Welcome to the Real World

This poem is an interesting mix of doubts and faith. I wrote it when I was struggling with doubts, yet clinging to faith at the same time. Faith wins out in the end, as it always does in the real world...

Welcome to the Real World

I’ve built my castles in the sky,
Of dreams where I thought God had lead,
But now they’ve fallen with a crash,
And tasted depths of mud instead—
“Welcome to the real world”…

I have a heart that longs for home,
But I can see no place to stay,
I look for answers, every echo
Says no one hears the prayers I pray—
“Welcome to the real world”…

And so I’m asked to grow mature,
To seek no halls of love and grace,
When it’s forgiveness that I long for
I will not find it anyplace,
Living in the real world…

But if a man has conquered death,
And lives to intercede for men,
Then I am sure to find forgiveness
If I but turn and knock again—
This would be the real world!

And when I chose to walk in faith,
Ignoring all my foolish doubts,
I see the door to love is opened,
And I am greeted with a shout:
“Welcome to the real world!”

Uninspired

Here is the second one:

Uninspired

Petals fade, then let go;
Drift to the barren ground,
Where love has died,
But is never forgotten…

My pen has run dry;
Inspiration fled,
Sensing the coming snow…

The temperatures dive,
Hope is frozen,
My heart is captured
By the icy claws of winter…

But I have always painted sunsets,
Adored the falling snow,
Because I believe—
I must believe—
That someday, from the barren ground
Where love has died,
(But is never forgotten)…

Flowers will bloom again.

Alone

I came across a couple poems again that are two of my favorite free verse poems I've written. They were both written last summer during a time when I was struggling with loneliness, and they both have a similar theme. Here is the first one:

Alone

Loneliness
Stretches across the horizon,
I step forward, knowing
I have yet to take a million more,
A million steps that echo
In my empty heart.

I see another bridge to cross alone,
Another day to walk alone,
Another meal to eat alone,
Another dream
To dream
Alone…

I see so clearly, now;
The man on top of a world
I can’t be a part of—

I could be the richest man,
The most famous man,
The best poet the world has ever seen,

And all this
Would be nothing
Compared to the joy
Of traveling
With an honest friend.

The Appointed Time

Many of the poems I have written I've actually written by faith more than by what is actually happening in my life. This is one of those poems, inspired by my friend, Joel. I look forward to what the year 2007 will bring...

The Appointed Time

A million prayers have built a staircase
That wound their way up to this day,
And NOW is the appointed time,
The fulfillment for what we have prayed;

What will we see when doors have opened?
What blissful glories meet the eye?
I know not what God shall reveal
But it surpasses all gone by—

In faith I reach the highest step,
In hope I knock upon the door—
God’s done amazing things already,
But now I wait for so much more…

Nothing is Impossible

This is a poem about the hope that we have in Christ.
Let me know how easy it is to catch the twist at the end...

Nothing Is Impossible

Looking ahead I see a glimpse
Of roaring seas and angry storms
But in the night I see a light:
For all things are possible!

The waves are turned in ways unknown,
A path is forged right through the sea;
The storm abates by Jesus’ hand:
Nothing is impossible!

The years brought tears, but joy abounds,
For Christ is walking by my side;
I look with hope to what’s ahead:
For “nothing”… is impossible!

The Shack of Worldly Love

I am convinced that the emotional attachment that the world calls love falls far short of true love.

The Shack of Worldly Love

We’ve built a house of sticks and mud,
And then we made a roof of sod;
We call our house the finest mansion,
And all the world applauds!

But when the storms have come our way
We find our roof is full of leaks,
And once a wall has tumbled down
We see our shack is weak…

If we could see that love is more
Than waves that sweep our heart away,
Then we could move into the mansion
Of love that’s risen from the grave!

Single Word

This is not a very creative poem, but it is a simple expression of the importance of keeping my mouth shut when something negative comes to my lips.

Single Word

A band of angels waited
For just a single spoken word;
One gasped command would change the world
When all of Heaven would be stirred,

But love had left him silent
And grace had overcome the pain;
Therefore his blood now falls on us
To wash away our sinful stains—

So when temptation calls my name
And brings a single word of hate,
Remembering the calm of love
I seal my lips ’til storms abate.

Dancing in the Night

I believe that if we can learn to be content in the midst of the trials God has us in, we will be blessed beyond our dreams...

Dancing in the Night

The sun went down like a ship on fire
And dreams have drowned in icy seas;
The night’s a tomb that holds my heart,
But still the moon shines down on me—

At first my tears were wandering far,
As packs of fears howled haunting tunes;
I thought my plight was grim indeed,
But still the light flowed from the moon—

And when I learned to dance among
The silver spurned in better days,
The joy I find beneath the stars
Leaves far behind my former ways—

Here with the moon I’ve danced all night;
Now life has bloomed that’s twice as grand:
My eyes are drawn towards the eastern sky,
I see the dawn and all God planned!