Poetry: Spiritual

Read these like you would a sentence, stopping only at punctuation. But take time to imagine the scene.

Poem: (Spiritual #1):
Jesus

I am the child
in you:
pure
joyous
untroubled
curious.
Let me play
in your heart.

Poem: (Spiritual, #2)

Jesus:
tender, loving
giving, living, touching
fulfilling empty, hungry souls
Savior

Poem: (Spiritual, #3):
Abba

A child with scratched knee
and tear filled eyes
climbs into his papa’s lap

Poem: (Spiritual, #4):
To My Mentor

Many were sent to light my way
along the dark and perilous road,
but He chose you
to open the door
for me.

Poem: (Spiritual, #5)

A ray of sunshine pierces
the blanket of fog
illuminating the pines and oaks
like God’s Spirit does
in me.

Poem: (Spiritual, #6):
God’s children

The brilliant leaves
of the maple tree:
Glorious
in their passing.

Poem: (Spiritual, #7):
Why?

My two year old says,
“Why, oh why?”
with such delight!
How rich those words are
for the young–
so full of enchantment
a world to explore!

With anguish, I ask,
“Why, oh why?”
Life’s so unfair
there’s so much pain and sorrow.

With resignation, Mother says,
“Why? Who knows?
I don’t ask anymore.”

With faith, Grandmother says,
“I don’t know why,
but in the Lord
there is hope for tomorrow.”

Poem: (Spiritual, #8):
Jorja’s Psalm

O Lord, You are too wonderful
for me to comprehend!
You loved me
when I hated You.
You forgave me
when I doubted Your existence.
You saved me
when I only vaguely understood
I needed saving.

And when I asked You
to take possession of me
You filled me with such great
joy, love and peace
that it welled up and up
until
it splashed down my cheeks
in silver tears
which You collected
in a special devotional cup.

O Lord,
I love You so!
I truly yearn to be like You:
so perfect, pure and holy,
so giving.

How unlike men You are!
They point out my sins
with wounding fingers
that offer no healing.
But You, O Lord,
reveal my sins tenderly, lovingly
always providing the remedy.

O Lord, how can You be so patient
with me?
You offer Your forgiveness
so freely.
I sometimes have difficulty
accepting it as readily.
Why can’t I forgive myself
as easily as You do?

Instead, I often choose
to wallow in self-condemnation
or self-pity
until I feel
I’ve suffered enough
for my transgressions–
wasting valuable time
that should be spent
in prayer, in praise,
in serving You.

Help me, Lord,
to trust You more:
to trust You so completely
that once I surrender
a problem to You
I never attempt
to take it back.
Let “worry” and “anxiety” disappear
from my vocabulary
forever!

O Lord,
Please make me
like Jesus.

Haiku Poem: (Spiritual, #9):
My Divine Shield

Car in my blind spot:
like Satan, whom the Lord sees
and protects against

Haiku Poem: (Spiritual, #10):
God’s  Promise

Bright, prism rainbow:
the Lord’s promise and glory
in the darkened sky

Haiku Poem: (Spiritual, #11):
Glorious Hope

Bridal veil of light
brilliant, sheer amid dark clouds
God’s glorious hope

Haiku Poem: (Spiritual, #12):
Skyward Calling

Golden, sun-lit leaves
pointed pines, puffy white clouds
lift my soul to Thee

Poem: (Spiritual, #13):
Transforming Love

A muddy puddle
reflects the glimmering trees above.
God’s radiant love
shimmers in my sinful heart.

Poem: (Spiritual, #14)
Rainbows

Prisms of light
flood my heart
with delight
reminding me
of the Lord’s
glorious
multi-faceted
perfections