Category: Poetry

Focused Fruit Prayer

fruitGracious Father, we want everyone to join you above;
Help us demonstrate to all your enduring love.
In good times and bad, whatever life employs,
Ignite us to light this dark world with constant joy.
Lord, give us the courage to be your mouthpiece.
Let us wage wars with love and aim only for peace.
Seeing each person as your precious creation,
We strive to respond to all with long-suffering and patience.
Sadly, we often suffer from selective blindness.
Guide us to those who desperately need our kindness.
The world examines us searching for contented fullness.
Let our lives and homes be solely adorned with goodness.
Even on days when our sins must be confessed,
Grant us perseverance to live a life of faithfulness.
The world be it broken and its people tremulous.
Allow us to reach them with truth and gentleness.
And finally, Lord, because we owe you our souls,
We willingly sacrifice ourselves and instead be self-controlled.

in Jesus name,

Amen.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. –Galatians 5:22-23

photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/darren-williams/3668135143

Monsters Up your Nose and Mine

teddy-teddy-bear-association-ill-42230.jpegA dark restless evil lurks
waiting to destroy.
It will obliterate and maim
every good girl and boy.
It attacks so gently
like pink flowers at spring.
Yet wields a weapon so great
twill make your ears ring.
You plead for mercy.
You put up a good fight.
You cling to your tissues,
and beg for your life.
But the tiny little monster
has you drowning in snot.
And you can’t breathe.
You can’t see,
you simply cannot.
Your nose runs red;
Your ears full of cotton.
Your lashes mat together.
All joy is forgotten.
Just when you’re sure
you’re done for and dead.
The vicious fiend comes back
to take your entire head.
“Pollen, you kill-joy,
you evil foul beast!
You can’t have my last breath,
I’m not done in the least!
I’ll fight you with Mucinex
and Flonase and such.
You can’t win this Rx battle
when I take THIS much!”
Finally, though it feels like
I’m drunk under water.
At last I can breathe
and see the effects of the slaughter.
“Pollen, you menace,
you nearly took me out!
But I triumphed in the end
with an antihistamine stout.”
Then slithering off
like a rascal, a coward.
Pollen turned back, waved,
and simply glowered.
“I’ll see you again,”
it said with a snicker.
“We’ve got a date
the season after next winter.”

Sacred Autumn


Gold glint sunlight
Scarf wrapped warm
Breezy rosy cheeks
Crimson fire leaves
Greying skies above
Musty yellow below
Crunch crackle steps
Rustling creaky trees
Crisp apple crunch
Tart cider lips
Spiced glowing candles
Blanket snuggled couch
Pies between family
Shared pumpkin ale
Smokey warm hearth
Sacred Autumn calls

-cb

Will you follow

boy_woods1Who will you follow
asks your heart
as you look around
and question who is good.

Who will you follow
asks your mind
as you read news page after news page
of tragedy and storm.

Who will you follow
asks your children
as they look to you
for answers and direction and guidance.

Who will you follow
asks your neighbor
as they watch your behavior
and read post after political post.

Who will you follow
asks your church
as they witness to the world
of a man who speaks of truth.

Who will you follow
asks your Savior
as he witnesses His sacrifice
mean little to the world.

Follow truth, cries your heart.
Follow trust, cries your mind.
Follow courage, cries your children.
Follow love, cries your neighbor.
Follow faith, cries your church.
Follow me, cries your Savior.

Him.

forestBefore time began there was me.
The creation was witnessed by me.
The invention of you is perfect to me,
So in all you do, acknowledge me.
For all your blessings, thank me.
If you long for peace, seek me.
Whoever seeks will find me.
I am the way. Believe me.
Let go of you and cling to me.
Humble yourself. Glorify me.
Don’t fear those that kill. They already killed me.
I died so you can forever join me.
Fear what kills your soul. Trust me.
Keep my commandments. Commit to me.
When you love others, I know you love me.
And when you come together, you are with me.
Bow Down, look up. Worship me.
When darkness surrounds, look toward the light. That’s me.
I am the good shepherd follow me.
Silence your cell, your mind, and others. Listen to me.
You are loved by me.
You are forgiven because of me.
You are made perfect through me.
When you walk along, remember me.
When you see creation, remember me.
When you welcome new life, remember me.
When you say your last good-bye, remember me.
When you feel joy, remember me.
When you feel alone, remember me.
When all seems lost, remember me.
And when you take this bread and drink this cup, remember me.
Remember me.
And when all you are is forgotten, you’ll see me.

