By One Rejected Once Before

Make your move, my dear, I would that you would,
For I have made mine and been declined,
And you have moved on; and since you were gone—
Though hope remained—prudence required
That feelings wane and soon retire.
But if, my love, you would remind,
I cannot help but think you'd find
In me as surely as can be
A love undead as yet for thee.

So do not wait of courtesy
If needed not is time to be,
But if your heart is yet unsure,
And e'en your thoughts be insecure,
Reach out for comfort, clarity,
And in my arms you'll know and see
That were there cause for doubt at times,
They're lost in moments past their prime.

My dear, please do not doubt or fear,
For I am eager and sincere
To be with you and to be true
To one so lovely as you.

That I Might Know His Might

I do not know the power of prayer,
Though I’ve heard stories told,
And never run to the hour of prayer—
More often seconds cold.

But I, by your great mercy,
Will come into your house;
In reverence will I bow down

Toward your holy temple. Psalm 5:7

I seek to do your will,
To know your word, to hear your voice—
For sin is perched to spring and kill—
And you provide a choice.

In my Anguish I cried to the Lord,
And he answered by setting me free.
The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me? Psalm 118:5-6

But my anguish persisted,
My sin carried on.
My God I resisted—
And depended on.

I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
But the LORD helped me.
The LORD is my Strength and my song;
He has become my salvation. Psalm 118:13-14

Salvation eternal—
At once I’m set free;
But damn this infernal
Rebellion in me!

How can a young man
Keep his way pure?
By guarding it
According to your word. Psalm 119:9

And guard it I shall
By your strength, and that only,
With power endowed
From on high to the lowly.

Depart from me
You evildoers,
That I may keep
The commandments of my God. Psalm 119:115

I did not know the power of prayer,
Nor even the might of your word,
But discovered it, as through trial and error
You spoke and made yourself heard.

On the Shoulders of Giants

Where, O History, is your friend?
Tumbling backwards like fools we pretend
Our ideas are our own and too our success—

So progress is sacrificed at the altar of progress.
Illiterate children instruct in the classroom.

Let him who is without sin tear down the first statue.

Musings of an Empty Mind

When I sit for hours, waiting,
Hoping an idea will take hold—
When I search my thoughts and come up short—
I wonder how I ever wrote,
        ever created.

When I struggle to make even these words fit
"What has changed?" I groan.
But then it hits me, true I think,
That past works penned perhaps by me
I cannot call my own.

Lacking Nothing

When conflict great is overcome,
The triumph
  greater
has become;
So count it joy, the trials met,
And suffer through, you'll conquer yet.
These tests are blessings in disguise
With steadfastness the noble prize.

Contemplation of Grace

Grace, that fluid motion, done with ease—
Is it illusion or real?
Or is the illusion the essence of grace,
And therein lies the appeal?

The Conqueror

Lord, grant me peace.
Sure up in me the confidence
That you will effect my release.

Lord, grant me strength
That his attacks I will rebuff
No matter their time or length.

Lord, grant me yourself—
Your Spirit dwelling in my heart
That you would be my wealth,

My confidence, my strong defense
In sickness and in health.