For Andra

(a lesson in spoken word)

Never heard if love is up,
control is down.
I said control, not discipline
Know the difference
or pay for ignorance.
I know the distinction:
One is out for growth,
the other extinction.

What's it mean to love your neighbor?
Look at yourself to make it clearer:
Your needs are no different from the nations,
so don't wait for your personal invitation.

The journey continues...

meeting another for the first time is risky
like a tailspin three sixty
wondering, waiting, wishing,
will it land safely?

i walk away briskly
feeling uneasy
knowing he could take the train
one way his aim

where are my hopes?
chest tightening
knowing that a moment's pleasure
can be frighteningly binding

dejame en paz
say it loudly
shout the truth
that is inside me

i am no hobo
i have a home
stop looking for that
which i already own

A woman's plight

what good is bait that is never caught
that is what a woman is taught

painted faces, bangled jewels,
golden hair, no man can refuse

brains and braun are not for the faun
but the hunter who's here, then gone

i'm holding on,
not letting go
to what is the question i don't always know

the memories of old,
the hopes of a future
how i feel is sometimes still very unsure.

give me a reason,
please don't make me ask
to confirm or deny the feelings of the past

a fire burns within,
sometimes the smoke i cannot hide
may it warm, not burn those who've heard, though i've tried...

...to swallow the flames,
too many times
may scar the heart and tear the eyes, is it a crime?

to fuel the fire,
keep it burning low and strong
or let forth from my mouth the flame, is it wrong?

what will be left of me
if it burns, burns, burns
please, come near and feel its warmth
else i drink of cool water, may it ne'er return

Heart sick

My heart has set to sea
and like a ship rocks to and fro

I doubt
I trust
I doubt
I trust
I doubt and so it goes.

Is it harbor that I seek?
But dry-docked how would I grow?
Like you, I want to live the dream.
It's too soon to let this go.

Reflection

What I was, what I am
What I hope to be, all of me

I'm owning it - the good, the bad
An offering to You, a soul made new

Time, money, talent, strength
What good is it if not invested?

The barns are full, I've more than I need
Soured milk, moldy bread, who needs a place to lay their head?

I won't be the man whose pockets were full,
and at the funeral bed, no word was said.

Why believe in God?

The following is an excerpt from a response to a friend who is questioning the existence of God. For a Christian, it's not new news but rather the Good News. Thanks to my sister-in-law for reminding me of the heart of the matter.


"...I was talking to my sister-in-law earlier this week about how she came to believe in God and she concisely answered “Jesus.” There are countless accounts of Jesus life, only 4 of which I have read, but according to those writings, he lived a perfect life: He thought of others more than Himself at all times, even to the point of death; in other words, He loved perfectly. When I match myself up to him, I don’t measure up. If there is a God, then it was a pretty smart idea to beget a perfect being that would reveal His true wishes for humanity. His mission was to love and to set people free. Those who choose to follow Him won’t lose the battle…they won’t be plagued with fear and loneliness, stifled by guilt, controlled by anger or jealousy, or any other damaging human experience. So, why did (do) people reject him? Because they saw that His power and authority threatened their own. Now, the weak have a defender and justice reigns over injustice.

There are many reasons why I believe in God, but, I agree with my sister-in-law: Jesus is the best reason to believe in God."