That water that flows under the stillness of night
Where the fish drift listlessly in and out
The silver leaves of grass drooping in the glow
And the bone-colored remnants of frozen leaves
The grey sticks that lay like cancelled dreams
Where the stones are pondering eternity
The coldness of water that chills the ankles
And the bread baking in the oven for you
Dripping with garlic and butter and baking
The heater that keeps you warm
The Christmas tinsel that keeps the house cheerful
The knock of someone who loves you
The nuzzle of one who you cradle close
And lamps in the window at night
Where people pass by in hurried little ways
And you and I are snuggling
The chickens that scratch for their daily bread
And the earth when the frost hits the land
Dolls that gaze out with secret knowledge
For they are no longer alive
The reason I shiver when I think of the grave
And how much I want to hold you
Life is precious and without some little sticks
And a roof over our head and some dinner
Then you will start to cry because you have needs
Oh my little drummer boy
I'll hold you till my life is spent aged through
And to hell with the afterlife
To hell with that which told me to wait on
May we be happy here and now
May our tears fall welcome into the earth
And may you find peace here
A terrible thing has happened to me
The ownership of my whole person
And everything that I have is nothing
And all can be taken away from me
I am nobody, and all I love comes to nothing
For all of my mortal life
Is there really an inequality so great
That one never gets an answer from God
Do we all die with nothing in the end
Is everything taken away
In theory everyone is a nothing
And nobody really owns anything
You cannot take these things with you
When you eventually cease to exist
So why do they matter to us in life
At least I am a mother who loves you
At least I have a good heart
That follows with that which was taught
At least the life that I shelter
Is one that does not take
The wind blows from one end of the wall to the other
And lifts up the leaves in flight
That which is from another world
Does not agree with me
It says there is nothing but science
And in my heart there is so much more
So much truth that is so much greater
But then, they are smarter than me
And I am kinder than them
Isn't kindness what really matters
Maybe it is just enough to say
That a wren in the snow is a wren in the snow
Can't one thing take away from it
It is what it is, and little else
Oh take me into your arms
Take me itn the arms that loved me
With a heart that does not comdemn
And hold me with all the powers of heaven
My one and only friend
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

I sing the song of love that has been found
Of a prayer that has been answered
And every day forever on from now
I'll sing of what has been done for me
I'll get lost with you in space and time
And forget all my other dreams before you
I'll let everything slip away and lose its meaning
And in the end that is all there will be

The ballerinas dance as the winter wind blows
And the Ferris wheel creaks against the sky
The dolphins curb the murky cove
And the red crabs click their pincers together
The sea lions dive where children can see them
Especially tourists, if there are any left
And the castle puts out their finest napkin rings
On the long supper table that goes out like a moat
The Easter bunnies brush their grey whiskers
and wonder when dinner is coming
The peaches fall, thump, on the grass-padded ground
I'm laying here listening for your footfall
The long walk vigil across the walls of the castle
Are heavily trodden by soldiers
But people are hiding within walls of comfortable plaster
And living inside of them softly
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

The dragon lifted up his claw to the sky
And told me to look therein
Some mystery lies in this blanket
And the meadow grass growing still
Some cold of winter silently unfolding
To the undulating swing of the cosmos
"Lie still with me, and listen," he beckons
And so I lay against his paw and listen
The creaking of the attic swing
Where the flowers were once in your hair
And the star globe tells a deeper thing
That something is yet to be there
My heart a dove that loves you so
And all the world lay still
The mother hen in her soft bed lays
Clucking about what tomorrow brings
Tomorrow will bring tears, she mutters mournfully
Or tomorrow will bring joy
It is not up to us to decide what comes
Only how to endure it with grace
The dragon itches his nostril thoughtfully
And offers me some cookies
"I like people like you," he says quietly
And nuzzles closer
The vigil broods while we wait for our child
We need a little mouse to keep us company
Oh little boy blue, come over the hill
And greet us with your great serenity
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

