Barn

It’s not much, but it’s everything.
The small, metal building.
It’s quiet, except for the soft
Chewing, and snorting—contentment
Saying more than noise ever could.

The world can’t reach her here,
No negativity, or questions,
No stress or doubt. It’s only
A place of peace, of dreams.
And unconditional love.

Life gets left behind, as soon
As her feet cross the threshold.
Her heart beats with purpose
In the place where hope can be held,
Even if everything else stands against it.

Tree

The tree stands strong,
With leaves full and green.
A shelter and shade for those
Who seek its comfort from the heat,
From the sun’s intensity.

As days grow shorter, leaves fade,
The green changing to brown.
The breeze chills, forcing the leaves to fall,
Forcing the branches to be bare.
Causing the shelter and shade to fail.

The tree stands alone,
Empty arms outstretched, lonely.
Waiting, for what, it doesn’t know.
The wind howls, swirling the snow,
Freezing and bending the tree with its weight.

It shifts and groans, trying to withstand
The change. Trying to stay hopeful.
But as the sky turns purple, the clouds stay dark,
It feels its strength fading, and wonders
If it’s time to give in. To give up.

But what the tree can’t see, is the sunlight coming,
That the only consistent thing is change.
And as time goes by, strength will be renewed.
The snow will melt, the sky will warm
And the leaves will, once again, be green.

Unseen

The smooth glide of my pen,
And the blue lines of my paper,
See words and thoughts,
That will never cross my lips.

The glow of the moon
Lights the grass and the hills,
Casting shadows no one but
The silhouettes will ever see.

The rain slides down the leaves,
Pooling, cooling, watering the earth,
Bringing life and light to what it reaches
Even though the clouds stay dark.

The sunset glows orange and red,
Highlighting the purple rocks,
Bringing the ending, maybe even
Before the beginning, was ever noticed.

The Christmas Lamb

A simple sheep, a little lamb,
With fleece so soft and white.
Small and frail, innocent, pure,
Born into a bigger plan.

To protect, to keep perfect and safe,
Shepherds would wrap his legs with care
Single strips of swaddling cloths,
Holding and shaping each precious limb.

Stronger he grew, frolicking and grazing,
Always under the shepherd’s watch,
Until the time came for inspection,
Until the time came for sacrifice.  

A sweet baby boy, a little child,
Born among the sheep and cattle,
Came from a virgin, a young girl,
And rested in a cold, stone cradle.

She wrapped Him in the same cloths,
The shepherds used for the sheep,
And laid him down in hay that poked,
Like the thorns of His future crown.

He grew into a man and began His ministry,
Performing miracles, preaching, and leading,
Until the world turned against Him,
Until they all demanded crucifixion.   

Like the sheep led to slaughter,
He followed with no complaint.
The Lamb of God died on the cross,
Forever taking the sheep’s place.

He returned to the bed of stone,
This time a tomb, instead of a cradle,
Wrapped again in simple cloths,
Laid down and placed for final rest.

But on the third day, He rose again,
Defeating death and darkness at once.
The little child, of humble birth,
Destroyed the hold of the serpent’s curse.

The perfect Prince took our place,
And died the death He didn’t deserve,
All so we could receive His gift, His love,
And a life with Him forever.

The little lamb, the manger scene,
The shepherd’s care, the virgin mother,
Were all part of the Master plan, the greater message:
Christmas has no meaning without Easter.

Fading

And as the sun fades behind the mountains,
Taking the brilliant shades with it,
Will you feel contentment, peace?
Or will it stir a longing, a question?

Does it reflect the satisfaction of your day, or
Mirror the uncertainty you feel in this moment?
Encouraging you towards tomorrow, or
Dragging you down to another day?

Do the colors bring you joy, or do
You find yourself wishing they’d reverse?
Putting the sun back in the sky, giving you
More time, more chances. More beats.

Do you dread the darkness, the coldness that will come?
Or are you fulfilled by your successes?
And enjoy the break, and the rest,
Now that this day is done.

The same setting, same colors, same time, same place,
Can be defined differently by each one
Who beholds it. Who takes it in.
But the real, true beauty, doesn’t come
From the actual sunset.

It comes from finding truth.
And knowing the One who creates it.

