Festive Ribbon

Festive ribbon, sprawling red

Reminder of the blood once shed

By the One who bore our sin;

In manger, saw His life begin.

No wreath adorned nor sparkling tree

Could replicate this gift to me.

And yet, they point me to the Way

Of hope and faith; my guide, I pray.

Coming Home

The wind dies down

The cold abates

And God abides

My soul partakes

In His promise

Hope is new

In fallen leaf

In sunset's hue

The leaves as raindrops

Scatter-pat

Address with grace

Their autumn flat

Of residence

Finding home

Claiming home

Coming home

Fishers of Men

Like waves meeting shore

My thoughts crescendo, recede

Into His, once more

And my heart, wanton, longing

Knows it's met its match

That is grand beyond belief;

The Lord makes the catch.

Advent

One candle lit

Beginning

Of a welcome

Yet to be

Full of promise

Waiting hope

Hope in waiting

For the coming

Of our King

One Vagrant Cloud

One vagrant cloud

Above my head

Incites a rush

Of awe

Instead

Of staid

Too placid

Comfortable me

No other place

I'd rather be

Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your in the glory in the heavens . ~Psalm 8:1

Heaven's Poetry

Heaven's poetry

Etched in lives

Unworthy prone

To living lies

Heaven's prose

The realm of prayer

When hoping for

Heart made bare

Before the throne

Dreams come true

When all for me

Is all for you.

~Inspired by Ephesians 2:10

Saved!

Sea Oats bow and bend before the wind

On dunes securing place and livelihood

The roots delve deep protecting sand from waves

Saving one another understood

Attending Church

Attending church,

Is it rote?

Or does worship

Sing the note

Yet imagined?

Seeking soul

Reunites

The one to whole.

City on a Hill

Deplorable, I'd rather be

Than unctuous, blind before a crown

Gained only by nefarious means;

Guilt?  Admit?  It is renowned

Among these deemed unwashed, unclean

Masses who desire wall

And dare to speak, heart and mind,

Before they see a nation fall,

That once stood proud, enlightened city

On a hill, heaven's hold

Upon the earthly bonds of men,

To bid them heaven's truth be told.

While I Walk Valleys

Lord, open my eyes

To see the mountains grandeur

While I walk valleys.

Carousel Ponies

Carousel ponies, garishly painted,

Attract washed, unwashed, the same.

Round and round the gallop revolves,

Unending pledge falsely proclaimed.

Gold ring!  The prize!  Reach out!  Seize!

Merry-go-round not merry at all.

The children, fraught with worry, fear

At any moment, horses will fall

Up and down, up and down,

Until momentum runs its course.

The ride no more, no more the ride;

To feckless stable, goes the horse.

The Voice of the Lord

I hear you, Lord, not with words

Spoken; I hear you

Indefinably, yet undeniably

I know You are there.  You speak

In language I can only grasp in soul

I rest my case, by grace, this sinning heart

Will treasure an inheritance's promise.

Lord, Let Us Begin Again

From the inside out

From the outside in

Lord, let us begin again

For the taken lives

For lives unsaved

Lord, let us begin again

For a people torn

A people scarred

Lord, let us begin again

For hopeless souls

And visions crushed

Lord, let us begin again

For battered nation

Wounded, marred

Lord, let us begin again

For sake of mercy

Sake of grace

Lord, let us begin again

Ordinary Time

It's ordinary time, Lord,

Making beds and wiping dust

From furniture and fixtures

Doing chores I know I must

Laundry, blinds, sweeping floors

Mirrors polished, toilets cleansed

No matter.  There's always more

To do, to do, to do.  When ended?

Be still and know that I am there

The dust from which I made you

Alone - clay to life, beloved

Ordinary!  No!  Made new!

John 8:7

Brood of vipers

Fangs prepared

To strike and catch

The victim, snared.

But are your sins

Erased, made clean?

Throw first stone.

Sin, I redeem.

You Were Always There For Me

I'm featuring here a moving poem written by my daughter, Sarah Jane Kennedy, in tribute to her grandfather, my Dad, Bill Murdy.  Please show her some love in the comments' section!

You were always there for me

A hand for me to hold

Without words you guided me

And let my truth unfold

You never tried to preach your views

Or push them onto me

I saw the world through my own eyes

You taught without decree

Through nature you and I explored

Walking side by side

You helped me to accept the fact

The moon controls the tide

That every single living thing

Human, insect, tree

Has a purpose here on Earth

Yet's happy just to be

Learning of the world outside

Provided peace within

All the leaves shall fall from grace

And yet are free from sin

Everything that comes will go

But everything that dies regrows

~Sarah Jane Kennedy

I Will Not Weep

I will not weep

Nor shed a tear

For you, my love.

Through the fear

Of losing you, 

I stand strong.

To see me

Shattered? Wrong!

Glass shards free;

Sharp, splintering,

Spilling me.

Silent pain

Best to endure.

Forever buried;

Let time inure.

Eyes Wide Open

Eyes wide open

Mirrored light

Not from the sun

But in true sight

Of Heaven.  There

I still can see

The light, Lord, shining

Over me.

The Bed Invites

The bed invites royalty;

Not my life, nor my ken.

For pillows postured, decorate

Beginnings, yearnings; not the end.

A fine commencement glorified

In patterns staid, safe and bold.

Eden' grandeur, not the fall,

They plead and beg as they grow cold,

Abandoned to the floor, they keep

Watch as we humbly sleep.

Tulips

Tulips in vase, heads drooping

Spill humbly, lost in prayer.

Vibrant stems bloom heavy,

Know where to leave their care.

At morning's wake, they straighten

But for the one who knows

To stay on knees will promise

The faith on which to grow.

All the Time

There are no tears in heaven

So let me cry them now

On earth, where sobbing has

Chance of being mercy-heard.

Let me cry.

Let me mourn.

Your words of comfort

Fill the void mistaken for

Your absence, when You were here

All the time

All the time

All the time . . .