Goodbye

I hate
to say
goodbye
to you.

It is heart havoc,
wrecking my soul peace,
pain waves
crashing into me.

Our closeness
is wrenched out of its socket,
tearing me as I lose you again.

Connected by blood,
separated by time and space.

The cruel age of travel ease,
divided by distance loved ones.

You are absent to me,
yet I know you exist
vibrantly,
in other's lives.

Our time together grows
increasingly precious.

I long for the life to come,
when goodbyes
will be gone,
forever.

Legacy

What will people say about you
when you leave this room,
this life?

What difference made
will be noticed,
remembered?

What wisdom words
will others onward carry
from you,
noting their origin
with fondness?

How do you change
the atmosphere when you arrive?
Are others glad to see you,

or see the back of you?

Do you stand out in a crowd?
Do you want to?

Can you remember the last time
someone was thankful
for a kindness you did or said?
Can you remember the cause?

Do you understand how others
look at you,
see you,
think about you?

Is it a true reflection?
Are you the same with others and alone?
How many different masks do you wear?

Do others know that you love them,
care for them,
treasure them?
Is your life precious to them?

Do you understand what legacy truly means?

Do I?

Psalm 23 Verse 3

My soul has been weary,
exhausted,
frazzled and fried,
troubled and tired,
worn out with other's cares.

The Lord is my Shepherd.
He restores my soul
on a narrow coastal path,
with sheer cliff face.

My stride has slowed,
watching for the time
in my over busy life,
that I can rest.

Bracken and purple tufted heather
tumble down to the
white tipped waves,
meeting billowed mist
rolling off towering rocks.

I come here
full of expectancy,
that I will somehow
find my answer
in this place.

Wild goats wander
the impossible incline,
with a sure footed
defiance of gravity.

I find myself still
in a hurry to do life,
unwilling to truly rest
for time is preciously short

We stride out
resisting the threatening skies,
buffeted by wind
at times so loud
we cannot hear each other's words.

South Wales nestles
in the far distance,
among cloud castle ramparts.
The late afternoon
creeps towards dusk.

I begin to find peace,
held securely
in God's strong hands,
on this winding way.

The busy past and restless future
are somehow kept at bay,
and surrounded by
His own Creation,
the Lord begins
to restore my soul.

Temptation's Door

Do not linger long
at temptation's door.
The longer you stay,
the harder it will be to walk away.

The longer you linger,
the more likely you are
to grasp the handle,
and set the door ajar,
just to look.

The longer you look,
the more the vision
will fill your senses,
until the siren call
drowns out your conscience voice.

The longer the vision
dances before your eyes,
the harder it is
to see darkness for what it is.

Your eyes grow accustomed
to the lack of light,
and the shadows do not
frighten you as they should.

You stand on the threshold
with the door swung wide,
and nothing remains
except for you to take the final step.

Thoughts of consequence
have long since gone.
Wisdom words of the Creator
duly discarded.

The high price that will be paid
does not register
until it is too late,
for the one who has
lingered long at temptation's door.

Numb

I feel numb
from hearing your news.
It is your tragedy,
and it will change your life
in every way, forever.

I feel numb
at your loss.
A numbness that has settled
as silence around my soul.

I sit
and am shocked
at life's unexpected blows,
that do not drop a single person
but all those close around.
A ten pin tumbling
of shattered lives.

Close tragedy makes us numb,
but we steel ourselves
as we watch the news,
so we do not break down daily
and weep at the fruit
of this so broken earth.

We can become immune
to suffering,
as if we have
vacuumed sealed our souls,
and no longer feel
rejoicing or despair.

So I will allow this
state of being numb,
and will not chase it away,
for it shows me my soul still cares,
and I want you to know I do.