cross to bear

this cross we yet bear
to embrace suffering love
a hidden wholeness

resident resilience

the comfort of solace in the settling dust
fading gasp of amber liqueur
[a sigh from the setting sun]

the substance of my silhouette
warmed in the glow by the radiance of candlelight
as the weight of blue descends to perch on my shoulders
a yoke that cools my weary remains

somnolent in stature
as i linger in the crush
of lengthening shadow

yet a lasting Flame is fanned
as Presence within
nestles close to foster

even in such piercing solitude
a resident resilience

sunset welcomes the sabbath

a candle-wick lit
sunset welcomes the sabbath
glimpse the Eternal

living becomes sacramental

love descends from my lips
to take root in the heart
that turns out to be
such a fertile womb of faith
the exchange of which
leaves me breathless

and in that breathless brush
with the kiss of death
the fullness of time surges
in but an instance of grace

the dilation of which
plunges me into the depths
of an eternal well of wisdom
momentarily cut to the quick
i put down my clanging symbol

and as the timbre of my garish gong fades
a new source of strength
ascends from the spring of silent insight
and my living becomes sacramental –
filled with the Reality to which it witnesses

here-to-for to subsist from faith to faith
in the deeper currents
beneath restless waves
where a hidden love
bears all things

not yet

a longing aches within me,
like the yearning of young lovers

my desire is for your embrace…not yet held,
but faintly savoured

my beloved is like the enticing fragrance of lily, not yet beheld,
but softly lingering…inviting

i stagger towards something not yet seen,
but blindingly obvious

how much further the journey…how much longer, my love
[come so far across the frontier, yet so far to go]

and still: like the distant echo of a consuming hope
something stirs my heart…
beholding an experience not yet witnessed
i go forward…into the not yet

in the waiting

bathed in a stillness
running deep through my labyrinth
of cavernous interior
a profound, cleansing silence
even now scouring my soul
until my spirit succumbs
as i find myself
suffused in an unknowing
arising from the compelling Mystery
through which a hidden Craftsman
patiently labours
in the waiting
an invigorating Transcendence
emerges from the ground of my being
like the sun ascending
[breakthrough from a distant horizon]
concomitant recognition of the Sacred One
pervades my depths
like the awareness of the Holy
filling the earth
while a peace that surpasseth
all understanding
calms the anxious façade
which barely reflects the serene intimacy
buried beneath this broken ewer

surrounding silence

restive is my reality perceiving a penetrating Presence
veiled but not void is the Voice valiant
uttering speechless sounds
speaking respite and renewal;

receiving reprieve and rest
are my tangled, tattered thoughts
hushed but not hollow is Your weighty Word whispered
a solace in my soul found in the Surrounding Silence

pierce the illusion

pierce the illusion
of a scattered people
at war with our shattered selves

wrestling with flesh and blood
as defiant powers
smile in their twisted ways
embracing our kindred
with their saccharine slavery

O – how do we right this wrong?

all tangled in their web
deceit weighs heavy – like iron roots
planted in an ancient bitterness

and i feel like a fly
thrashing in the ointment
of our collective stupor
as a holy storm approaches
…from afar

the eclipse of a dark reign

to be sung as a hopeful dirge among the exiles moving from death to life:


stolen lives plucked
from the cultivated land
the enemy has struck
clutched in his hand

yet bind the strong man
through the deeper subtlety
of One who lives amongst us
behold: Fidelity

dare we yet hope
for a ransom not scorned
the Son to offer His head
cruel crown of thorns

does His word still stand
as provoked we kneel
Life to truly overtake
in His encompassing appeal

still can redemption be found
for the lost and the least
can redemption be found
for the Powers that ceased
to follow the Most High
a dark kingdom unleashed
lo, a dark kingdom unleashed


perilously dim
is life so distant
how cold the fire seems
enflamed desire persistent