"Nursery Vigil"
Under the still white light of night
I lay listening for your friendly rap
While my heart dives in and out of the sea
Where the berry bushes are twinkling in dew
And the roses nod off to sleep
They are too perfect and soft to understand
And for that they are blessed
The Nutcracker struggles to defend the house
Against darkness of all sort
It troubles him, the coming in and out
And the heaving and moving of some great destiny
But in his eyes there is great courage
And also as they say he is very little
The nutcracker is what a soldier should be
Defending the keep of his loved ones
All lonely vigil he solemnly keeps
No dropping of his sword
He protects me from things that sweep about
I know I'll always be safe here
And on the shelves, the lonely, dusty shelves
A story is now unfolding
Of a castle that lays beyond the clouds
Awaiting our arrival home
Or the lady that never gets asked to dance
Yet she is still suspended in happiness
The baby bunnies guarding the easter eggs
Or the lambs or teddies or ponies
Your dinner is waiting for you to come home
And brush the snow from the stoop
You've been out working for so long
You probably want to sleep
The boy in his blue breeches and little cap
Or the pink pony with the oceany blue mane
The bay pony with the saddle and bridle
And the appaloosa with his soft brown spots
Little fireplace is a hearth for your feet
And I'm waiting for your arrival
The jewelry doesn't look good on me
Because my hair is been shorn
But if it grows, you'll have me, a fine lady
To nibble dinner alongside you
We'll chomp and grin and throw our toys
With a yell because we're home
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

"Someday"
I  dropped the things I was carrying
When I saw you coming out of the water
Your hair was brushed across your forehead
And you were wearing silver armor
You looked lost and a little scared
And I ran towards you
I threw my arms around you
And knocked you backwards
I grinned at you and you grinned at me
And then we were grinning together
And buried my face in your hair
We looked at each other and we laughed
You rubbed my arm in disbelief
At the end of this story you'll find me
You'll find me like every good love story
Someday you and I will walk in the sun
We'll grin and laugh together
Someday
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

You must be fierce, and brave, and strong
I mutter to the fire
No one knows what comes after that
Only God Himself
You must suffer until you do not exist
And I must carry on
Till I too start suffering
Till I too die
By then it will be too late
The things you meant to do
Do them before the candle burns out
And I will do mine
My eyes crease with joy
When I see you still alive
A river of pain after that
A river that becomes an ocean
And nothing after that
And nothing for me but death
You must be very brave and strong
The suffering is to death
One day it will be gone
But not until then
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Crab cakes you'll get for dinner
 Crab and Cracker Crumbs mixed with
mayonnaise, lemon juice, and one egg
Pan-fried in butter on a skillet until browned
And a dish of cheddar broccoli soup
I'll boil the broccoli in broth and milk
and melt in cups of cheddar cheese
And serve it in bowls with bacon wrap sandwiches
Away the winter night broods and scowls
As the earth moves out from under the sun
I'll kiss you with the heart of one who needs you
And pray for you when you are away
Longtime you have journeyed to this lonely outpost
Where I wait by the flickering fire
The fire utters secrets as it cracks and burns
The wind grows colder still
The sounds of the city are all around
And in the distance, a whipporwhill
The waters cleave to the bosom of the earth
Where God makes all his plans
He gave me this place to rest my bones
And think about all things coming or going
Though He is doomed to Die before long
Some happiness we'll enjoy for now
He is afar now, chasing, as you also are,
The steadfast wills of his longing heart
He loves me, That one, and so do you
And whatever may come or go
Just that, that fact, is enduring still
May it never be untrue
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

