Poetry --- Psalms 22

Archive, first draft from 2011-07-19

My God, My God, please hear my plea.
Oh, why have You forsaken me?
You are so far from saving me,
And from my words of misery.

Oh God, My God, I cry by day,
but not one word I've heard You say.
By night I pray but have no rest,
No comfort comes, no welcome guest.

But You are true, and praised by all.
They trusted You and did not fall.
They cried to You and were set free.
They hoped in You and did not flee.

A crimson worm, I'm not a man;
But scorned by men, despised by them.
They sneer at me, stick out their tongue;
They wag their head and call me dung.

Commit to God! Go on! Be brave!
Let's see if God will really save.
Since God has said, "This is My Son,"
Come! Prove to us that you're the one.

Yet You are He who brought me forth;
Who made me trust in You from birth.
Stay close to me as trouble comes,
For no one else can lead me home.

The bulls surround, encircle me.
They open wide their mouth at me.
As lions tear and roar for prey,
They rave and roar at me, today.

Like water, I am poured to ground,
And all my bones are stretched, unbound.
My heart is wax in melting flame;
My strength, dried out in shrinking shame.

My tongue, a piece of broken pot,
In sticking to my jaw, feels hot.
I'm placed within the dust of death,
In ashes where ther is no breath.

For dogs surround me everywhere,
And evil men who do not care
pull rope around my throat,complete,
to pierce my hands, and then my feet.

My ribs, like tally marks, are seen.
They stare and gape at me, unclean.
My clothes are shared among them all,
And on my cloak, the dice, they roll.

[continued 2012-02-27 (with different meter)]

But You, O Lord, my help, be near; come quickly to my aid.
Release my soul from looming death; my life from sword's bright blade.
Come take me from the lion's mouth; and save my life from dogs.
Hold closely my afflicted soul, when gored by savage ox.

And I will tell your name to friends, and sing your praise with all.
Let all who fear the Lord give praise, and we shall stand in awe.
For He has not despised His one, afflicted unto death;
But He has seen, and He has heard, and given him life's breath.

2011-07-09 Late October vocabulary

I would like to say a special thank you to Vern Meaders' 6th grade class, including Calvin, Levi, Riley, Cameron B., Simon, Alexandria, Paris, Jamron, Christopher, Audri, Jason, Abigail, Chauncey, Natalie, Ashley, Dusty, Sasha and Cameron W. These young men and women went to the trouble of writing down every word that they did not understand from the book "Late October." The results, in order of how many students did not know the words, are listed here.

18 - petit fours, pinafores, troubadour; 17 - sundered; 16 - 'fraidies, foreboded, pirouettes; 14 - Dover, lumbered, spectres; 13 - converged; 12 - hordes, latching; 11 - blundered.

8 - implore; 7 - crazing, pealing; 6 - faintest, pelted, fitter, raving, reeling; 5 - corridor, receded; 4 - scurvy, Necco Wafers, eerie; 3 - befriended, ambassadors, kibbled.

2 - Hades, décor, sugar shakers, pendulum, pinging; 1 - predator, never more, gradually, belted, Ellenore, critter, cider, proceeded, blazing, tinkles, galore.

What this tells me, is that this book is more on a level for an adult to read to a child. It is not a book that most children can pick up and read by themselves without having to look up some of the words in a dictionary. There are fourteen words that were not understood by a majority of this group of students. I really like the poem for its rhythm and rhyme, but sometimes the meaning may be left behind for young readers.

2011-06-30 Poetry, Songs, Psalms 23 version 2

Or, if we wanted to sing it to the tune of
"Away in a Manger," we would need another line
for each verse. For example:

The Lord is my shepherd, there's nothing I need.
He lets me lie down in green pastures to feed.
And ever, beside the still water, He leads.
The Lord is my shepherd, there's nothing I need.

He strengthens my soul and brings joy to my heart.
He leads me in ways that are right, from the start.
There's naught in this world that can keep us apart.
He strengthens my soul and brings joy to my heart.

And yes! Though I walk through the shadow of death,
And You are within me --- I breathe with Your breath ---
No evil can make me afraid or lose faith.
With You, I can walk through the shadow of death.

Your rod and Your staff are a comfort to me.
You give me a feast --- make my enemies flee.
With oil, You anoint me as king --- even me.
Your rod and Your staff are a comfort to me.

My cup overflows with the goodness You gave.
Your mercy shall follow me down through the grave,
And I shall reside in the house of Your love.
Forever and ever, with You I am saved.