any way is the only way
in the journey’s suffering task
for such evil to lurk
in a dreadful and beautiful mask

yet in the decay of defiled light
my own passions ablaze
when first lured down
wide and crowded pathways

and so we yet pray
as we are gathered en masse
a Redeemer to appear
thus shall it come to pass

a raging lion devours the Lamb
the serpent strikes at His heel
the kiss of death and tree of pain
our Saviour will he reveal
passing from death unto life
crucible braved with great zeal
yes, crucible braved with great zeal


when death swallows whole
with its gruesome appetite
Eternity overcomes
the dictator of the night

the dark reign to interrupt
its eclipse has now begun
in the resurrection of Life
the dark reign is undone

for faint whisper of a Voice
as we lay awake
such souls treading the Way
the dark dominion to break

this joy now persistent
within our songs of lament
forgiveness we behold
to a much greater extent

this music inherent
in the rushing waters so clear
the song of many waters
it echoes so sincere
as i wake to this ode
embraced by He-Who-Draws-Near
thus, embraced by He-Who-Draws-Near

the controversy of zion

the willows, they do weep
and the river runs dry
shrug off the weight of sleep
can’t you hear the wind cry?

a storm, it is approaching
thick darkness upon the land
the generations are reeling
who can stand in the shifting sand?

draw near, O you nations
all peoples prepare your hearts
it is the Ancient of Days
from the high heavens He departs

whence cometh the Anointed
to resolve the controversy of Zion
when kings will be hunted
and angels released from prison

for a people bearing His witness
where is the recompense?
a trumpet notifying the menace
God judges the offense

how is justice done truly
while loving mercy enough
walking humbly with our God surely
while the fallen stir mischief

with an echo, Your vindication
the wind whispers in my ears
of a life of faithful dedication
while enduring patiently until Christ appears

some folk, they trust in power
to their own bitter shame
a Righteous King comes to conquer
His eyes and heart aflame

following the Voice on the wind
into a life borne anew
i see the blood on the robes tinged
O, the Day many will rue

a Day when the hosts of heaven fall
and the sky rolls up like a scroll
fallen powers no more to enthrall
the Lord of Glory shall we extol

therefore, pay heed to the voices
on the wind do they proclaim
glad tidings in which we rejoice
God’s people good news exclaim

then, the judgment on the horizon
will hold no fear for you and i
an end to the controversy of Zion
the Son of Man cometh in the sky

whole burnt offering

wordcraft for the feast of st. patrick:


consequence triggered in the bustle of life

a spark ignited in an instant…

a vow undertaken in the risk of belief

the significance of a pilgrimage yet distant…

[even as eruption they see,

tears of joy shine with glee

…a glance…a glare…

despised for the wonder that emanates from within

…the pledge that has become like a new wineskin]

a simple votive intricate in observation

breaking forth like the dawn in my eyes

clear-cut is the dedication in a life of repercussions

the transformation like wisdom to the wise…

[overwhelmed as lament is heard by all,

a sacred sorrow becomes my call…

judgment shifts in understanding…

as new eyes a vision knits

…in the same way as renovation a paradigm emits]

unadorned is the sacrifice in such a quest

the living expression of a fulfilling vow

the point at which a life turns

to undertake the peril of conviction somehow

wind whispers wisdom

in the drum-beat of rain
the wind has a story to tell
while fire crackles in the hearth
storm swirls in a thunderous groundswell

the faintest hint you can catch
if you tilt your head just right
the wind whispers wisdom
and howls with insight

it tells of the coming
of a Redeemer clothed with might
yet also of a deceiver
fallen like lightning from heavens height

script of prophets and sages
the wind speaks anew with foresight
a hoped-for future breaking through
as a people gathers and unites

for a King from highest heaven
descends to take up the fight
for all creation enthralled
by the deceivers deadly delight

yet the Lion and the Lamb
did break through in the daylight
a Saviour’s redemption in death
and new Life in resurrection ignite

