Snowdrops

I saw the snowdrops pure and white,
I knew they'd won their fight.
The winter's gone
The sun shines strong,
Despite a sniping wind.

Now may the King of glory reign,
I know he'll win again -
The devil gone,
My heart made strong
Despite temptation's sting.

I love the snowdrops' hint of Spring,
I love you Jesus, King,
Death defeated,
Sin depleted,
Soon all his praise shall sing.

Unfinished piece

I once met a man who never finished his ... you know ...

So unlike me! I finish everything I do.

Even when I am writing like this, it's still true,

It's never left until ....

(I must get this finished one day)

All encompassing

An accident in the occident left my dented boat storm tossed,
Disoriented in the orient - I thought that I was lost.
With a murderer in meridion I chased some Somalis
But in Septentrionalis I slept in a tree in Ali's.

Doing the math

At sixes and sevens
It doesn't add up
My multiple problems
Begin to mount up.

How can I be equal
To all that's ahead?
What will be the sequel -
The end that I dread?

Subtracted, divided
Decimated, beat,
I stand here derided,
Thrown down in defeat.

*

We'll not be outnumbered
With God on our side
Where one is a hundred,
The Seed multiplied.

So look to the Father
And turn to the Son.
Rely on the Spirit
The great Three in One.

Oversight

You have the oversight
Not to look down on their deeds.
You have the oversight
Not to overlook their needs
You have the oversight,
A good shepherd feeds.

I haven't got time

I haven't got time to write this poem
I haven't got time to put it down
I'm too busy living to write a good poem
I'm living it out, living it up.

If you have the time to read this poem
Or if you just want to put it down
Then how about your living a poem instead?
So very soon we will both be dead.

When I was a boy

When I was a boy
My life was filled with joy
Every single time
I'd make my poems rhyme.
But now that I'm a man
My life is filled with pain
And poems just won't rhyme
But I guess it doesn't really matter all that much.

Psalm 56

CM

My God, show mercy, I'm distressed
By foes in hot pursuit;
They all day their attack have pressed.
They all day persecute.

Many attack me, in their pride,
Afraid, I'm trusting on,
On God whose word is to be praised.
I trust in God - fear's gone.

What can mere mortals do to me?
They twist my words all day;
Their schemes they all intend to be
My crumbling and decay.

They plot, they lurk, my steps they see,
They hope my life to take.
They're wicked, wrong; don't set them free;
In wrath, God, nations break.

Record my mis'ry; write what's found,
My tears list on your scroll.
Are all my cries not written down,
Yes, all my tears, the whole?

Then he'll turn back, my enemy,
When I call out for aid.
By this I'll know that God's for me,
God's for me, whose word's praised.

In God, whose word I praise each day,
Your word I praise, Lord, true.
In God I trust, fear won't hold sway,
What to me can men do?

I'm under vows, my God, to you;
Thank-off'rings let there be
Giv'n to you, for you're the one who
From death has rescued me.

From stumbling you have freed my feet
That I may walk before,
Before you God and in the light
Of life for evermore.

Insights within my scope

My life is like a stethoscope,
I sometimes wonder how I'll cope.
I'm ignorant of all around,
Yet within, I hear each sound.

My life is like a microscope,
I sometimes wonder how I'll cope.
Little things seem to grow in size,
Then tears start to fill my eyes.

My life is like a periscope,
I sometimes wonder how I'll cope.
Everything is so up and down,
Every smile becomes a frown.

My life is like a telescope,
I sometimes wonder how I'll cope.
My future is so very clear,
But I cannot face what's near.

My life is like a k'leidoscope,
I sometimes wonder how I'll cope.
The colours are all so vivid
But life itself is livid.

My life is like a spectrosope,
I sometimes wonder how I'll cope.
Somehow all life's competing strands
They make too many demands.

My life is like an oscilloscope,
I sometimes wonder how I'll cope.
See how fast my heartbeat can change
Watch how I cover the range.

Fragment 1

Took me as I was,
Took my life.
He who gave it all,
Sacrifice.
He's the one that I'm
Living for.
There's none on earth that
I love more.

The greatest thing

The greatest thing in all the earth
The greatest thing till death from birth
Is knowing that your every sin
Through Jesus Christ has been forgiv'n.

Without this fact I could not live,
If Jesus did not me forgive
Then how could I do anything?
My life would be a living death.

Psalm 55b

CM

If enemies my name abused,
Then that I could abide.
If foes it were against me raised,
From them I still could hide.

But it is you, a man like me,
My colleague, my close friend.
In sweetest fellowship were we,
We would God's house attend.

Let death my foes take and astound,
Let them alive relapse
Into the grave, for evil's found
With them, its lodging place.

But I, the LORD who saves, address
At evening, morn and noon.
I cry to God in my distress,
And my voice he hears soon.

Unharmed, he ransoms me, sets free,
He saves me from my foes,
Saves from the battle against me,
Though many do oppose.

God, who is on his throne always,
Will hear them and afflict,
Men who will never change their ways,
They who won't rev'rence God.

My companion attacks his friends,
His cov'nant keeps no more.
His speech as smooth as butter blends,
Yet in his heart is war.

His words, like oil, they soothe the pain
But drawn swords are they all.
Cast cares on the Lord; he'll sustain,
Won't let the righteous fall.

You'll bring down those with wicked ways,
Bloodthirsty liars, too.
They won't live out one half their days,
But I will trust in you.

Psalm 55a

CM

O God, now listen, hear my prayer,
Do not ignore my plea;
My thoughts give pain, I'm in despair,
O hear and answer me.

Enemy voice and wicked stare
Bring suff'ring down on me.
In anger into me they tear,
How they're reviling me.

Within, my heart is troubling me,
Death's terror me assails.
Trembling and fear besetting me,
In horror, my heart fails.

I said, doves' wings, Oh give to me!
I long to fly away
And be at rest; I long to flee
And in the desert stay.

I'd hurry to my hiding place,
Far from the tempest's sound.
The wicked, Lord, confuse, disgrace -
Their every word confound.

In the city, see vi'lence fight,
What strife that place befalls.
Both in the day and in the night
They're prowling on its walls.

Hatred, abuse, within abound,
Destructive forces work.
Threats and lies in the city found,
In every street they lurk.

Psalm 54

CM

O God, by your name, set me free
By your might, justify.
The words of my mouth heed, hear me,
O God, now hear my cry.

Arrogant foes attack me hard;
My life they will not spare.
They are ruthless, with no regard
For God; they do not care.

God is my help; the Lord, surely,
Who me sustains all through.
Let evil recoil on those who slander me;
In faithfulness, destroy.

I'll give a freewill sacrifice,
An offering to you;
To your name. Lord, I will give praise,
For your name's good, it's true.

For me deliv'ranc he supplies,
Saves me from all my woes,
They've looked in triumph have my eyes
On all my many foes.

Psalm 53

CM (St Agnews [Dykes])

The fool, he speaks to his own heart,
He says ‘There is no God.’
Their ways are vile, they are corrupt;
There’s no-one who does good.

God from the heavens the earth he scans 

All mankind to see.

Is there found one who understands
Or seeks to God to flee?

They’ve turned aside, yes, every one,
Corrupted they’ve become;
Those who do good - there now are none,
No, there’s not even one.

Do evil doers never learn? -
My people they’ve devoured,
As though they’re bread, there’s no concern,
They do not call on God.

There they all were in dread so great -
Where nothing was to dread.
Shamed there by God, for he did hate,
Their scattered bones God spread.

From Zion may salvation rise,
Oh God for Israel!
Jacob be glad, Isra’l rejoice

When God restoes us all.