGRAPHY - DESIGN