take hold of this redemption
the wind will not requite
and neither will His Love
as God judges all aright

thus a final battle rages on
but it’s coming to a close
as the birthpangs of a new age
the wind with ancient wisdom echoes

bird of prey

full is this cup
pressed against our parting lips
a cup of desolation and horror
foaming in its wretchedness
the scorn of absence
the derision of dearth
descends suddenly
with hard swallows
like a hawk upon its quarry
even as the caress of hallowed feathers
soft with a disorienting expectation
prevails upon the drunk and staggering
who wrestle through the fear of an incensed bonfire
deep within our bones
yet the idolatry of good and evil
masks the illumination in our eyes
which mirrors our shattered hearts
and blood-stained fingers
an utterance ascending to cry out
her voice shrill with the injustice
that seizes us like the talons
of a devout bird of prey
while the taste of duplicity
lingers on our tongues
as a feast of dedication
has been delicately prepared
by a glorious winged warrior
whose arrival is heralded
by the blood on our hands
come to take up the cause
of a righteous remnant
bitterly pursued by a violence
severe enough to trample
upon such holy ground

against the weir

turning and turning
sight alight with the burning
a shining pillar standing alone
tower of strength
in the midst of lawlessness
booming waves crash against the weir
o, the falling shroud of fear
hides a most vicious leer
and a descending veil of secrecy
chokes and obscures precious clarity
persuasion surging to-and-fro
conviction proves elusive
the gales of november
refuse to remember
yet bring their friction
uneven is their sway
the velvet crush
of wind and flame
burning and burning yet again
terrible in beauty and bearing

awaken, o sleeper
revelation has not abandoned us

augur of an end
to slumber’s caress
disturbed with great distress
the illusion so captivating
clearer still
is the mystery
beyond our time and history
illuminating such manner of effects

the weight of love's dilemma

gazing into the light
of daybreak’s panoramic height
i recognize the outline, a work of art
initiated by an ancient Artist
emerging from the weight of love’s dilemma
like the strong, safe arms
of a Father reaching to encompass
the menace that has burdened my soul
throughout the nightwatches
yet the light now shed from above
perceives the shadow of consequence
as this illuminating Artist enfolds my body
alighting my spirit within to rhapsody
casting me into His masterpiece
with tenderness amidst my perplexity
and while radiance rises within
to meet the dayspring without
i discover myself clothed
in the cool of mornings’ gentle breeze
but my lips burn nonetheless
while my eyes manifest
as renewed witnesses
even as awe
(lightly holding my breath)
beckons me to wonder at
the spectacle of the will to love
so reminiscent of
the life of God and the tree of pain
borne along upon strong shoulders
just like the day you took my hand
and beckoned me to stand
then dance within sight
of a wondrous and glorious plight
beauty for ashes
and the budding of aaron’s rod
a soul summoned to behold
the ache of our God
then the ebb of darkness
let’s loose the crashing wave
of new mercies
running from morning’s horizon
to meet this prodigal
drawn by loving cords
to his Eternal Father’s
Divine Embrace

an oracle with twilight eyes

pale remembrance…
shadows enfold me
like a cloak that sheathes my skin

yet the embers
of days past
fade slowly into dusk
lingering with warmth
in the entombed silence
of a gardens shade

ashen commemoration…
plunging from the periphery
like the descent of a noble affliction

yet the vaticination
of an oracle with twilight eyes
is yet to be discerned
with sepulchral insight
evoked like indistinct tombstone rubbings
that mark transformation’s memorial

faint recollection…
memories dance out of reach
like the slow gait of a languid nightmare

yet the soft words
of a severe lullaby
invite me further
into the slumbering vision
imparted as night falls again
finding a fertile habitat within

quiet contemplation…
spirit at rest with providence
like the suckling babe at mother’s breast

yet the prophecy
of a future emancipation
is found familiar
with the poise of foresight
at-present unaware of the intention
and the harvest obedience will reap

i thirst

ashes…ashes
o how the mighty have fallen

ashes…ashes
o the severe descent to wasteland


seized by a parched separation
a forced hibernation from all communion
abandoned to the badlands
of my present subsistence

embracing the adulation
of the withering winds
of an obscure Spirit
of an indistinct Essence

silence…silence
o the yawning abyss unleashed

silence…silence
o how deafening the sound


foul burden of barren absence
answer me!…my Sacred
my Hidden Companion
where has Thy faithfulness fled?

