Walked to the top of the bridge
Held all the things you said
Cast off over the edge
Whipped by the wind and the current
Drowned out on the sea bed
Never again to evoke a frown
Stepped down from the ledge
Over the bridge
Stand on new ground
Warm air surrounds
The happiest place to be
Under soles of feet
Hands that hold
Palms of old
Laced with lines
Of history foretold
Pointed finger scolds
Obey all signs
Fingertips press down
Pressure points frown
Intense
Persist
Insist
Resist
Desist
Ease
Peace resides
Inside the enclosed fist
You are mine
My dreams never betrayed me
It was the daytime that I fought
Erasing words I did not say
Discarding others’ thoughts
You know a hand could never hope
to live without their arm
An arm never fights
without a hand to disarm
I dampened end of fingers
extinguished the ill-lit wick
But faith and hope lit another flame
Its scent won’t make us sick.
I know you must despise it
All my words and songs and stares
Like bitter herbs, resent the taste
But brings us heavenly wares.
Seek not tangible work of hands
Bountiful good of lands
Seek not sweat of effort on brow
Milk and honey
sweet culture scent
brew ferment
Dew drop pure, nor lament
Seek not revelling aching
limb and ligament
Slaving till reckoning day
Clutching dear at.most.fear
Seek diligently
Hidden – heard and felt
In the realm of angels
A World within One self.
For this we silently slave
Driving apathy away
Drilling at walls that form
In thin air
Suspended in a thick
blanket of despair
That clouds the eyes
marks our stare
One name desires us,
pierces our side
He asks us ‘Do you dare?’
What we see here is
Swings and roundabouts
The universe
The sea
The atmosphere
Heaven declares the unseen
Seek
Fear not.
Amidst vineyards and streams
rickety bridges, burnt ridges
lies a stone pillar erect
Ebenezer, rock of help to protect
Teach, observe, promise to serve
no wicked intent or self-serving word
Mizpah, watchtower, amidst almond flower
The Master carves out his heritage dream
Gentle rest in valleys green
Shepherd’s wake from hilltop eye view
Finds source of springs to refresh and renew
Lest our wine-skins burst at their seams.
Image: William Mark Fisher painting – American Gallery WordPress
you owe me nothing
All that I gave was of
Mine own volition
Without condition
No returns
Proclaim free
The perils of being an optimist
Is bearing more disappointment
The insufferable pregnant pause
Between reality and expectations
Is only a This World problem
We must
Fight sin
Don’t let it
Seep in
In the same way
We fight
Tooth decay
Cleaning and scrubbing
Night and day
Scraping and chipping
It all away
Yet we must eat
Something sweet
Each day
Tender mercies
Sweet and low
Eternally bearing Fruit
No ordinary love
Faith will grow
Trust. Follow. You.
Mother hen, sibling, friend
Her eyes light up each morning
at little mouths yawning
They look for her, seek her out
She dries their tears, wipes their mouth
A tender big heart resides in slender body
Delights in her sister’s song
Her brother’s clumsy sentence long
Never alone, day or night
They all fill up the pew
They wrestle and yell, argue and fight
Longing as soon one departs the room
Their blood lines run deep, our kinship are few
Big brothers and lovers are all I knew
I myself, born too late
Still such love I can relate
Kindred spirit born anew.
Count the stars of heaven 
