"Broken Paths"

I: The Hidden Beast

I daily stumble, lost along the way,
Each path I cross, I dare not linger long.
A whisper warns me something here is wrong,
A beast within begins to stalk its prey.

It waits in shadows just beyond my reach,
And if I stop, I fear what might arise.
A storm of pain behind these guarded eyes,
A savage truth no sermon dares to preach.

So I press on, pretending I am whole,
With every step, I mask what lies beneath.
But silence trembles in my shallow breath,
And still it prowls the edges of my soul.

                 
How long can I pretend I do not see,
The beast I birthed that now is hunting me?

II: The Sword Drawn

I’ve felt the wounds of all I’ve had to bear,
And so I stand, resolved, unshaken, proud.
I speak with fire, my voice becomes a shroud
A wall of words to shield the hurt in there.

My fears, once silent, surge into a flame,
A sword unsheathed, I slash before I think.
The edges sharp with rage and blackened ink,
Each sentence flung becomes a cry of blame.

Yet something breaks each time I raise my voice,
A mirror cracks inside my very core.
This battle leaves me weaker than before,
And still I charge, as if I have no choice.

But every strike I land, I strike alone,
And find no peace in breaking blood or bone.

 III: The Garden Hill

It’s time to climb the hill where silence speaks,
where moonlight bathes the stones and shadows weep.
I sit in stillness, thoughts no longer leap,
And listen to the groaning of the meek.

This is the Garden—dark, yet somehow kind,
Where blood once mixed with sweat upon the ground.
One knelt alone, though I have lashed and frowned,
And waited for the turning of my mind.

I hear Him ask not only what I feel,
But who I am, and who I choose to be.
The sword falls silent; I begin to see.
A heart laid bare is where it starts to heal.

So on this hill, I lay my anger down,
And trade my crown of pride for thorn and crown.

 IV: Paths Made New

Arise and go, the past has lost its sting.
I will not be the prisoner of regret.
I speak the words I once could not admit.
Forgiveness, like a river, starts to sing.

The path once shattered now begins to mend,
Our broken steps now echo side by side.
I drop my pride, no longer need to hide,
And reach for you, not enemy, but friend.

The words are simple, yet they free the soul.
"I forgive you" and mean it through and through.
Now love walks with us, steady, strong, and true,
Restoring all that bitterness once stole.

Two paths now joined where once the rift was wide,
We walk as one, with mercy as our guide.




Redo 2019 from initial poem "Broken Paths"
Target Hymn Meter:  8-8-8-8 (Long Meter Duplicate)
New version #2

Daily stumble along the way. 
A path I cross I dare not stay. 
For if I stay I might not like  
the beast that comes out in the night. 
Pain and suffering I endured
standing tight I have felt assured.
Control my fears and lash out strong.
Sword is ready, I am not wrong.
Harsh words come from deep in my core
feelings are building up to roar
It pains me to think that we could
ever cross paths, we never should
I might just try and disappear 
to bare all that has happened here. 
Dare go back or even advance
Are there options around perchance? 
Its crucial to think on that hill 
important to sit very still
better focus on the Garden 
make sure our hearts are not harden 
He suffered all for you and me
What does he ask? Who should I be? 
I am to get down on one knee
or both, just to let me be free
Arise and Go, time to forgive.
One eighty done, ready to live.
Make sure you say this holy writ,
I forgive you and never quit
Please allow us to break undone  
broken paths and then we be done.
For now our paths can join as one 
head down the path with Christ as one.

Initial poem written 2018-12-30

Broken Paths

As I daily stumble along the way.  

A path I cross I dare not stay.  

For if I stay I might not like 

the beast that comes out in the night.  

What pain and suffering I have endured.   

I felt I was right while standing tight.  

Control my fears and lash out strong.  

I have my sword, it is ready and it is strong.  

Can I find His grace in my actions here.  

I dare not say, that I have strength to bare all that has happened here.  

Can I go back or even go forward.  What options do I have, dang, it hurts to be here.  

I don't like you and really can't stand you.  

