A Time For Everything

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.  What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil – this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him   Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.   Romans 8:37-38

in the early morning silence

You softly speak,

revealing mysteries and truths

I cannot fathom,

surpassing all my understanding,

Your ways are not my ways,

Your thoughts are not my thoughts,

You are the vine,

I am just the branch,

all my ideas,

all my words,

are nothing without You;

there is a time for everything,

a time to be born,

a time to die,

everything You do

endures forever,

nothing can be added to it,

nothing can be taken from it,

death does not end it;

nothing shall separate us

from Your love.

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Delusion

For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.   II Thessalonians 2:7-12

Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her; death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.    Revelation 18:8

the joy does end

here in this land

of limited sun,

cold hearted and alone,

forsaken and forgotten,

the gate is closing,

the gap is narrowing,

the light is starting to

disappear,

there are things bigger

than life,

bigger than death;

bigger than dreams;

even now they mock,

twisting the truth,

creating monuments of self-glory,

worshiping idols of their own doing,

maligning anyone and everything,

laughing at the misery and suffering,

exploiting the helpless and weak,

drowning in self-proclaimed wisdom,

unable to understand truth,

incapable of anything more

than what they are,

refusing to see past themselves,

seeking life, liberty and the pursuit

of perpetual pleasure,

blinded by their superiority,

wallowing in the fantasy,

delighting in the delusion;

finding comfort in the lie.

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Last Call

this morning darkness does roll,

these gentle waves do wash,

melodic rhythms continue to flow,

despite the insidious rush

of left handed breaks;

who does know?

who can tell?

who will stop the tide?

inside we are all the same,

lost and afraid,

isolated and alone,

searching for a refuge,

trying to find a home,

no matter who we are,

no matter what we say,

no matter how hard

we pretend otherwise;

somehow,

someway,

somewhere,

there must be more;

wasted words once again,

lost within the echoes

of ancient memories,

lying just a touch beyond hope,

drowning on distant shores

of foreign intervention,

drifting upon forgotten

platitudes of empty fires,

blazing wildly out of control,

burning with the stench

of a thousand voices

pleading for death,

this too shall pass;

what else is left?

enlightened intelligence,

such a wasteful resource

in the hands of crazed madmen,

passionate informants full of

useless information,

inside traders

selling stolen dreams,

former raiders of excessive

corporate greed,

dancing on the backs of

down trodden masses,

sharing forbidden fruit destined

for leftover dumpsters of

recycled trash,

destroying the will,

removing the innocence;

exchanging profit for turpitude.

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Ready

I don’t write a lot anymore,

it’s not that I can’t,

it’s just that there isn’t

much left to say;

I have been to the dark edge,

I have seen the other side,

I have heard the lies,

I have known the truth,

I have felt the light,

I am ready for the end,

I am ready for the night;

I am ready to begin;

I have been blessed in ways

words can never describe,

there is nothing that I desire,

there is nothing that I want,

everyday is a gift,

every minute a miracle,

every breath a reprieve,

this body continues to struggle

but it is only temporary,

a slight inconvenience,

a momentary delay,

it will fade like

the evening sun,

all that will be left is love;

all that will be left is You;

You have made this possible,

You have brought me to this place

I could never find by myself,

You continue to stand by my side

when death is all I deserve,

You continue loving me when I

cannot even love myself;

You are my King,

You are my Lord,

You are my Everything.

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Some Days

dark days without sun,

some days you remember,

some days you don’t,

traveling down moonless roads

in the middle of this forever

winding night,

desperately seeking a

continuously changing destination,

even now you feel the sting,

even now you know the

hopelessness;

does this sadness never end?

somewhere along the journey

you fell in love with the pain,

looking forward to the next

big heartache,

silently wishing for the loneliness,

secretly reveling in the emptiness,

taking comfort in the isolation,

finding solace in nothing and

no one;

inside there is a great vastness,

an untapped well of darkness,

stretching beyond the horizon,

more than the untrained eye

can imagine,

more than can be described with

words alone,

it is upon these shores

that you drift;

it is the only place

you have ever called home;

outside they await,

screaming for just a little more,

waiting for the finale,

thirsting for the ultimate thrill,

the final curtain,

the last call,

and you know that somehow

you will deliver the goods;

know matter what the cost.

