Journey’s destination
Seeking life’s unknown
Coming to night’s station
No one answers phone
Voices remain muted
Chasing shadow’s trace
Feeling spirit looted
Darkness giving chase
Freedom’s ember cloaked
Walking toward peace
Igniting flame, well-stoked
Distant voice won’t cease
Tomorrow offers hope
Hearing wartime’s calm
Grasping sunrise’s rope
Listen, no more bombs!
From Psalm 118:1: “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever!”
Christ shall endure forever
Witnessing His steadfast love
Forgiveness heals brokenness
Righteousness flows from above
Christ journeys to Calvary
Bringing man’s darkness with Him
Sin’s valley of death’s shadow
Light waiting at heaven’s rim
Christ becomes faith’s cornerstone
Yielding to Father’s design
Truth waiting at Roman cross
Sacred blood pays every fine
Christ foils enemy’s insults
Shedding eternity’s wrath
Love borne, no matter its cost
Promised grace reveals faith’s path
Christ builds heaven’s trusted bridge
Rising from now empty tomb
Passion’s flames light mercy’s quest
Brought forth into Father’s room
From Psalm 118:19: “Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the Lord.”
Distant memory
Winter’s breath melted away—
Rebirth springing up
Crisp April morning
Afternoon promises warmth—
Daffodils dancing
Sun’s setting calmness
Another night, nature rests—
Guaranteed sunrise
Early morning walk, going back in time
Autumn’s breath creates thoughts, filling with rhyme
Trekking along canal’s ancient pathway
Thoughts caress past moments, plenty to say
Gentle breeze, sending leaves twirling on down
Mind arrives at different time and town
Dreaming . . .
More simple times, without high tech living
Days invite, delightful and forgiving
Riding bareback along this old canal
Looking for trees to climb with school-age pals
Fishing one final time, nearby pond waits
When icy winter comes, change to ice skates
Creepy, storm-filled nights, reading classic prose
Edgar Allen Poe’s words, scary shadows
Looking for literature’s lighter themes
Whitman, Hawthorne, Melville adding to dreams
Quiet evenings filled with family time
Gathered around for radio’s primetime
Crisp, fall afternoon, gridiron titans clash
College football rivals looking to smash
Romance blossoms, courtship takes center stage
Life filling with sweetness, each turning page
Back to reality . . .
Journey runs into closed gate at Rager Road
Turning around, grateful for time borrowed
Looking forward to walking here real soon
Fondest memories, let them sing a tune
Originally published October, 2020.
From Psalm 51:1-2: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”
Heart feeling empty of faith
Crushing embers of hope
Wilderness of transgressions
Walking next slippery slope
Born into journey of sin
Following darkest road
Thorns of guilt penetrate soul
Stumbling under burden’s load
Year after year, without joy
Lowering head in shame
Chained to enemy’s false words
Searching emptiness in flames
Light shines upon Calvary
Breathing with Savior’s grace
Forgiven steps fill with hope
Ending sin’s unfruitful race
Deliverance filled with truth
Witnessing faith’s clean heart
Every sunrise guarantees
Elevating life’s fresh start
From Psalm 51:10-12: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.”
Witnessing
Savior’s light
Tomorrow will wait
Worry less, pray more
Today
Receiving
Savior’s peace
Burdens take rest
Healing waters of grace
Hope
Fulfilling
Savior’s love
Forgiveness erases darkness
Walking mercy’s Emmaus Road
Redemption
This series of poems (written in the German-inspired style of Elfchen or Elevenie) shares a total of eleven words in each poem, with a sequence by line of one, two, three, four, and one words.
Sunset frames day’s end
Horizon returns light
Spirit shutters wind
Dreams ready to take flight
Beyond nightly moon
Every hour, beaming bright
Peace transcends below
Full of joyous delight
Distant, twinkling star
Suspended, flying kite
Hope gathers above
Darkness sparkles, all white
Breath of wayward cloud
Blocking out moon’s eyesight
Gentle breeze exhales
Skies brighten, rest of night
Final hour’s countdown
Horizon preps rewrite
Plot thickens again
Sunrise swaps out moonlight
From Isaiah 43:19: “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
Be prepared to be surprised
Promises shall be fulfilled
God honors His divine Word
From wilderness, truth rebuilds
Faith’s path to mighty waters
Savior’s life rising from death
Light’s mercy conquers darkness
Resurrection’s living breath
Deliverance from sin’s death
Salvation wipes away tears
Harvest of grace bearing joy
Witness Jesus, He appears
Flesh left at Calvary’s cross
Righteousness offers new road
Christ buys freedom with His blood
Gather love from seeds He sowed
Courage found in Savior’s steps
Invitation to see ahead
Holy Spirit left to guide
Nourished with God’s daily bread
From Psalm 126:5-6: “May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.”
New window opens
Unique opportunities—
Embrace every breath
Lessons in patience
Potential storms move away—
Sunshine breaking through
Morning’s welcome note
Invitation for breakfast—
With love sprinkled in
From Psalm 23:4: Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Always near
God’s mighty hand
From heavenly high
His creation, as planned
Mercy’s light
Shares daily bread
God’s comforting peace
Anchored at faith’s beachhead
Gospel’s breath
Fills from His Word
God delivers hope
Future no longer blurred
Harmony
Blessed with God’s love
Grace feeds man’s spirit
Established from above
Righteous road
God walks with thee
Promises fulfilled
Enemy’s darkness flees
From Genesis 28:15: “Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
Big Sky Buckeye 