A Winter Faith (Reprise)

Proposed Antiphon: Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God


Cruel wintry winds
Howl, hiss and blow
Across the ice
Over the snow

Bare trees poke up
No life is seen
The ice gives all
A glassy sheen

Nothing moves
Lest blown about
High up above
Cold stars are out

Your face is numb
Your fingers chill
Breath a brief cloud
And all is still

Below the snow
Below the ice
In buried peace
Lie seeds and mice

Fish dream fish dreams
Deep in the ponds
While cruel winds whip
The cattail fronds

Chipmunks sleep tight
And dream of sun
Of nuts and grain
Of chipmunk fun

Down in the mud
The frogs all sleep
Turtles mark time
In burrows deep

Warmth will return
The ice will go
And life will rise
And water flow

Snow drops will leap
Out of their grave
Then crocuses;
These plants are brave

The buds will swell
And burst and bloom
The earth will shed
This wintry gloom

But bravest, first
Sign of the mild
The Christmas birth;
The holy Child

Reminding us
This wintry strife
Lies briefly over
Our vibrant life

From out of dark
Comes life and light
Showing us God's
Power and might.


Original Post

Hold On

The land is grey
and cold winds blow
the rain spots down
mixed in with snow

The reeds sigh in
the the wind so cold
their roots hold tight
to mud and mold

The grass and reeds
are bleached light dun
by wind and rain
and distant sun

Around their roots
the mud lies black
around the ponds
ice-water, black

The ponds seem dead
abandoned, left
-of mammals, bugs and fish
bereft

The eagle eye
sees more below
within the depths
a greenish glow

Life perseveres
and will return
and send up shoots
and uncoil fern

Hold on through one more storm
and then
wild life will arise
again

After The Fourth Psalm

God of my strength
Answer my call!
You sheltered me
When I was hurt
Be kind to me
And hear my prayer

I am Ashamed
Held in contempt
Truth matters not
When men seek lies
Raise me back up
Save me from shame

My God has set
His folk apart
He hears our cry
When we suffer

Hard times should not
Cause us to sin
Stop, pray and think
Pause and reflect
Do what is right
Before the Lord


These times are hard
And long and cruel
O that we might
See better times!
But shine upon
Us Lord and God
And we will be
Glad beyond cause

I will lie down
And sleep in peace
God guards my soul
God gives me peace

After The Third Psalm

Many are against me
Many rise to harm me
They mock my faith
They tease and taunt:
Where is your Savior now?

They ask where is my help.
But it is with me still.
God stands by me
In good and bad
My sheild and advocate

My God lifts up my head
Assures me of His love
God honors me
And comforts me
And answers all my prayers

God watches when I sleep
Sustains me so I wake
How should I fear
Ten thousand men
When my God holds me dear

Arise my Lord I pray
Deliver me from woe
Unseat my foes
And save my life
And wipe away my tears

God, bless the saints with love
Restore them by your hand
Show all the world
Your saving love
So they can understand

A Winter Faith

Cruel wintry winds
Howl, hiss and blow
Across the ice
Over the snow

Bare trees poke up
No life is seen
The ice gives all
A glassy sheen

Nothing moves
Lest blown about
High up above
Cold stars are out

Your face is numb
Your fingers chill
Breath a brief cloud
And all is still

Below the snow
Below the ice
In buried peace
Lie seeds and mice

Fish dream fish dreams
Deep in the ponds
While cruel winds whip
The cattail fronds

Chipmunks sleep tight
And dream of sun
Of nuts and grain
Of chipmunk fun

Down in the mud
The frogs all sleep
Turtles mark time
In burrows deep

Warmth will return
The ice will go
And life will rise
And water flow

Snow drops will leap
Out of their grave
Then crocuses;
These plants are brave

The buds will swell
And burst and bloom
The earth will shed
This wintry gloom

But bravest, first
Sign of the mild
The Christmas birth;
The holy Child

Reminding us
This wintry strife
Lies briefly over
Our vibrant life

From out of dark
Comes life and light
Showing us God's
Power and might.


Perhaps on a similar note: The Winter of Contentment

When you Wake in the Night

When you wake in the night
Think to greet your God
Who is there in the quiet
To ignore him seems odd

Perhaps in the dim
Is a good time to pray
When the loud and the din
Are all put away

Raise a word to the Lord
With the small and the meek
With the chirping of crickets
With the little bat's squeak

Perhaps God will hear you
A bit better at night
And bless you, and heal you
And make things all right

And I pray that each person
Who finds they awake
Is blessed and healed
From trouble and ache

And I thank you, dear Lord
For answering my prayers
In the few minutes I sat up
And told you my cares

And now to my nest
I retire again
Bid Adeu to the night
And turn off my brain

Peace and Love to You who Know the Wee Hours as Well as Those who Greet the Day

LE

My Lover Speaks to Me

My lover speaks while asleep,
And what is said makes no sense.

Sometimes it is questions about myself, things I am thinking, things I will or should do.

And sometimes it is about what I have done.

And what is said makes no sense, because my lover, the one to whom I am so happily married, is asleep, and it is not a conscious mind that speaks to me.

So the things said and often the words mean nothing.

But what is said is said with great caring and love. I am clearly very important to the person who is speaking; -I am beloved.

May we, every one of us, also always be speaking love -even when we are not making sense.