These feelings I have just tear up inside you. 

It haunts me to think and I wish that I never should.  

To say that our paths really really never could. 

Now where do I ask does it exist, such a solution. 

Something so grand that it covers all notion. 

Could it be easy, really as 1, 2 or 3 

but believe me He can and He will make you free.  

I know it can be hard to hear 

or even sometimes to sit very still.  

Its important to think on that hill.  

More on The Garden where He surpassed us all here.  

He passed way lower than all of us here.  

Have you found him? It is time to linger near.  

He suffered and yes he did all that for me.   

What does he ask? Who do I need to be? 

He asks me to get down on one knee 

or I might say both, just to let me be free. 

Now Stand up and go, it is time to forgive

Do a one eighty and make sure you give

I forgive you my friend for what you have done. 

Please allow us once to break undone 

that broken path and then we will be done.  

For now our paths can join as one 

as we all head down Christ's path as one.

Easter 2025 Garden Whispers

Garden Whispers Strengthen Me

 

In silent groves where olive branches bend,
The garden holds His sorrow’s breath and stays,
Soft echoes linger through the hollow ways,
Where heaven’s gift and earth’s great loss transcend.
 
Beyond the third day’s light, His grace extends,
The stone rolled back, a dawn that floods our gaze.
Yet whispers from that night, in reverent haze,
Still call us gently where the journey bends.
 
Though victory’s voice proclaimed that death is done,
The garden’s hush reminds what love must bear,
A Savior’s gift, eternal and aware,
That all He gave still speaks through everyone.
 
So let His whisper lead where hearts obey,
And walk in light beyond the third day.

"I Walk the Garden Path"

 

Walk this garden path with much care.
Where olive branches bow and sway.
A heavy silence fills the air.
A sacred hush not felt at day.
 
I see Him kneel upon the stone,
His face bowed low in agony.
The weight He bears is not His own.
It is for all. It is for me.
 
Sorrow felt throughout this whole space.
A press of pain I cannot see.
Yet somehow, in this quiet place,
His love and burden reach for me.
 
I leave the garden changed within,
For it's here He did choose to stay.
With Him I've all chances to win.
I choose to walk a higher way.

 A Shadow Unseen

A shadow lurks within our virtual space,
A specter mute with camera turned away,
Elusive in each chat, a blank display,
The “Do Not Disturb” mask on its face.

Our team, adrift, with whispers of his name,
We seek his sign, a hint of life or spark,
Yet pings and prompts dissolve into the dark,
This ghostly act, a most uncanny game.

But lo! The key to break this spectral spell:
A camera on, a message swift and kind,
A status green, with openness aligned,
And teamwork’s warmth to banish every chill.

So let us haunt no more with silent screen,
But show our face and keep our spirit seen.

The Light She Left

The Light She Left

Though time may steal the laughter from the air,

And silence lingers where her voice once shone,

The love she gave remains, though she is gone,

A light that grief can darken but not tear.

Her touch still dwells in moments bright and small,

In echoes soft where memories reside,

No tide can pull her presence from the tide,

Nor break the bond that time cannot forestall.

Though sorrow weighs, love whispers through the pain,

Not lost, but changed, she walks in threads of light.

A guiding glow that keeps her near in sight.

A warmth endures beyond death’s fleeting reign.

Her love remains, though parted for a while,

 It lingers still in every tear and smile.

Illumination's Path

From scriptures deep arise the truths of old,
A whispered prompting, first soft "being" heard,
Yet by dark doubt, the seeking heart is stirred,
As serpent’s logic makes the spirit cold.

Through winding trials, like Hana’s rugged way,
A heart weighed down, yet seeking light anew,
Till scripture spoke, its truth both clear and true,
And darkness broke in dawn’s redeeming ray.

When fear surrounds, take up the Savior’s might,
Like Mario’s Star, His power makes us bold,
Through trials fierce, His love remains our light,
A shield of faith more precious far than gold.

So let us seek the light, in every thought,
And build on Christ, the strength so dearly bought.