Harbors

The Lord is a harbor
A refuge for me
A corner of safety
In tumultuous seas

Before I met Jesus
Gentle Mother was there
Shielding from danger
With her tender care

The Lord used my Mama
To gather me in
She was the gateway
To comfort with Him

When I was rejected
Devalued and scorned
A shelter she offered
In her caring arms

The Lord is a harbor
My mother is, too
Together their kindness
Has carried me through

Upheavals and hardships
Raging waves of the sea
My days are not lacking
Pain and difficulty

In the midst of the heartache
What solace I’ve known
My Lord and my mother
Both calling me home

Gifts from the Father
Each thoughtful deed
Love in abundance
Lavished on me

I’ll ever be thankful
For compassion so sweet
The Lord and my mother
My shelters of peace

The Enemy

Death is an enemy
With a dark, evil face
A crusty old demon
With insatiable taste

For blood and gore
And fear and pain
He strikes fatal blows
Then laughs in disdain

Death is the enemy
Evil his tool
Suffering his pleasure
By it he rules

Over all men and beasts
Over all living things
He crushes and jabs
Pierces and stings

But death fools himself
He does not know
His sinister plans
Have nowhere to go

He afflicts for a while
He sneers and scoffs
But his wicked schemes
Will soon be cut off

Flailing and grasping
Doing his best
To bring us to hell
Along with the rest

Of frail humankind
Caught up in the fray
Of selfish pleasures
And hedonist ways

Try as he will
For ultimate gain
There is another
With opposite aims

Jesus is life
Joy, hope and peace
He brought it all
To give us release

From death and his minions
From pain, fear and dread
He won the battle
Death is now dead

Glorious parade
Of final victory
Exposing the enemy’s
Blatant defeat

Death had been routed
His plans are displayed
As impotent failures
Temporary graves

God in the heavens
Now laughs at death’s tries
To steal his beloved
From under His eyes

No one can snatch them
Not even death
God has the last word
He holds every breath

He fashioned each life
His heart sets the time
Of our departure
From under these skies

His children can trust him
With each new day
He calls the shots
He has the last say

Into the heavens
Paradise home
We’re going soon
But not alone

Beloved companions
Family and friends
Waiting to meet us
When this era ends

God, our dear father
Jesus, his Son
Will run to embrace us
When our lives are done

Death is a demon
That thinks it has won
Ugly and sneering
Its time will come

Into the pit
Of stench and fire
Deserved retribution
For all his ire

Against all the chosen
But we are immune
From death’s devices
He’ll find out soon

We’ll be in heaven
He’ll be in hell
Goodness will rule
And all will be well

When God Comes Near

When God comes near
He wounds you
You don’t get what
You expect

Ease and strength
Are absent
Disappointment
In their stead

Confused you ask
The question
Why does this
Hurt so much?

You went to Him
For comfort
But left wounded
By His touch

Jacob asked for blessing
But pain was the result
He wanted God to help him
But it ended in assault

Jesus asked for blessing
Remove this cup from me
The father denied his pleading
And hung him from a tree

When God comes near he wounds you
Ignores cries for relief
But in the end the blessing
Beyond what you can see

Jacob’s sons God honored
Forever to be seen
No way to know Jacob’s wounding
Would lead to prosperity

Jesus scorned and beaten
Undeservedly
But he knew what was coming
Life for you and me

When God comes near
He wounds you
When God comes near
There’s pain

But if you accept
The suffering and death
Your loss will be
Great gain

Grief

Grief invades

And overtakes

Barreling into

Each moment awake



Grief demands

Attention here

Plummets me

Into despair



Grief the bully

Reminding me

Of the one I’ve been

The ones I’ve known



What if I stood

Up from the earth

To which I’m bent

And searched



Is there something

In grief’s end

That can become

A friend?



A teacher?

A guide?

Leading me to

What’s deeper inside



Exquisite pain

Of all things lost

Jesus hanging

On the cross



Bowed there

For a time

In agony and grief

That was mine



Only to see

Grief ends

For you

For me



Grief now tender

As made new

It renders

Hope