Write well,
Logan

2011-06-29 Poetry Songs --- From Psalms 23

From the 23rd Psalm ---

The Lord is my shepherd, there's nothing I need.
He lets me lie down in new pastures to feed.
And ever, beside the still water, He leads.

He strengthens my soul and sings joy in my heart.
He leads me in ways that are right, from the start.
There's naught in this world that can keep us apart.

And yes! Though I walk through the shadow of death,
And You are within me --- I breathe with Your breath ---
No evil can make me afraid or lose faith.

Your rod and Your staff are a comfort to me.
You gave me a feast --- made my enemies flee.
With oil, You anointed me king --- even me.

My cup overflows with the goodness You gave.
Your mercy shall follow me down through the grave,
And I shall reside in the house of Your love.

Forever and ever, amen and amen,
I still will reside in the house of Your love.
Forever and ever, amen and amen.

Sleep Well,
Logan

2009-12-05 Poetry, I will Magnify the Lord

I will magnify the Lord.
He is worthy to be praised!
(If-) God is for us, Who stands against us, now?
---
He who did not spare His Son
(-but) Gave Him up for all of us,
How will He not forgive us everything?

(Chorus)
The Lord loves us!
not tribulation or distress
or persecution or the sword
can stop Him (you know)
The Lord loves us
and neither death nor life can sep-
arate us from the love of God
in Jesus.

Who brings charge to God’s elect?
God is He who justifies;
Who is he who dares, condemnation bring?
---
Jesus Christ is He who died,
Rather, He was raised to life.
He, at God’s right hand, intercedes for us.

(Chorus)

What can separate us from
(-the) Love of Christ who died for us?
Overwhelming love, conquered ev‘rything.
---
I am absolutely sure
There is nothing with the pow'r,
(to-) Separate us from (-the) Love of God in Christ.

(Chorus)

2009-10-03 Poetry, The Sun Hangs Low

The sun hangs low,
throwing warm streaks of brightness
across the green grass under the trees in the park.
There is, perhaps, only an hour or two left
Before the sun sets
Leaving us in darkness.
I stand on the train
As it carries me away
And I think of you.
I’m thinking of the probability,
Since you’re struggling
With the side-effects of medication
And many tumors,
That I may never see you again.
The sun hangs low.
There is so little time left.
But then, there never was.

2008-03-30 Poetry, Angel

Angel?
It’s been years
Since you were here
At twelve years old
In Wednesday class.
It's been years
Since you asked
Softly, almost whispered,
Can God still love someone
Even if they were raped?
On hearing those words
A shadow of fear
Sank into my heart
That this was not
A third-person question
But a personal one.
And here I am,
Years later,
With tears running
Down my face,
Wondering
Where you are.
What ever happened
That you would disappear
For years,
Angel?
Remember
The answer is
And always will be
Yes.
Angel. 2008-03-30, Logan Cowart

2008-02-01 Poetry, My Girl

2008-02-01, My Girl.

My girl is Sunshine’s laugh itself,
Running down the beach,
Skipping on the sand,
Laughing through the waves.

She loves the beach,
Almost as much as she loves other people,
Talking with them,
Laughing with them,
Crying with them.

She doesn’t even know
She’s the angel of sunshine,
Bringing the light of love
Into the lives of everyone around her.

She doesn’t understand
Why people want to be with her.
Or why, if they like her so much,
They feel free to criticize her,
To dismiss her ideas as if she were a child.

Even though I tell her, she doesn’t believe
That she is a beautiful and wonderful person.
She looks at herself through the mirror of the world,
That shows only age, and gray imperfections.

She hides from the world
In the cave of her tears.
Ashamed to be seen
For what she has not.

But I look in her eyes and see what she is.
My girl is Sunshine’s laugh herself,
The angel of love to everyone else,
Running down the beach,
Skipping on the sand,
Laughing through the waves.

Ignoring the pounding surf,
The chaos and pain of the world,
She shines with the light of God’s love,
And of laughter,
Bringing the warmth of the beach
Into the lives of those who surround her.

2008-01-04 Poetry, A Simple Thanks

2008-01-04, A Simple Thanks.

