Little Lights

For Samantha Kelley

Thank God for little lights,
When all the world goes sour,
A candle for the darkest nights,
A glimpse for only an hour.

Leap Day, 2012

Praises Peal

Among God's people praises peal,

Where Jesus reigns, and change is real;

The blessed Holy Spirit dwells

In hearts where adoration swells;

Both joy and pardon outward roll,

To touch and heal the wayward soul.

The Prophet Weeps

The people love their sin, the prophet weeps,

He knows that judgment falls, and so he speaks—

The whirlwind comes! The seed one sows one reaps,

'Tis not the God who roars the nation seeks,

She serves the idol who overlooks her deeds;

Upon herself the havoc Zion wreaks,

She thought herself immortal, but she bleeds.

In Endless Praise

In endless praise the angels sing,

Around the glorious crystal throne;

To worlds away they take their wing,

No mortal saint will stand alone.

At God's right hand the Savior reigns,

Till comes the day to crown his plan;

The dragon rants below in chains,

As feet move fast to rescue man.

The Spirit dwells through faith for peace,

Possessing, his both heart and hands;

While mountains stand he'll never cease

To lead his church to farthest lands.

What's The Difference? ((Christian living))

There is no difference at first glance,

Christian, infidel alike,

will suffer loss and time and chance,

and death upon the door will strike.

No earthly indicator here

of who's approved and who's denied,

no circumstance to mourn or cheer

for men accepted or decried.

Alas, no darling hope ahead

for men who live for vice and pride,

for misery's the road they tread,

eternal torment in their stride.

Debts will be settled Judgment Day,

all men do owe for sin - a price.

The sinner has a bill to pay;

Redeemed, the Christian has the Christ.

With Fragile Soul

With fragile soul, let me not flee

To facile fixes, from troubles free,

To easy answers, in search of peace,

That frantic quest for quick release.

All pain and suffering may I feel,

At wrong and ruin, let me reel,

The weight of sin, the shame of strife,

The love of self, the lonely life.

Let Satan's fever wrack my soul,

The bald pretense my bitter bowl,

Man's vile abasement my sweat of blood,

My sorrowful cup, the abusing flood.

Compassion, Lord, from heaven to me,

In the midst of fullest agony,

The world's worst crimes are mine to bear,

I do not ask to save or spare.

Let love be strong, and truth be clear,

Transgressors tremble, the righteous fear,

Let the power of sin not be denied:

The Christ between two sinners died.

Shall we attribute this to UPLift or Cloudburst? You choose.

To Speak of Love

To speak of love just seems to cheapen it,

Though nothing in this world could weaken it,

Because you want to hear, I'm speakin' it,

I love you, I love you, I love you.

For pleasure to your ears I'm admitting it,

Declaring it again, are you getting it?

So every day I'm recommitting it,

I love you, I love you, I love you.

I Need To Write A Poem

By Michael Carter

I need to write a poem but the feeling's just not there

I want to write a limerick but my heart just doesn't care

I'm trying to get excited about the work I have to do

But the trifles of life's humdrum have just left me feeling blue

Now humdrum is a good thing if the flipside is a war

And poems, prayers, and promises have filled my life with joy

It's time to file my taxes and my daughter's student loans

But I'm still alive an kickin' and no one wants to hear my groans!

Christian Poets

A space (not a "corner") for poets of Christian persuasion to share their work. Drop me a line and I'll add you as a contributor.