Glistening Shadows

Glistening obscurities torture his soul
His mind weeps in silent accord
Hopelessness his companion of choice

Seared conscience cloudiness so liberating
Shadows beckoning his favor
Harbingers of the broad and free

Glaring clarity concedes to the eclipsed
The enchanting solicits his gaze
Vitality no longer bounded by truth

The arrogance of those who know better
Audacious fools spin a tale of caution
They have no right, it’s his to live

Deadly fashionable truth fails his spirit
Life force pining to reconnect
Hope may be his accomplice yet

Time

(From time to time I try my hand at songwriting. I came across this today stashed away in a folder. It's something I put together about 3 years ago right after my brother passed away. Not quite satisfied it's complete, but decided to post it.)

Time, it’s just a game we play
You think it’s yours to keep
You think you have your share
You live in the future, you live in the past

All that’s real is now
All you’ve got is now
All that’s real is now
All you’ve got is now

Time it’s just a race we run
You think it’s yours to win
You think you have enough
You live in your worry, you live in your guilt

All that’s real is now
All that’s Him is now
All that’s real is now
All that’s Him is now

Eternity has you in its grasp
The things you see will never last
He is now
Live for Him now
Live for Him now

Love’s the only thing we’ll keep
The only race we’ll win
We live in the moment, He is the moment

All that’s real is now
All we’ve got is now
All that’s real is now
All that’s Him is now

All The Created

I’m the swallow spiraling through the vastness, hunting on the wing
I’m the eagle soaring in majestic stillness, powerful, untouchable
I’m the hummingbird in feverish motion, gracefully suspended
I’m the nightingale, beautiful voice, clearest tones just before the dawn

I’m a man reaching upward through the heavens, nourishing my soul
I’m a man soaring in life’s freedom, peaceful, strong, touched with love
I’m a man in endless motion, quiet grace embracing my spirit
I’m a man singing shouts of anguish and joy, clearest answers at morning light

All creation spiraling, soaring, dancing, singing in harmonious unity
All creation living for the moment of reconciled oneness
All creation conceiving the reality of heavenly majesty
All creation praising the completeness of the great YHWH

In the Mist of Emptiness

I have a young friend who is living in an undefined place in time and space. From the perspective of my friend there are wide open distant places, flashes of excitement, and the pull of worldly enticements. The space my friend is in seems big and full of life. At every turn there is someone beckoning with flattery, willing to play on my friend’s most basic needs and fears.

Then there are those of us standing just outside my friend’s space. We see a beautiful heart and soul shackled by chains in a swirling mist of emptiness and confusion. What my young friend sees as expansive and life giving we see as limiting and deadly. There is no truth in the place my friend is living. There is no reality in the place my friend is living. There is only nothingness masquerading as life.

My friend is living in a prison barely big enough to turn around in, but because my friend can’t feel the walls, there is no recognition of imprisonment. Because my friend only sees the mask of light that darkness wears, the true light has become a foreigner. Because my friend only sees true life as limiting rules, the true love of life is elusive and alien.

There is reality, there is life, there is light, just outside the prison walls and we want to set my friend free, but we have to proceed with care and caution. I want to take the sword to those who have willingly entered the prison to persuade my friend that their darkness is light, that their death is life. Yet there is a good chance my young friend will suffer damage in the battle and so we keep the swords in their sheath and wait patiently.

We do battle in the way that is least likely to cause damage, with unified prayers lifted to the heavens, with our own acts and words of love, and encouragement, and life, instead of the flattering words of damnation. My young friend is broken and hurt, but can’t embrace that reality to move past it. One way or the other love will have its way in my friend’s life. We all hope it is sooner rather than later.

The irony (as is often the case) is that those who are only acquainted with my friend, those who only know my friend in a peripheral way would never suspect there are shackles. The façade is complete. Eventually though the light will reveal the truth. The prison door will open and my friend will stumble out broken and in need. The only response we can have is love.

Little Ball of Fire Part 2 Update

Well we made it through the busiest time of summer and Calby is all healed. It looks like he’ll have a permanent small bump on his right collarbone where the bone healed back together. It’s hardly noticeable and they say par for the course with a clavicle fracture. He’s back to running, playing, jumping, throwing, and is chomping at the bit to get out on his bike that he was just learning to ride before the injury.

Perhaps the little guy learned a lesson…doesn’t really look like it though. :-)