Don’t Make Me

stubborn-e1456623335119

Lord, I love you, but don’t make me say so too loudly.
Lord, I love to sing praises to you, but don’t make me sing that old one.
Lord, I love your word, but don’t make me go to bible class and learn it.
Lord, I love all your children, but don’t make talk to that one.
Lord, I want to live for you, but don’t make me uncomfortable.
Lord, I want to be a Christian, but don’t make me look different than my peers.
Lord, I want you to provide for me, but don’t make me look at that homeless man.
Lord, I want everyone to go to heaven, but don’t make me tell anyone about you.
Lord, I want to pray to you, but don’t make me do it in public or when I’m busy.
Lord, I want to be with you, but don’t make me give up my life.
Lord, I want to be a part of your church, but don’t make me change my schedule.
Lord, I want you to forgive me, but don’t make me forgive them.
Lord, I believe you are more powerful than anything, but don’t make me obey.
Lord, I love you, but don’t make me love you too much.

Growing, Going, Gone.

clean_baby_handTiny pink bundle.
Tiny pink hands.
Tiny pink heart.
Stealing mine, stealing mine.

Tiny pink dresses.
Tiny two pigtails.
Tiny silly giggles.
Bringing mine, bringing mine.

Growing fast legs.
Growing deep thoughts.
Growing fated distance.
Vanishing time, vanishing time.

Long soft hair.
Longer faithful absence.
Longest spent nights.
Slowest time, slowest time.

Packing pink bags.
Packing big dreams.
Packing sweet memories.
Taking mine, Taking mine.

Tiny pink bundle.
Growing, going, gone.
Packing my heart.
Always mine, always mine.

-cb

He Won’t

walking-alone

When friends betray, He won’t.
When the bottle poisons, He won’t.
When parents fail, He won’t.
When chocolate loses its sweetness, He won’t.
When doctors run out of options, He won’t.
When your body gives out, He won’t.
When your spouse leaves you lonely, He won’t.
When children neglect you, He won’t.
When you mess up, He won’t.
When you’ve given up on yourself, He won’t.

“Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” -Psalms 55:22

-cb

Oddball

narrow-gate
“Unusual!” we call folks who take us off guard.
“Abnormal! Unrelenting! They’re not trying too hard!
The average of us just go with the pack.
The expected behavior is to stay on THIS track.
Odd for THAT person to be allowed in–
When the rest of us commit just a tiny, small sin.
To lie– To cheat– To gossip– To steal–
That’s simply our everyday commonplace meal!
Strange is the person who merely gives back.
Curious though; He offers the rest of us slack?
Look at that oddball; How he serves everyone else!
What’s that? Now he’s saying to avoid serving self?
That door is tiny! We’ll never fit there!
By the looks of it, we must go through all bare!
Stripped of our titles, our purses, our rules?
That door won’t accept our treasured jewels?
We must look like the oddball to fit through that gate.
We must hurry and change before it’s too late.
Throw off all that was us- and mirror the King.
Lay aside all our normal and change our routine.
Seek Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly with care,
then enter to see the Oddball through there.
-cb

Sweater Sin

img_1823I own a wool sweater.
I wear it everyday.
I’ve tried to remove it time and time again.
Yet, it stays.

I own a wool sweater.
It fits perfectly on me.
I suffocate and fall under it’s weight.
Chains bind the seams.

I own a wool sweater.
I knitted it myself.
The thread I chose is my hate, my jealousy,
And my lust for filth.

I own a wool sweater.
Unraveling at such slow pace.
Threads slowly fall to ground as I stretch
to touch that gift of grace.

I’m owned by a wool sweater.
That I knit and mend.
My sweater owns me.
I’ll wear it again and again.

I’m enslaved to my own creation;
though it slowly crushes my heart.
But, I’m comfortable in my cell, snuggled in;
Cozy in my art.

Save me from my sweater.
Save me from my sin.
Free me from this weight I wear,
and I’ll finally know heaven.

I long to rip it away.
I’d gladly shrug it off.
Save me, free me
from the weight of my self-inflicted cross.

His cross is the first hole.
His death is the first pull.
He rose and the sweater unravels for good.
My freedom now is full.

I owned a wool sweater.
He wore it just for me.
He bore the weight, my addiction.
And now I’m eternally free.

-cb