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Infection

Jesus looked directly at them and asked. “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone?’ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”   Luke 20:17-18

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?”  Matthew 16:21-26

“To face what we are in the end, we stand before the light

and our true nature is revealed. Self-revelation is annihilation of self.”

Kathleen Conklin – ‘The Addiction’

we all stand afflicted,

hopelessly addicted,

ravaged and abused,

scourged and inflicted;

infected by the disease;

we choose this road

because that is who we are,

what we have become,

there simply is no other choice,

no other path;

a leopard cannot change

its spots,

a flea cannot become

a dog;

hopelessly addicted,

infected by the disease;

self-induced delusions,

self-abused illusions,

self-taught dreams,

self-righteous justification;

hopelessly addicted,

infected by the disease.

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Everyday

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6:25-27

“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 10:39

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:15-16

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John 6:35

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.   Acts 10:34-35

some hold on longer,

some less,

eventually,

the sun sets

on us all,

in the end we

become equal,

as cruel as this

might seem,

it is unconditional and

without favor;

God is no respecter

of persons;

I think about all the

missed opportunities,

all the special individuals,

all the moments which

slipped through my fingers,

the chance to tell them

how very unique they were,

how much I loved them,

but the time came and went;

now they are gone;

everyday I wait for freedom,

everyday I hang on for tomorrow,

everyday I fight the battle,

everyday I lose the war;

life is not about happiness and joy,

life not about self-discovery,

life not about self-satisfaction, or

self-motivation, or any kind of self

at all;

life is about love and forgiveness,

doing unto others

as you would have them

do unto you,

coming to the

realization that we all have

fallen short,

that none of us are going

to escape on our own,

life is about loving God

with all your mind and

heart;

everyday I wait for freedom,

everyday I hang on for tomorrow,

everyday I fight the battle,

everyday I lose the war.

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A Day at Barnes and Noble

I started reading 'The Best American Poetry for 2014’,

I never knew that ‘lifestyle’ was an art form, but

apparently it is, or at least a requirement

to be one of the ‘best’;

they play ‘Hark The Herald’ over the loudspeaker

as we sit reading our books, drinking our drinks,

green tea for me, mocha frappuccino for her;

“they’re using Jesus to put people in the

shopping mood” I tell her,

“selling Christmas before Thanksgiving;”

they play flamenco music;

“what does that have to do with Christmas?” she asks,

“it’s all part of setting the mood” I tell her;

“part of the artistic, cynical, sarcastic, bourgeois,

intellectual, bullshit mood;”

she laughs;

“I’m giving you rare insight” I say, “I’m letting

you see how my mind really works, I don’t

let many people see that;”

“why am I the lucky one?” she replies dryly;

now it’s my turn to laugh;

I begin writing thoughts down in the

back of the book,

“better take good care of this” I say,

“someday, after I am gone this will be worth

big bucks;”

she remains quiet, browsing her book;

“imagine finding a hand-written Bukowski

in the back of a book, besides,

they’re not coming like they used too,

this could be the last one

I ever write;”

“you can call it ‘A Day at Barnes & Noble’,” she says;

“good idea,” I say as I quickly scribble it down, “thanks;”

“Merry Christmas,” she replies.

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Clay

You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not make me”? Can the pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”?   Isaiah 29:16

all your life reaching

for a tomorrow,

waiting for the storm to pass,

watching the tide turn,

wondering if it is enough,

hoping for just a little more,

coming to the realization;

this is all there is,

the best it will ever be;

I watch them from afar,

struggling, toiling,

making deals,

compromising with the darkness,

reaping the rewards;

I have tried to be like them,

reaching for a little more,

seeking the comfort,

searching for the security,

trying to find the peace,

weekends at the beach,

backyard pool parties,

family get-togethers;

it will never be;

You were there in the beginning,

You will be there in the end,

You give to whom You will,

You take from all You choose,

who am I to say otherwise;

You are the potter,

I am just the clay,

I may not have much,

but it is enough.

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Adonai

The LORD says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, saying, “Rule in the midst of your enemies!” Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy splendor, your young men will come to you like dew from the morning’s womb. The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. He will drink from a brook along the way, and so he will lift his head high.   Psalm 110:1-7

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.   John 1:1-5

Adonai;

above You there is no other,

You are the beginning,

You are the end,

You are all there is;

Adonai;

You stretch out Your hand,

the raging winds become calm,

You speak and by Your words alone,

a universe is created;

Adonai;

You are truth,

You are light,

You are righteousness,

You are holy;

Adonai;

before You do I fall,

through You am I redeemed,

by Your will do I stand,

through Your love am I saved;

Adonai;

forgive my foolishness,

rebuke me as a Father rebukes a son,

fill me with Your truth and love,

teach me Your righteous ways;

Adonai;

Light of the World

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”   John 8:12

all creation holds its breath

on this silent night of nights,

yearning for deliverance,

groaning like a woman giving birth,

patiently waiting for the moment to begin,

salvation from the cries of an infant;

redemption through the sacrifice of a King;

Hope of hope,

Savior of the lost,

Light of the world,

what gift can be laid at Your feet?

what price can be paid

to satisfy the cost?

the angels do sing Your praise,

all in heaven and on earth

bow before Your glorious throne,

the blessed lamb of God,

the righteous Judge of judges,

the mighty King of kings,

the holy Son of God;

Hope of hope,

Savior of the lost,

Light of the world,

what gift can be laid at Your feet?

what price can be paid

to satisfy the cost?

look down on us now,

see the ignorance of our ways,

forgive the arrogance of our

hardened hearts,

heal the damage we have done;

make us more than we are;

Hope of hope,

Savior of the lost,

Light of the world,

what gift can be laid at Your feet?

what price can be paid

to satisfy the cost?

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Discipline

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” declares the Lord, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.   Isaiah 55:6-9

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.   Revelation 3:19-20

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.   Proverbs 14:12

once more You open my eyes,

once again You hold up the mirror

before my wretched and pitiful face,

revealing those things I cannot see on my own,

showing the conceit

of all my preconceived ideas,

humbling the lofty and haughty spirit

by which I have walked,

crushing the self-righteous throne

upon which I have sat,

deflating the egotistical vanity

living inside,

proving that You alone

know the hearts of men,

that You and You alone

have the right to judge;

that there are ways

which seem right to a man

but in the end lead to death;

forgive my selfish pride Lord,

have mercy upon my wicked ways,

guide my blinded eyes,

lead me down Your holy path,

use me for Your righteous will,

teach me Your perfect ways,

rebuke my errors and mistakes;

discipline me as a beloved son.

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Lost Sheep

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.   Luke 15:1-7

walking along the ocean shore,

the sound of crashing waves,

a cool breeze blowing in my face,

I realize we are all living on borrowed time,

no matter how hard we work,

no matter how much effort we put forth,

it is never quite good enough,

it is never quite hard enough,

none of us has what it takes,

none of us can pay the cost,

we are all faking it, we are all alienated,

we have all fallen short,

we are all without defense,

we all deserve the punishment

of liars and cheats, murderers and rapists,

swindlers and thieves;

we are all guilty;

inside we are running from the truth,

not concerned with right or wrong,

only the opinion of others,

how others see our efforts and toils,

how others judge our actions and decisions,

we delude and deceive ourselves into

thinking we can measure success by

money and wealth;

when we have enough money and food,

we pat ourselves on the back,

holding up self-made scorecards,

‘look at me’ I made the right choices,

I made the right decisions,

I am successful, I deserve respect

I have earned the right to retire

and spend all day walking the beach;

I am somebody;

the truth is we are all nobody

without the grace of the One who created us,

nobody without the sacrifice of the One

who suffered and died to let us know we do matter,

that we were worth the torture and pain,

that in heaven there is more rejoicing over one sinner

who repents than over ninety nine righteous persons

who do not need to repent.

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I Know

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”   John 14:6-7

I know in the end,

You will make everything come out right,

I know this darkness surrounding me now

will fade with the morning dawn,

I know You will wipe away every tear,

I know You will make all things new,

I know You will heal the damage,

I know You discipline and teach

only those whom You love,

I know You will stand by my side

through every trial and test,

I know You will never give me more

than I can withstand;

I have always known

You are the way,

You are the truth,

You are the life;

I knew it when I lay on that gym floor

so many years ago,

Your soft, still voice bringing reassurance

You would be there as I stepped onto the field,

I knew it when I stood at the edge,

staring into the eternal darkness waiting before me,

as You pulled me back into Your precious arms

before I was forever gone;

I knew it then,

I know it now;

no matter where this road leads,

I know that I will always love You,

I will always be Yours,

You are my King,

my Lord,

my Savior;

my Everything.

