Claret

Hey guys. So this poem is rather deep. I hope it provokes some thought. I realize that it's not quite a feel good poem, but somehow, in this broken world, it is.

Claret

The words I wish I had spoken, and the glassy
bay I frequently create in hindsight
will never be. I cannot replace
what is true: the slack-tide of my spirit
siphoning into stagnant pools
somewhere—more like everywhere.

The salivation
of Bleakness drips down on everything, smearing
from memory the vibrancy of life. My tears,
the blood of my soul, hit the ground uncaught.
They die, pearls thrown to pigs, or perhaps
just pigs thrown into the sea.

Who’s throwing anyways? Looks like Jesus
or demons again. Someone who called me Legion
or Peter or both. Imagine what he felt: holy blood,
clogging up those worldly veins.
It’s a wonder that the love of a father
or God would place such a pure spirit in wretch’s skin.
We sealed it alright—nailed him to our death.

Homesick

Sometimes I get homesick.

I cannot forget that I am a stranger, an alien in this world. Even Christian relationships cannot measure up to how things should be. We have so many expectations for each other in our brokenness. We box people in with our preconceptions, and we have set limits on the grace we are willing to give. Why do we trap ourselves and each other? Have we forgotten our first Love? Think of Christ, the one worthy example. He had grace enough to forgive the sins of the world. How can we hold anything against each other? Where is the overflow of the spirit, the unconditional—UNCONDITIONAL Love? That is, Love that does not take into account circumstance or situation or person, Love that cannot count faults or shortcomings or failures. It is Love that is literally OUT OF THIS WORLD. It’s the Love of the Kingdom of God. We need to do away with all our expectations for this world, and for the things in this world. Nothing here can satisfy us. Everything here will fall short.

Our citizenship is in heaven! We DO NOT have an enduring city here, but we are looking for the city that is to come! Every time disappointment hits us, we need to remember that we are strangers. We need to strive for the love that is out of this world. Worldly love’s got nothing on that Kingdom love. Don’t let our spirits droop because we sometimes feel homesick. Let us rejoice and overflow, because our home is that good!

Starving Sin to Death! Now THAT'S What I'm Talking About!

Christ Starved Sin to Death

I force the sleep to sit down,
it’s always begging me— and I’m tired
of listening to my body.
The sun will be up soon
anyways; my mind is quite far from rest
these days.

The contradiction of rage hides
inside of my temple: the sin caving in on the Spirit’s
full sprint. But my flesh has me trapped,
it laughs at my poverty: my limp,
passive will, and the bondage of my uncertainty. Flesh,
you might reap from my shortcomings now—
but don’t forget

how Jesus Christ starved you out.
Jesus Christ starved you out—And somehow,
Jesus Christ is carving you out
of me.

And that’s for eternity.

James Harper! This is your first challenge: here are your lyrics (sorry, not really a worship styled song)

(Any Title suggestions?)

I walked into my house
and the couches were empty,
leather recliners left back
next to a stale cup of coffee.
My dinner table wasn’t full,
and the food was more than plenty.
I washed a few noodles down the drain.

Maybe they’ll travel through the pipes
and leak out onto the street.
Maybe someone will eat there
with my waste at their feet.
And maybe I need not worry
about the world—broken down around me.

Oh Lord, I see it now.
Won’t you change me somehow?
Help me find that someone
and serve them in my house.
I’ll give them my favorite seat
on your recliner leather couch.
I’ll prepare them a feast
instead of my neglected leftovers.

And if even one noodle remains—
help me bring home more of the poor.