Memory

The thing about a memory
Is you only have your half.
Someone else’s version could be
Something completely different.
Or something forgotten.

 
Their laughter, because of something
Simple you couldn’t grasp, still
Echoes around your mind.
And even though it came at your expense,
The sound remains clear and sweet.

 
Their words, delivered when you
Needed them most, are still etched on your
heart. Available to be replayed whenever
You need them. As close to you
As your fingertips.

 
Their smile, showing above the crowd,
Encouraging you to keep going, to
Keep trying, now only remains
As a shadow, trying to stay vivid
In a faded, disappearing light.

 
But questions haunt and long for
their answers. What do they think?
What pieces of the puzzle can they
Put together? Or are you crazy,
For keeping it all so familiar?

 
But there’s another side that
Haunts and bothers, if you put
Yourself in their shoes. What do they
Remember, what do they hold on to,
That you don’t?

Truth

Spinning in circles, going nowhere fast.
Squinting, blinking, tearing up,
Trying to see through the dust.

Frustration building, tension growing,
Muscles rigid and tight.
Fighting yourself every step.

Sweat trickles down, a chill
Interrupts the heat of the moment,
Questions what the effort is for.

The sun blinds instead of enlightens.
The glare makes it impossible to see,
To think, to choose, to find, anything.

Feet grow tired, knees grow weak,
Minds fill with every fear and doubt,
Will I ever be right? Will I ever be enough?

But one slight shift, one change in perspective,
Can stop the spinning, can dry the tears,
Can lift our eyes and give us new vision.

A Hand reaches down, lifting our shuffling
Feet out of the trench we’ve created,
Clearing the dust from our head,

Silencing the thoughts of doubt,
Removing each tingle of fear,
Replacing each with a Voice filled
With nothing but pure truth.

Keep

And we’ll find a way to keep going,
Even if stop signs are in our way.
And we’ll find a way to keep loving,
Even if hate holds us at bay.
And we’ll find a way to keep believing,
Even if darkness is all we see.
And we’ll find a way to keep progressing,
Even if setbacks won’t set us free.
And we’ll find a way to keep on dreaming,
Even if it’s just one day at a time.
And we’ll find a way to keep achieving,
Even if we can’t find the perfect rhyme.

Branch

The wind blows, rustling the leaves,
A reminder that life is still held within,
Even if the weight is suffocating.

The branch groans, trying to stretch,
Feeling the pain of the pruning,
From days now placed in the past.

The end bows back towards the soil,
Heavy beneath the produce it carries,
Sitting patiently, but questioning, its worth.

Then, the darkness shifts, as the outline
of the mountain is revealed. A silhouette
glowing under the first idea of a new day.

The clouds drift from black and grey
to soft pink, and rich purple, showing
the change only the Son can give.

Under the light, the Gardener pads
across the grass, dew squishing beneath
Each step, approaching the branch.

A light touch fingers the leaves,
Kind eyes admire the fruits, gently
Removing each one, adding them to

His basket, subtracting the weight,
Relieving the grief. A reward for staying
Faithful. A reminder that empty branches

Are thrown to the fire, but fruit bearers
are pruned, tested, so they can carry more.
So they can work for, and in tune, with the Gardener.

Old Friend

My oldest friend
Has never said a word to me,
But he’s the best speaker I know,
Once you’ve learned how to listen.

He’s heard every dream and heartache,
And caught every tear,
As it slid from my cheek and clung
To his coat, waiting to be absorbed.

He’s taught me more about dealing
With and living through pain,
Than anyone else could. Always
Making a lesson out of what he’s endured.

His heart is genuine, he holds no grudges.
Forgiving even those who cut him deep.
His soft muzzle nuzzling their palm,
Warm air blowing through their fingers.

He thinks he’s king, holding the herd in check.
Keeping an eye out for threats that exist,
And, for those that don’t.
But you can never be too safe.

He still runs and plays like a carefree colt,
Even though his muscles and joints tell the truth
Of the years that are catching up to him.
More days behind him than before.

Our time is shortened by each sunset,
Each passing season and star.
But for now, I’ll cling to his mane.
And listen to every word still unspoken,

Throwing in a few thoughts of my own,
Thanking him for everything he’s given.
Thanking him for everything he is and has been.