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A Son of God

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God   John 1:12-13

how great Your wisdom,

how deep Your knowledge,

Your words a soothing ointment,

healing the minds and souls of those

seeking Your mercy and grace,

Your justice and truth a mighty mountain

which never bends or breaks;

fill me with Your spirit,

lead me through the dark and hidden places,

lift me up above the mire and filth,

guide me down paths of righteousness

for Your name’s sake,

show me Your perfect will,

let me be Your servant forever;

in You will I place my trust,

in You will I find my hope,

through You shall I seek shelter,

through You shall I overcome;

You are my King,

You are my Master,

You are my Lord,

You are my God,

You are my Everything;

without You there is no today,

without You there is no tomorrow,

without You there is no beginning,

without You there is no end;

You have brought me to this

still and quiet place,

restoring all that was lost,

providing long awaited refuge,

bringing joy where there was none,

forgiving my trespasses and iniquities;

You and You alone have made it possible

to become a son of the living God.

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Morning Crows

the crows come early on the mountain,

between 6 and 7,

arriving like an invading army,

complete with advance scouts,

generals and privates,

a secret society of mystic warriors,

ancient and old,

wise beyond wisdom and words;

they like peanuts in the shell best;

the days pass by,

the ball of fire

inside my chest grows,

choking breath and life,

I search for strength,

wondering how much longer,

how much further,

but it passes just the same,

gathering myself for

another round,

a new day;

more crows;

the rains start to fade,

the floodwaters recede,

now the heat begins,

relentless and unforgiving,

burning within

until there is nothing left to burn,

sucking the last ounces of energy,

destroying everything it touches;

the memories drift by,

like trapped trash and debris

within a gently flowing current,

floating and bobbing,

becoming stuck in long forgotten

log jams and curved muddy bends,

sleep finally comes

tucked in-between the sweat and coughs;

and the only thing that matters anymore

is the morning crows.

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numb

The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.   Joel 2:31-32

For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”   Romans 10:12-13

the numbness grows;

I fight,

I flex,

I stretch,

I rub,

but still it grows;

it’s like sinking

in quicksand;

I should not complain,

yet still I complain,

I should not criticize,

yet still I criticize,

I should not judge,

yet still I judge,

I should not hate,

yet still I hate,

I should not speak,

yet still I speak;

what hope is there

for one such as I?

Your law is light,

Your yoke truth,

Your garments righteousness,

Your path faith,

Your garden love,

You have taken away

the darkness and despair,

I have called upon Your name

and You have heard;

I was dead

now I am alive.

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Indignity

around 4 am it finally comes,

it seems to take longer now,

slower,

deliberate,

more mindful,

this is how it is

when you get older,

the way it was meant

to be;

recovery is never quite

the same;

I remember many things,

things no one knows,

things about which

no one cares,

hot summer nights,

stars shining in the sky

like newly discovered jewels,

fresh and clean,

your skin,

soft and warm,

your touch;

like a long lost friend;

the end draws closer,

not much longer now,

I am ready,

all the bags are packed,

I have been waiting

for such a very long time,

soon the indignity will stop,

the suffering fade;

soon enough,

soon enough;

a quiet, peaceful sanctuary

amidst the storm,

a final sleep

before the breaking dawn.

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Nothing The Same

the rain comes at last,

the storm has been brewing

for days;

for weeks,

for months,

for years,

for a lifetime;

changes come like lightning,

new creatures, emerging

from under the spotlight of

iniquity and anonymity,

the metamorphosis complete,

the way back

closed forever,

the way ahead

lost in the melodrama;

down in these sewer pits,

drunken monkeys rant and rave,

rampaging through the

dark, eternal night,

precious time lost,

valuable energy spent;

gone forever;

words?

Rimbaud had words,

Morrison had words,

Bukowski had words,

I have words;

I have no need for theirs;

I observe them like a disease,

just a glance here,

a taste there,

carefully preventing infection,

swallowing the antidote,

puking up the symptoms;

now,

nothing can ever be the same.