When I was seventeen I felt
The cage of my own culture
Surrounding me, stifling me.
The expectations, the preconceptions
Of my own family telling me
Who I was and who I would
Always be, were bars of steel.
I wanted freedom to breathe free,
To be me,
Whoever I decided me would be.
Maybe I wanted others to see me,
Not for who I was, but
Only for who I wanted to be.
I wanted to be liked,
So, like me.
I wanted to be appreciated,
Appreciate me.
I wanted to be loved,
So, love me.

Fast-forward forty years.
I would rather like myself
For loving someone else
Whether or not they know it,
Than to receive the adulation
For that for which I was no cause.
A simple thanks for what I do
Is quite enough.
When strangers gush over who
They think I am, it slides away.
They don’t know my failure
To be the person I want to be.
They don’t know me.
Why should I inflate myself
On false illusions?
I only want the honest truth.
Only I know the me
That I live with every day.
Only I know the joy
That comes to me
From helping others.
Only I know the pain
That comes from failing,
When I think I could have done it
Differently. It’s my choice.
Do I feed my soul with false illusions?
Or real actions, bringing joy to someone else?
Give me truth. Always.

2007-12-08 Poetry, Raining Light

Raining Light.

Even when the day is
Overcome by darkness
In the night, raining light.

Dripping glints of sparkle
In the air are falling
From a height, splashing bright.

The rain runs on the ground
Like tears are running down
The face of light, crying tight.

The pain runs in our hearts
For each one hurt in heartless
Ways of spite, crushing plight.

Even when our day is
Overcome by darkness
Of the night, raining fright.

Glints of love wash our hearts,
And drops of hope spark our lives,
That soon we might, walk by sight.

2007-12-07 Poetry, Gray Rain

Gray Rain.

Clouded sky, just turning day, charcoal-gray.
Rain-washed streets, reflecting sky, steely-gray.
Tail-light highlights, floating on street, reddish-gray.
Flashing streetlights, on running water, yellow-green-gray.
River of rain, washed over street, cloudy-gray.
Car in fog, tires splashing, maroon-gray.
Headlights winking, wipers slashing, twinkle-gray.
Red bricks covered, in watery glaze, purple-gray.
Sky now lighter, rain still falling, cloudy-gray.
Car now brighter, driving slowly, whitish-gray.
Walking slowly, crossing asphalt, splashy-gray.
Raindrops twinkle, plinking puddles, gray on gray.
Two-inch total, salmon in street, rainy-gray.
Daylight rises, brightens colors, gray today.

2007-12-06 Poetry, Kitty Cat

Kitty Cat.

Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat,
Kitty, Kitty, Kitty Cat.
Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat,
Kitty, Kitty, Kitty Cat,
Furry, purry, hurry Cat.
Funny Cat, bunny Cat,
Enigmatic, sunny Cat.
Sleepy Cat, leapy Cat,
Ever moving, keepy Cat.
Yowly Cat, howly Cat,
Growly, prowly, meowly Cat.
Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat,
Kitty, Kitty, Kitty Cat.
Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat,
Kitty, Kitty, Kitty Cat.

2007-10-27 Poetry, Landscape of My Heart

Landscape of My Heart.

In the landscape of my heart
You have no part,
You who stand at the border pass,
Throwing rocks and yelling slurs.
You shall not pass!

In the landscape of my heart
Are valleys of dreams and streams of hope
Eventually replaced by memories
Of good times, amazing things and cherished friends.

I used to let my fantasies run wild across
The meadow of my heart.
But fantasies tend to crash and burn
Against the rocks and cliffs of the real world.
So now, my fantasies are left
In the puffy clouds that float across the sky.
They are not allowed to touch the ground
In the landscape of my heart.

The mountains surrounding my heart
Are impossible to pass without
The pass of my permission.
Standing at the pass to
The landscape of my heart,
I watch the people passing by
As I travel through my day.
Some of them are vandals,
Spewing graffiti against my cliffs;
It drips down and runs away. They
Cannot touch the beauty, they
Cannot see the glory, they
Cannot have the memories
In the landscape of my heart.

The memories of my friends may walk
The landscape of my heart.
At least the good parts
And the true parts even though
The truth is sometimes sad.
I continue to remind myself that
Everyone’s imperfect. They
Will all eventually fail at some point;
Will fail to protect my heart.
But good friends will be mostly good
And will apologize for failing,
If they know that they have failed.
Sometimes they need reminding.

In the landscape of my heart,
There’s room enough to store
The hopes and dreams my friends
May share with me. It’s my job
To remember and protect them,
And help them grow up
Into memories.

In my life, the more friends I have
The more sure I am
That I will, someday, endure the pain
Of losing someone I loved
(through death or betrayal).
When that day comes,
Like a cataclysmic event,
It will tear out all
The hopes and dreams
I had for that person
From the landscape of my heart.
I will mourn the loss.
And close the pass,
For a time,
To repair the damage
And package the memories
Of good times, for later review.
Only old and trusted friends
May reach me then.

2007-10-23 Poetry, Waiting

Waiting.
Watching the fish,
Orange, black and silver,
Swimming, floating, flashing,
Hiding among the plants
Waving slowly in the current,
Swirling around the tank.
They have no thought,
No worry, no fear of the future.
Waiting.
Watching the clerks,
The admins, the technicians
As they call in
The patients, one after another.
Thinking to myself
How long has it been?
Waiting.
Looking back in time.
How many procedures?
Replacing the knee,
Mastectomy,
Replacing the knee
Chemotherapy --- you almost died.
Waiting.
Watching the sunlight
Flooding the skylights,
High on the ceiling,
Bright.
Almost as if this were Arizona.
Waiting.
Glancing at covers
Of old magazines --- Shooting Times.
Waiting.
How long has it been?
Thinking, where did it start?
Thyroidectomy,
Childbirth
P.M.S., panic disorder,
Hospitalization,
Infertility, laparoscopy,
Childbirth,
Lumpectomy and radiation,
Hysterectomy,
Mastectomy.
Waiting.
The TV flashes and chatters,
Unseen and unheard.
Another patient called.
What did we think
When the Doctor himself
Called to say that
The tumor markers,
The protein traces,
Now measured 78 instead of 25?
That there was a 98 percent
Probability of cancer,
Again,
Somewhere.
Waiting.
Wondering, what will we see
When the CAT scan is done?
When the Bone Scan is finished?
Waiting.
They said it would be 10 minutes,
Thirty minutes ago.
But I can hear your laugh,
Even from here.

2007-10-11 Poetry, Venus Only Smiles

Ballad02


The Sun and Stars chitchat to Mars,
The Moon to Saturn spills;
The Clouds on high begin to sigh,
But Venus’ gossip chills.

This is a tale of sad betrayal,
Of love a-foundering.
A young man’s chance to join the dance,
Is lost to boundering.

He’s tall and fair, and debonair
While she is shy and warm,
But then he turns, and sneering, spurns
Her smile, with freezing form.

She, glancing down and blushing, frowned
While he, uncaring, laughed.
She shrugs and turns, and once more learns
That most young men are daft.

Away he walks and cunning talks,
While others he compared.
He casts a net of words to get
The fairest one ensnared.

But whispers fast around him pass,
Like wind through shivered leaves.
As friend allied with friends confide,
His soft deceit unweaves.

A stillness then descends as when
To him, they all have turned.
He is surprised to realize
His net of words is burned.

From face to face he turns, in place,
Quite all around the hall.
‘Twas then he learned: When one he spurned,
He had offended all.

He stops full short, then he resorts
To running from the scene.
She laughs aloud, as does the crowd,
With humor, unforeseen.

The Sun does not accept the thought:
That they may reconcile;
But Moon and Stars now fight with Mars,
And Venus only smiles.

2010-07-09 Archive, Poetry, Songs, Where Are You Now? 2

Where Are You Now?

We heard the words the angels gave, “Fear not, you'll bear a son.”
Where are you now, Emmanuel, God's own anointed one?
They said that you'll forever rule. We thought this was good news.
So where is he who then was born to be the king of Jews?

Where are you now, Emmanuel, the son of God, above.
We need your word, we need your touch, we need your perfect love.

And you, Oh Bethlehem, are not the least of all the clans,
For out of you shall come a King to shepherd all the lands.
We saw those wise men worship you and give you gold, and myrrh;
But then they left, and she took you. We should have gone with her.

Where are you now, Emmanuel, the son of God, above.
We need your word, we need your touch, we need your perfect love.

A voice was heard in Ramah's land, great mourning at death's door.
It's Rachel weeping for her sons, because they are no more.
For eight and twenty years we wept, and echoed Rachel's cry:
The other mothers weeping for our sons who had to die.

Where are you now, Emmanuel, the son of God, above.
We need your word, we need your touch, we need your perfect love.

The stars are shining bright tonight, Just like they were back then.
An echo on the wind yet sings God's glory once again.
A voice cries out of wilderness, "Repent, for God is near,
Prepare the way, make straight the Path," for Christ, the Lord, is here.

