Category: Other Poetry

To Joseph’s brothers he reveals his face,
And in so doing all their past redeems–
A gift for them that only comes from grace
Of providence from Him in every scene.

The past and future all are one in Him
Who never is a prisoner of time,
Yet enters life on earth in Bethlehem
To crooked lines make straight with heaven’s rhyme.

Our freedom by Him will not be curtailed
For it’s included in the rhyme He spins,
And only in our lives will He unveil,
So, one-by-one, we see through heaven’s lens.

Then we’ll with Joseph marvel at His love–
Surrounds us with His arms from up above. 

A part of hope is our own past redeemed,
Becomes in fact what it has always been—
In truth was never to us what it seemed
But was the unreality of sin.

As what-was-never-meant dies on His Cross,
Within we can become a desert waste
Where nothing lives, but all we are is lost.
Can any growth come in this barren place?

But then at last the Spirit’s rain will come,
And growth of what has always been will sprout;
As virtues grow we will ourselves become:
That we are real there is no longer doubt.

Our past redeemed is who we’ll always be:
A person who is real, created free. 

In my sin I have been a slave
     To seven deadly foes,                           
And I myself can never save                
From these that cause my woes.                 

Their captain is the sin of pride,
     Destroys humility;
I try to draw the world inside
     And bring calamity.

I need to be a person new
     Re-made from inside out,
But how to do it I’ve no clue–
     Consumed I am with doubt.

Then in my heart’s despair I hear
     The call of still, small voice
That penetrates my every fear;
     I know I have a choice.

And I hear, “You’re my special one
     Since time I first began;
Come to me through my Only Son
     And build no more on sand.

“For He’s foundation of my all
     And not your pride’s deceit:
That is what made First Adam fall
     Away from mercy’s seat.

“Take on yourself His gentle yoke
     And build upon His rock,
For it’s His Church that my Word spoke
     That Devil cannot block. 

“My Spirit poured through Sacraments
     Will make your person new:
Know in you heaven’s merriment
     That others in you view.

“Then through you others will Me hear,
     My voice since first of time
That will cast out their sinful fears
     And teach My Spirit’s rhyme.

“And you in heart will wisdom know
With seven virtues deep,
As My Son in you ever grows;
He’ll you for heaven keep.”

Your mercy through my body radiates
A spring that gushes from Your wounded side
As You in heart of mine participate
And draw me into You where I abide.

Since I can’t hold the fullness of Your life,
You welcome me to live with You in Yours
So I can bask in radiance from Your light
And know that in You my life is secure.

Then from Your presence I can courage take
To venture forth in calling You give me
As You from Your spring others’ thirst will slake,
And You through me from sin set others free.

Your Living Water flows o’er all the earth
As You through us give all the earth new birth. 

Our Lord dives deep in us to crush
     The pride within our hearts;
He comes with Moses’ burning bush
     To cleansing fire impart.

He speaks salvific words we hear—
     Within we’re holy ground;
He comes to burn our sin and fear
     That new life may be found.

The sin in us by fire consumed
     And blown away like smoke–
Makes for Himself in our hearts room
     To heal the hearts we broke.

For broken hearts can joy now know
     When Jesus makes His home
In us: from fire will new life grow,
     And we new selves become. 

In every corner of our lives
An unseen presence with us dwells
With life the Holy Spirit gives,
Breathed through Him who’s Emmanuel.

To each an angel He assigns
To guard us from the Devil’s wiles
Whose evil angels will malign
Each one who is our Father’s child.

Our guardian angels serve each one
With orders from St. Michael giv’n–
For us obey our Father’s Son,
Prepare us each to dwell in heav’n.

For angels we thank Jesus, now
Provides them with His nail-scarred hands,
As we with them to Jesus bow–
Give praise to Him throughout our land.

The Lamb for Isaac sacrificed
Has come before us crowned with thorns,
For Devil has us all enticed—
In thicket caught, we’re all forlorn.

But Cross becomes an altar laid
With Son who gives His life for us,
And for our sin our debt He paid
To give new life to earthly dust.

Our grave is not our final rest,
For He has made it Eden’s Gate;
We enter and complete our quest
That we’ve been on since Adam ate.

His Cross for us an altar built
Is Tree of Life for us is grown;
We eat and do not suffer guilt—
His Body, Blood in us is sown.

Then His new life in all is raised,
Unique in each, one of a kind;
His love for us each one will save—
Our sin with thorns no longer binds.

With purpose and so silently
     They glide on wings unfurled
On mission from His Trinity
     To earth, His priceless pearl.

For earth, once fallen, now is saved
     By Son from Father’s heart,
And angels come with words He gave,
     His wisdom to impart.

With open eyes and child-like faith
     We will His angels see,
And know there’re here to bring us grace,
     From fear to set us free.

On Spirit’s breath they to us fly
     From Father through His Son,
As Trinity to us draws nigh:
     Bring vict’ry He has won. 

DEDICATED TO OUR DEAR FRIEND,
MISSY DEBERRY

For us, O Lord, You bend Your bow
     And shoot Your arrows straight:
Hit Adam’s heart where we each sow
     Our death that is sin’s fate.

With love is every arrow tipped,
     Will hit each heart and heal,
And loosen in us Satan’s grip
     Who tried to each heart steal.

Those arrows will not be withdrawn
     For Your love never leaves–
Will open us to coming dawn
     And to our full reprieve.

We see Your bow across the sky
     And know our storms have passed,
For to us all you’re always nigh:
     Our future with You lasts. 

O Lord, come give us Samson’s strength,
And we’ll bring pagan temples down;
Your Church will go to any length
For truth You gave with kingly crown.

The thunder heard on Calvary’s hill
Was crash of stones when temples fell,
And pagan worship You have killed
With Samson’s strength– sounds their death knell.

Yet, unlike Samson You are raised
To life anew Your Church now brings,
For with Your Body, Blood You save,
And we to world Your mercies sing.

For in each one of us You build
A temple where Your Spirit dwells,
And with Your Body, Blood we’re filled;
Forever You’re Emmanuel.