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Scoffers

First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.   II Peter 3:3-10

The anger of the LORD will not turn back until he fully accomplishes the purposes of his heart. In days to come you will understand it clearly. I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied.   Jeremiah 23:20-21

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.   Isaiah 64:6

another comes and goes,

false prophets,

speaking of ancient mysteries

they know nothing about,

spreading messages of doom,

putting words in the mouth of God,

feeding pride and egos

that have nothing to do

with truth;

the children of darkness

begin to celebrate,

scoffing and mocking,

forgetting that for us all the last day

is only a heartbeat away;

when you stand before a holy and righteous God,

will it matter whether the world has ended

or because you have breathed

your last breath?

will all your goodness and kindness,

which are but filthy rags before the Lord,

save you from a fate you so

undeniably deserve?

.

.

No Turning Back

Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”   Mark 5:36

time moves on,

the energy fades,

the end approaches;

no turning back;

life ends,

life begins,

this is the way of things;

there’s never enough;

do not be afraid,

just believe;

the fighting all done,

no more suffering and pain,

no more darkness and doubt,

the race has been run,

the war is over;

home just a sunrise away;

memories all that are left,

everyone and everything slowly fades,

your face lingers on,

but in the end,

even it silently disappears,

never again,

no more.

.

.

Same

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”   John 3:1-8

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. No one remembers the former generations, and even those yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow them.   Ecclesiastes 1:9-11

memories fade,

people forget,

they say they never will,

but they do,

time moves on,

the old die,

the new take over,

the cycle repeats,

new names,

new methods,

same old shit;

change is not an option,

it is only an illusion;

there is nothing new under the sun;

all the injustice,

all the greed,

all the killing,

all the lies,

all the hypocrisy,

all the senselessness;

for what?

no shame,

no repentance,

pointing fingers,

blaming the other,

justifying evil in the

name of righteousness;

where now America?

.

.

State of the Union

with great

pomp and ceremony

the king makes his entrance,

with a wave of his hand

the dog and pony show begins,

smiling,

he says

exactly

what they

want to hear,

telling them

he’s going to make them

slaves of the system;

and they

don’t even

notice;

maybe

they’re too busy

watching the queen

and princess,

serenely staring

with all knowing smiles,

or perhaps they’re blinded

by the empty promises

rolling

from the lips

of their

movie star leader,

who distorts the truth

without even the slightest

flinch.

.

.

Never Until Today

north winds blowing,

looks like snow today,

all the autumn leaves

have died and gone away;

coming home

to this dark and empty house,

where memories live in shadows

of yesterday’s dreams,

I see your face,

in the wind I hear your name,

looking in a mirror

the sorrow remains the same,

as I keep on playing

this lonely guessing game;

trying to remember the feeling,

while the dealer keeps on dealing,

with crystal chandeliers

hanging from the ceiling,

the cool night air so appealing;

I just don’t know

anymore,

it was so easy

before,

behind every curtain

was an open door;

never until today

.

.

SOCIETY

the winds of tomorrow

blow desert sands

thru the vast

empty wastelands

of their one way minds,

children caught

in the timeless cookie jar

of this endless life,

searching

for a way out

when they never

found a way in,

descendants

of noble ancestors

comprising a race

all their own,

a society

of cold, hard

mindless machines

disguised

in the shape of men,

measuring their importance

in terms of things

they never could

or never will

control;

in the beginning

they built their machines

to help them reach their destiny,

in the end

it was their machines

which decided

what their destiny would be.

.

.

free

your dead cannot help you now,

they lie silent and cold,

hidden within the flowers and grass,

buried below the final whisper,

no longer concerned with wrong or right,

body count irrelevant,

enemies no more,

for them the war is over,

for you it has just begun;

the voice grows quiet,

the season of words is finished,

it is for this I have waited

all my life;

I am free.

All That Is Left

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.   John 15:13

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”   John 15:18-19

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.   1 Corinthians 13:1-13

love is not telling

someone what they

want to hear,

not being positive,

or keeping your mouth shut,

not happy thoughts or

living in fantasy worlds

which do not exist;

love is telling someone

what they need to hear,

whether it means they

will love you in return

or not,

love is sometimes

struggle and pain,

sometimes sorrow

and tears;

sometimes torture

and death;

the world does not understand

love such as this,

just as it does not understand

that someday,

when the flesh has withered

and decayed,

when knowledge and wisdom

are gone,

when hope and faith serve no

purpose;

all that will be left

is love.

.

.