Spring is near...

Spring is throwing hints that it is arriving. Today was relatively warm and was mostly sunny. But more telling, I have noticed the crickets and frogs start their annual symphonic residence in the woods around my house. It brought to mind a poem I wrote years ago where the crickets and fireflys inspired me:

I Walked Among The Stars

The air was cool and damp and calm
The summer sun set to retire
The clouds - a pallet in the sky
The frogs and crickets - nature's choir.

As I meandered through my lawn
And earth did don her dark attire
My wandering gaze in awe did see
Behold, the lights! The lights of fire!

In hues of black and green and blue
My yard transformed before my sight -
A universe of smaller scale
With fireflies the stars of night.

Amazement swelled within my soul
My head and lips were full of praise
Yet silence gripped me, for I knew
No better accolades to raise.

A brighter orb transfixed my sight
And I felt drawn to this bright sun
Only to see two separate stars
So very close, they shone as one.

And in that dusk so suddenly
I thought of you, and longing grew
To hold you in my arms at night
And offer thanks to God for you.

So shall our life together be
Yes me and you, my love, my dear -
Two burning stars shining so bright
And yet so close, as one appear.

And though you may not be right here
And Sol return to bring back sight
These thoughts I'll cherish just because
I walked among the stars that night.

Time of Reflection: Part 3

Cacophony Number Two: Event Horizon Fugue
(written December 2007 by Tony H.)

SOPRANO

He looks into the pleading eyes
Of a man. But barely.
The North Star is only a faint
Flicker - among many.
Though, without a ship, it matters
Little. Did it ever?
What do you plead for? Answer me!
Faith? Hope? Love? A forever?
His anxious silence - maddening.
His cause - captivating.

His voiceless mouth and screaming eyes
Peer back from the mirror.

ALTO

Silent tears fall, the world he knows-
Explicitly therapeutic?
Emotion, manifest sorrows?
Excretions, the eye's sole tonic?
Expected, a behavior learned?
Expression of a soul just turned?
Preposterous!

TENOR

The sands of Time could not erase
the clawing hands, much less the face.
A monument to guard the Nile,
a figure of hubristic wile.
Though sand did hide, the past - forgot;
it waited there to be resought.

In holy zeal for the Great Disc -
or shrewd scheming in politics -
A city birthed upon the Nile,
soon razed to earth with jealous bile.
Amarna's fate for years unknown -
now naught but dust where once it shone.

A mountain tomb for all to see,
a monument of vanity -
Though once the home to king, and gold,
expected peace as they grew old,
The great facade is empty now;
a hope destroyed, a pointless vow.

Though young compared to all the rest,
it may have been the nation's best.
Its hallowed walls upon the sea
encompassed all Humanity.
But all it took was one small flame,
and Man's grand trove was gone in shame.

My query should apparent be,
of all of these, which one are we?

BASS

a trust a knowing deep inside
a faith somewhere within me hides

a future landscape far and wide
a hope somewhere within me hides

a warm embrace where peace resides
a love somewhere within me hides

experience the flow of blood

an unseen force to walk beside
somewhere spirit within me hides

two friends by choice pneumas entwined
somewhere friendship within me hides

one soul by choice bodies entwined
somewhere marriage within me hides

experience the flow of blood

Time of Reflection: Part 2

Cacophony Number One: Heart Song
(written somewhere between 1993-1995 by Tony H.)

SOPRANO

no one understands
how could they?

yet how is it that we
are able to hide
the Sun?

are we that blind?
or have we just learned
to shame the
Great Wall?

one was brave
taking up his chisel
a chip from
the Wall

but with his one blow
a breech was born
a glimpse of the mountain that
reigns beyond

will we just place
another brick in
the Wall?

ALTO

isn't it frustrating?
do they see can they hear

the roaring waterfall

springing from the mountain

rushing to offer itself

only to be damned by
the Wall?

TENOR

the Passion burns within
and yet only flickers are seen
a silly laugh a common meal
words shared...barely
hug and holy kiss...rarely
we await the hour
when the Lord in His day
fans the flickers into flames
an unhidden passion that will incinerate
the Walls
as we share in the love
the Perfect
Love of God.

BASS

i can't always say it
i don't always try
i thank my brother
for saying it so well
the Passion i have
i through Christ have for you

You my brother

You my sister

all my beloved

and though we may be apart
in body or spirit
know that we are
One
in Him.

CHORUS

the most harlotted word
the most sacred word
i share all its holiness
with you

I Love You.

Time of Reflection: Part 1 - READ FIRST

Although I am an emotional guy, I, like many MBTI Thinkers, have problems comprehending and understanding these emotions, much less expressing them. Occasionally, I have used the process of writing to sort through these emotions, and in the end, to express them. Recently, I have been going through a lot of inner reflection (hence the relative quiet on the blog).

In the process of churning through some of the emotions, I went back and read some old writings, and came across a couple that I will share. One is a short reflection that I will share in a later post. The other was a poem written years ago that inspired the form of my most recent emotional exploration.

I share these humbly, knowing that I am no poet (nor a good editor).

Two Poems To Ponder

My time at the Truth Voice Conference in Springfield, Ohio, and at the Emergent Theological/Philosophical Conversation in Philadelphia has left my head spinning, my heart racing, and my faith stretched. There is far too much to share in brief posts on a blog. However, there are two poems that have come to mind that explore some of my thoughts.

The first is Harlem, by Langston Hughes:

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore-
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over-
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

The second poem plays with the concept of Truth. It is by Emily Dickenson:

Tell all the Truth but tell it slant-
Success in circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind-