The Impaling

by john clare

We came upon a burnt out bush consumed
from flames
Lapped some morning dew from the desert
sand
Bowed to the golden idols set out in the latter
rains
Then laid us down and wept for the promised
land.
It wasn't how they said it would be
This field full of shrews and snakes
No land of flowing milk and honey
A promised land no one wants to take.
Suppose we shall turn back from this plain
Return to the sand from which we
came.
At least they fed us three meals
daily
Who needs promises when hungering so
greatly?
And so the starving ones soon were
gone
With fires bright by the golden calves they did
feast
Yet the inner hunger lingered and groaned
A kingdom within calling
In the land of the beast.

Clark Sampson turns eighty-eight

by john clare

They clipped my head for my
eighty-eighth birthday party
Told me how good it looks
Reminding them of a young
Clark Sampson
Who once toppled tall towers
Lately I am paying for all
that felling
It has left the legs short on
locomotion
And the igniting of foxes fires difficult
For the time being
(Until the Minoxidil virility pills arrive)
Such are the pains I put up with
for my Lois
Pestering me daily as I laze in my
PJ's of royal and red saying,
"Outside lurk the Philistine Witnesses
with their eyes for your Lois,
Coming to crop your locks,
You better find some jawbone!"
Now make a wish and blow out
your candles.
I take a deep breath and...
Pressing the call button,
I ask if someone will please wheel me
down the hallway to
those temple pillars.
Let me feel that smooth
granite once again,
To make my Lois proud of me!
Those Kingdom walls shall fall!
The foxes with their tied
tails shall flee
I see the flames before me!
As I spit and gasp out of breath
Smoke rising, I smell of sweet death...
Happy birthday dear Sampson
Happy birthday to you!

They Forsook All

They forsook all and followed Him.
Luke v.11.
Let it seem to thee as if thou wert travelling in the company of a kind and beloved friend, through a foreign land and a desert wilderness. From love to this intimate friend do all, suffer all, and assent to all, that befalls thee in this world, be it little or much.
Tersteegen.

Gerhard Tersteegen.
1697-1769.
German Reformed writer and poet
"Let Him lead thee blindfold onwards,
Love needs not to know;
Children whom the Father leadeth
Ask not where they go.
Though the path be all unknown
Over moors and mountains lone.

Give no ear to reason's questions;
Let the blind man hold
That the sun is but a fable
Men believed of old.
At the breast the babe will grow;
Whence the milk he need not know.

Thou Will Keep

Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.
Isa.xxvi.3

A mind at "perfect peace" wth God,---
Oh, what a word is this!
A sinner reconciled through blood,---
This, this indeed is peace!

Mizpah for March 9th. It seems my mind lately wanders far from the One who would offer perfect peace. I am troubled greatly with family issues, of this whole ordeal of going to the graduation of Landon in Texas from Air Force basic training.
I am deeply troubled that there is a lack of peace between Melanie and Amber and do not know how to help the situation.
In turn, it causes me great trouble over missing seeing Nathaniel, who I greatly love and want to be a vital part in his life. My time upon earth is limited and every day away is one less day of influence upon his life I can bestow.
Trouble follows and trouble clings.
May prayer for reconciliation come.

Sparrow Dust

by john clare
Dust covered car carrying me away
far from the wee voice that cries
for his pappa to please stay
to take time to find the moon
rising high
Way above the dust covered car
where all is clear and quietly calm
under the heavens twinkling stars
where the rising dust never comes.

Come Jimmy

Dedicated to Rev Jimmy Shelton
who about this time last year asked his daughter Melissa to find the Cedar Key basketball game on the TV.

Come Jimmy
by john clare

Come Jimmy, it's time you see
The team is loaded for tonight
we travel down to Cedar Key
Orville has the boys prepared
Missy can sit up here with me
Mamma will not mind.

Come Jimmy, it's time
When we get to Otter Creek Crossing
We can stretch our legs
Then down through Rosewood
and over those narrow bridges
to the old gym of native rock.

Come Jimmy, it's time you see
For tonight we play Cedar Key
They suit only seven to our ten
But never mind the odds
Those Sharks play as men
Never tiring in their full pressing job.

Come Jimmy, it's time you see
It's a long journey to Cedar Key
You can say a prayer for the boys
I know they need it bad
Devil's all full of youthful joys
I know you understand the lads.

Come Jimmy, it's time you see
The boys defeated Cedar Key
Orville coached his cigar out
We played on your prayer and a shout
Gideon's Demon's tumbling rock walls!

Come Jimmy, hurry you see
They block the bridge from Cedar Key
Have you seen Missy?
Comes Jimmy, carrying his little score keeper
It's a long journey from
Cedar Key.

And when...

And when you descend
Face the forceful wind
upon one leg suspend
And dare it to upend.

When Winds

When winds wisp briskly
Face the force and ply
into the bluster directly
Then ascend and quickly
fly

Tis much easier to turn into the wind and let it sweep us away. But then, we gain no strength in going with the wind. Easier to avoid asking forgiveness when you know the fault was not yours, easy to hold a grudge, to feel always dumped upon, easy to ignore the hurting one, easy to think upon your own needs, wants,desires.
Against the wind
Go
 Against the wind

I know not this man

I know not this man of whom ye speak.
Mark xiv.71But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
2 Peter iii.18
I feel that there are two things it is impossible to desire with sufficient ardor, ---personal holiness and the honor of Christ in the salvation of souls.
McCheyne
There are so named holy men who talk continually of Christ in a way that somehow draws one away from Him. I want to be the man of which it is said, He drew all men unto Christ. Burn away the harsh and caustic words that point to my own glory, my own knowledge, my own piety.
Help me to discover the wisdom of love, of a desire to follow so compelling that nets,cameras and poetic books are dropped in the path.

The Gwen Lake Eight

 

Water Wanderer

Yesterday afternoon I took a walk along the Suwannee by Bell Springs up to Robinson Branch Falls and back. The river is up from the two day rain recently.
Penned the following poem:
River Writer

Written upon the Suwannee
Poetry sent down stream
Swirling words of beauty
Written with a light beam.

The Gulf waters know
The sweet spell of mystery
To deep oceans they flow
The sonnet of the Suwannee.

The eyes of the Lord

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
Prov. xv.3
Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
Gen.xvi.13
As yet no one has ever been disappointed who placed his confidence in Almighty God.
St.Peter of Alcantara.

Lately the placing of my confidence in God to answer prayer for estranged family that rips upon my heart. I cannot for the life of me grasp how from one side of claiming a walk with Christ, that it includes an exclusion of family and a lack of communication on even a casual level, then when away from blood family, claiming a fellowship with believers apart from family.
We examine ourselves, we approach for any forgiveness for anything done, to no avail.
And so, we place the matter in the Lord who beholds evil and good.