Where are you now, Emmanuel, the son of God, above.
We need your word, we need your touch, we need your perfect love.

2010-07-08 Archive, Poetry, Songs, Where are You Now?

Where Are You Now?

We heard the words the angels gave,
“Fear not, you'll bear a son.”
Where are you now, Emmanuel,
God's own anointed one?

They said that you'll forever rule.
We thought this was good news.
So where is he who then was born
To be the king of Jews?

And you, Oh Bethlehem, are not
The least of all the clans,
For out of you shall come a King
To shepherd all the lands.

We saw those wise men worship you
And give you gold, and myrrh;
But then they left, and then she left,
We should have gone with her.

For eight and twenty years we wept.
And echoed Rachel's cry:
The other mothers weeping for
our sons who then did die.

The stars are shining bright tonight
Just like they were back then.
An echo on the wind yet sings
God's glory once again.

Where are you now, Emmanuel,
The son of God, above.
We need your word, we need your touch,
We need your perfect love.

2010-06-25 Archive, Poetry, In the Beginning

In the Beginning

In the beginning
God had created
Heaven and earth and sky.
Earth was still formless,
Darkness encompassed,
All of the depth on high.

Spirit of God said
Let there be light and
Light did put forth a ray.
God saw the light and
Knew it was good so
Evening began that day.

Evening and morning,
Morning and evening,
Year after year rolled past.
Men turned to evil,
Choosing the darkness,
'Till the time came, at last.

In the beginning
Was the one Word and
Word was with God alone.
Word was with God and
Word was the God who
came to, each one, atone.

Heavenly Father,
This is my prayer,
Help me to love the Lord.
Reading the Bible,
Loving each other,
Help me to live your word.

2010-06-22 Archive, Poetry, Songs, Psalms 111

From Psalms 111
(Chorus)
Hallelujah! Praise the LORD!
Thank the LORD with all your heart.
Righteousness is in His word.
Praise forever, is our part.

(1)
In the church of the upright,
Great the works of God, above,
Sought by those who they delight,
Splendid wonders, perfect love.

(2)
Righteousness endures in Him.
We remember, wonders sent.
Gracious love, compassion's king,
God remembers covenant.

(3)
Truth and justice in His hand,
All his laws are ever sure.
They are done at His command,
Laws upheld, forever pure.

(4)
Holy, Awesome, is His name.
Fear the LORD and you'll be wise,
Understanding God, who came,(that)
We may praise Him in the skies.

(Chorus)
Hallelujah! Praise the LORD!
Thank the LORD with all your heart.
Righteousness is in His word.
Praise forever, is our part.

2010-06-19 Archive, Poetry, Songs, Jeremiah 31

Poetry - Songs

From Jeremiah 31

The time has come, declares the Lord, / to make a new agreement.
Not like the covenant, before, / with Israel and Judah
Not like the covenant I made / to lead them out of Egypt.
Not like the covenant they broke, / which broke my heart to see it.

But this will be the covenant / I make with them forever:
To put my law within their mind, / and write it on their spirit.
And I alone will be their God, / and they shall be My people.

No longer will they teach again, / each man his brother, saying,
Come, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all, / from least of them to greatest,
Will know me well, declares the Lord / for I will be their father.
And I'll forgive iniquity / and I'll forget their failure.

But this will be the covenant / I make with them forever:
To put my law within their mind, / and write it on their spirit.
And I alone will be their God, / and they shall be My people.

Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun, / to light each day with daylight.
And gives the moon and stars at night, / to brighten night with starlight,
If day and night shall cease to be, / declares the LORD almighty,
Then Israel's seed will cease to be / a nation from before me.

But this will be the covenant / I make with them forever:
To put my law within their mind, / and write it on their spirit.
And I alone will be their God, / and they shall be My people.


From 1 Thess 4:14-18

If we believe that Jesus died / And rose to live again.
Then those who sleep in death, in Christ, / Our God will bring with Him.

The Lord has said that we who live / On earth until He comes
Shall not precede those other ones / who sleep within the tombs.

The Lord Himself will come again / From heaven he'll come down,
And with a shout, archangel's voice, / God's trumpet will resound.

And first the dead in Christ shall rise, / Then we who still are here
Shall be caught up within the clouds / To meet Him in the air.

And thus we shall forever be / with God and with the Lord,
So therefore comfort, all of you, / Each other with these words.