Saturday, April 5, 2014

BEACHSIDE REVERIES

 
 
 
 
AMONG THE STONES
 

 
I AM DOWN AMONG THE STONES
AMONG THE ROCKS THAT LITTER THE SHORE
AMONG THE POOLS THE OCEAN HAS LEFT
LITTLE TREASURE TROVES OF SEA LIFE
I AM DOWN AMONG THE STONES
IT IS PEACEFUL HERE
THE OCEAN IS A SIBILANT IN THE DISTANCE
 
I AM BETWEEN THE TIDES
I AM BETWEEN INFUSIONS
THE POURING IN OF MEDICINES
TO MAKE ME WELL
 
ODD WORD FOR ME
IT HAS ALWAYS MEANT
THE POURING IN OF THE SPIRIT
HIS INDWELLING IN ME
HIS WORKING LIKE THE MEDICINES
DRIVING OUT THE BAD
 
THE MEDICINE
IS GIVEN TO ME
WHEN I AM AT MY BEST
BETWEEN THESE TIMES
THERE COMES THE POINT
WHEN I AM AT MY WORST
PHYSICALLY
EMOTIONALLY
THEY CALL IT THE NADIR
 
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TROUBLED
AND UNSURE
ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE
PAIN AND SORROW
SHOULD I BE ANGRY AT MY FATE
SHOULD I ACCEPT IT
AND MAKE IT WORK
OR WILL I BE OVERWHELMED BY IT
IN TRUTH I OFTEN HAVE DONE ALL THREE
SOMETIMES SIMULTANEOUSLY
 
THE BEST SEEMS TO BE
TAKE IT AND MAKE IT WORK
TO TRY TO BE AT PEACE
 
SO I AM DOWN
AMONG THE STONES
AMONG THE ROCKS
QUIET AND PEACEFUL IN THIS PLACE
BETWEEN THE TIDES
BETWEEN INFUSIONS
I AM OPEN
TO THE WHISPERINGS OF THE SPIRIT
WHICH STRANGELY SOUND
LIKE THE SIBILANT SOUNDS OF THE SEA
 
 
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SAND
 
 
SITTING ON THE BEACH
SIFTING SAND FROM MY HAND
WATCHING THE WIND TAKE IT AWAY
MAKING NEW CONTOURS ON THE SHORE
ALWAYS RESTLESS
ALWAYS MOVING
 
I MAKE A MARK IN THE SAND
BUT THE WIND COMES
AND IT IS NO MORE
ITS PLACE IS GONE FROM MEMORY
 
THE WIND BLOWS WHERE IT CHOOSES
AND NO ONE KNOWS
 WHERE IT COMES FROM
OR WHERE IT GOES
 
I LOOK AT THE SAND AND SEA
AND THINK
       WHO HAS GATHERED UP THE WIND
IN THE HOLLOW OF HIS HANDS
       WHO HAS WRAPPED UP THE WATERS
IN HIS CLOAK
       WHO HAS ESTABLISHED
ALL THE ENDS
OF THE EARTH
       WHAT IS HIS NAME,
AND THE NAME OF HIS SON
       TELL ME IF YOU KNOW
 
THE SAND IS BLOWING WHERE IT WILL
THE OCEAN IS SAFELY IN ITS PLACE
AND I
INSIGNIFICANT
AS A GRAIN OF SAND
GOING WHERE THE WIND WILL TAKE ME
CONTENT
THAT GOD WILL TAKE CARE
OF HIS OWN
 
 
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FANTASY
 
 
WHY DO I ALWAYS FEEL
THAT THE OCEAN WAVES
ARE CARRYING MESSAGES
FROM A DISTANT LAND
 
AS IF GOD IS DIPPING HIS FINGER
IN THE WATER
AND IS TALKING TO ME
 
IN WAYS I DON’T UNDERSTAND
 
WHY DOES GOD SPEAK TO ME
IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS
 
A FANTASY PERHAPS
BUT THEN I OFTEN LIVE IN FANTASY
 
THAT MEN WILL LIVE WELL
AND HONOR GOD
 
THAT GOVERNMENTS WILL SPEAK TRUTH
 
THAT THE POOR
WILL HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM
NOT JUST TO KEEP THEM
IN THEIR PLACE
BUT A PLACE AMONG THE HAVES
 
THAT NO CHILD WILL GO TO BED HUNGRY
 
THAT NO ONE WILL BE DESTITUTE IN OLD AGE
 
THAT WORK WILL BE REWARDED BY WAGES
SUFFICIENT TO LIVE DECENTLY
 
THAT WAR WILL BE AN HISTORICAL ITEM
THAT GOD’S VOICE
 
IS LIKE THE WAVES ON THE OCEAN SHORE
WHISPERING ALWAYS
LOVE
LOVE ONE ANOTHER
LOVE

 
REPEATEDLY
INCESSANTLY
SOMETIMES FRIGHTENINGLY
MOST TIMES PEACEFULLY
 
GOD WRITES OUR SINS UPON THE WATER
AND THE WAVES TAKE THEM AWAY
 
THE WAVES COME UPON THE SHORE
AND TELL THE WORLD
FORGIVE
AS I HAVE FORGIVEN YOU
 
LIVE WELL
 
REMEMBER EVEN FANTASIES COME TRUE
 
AND THE SEA AND THE WIND OBEY HIM
 
 
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THE SEA
 
 
THE SEA IS ANGRY TODAY
MADLY IT THROWS ITSELF AGAINST THE SHORE
BEATING ITSELF UPON THE BREAKWATER
SPRAYING FOAM AND SEA HORSES IN THE AIR
THE WIND SCREAMS IN AGONY AT THE MAYHEM
AND THE SEAGULLS ADDS TO THE SCENE
WITH THEIR CALLING
THEIR MANIACAL LAUGHTER
 
ODD THE WAY WE GIVE TO NATURE
MAN-LIKE SYMPTOMS
 
ODD THE WAY WE GIVE TO GOD
SYMPTOMS OF AN ANGRY FATHER
THOUGH IN MANY CASES
HE HAS HIS OWN WORDS TO BLAME
 
BUT I PREFER THE IMAGE OF LOVING MOTHER
WHO FORGIVES HER WAYWARD CHILD
WHILE ENCOURAGING HIM TO DO BETTER
 
THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE SOUL FINDS PEACE
NOT OFTEN
BUT THERE ARE TIMES
WHEN THE MOTHER
HOLDS YOU TO HER BOSOM
 
THEN SETS YOU DOWN
SAYING
GO PLAY
GO WORK
GO MAKE THE WORLD BETTER
GO MAKE YOURSELF BETTER
AND KNOW THAT IN THE STRONGEST STORM
I CAN SAY
PEACE
BE STILL
 
 
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DELAWARE BAY
 

IT WAS LOW TIDE WHEN WE GOT THERE
BAYSIDE IN THE MID OF WINTER
AFTER A THAW
STRANDED ON THE SHORE LIKE WHALES
THE PILES OF ICE
OR MOVING OUT TO SEA
MOANING AS THEY RUBBED EACH OTHER
GROANING AS THEY HIT A PIER OR BREAKWATER
BUT IT WAS THE ICE ON SHORE
THAT HELD OUR EYE
MELTING NOW IN THE SUN
SENDING BACK THEIR RICHNESS TO THE SEA
OCCASIONALLY THEIR WEIGHT WOULD BREAK THEM
OR WE WOULD WISHING WINTER AWAY
IT BECAME A GAME WE'D PLAY WISHING WINTER AWAY
BREAKING THE ICE AND CHANTING
OUT YOU GO ICE AND SNOW
A KIND OF FRENZY SEIZED US
BUT THE ICE ENDURED
IT DID NOT RUN BEFORE OUR CHANT
IN THE SPRING WE SHALL RETURN
WONDERING WHERE THE ICE HAS GONE
OR KNOWING RATHER IN THE MIND
THAT SUN AND HEAT HAVE DONE THE TRICK
BUT IN THAT DEEPER DARKER PART OF MIND
TO KNOW THAT CHILL AND COLD ARE NOT JUST WINTER THINGS
THAT TOO OFTEN THERE IS WINTER IN OUR SOUL
AWESOME SHAPES OF ICE THAT OVERWHELM US
COULD WE BUT CHANT THE SPELL AND WISH THEM GONE
BUT COME YOU NOW AND HOLD MY HAND
AND DRIVE FROM ME THE WINTER'S CHILL
I AM AN ICE CHOKED STREAM WANTING TO RUN FREE
I WANT TO BE NOT ICE FROZEN ON THE SHORE
BUT WATER RUNNING WITH THE WIND
COME NOW MY LOVE AND SET ME FREE
COULD WE BUT REMEMBER SPRINGTIME DAYS
WHEN WINTER WINDS PILE ICE UPON OUR SHORE
GIVE ME YOUR HAND
I AM COLD
AND NEED WARMTH
 