i thirst
i thirst
brought to my knees accursed
conquered…humbled…broken…loved



a word!
a word!
raw whisper in the wilderness
like an unsanitized sacrament
alighting my soul once more

a voice!
a voice!
washes over my arid being
like many rushing waters
cleansing my spirit anew

what hope do we have if You do not?

my soul flickers like candlelight in this crushing dark…a flame wafting to and fro

(my rhythm…the beat of Your heart)

suddenly – like lightning…like fire in my bones – You are here

(in me…through me…out there)

the tension releases as i fall off the edge and into: flame…a passion that wields me like a weapon

(we are one…casting fire on this earth)

weapon we are…taking back the night…driving the darkness like light among cockroaches

(look at them scurry, desperate to be away from your presence)

as i glance behind - a swath of brilliant light we have made in this festering darkness

(light, brilliance, freedom …in our wake)

diminish not…as fire in my bones…my very flesh aflame

(beauty alights in the glow of your presence…am i)

further i must go with you…propelled by a persistent grace…an incinerating passion

(symmetry in thought, movement, encounter)

on the edge of perception, i sense Your longing…the ache to make it right

(what hope do we have if You do not?)

quickening

intensity that aches…
…yet Your impartation rushes upon me

and my pulse accelerates
surprised by the change
in an electric atmosphere
like the first taste
of a faint fragrance
stirring my senses to exhilaration
even as it moves within me
burning in deliberate discomfort
invigoratingly thrust beyond myself

deeply rooted in my enduring encounter
…connection too profound for sound

musings in twilight

we presume to dream
yet our dreams stir hope
they give voice to the best
and to the worst
and to the most perplexing
deep in all of us

then the impossible dawns on us
in the blink of an eye
or the turning of a season
and we recognize our Dream
to be a facet of our Reality

and Mystery enfolds us
as we embrace the shared experience of It
this Iridescent Dream
this Familiar Dance
this Enveloping Song
unveiled by Another

and as we embrace
we discover the significance
of the texture in living
we discover the rendering
of eternity dwelling within
we discover the mundane elements
of our shared life
as they begin to shimmer
with a luminescence
we have merely half-forgotten
moment-to-moment

yet with surprising recognition
and astonishing resilience
we connect with the Other
who has met us
in the midst of our
musings in twilight

exquisite erosion

in the exquisite erosion
of my own painted desert
the tattered edges fray
leaving me to wholly face
the grit that has decorated my own remnant
with grains carried along by an abiding wind
given to such coarse chastisement
that extravagantly veils the sacred
just below this surface

depths seldom envisioned
nor cresting zenith imagined
in the devotion of convoluted conduct
the acuity of which strikes suddenly
within the wandering hush of wilderness awe
so as to breed multi-hued insight
threaded into the tapestry of a life
that cloaks the appearance of such luminosity
shimmering underneath

in the beholding

hushed reverie

candlelight licking at my skin
shadows leap and pirouette

behold beauty

the path of a thought arrested, abandoned

immanence immediate

respite from the journey

in the beholding, You are where i seek
in the beholding, You remain familiar…intersected
in the beholding, You pervade my presence
in the beholding, You linger close…despite the distance
in the beholding, You traverse the vastness between
in the beholding, communion…together
in the beholding, time poised… a breath breathed

a change has occurred/occurring/yet to occur
in the beholding