Were You There?

Me singing "Were You There" by Raymond Haan on Palm Sunday this past Lent.
And choking up, a lot.  What a terrible time in my life.  I'm so glad it's looking up, now.

Carpe

You breathed me in.
Said it was magic,
and in the distance
Lightning struck.

Unfrayed

That incense turned to smoke.
Holy smokes.
The first time you held me
The first time you asked to kiss me.
I could smell it on your clothes, years of smoke and hot nights,
round a thousand campfires in your heart.  Burning now.

Burning now like my shoulders, since he
placed the weight of world on them
Said "Hold this, BRB"
Then disappeared.

So now we soldier on, in the smoke
In the burning of desire
In the tepidness of fire
Shedding a few tears, there and here
Over silly dreams betrayed
Now become unfrayed in the glory of the sun

Nothing unquenched in the flood
Nothing untested in love
Happy, hand-in-hand we gaze
Musing on each other's hopeful faces
Lost in your waiting arms
Sleeping in the torrent of graceful rain
Falling from the Star of the Sea

(I heard you say, "Peace, Be still".
Say it again and I will obey.
Just promise you'll wait for me.)

Moonlight

Sing to me again
Your sad songs, oh world
Not that I don't know them
But I need to remember
Your reasons for loving
Beyond the scope of where the sun shines

If we go into the night,
My dear, as I've often cried to you
From far across the world
We won't forget our days
For the night burns with black fire
Away the dappled patterns of our pasts
And too soon we'll discover
With brittle delight
That you cannot hide from true love
Even in the night

You cannot hide from true love
Even in the night

Your breath so close to my ear
Might shatter the softness of the moonlight
And those sad songs the world drones
Are drowned in the steady tumult
Of your waiting heartbeat
So careful against the world,
So careful against the moon-songs
Calm but for wordless haste
Breathless passion, and waiting
Hopeful in a moment to feel
Your breath so close to my ear

You cannot hide from true love
Even in the night

So, sad world, sing me your songs
I have but a few of my own
I will practice them no more
Till the final Concert in the night
Moon-Spotlight switched on
And I declare in final refrain:

"YOU CANNOT HIDE FROM TRUE LOVE!
EVEN IN THE NIGHT".

Then I will take my bow.
Then I will go home.
And I will listen to you no more.

Shrapnel

Lodged once then
Covered over with skin
The ends of it
Touch beyond its own
Painful end.
Her ears still ringing.

Healing, then one
wrong move, twisted
Away from the one who
Did it, round again
Explosions echo past
time in her ears

Thus, little slice
Thin metal, tiny splinter
feels not death, but life
Pain means life
Moving toward the day
You promised, then:

You bend the with
Remover, to remove
Kind God, or angels above
Beating down your
Pain played out again.
Begging for its end.

Time's not a line.
Healing's not an end
Pointed toward Heaven
Sometimes fists toward God
screaming to the sky in wretched
Hope for love forgotten.

Canopy

Burst forth, you
Bastion of light and love
In a little space
Where Heaven and Earth met,
Meet, are meet and right
must-ing all the flowers
From shrines and quiet corners
and flickering candle - lights
And beads clasped in a trembling fist
Spill your petals onto my
Tear-streaked face
Dried with the mettle of salted grit
In my exhaustion, in my darkness
In my feelings,  in my wasting
In my letting go, in my dying
Stretch your gilded hands, Mother
Light my little face, upward turn
Let me disappear into the folds
Of your pretty frock, hided in your sleeves
No one shall see, none shall come
Till all here is done to be done
And you've taken me quite away
And shown the the Fruit of thy womb
And every care like dried leaves
Dried yellow rose petals
Dried tears long forgotten on my pillow
Have dusted away and blown out to sea
Stella Maris, my star, my love
Come for me, make me forget myself
And we, enthralled too much to gaze
On Him, the ever-near
May our hearts beat to Him
Yours immaculate, mine murmuring
And Ours forever, the promise of love given
Drop by drop, till wine at weddings in Heaven
No more washing water is needed
And only Cana's song remaining,
Holy frivolity goes unended.

Casement

My heart's hard to find
Twisted around a
moving target, in the ground

But dig you might
Dig you must
Just for a little thing

A little respect.
A little levity.
She shall shine forth

With your uncanny tastes
And honest heart
You may, sir

Find me blind
Follow me directionless
Take my hand

And a few steps going
Through the woods
Down the the shore

We'll find the tide
Never stopped to know
Never stopped its flow

And God still in His heaven
Unblind and unbound
Always knew best