 
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NIGHT SCENE
 
 
INCOMES THE WAVES
SPILLING AND FURLING
LIKE YOUNG GIRLS KNEELING
THROWING THEIR HAIR
SEA FROTH MOVING
TO WHIMS OF THE WIND
LITTLE BIRDS
HOVERING
NEAR THE EDGE
OF THE SEA
IN A RAUCOUS VOICE
THE SEAGULL
SERENADES THE MOON
AND DARK THINGS
ROAM IN THE NIGHT
 
 
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NOSTALGIA
 
I HAVE WATCHED THE CEASELESS SURGING
OF THE SEA ON THE SHORE
THE SURGE AND THE ROLL
THE PEBBLES FLINGING ON THE SHORE
THE MYSTERY OF THE FOG I HAVE KNOWN
THE GRACE AND SYMMETRY
OF SEA GULLS FLYING
HAS MOVED ME
 
I HAVE HEARD THE HAPPY LAUGH OF CHILDREN
CATCHING THE OCEAN IN A PAIL
AND WATCHED THE TIDE COME LAPPING
IN SPOILING DREAM CASTLES BACK TO SAND
I HAVE HELPED THE FISHERMEN WITH THEIR NETS
OR ROWED ON THE LAKE
LATE AT NIGHT
TO BE ALONE
 
I HAVE SAT WITH THEM
AT NIGHT ON THE SHORE
TIRED FROM WORK
EATING SUPPER
TELLING JOKES
DRINKING BEER

I HAVE ENJOYED THEIR TELLING OF THE WEATHER
TOMORROW WOULD BE FAIR OR FOUL THEY'D SAY
THE WIND THE CLOUDS THE SEA BIRDS FLIGHT
HAVE TOLD ME SO
AND IT WOULD BE SO IT WOULD BE SO
I WONDER IF THEY WOULD BE SO EAGER TO GO
IF THEY COULD TELL THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AS EASY AS THE WEATHER
BUT... NO… NO… IT IS BETTER THEY DO NOT KNOW
 
JERUSALEM…JERUSALEM
HOW MANY MEMORIES HAS A NAME
JERUSALEM…JERUSALEM... JERUSALEM
THERE TO GO IN MY FATHER' S NAME
 
JERUSALEM…JERUSALEM
 
BORN IN A SUBURB
TO DIE THE SAME
 
 
MY COMPANIONS CALL
 
IT'S TIME TO GO
 
GOOD BUDDIES THERE
 
JAMES
 
JOHN SO INNOCENT
 
PETER STRONG
 

I WOULD TARRY
 
THEY SAY COME
 
I WOULD LINGER
 
THEY SAY GO
 
I WOULD STAY
 
BUT NOT MY WAY
 
BUT I SHALL MISS
 
AND I SHALL WANT
 
AND I SHALL LOVE
 
THE CEASELESS SURGING OF THE SEA
 
 
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