A Feather brushed backwards on your cheek
would bring peace to your heart like the light of day
A smile from the downtrodden on a cold Winter's day
Or a man in a black tophat offering you some macaroons
Or an honour or an award would be justly deserved
Crying the cries of those who cannot fall down and die
Of the immortal warriors who shoot arrows beyond the Veil
And Save the Souls of those who aimlessly wander the earth
Only wishing they were a little more Wild
I'll heap Chicken Soup in bowls out for you
And you can go on and on
I know your tears are not unheard by God
I know he hears you where you lay weeping
I know he sees you feeling so absurd
And surely he will ease your pain
A cure for His disease, Oh Lord
And Some balm for his wounds
He is by now mortally stricken
How we grieve this loss, Oh God
Where will we go, what will we do
Without his happy company
What little skylark moves within the night
What Hope glimmers in this sandstorm
What cheek turns to comfort me
When my love is all given in to the dust
There is no man greater, Lord God
No one but the dust
The dust is peaceful in a way
It offers an answer to my pain
It is to dust that he shall return
And to immortal bliss he will go
But for me I will be a widow
And alone I'll wander the sands of this shore
Not forever, but for many years
Oh, I will wander without him
Just a fool, Oh God, just a fool I am
A fool is all I ever will be
Thank you for what I was given, for a while
I'll treasure him forever in my heart
The locket that I keep with the lock of his hair
Will surely comfort me
Oh, How I Love him so
My love, it fills the sea
And on the promised land the lights
That twinkle on your shores
Are speeding me on with the light of Grace
I'll miss you evermore
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Little chicken in your nest
May you be safe and warm
All along the leagues of life
Blows life's bitter storm
Shelter is the Gift God Gives
It's shining in His Hands
Sometimes we're just doing His Will
Sometimes he works through us
Maybe you're a chicken and dumplings boy
Sitting beside a well of water
You pull up buckets of cool fresh water
And drink them in deeply
All chicken-scratch this, I sit by you
The baby animals are growing up
The people nest in their warm dens
In this burrows of a hovel
The trees reach their fingers to the sky
In prayer to fervent heaven
Both listening and praying
Their speech is fair and cloven
The rain falls down in splashes
And the computers whir on gently
The Sea belongs to memory
Noone remembers it anymore
The stones are without will to speak
The dirt is always increasing
The crickets say "Shh, Shh, Shh..."
Little Chirpings mean it's cold out
But for you you will not be cold
And for you soft slumbers
I wrote you a book but you cannot read
It sits quietly on its shelves
And though you never read it
And probably never will
It testifies that there is a God who loves us
And that you were happy and still
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Not knowing why people do mean things
I look at you trying to get warm
What is cruelty, and why do people do it
Why are some people kind, while others destroy
What happens to these people when they ruin lives
And what reward is there for those who were destroyed
To give or to take, To heal or to kill
To build up or to break down, to smile or to frown
There is so very much out of reach
So much that nobody can make better
In suffering, what do we earn
In losing it all, what progress
If one turns the other cheek at all times
Then peace will flow through the valley
One will not be contributing to pain
The little kitties will like you
And you will be happier
Some people do terrible things to others
Not caring what will become of them
As though no fear frightened them enough
Or no guilt were heavy enough
I know not this divine mystery of evil
I don't know why some people are generally evil
But some are, in fact many are
While others are incredibly good
I just do he right thing when I can
Hoping that it makes a difference
A smile, a hug, or some sesame seeds
Or a book that is delicious to enjoy
Some carrot shavings on a bowl of cream soup
Or chicken and dumplings and fruit pie
Or a little bowl of bacon and boiled potatoes
These little things are not without helping others
They bring peace and warmth to the person
Maybe to be grateful for what one has
And not to long for what one does not have
People give from themselves what they can
When they can't they don't
Someday we may understand having enough
And why one struggles with it all of life
These struggles are hard and painful
Often people die because their needs aren't met
Long wandering into the hills of thought
Has led me to pray when I am scared
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

I hear your voice in the wind that blows
The seashell that cradles me close
I'll never tire of your warm voice
Working away at the troubles of life
Ah little one you've shorn your shoes
Come and sit upon my fat lap here
I journeyed afar to find the meaning of life
Some answer echoing off the canyons
I went to ask the angels what life was about
And in its roundabout way I inherited death
But you were the meaning to my singing
And the reason th daffodils spring up in spring
The little bird crying for its mother
You followed my apron strings around the kitchen
Oh you were a sweet baby, you were a lamb
My pie-eating child who suffered
You took care of me in a dark time
A time when you were my only comforter
I was not alone because of your all-saving strength
You gave me the strength  I needed to go on
In your ways I was only a little child
And my heart's delight was found in you
A little person dusting the porch stoop
Can enclose all the secrets of the wall of China
There was happiness here and in you
In you I discovered the meaning of life
When you died I listened for your pretty echo
Forever I will be listening for you
Maybe I'm lost and maybe I'm alone
But I'm never alone in truth
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

"Prayer"
If the soul is eternal then it should be immortal
Something that cannot be bought nor destroyed
Didn't God leave us with something to hope for
Didn't he leave us an answer
With nothing to go forward with, all is lost
I look at you with a blank thoughtfulness
What to do with what is left
Where does one go from here
There must be an immortal soul because
The heart is full of love
I believe I will go to heaven one day
Because I deserve to
After all the suffering, rest
And I Pray for those that deny that
Rest and peace belong to everyone
Everyone deserves to rest after a long day
Oh torment that was in this life
Be washed clean with the morning light
It is till then I make my pilgrimage
Only until then
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Rivers of pain in my valley
Gouging me clean through

"Playing By Myself"
You threw great parties and I was your child
You let me serve the guests one by one, and set the table
While you casually told them stories about life
I liked setting the table with you so much
You worked one on one with me for years
Helping me glue popsicle sticks together to make stairs
You helped me understand basic concepts
We worked together so well
When something unfortunate happened, my face
My face grew sickly and ugly over time
You grew more and more displeased over time
Until finally you quit your job
It was because my face was too ugly to love
It was scary to the point of being deformed
I often felt trapped within it and scared myself'
How could my physical body cause me so much pain
My health problem is my ugliness
I suffer because of it
So many times I have wanted to play with my friends
But they didn't want to play with me because I was ugly
Maybe God is trying to teach me something over time
But as for me, I'd rather go out and play
I'd rather walk in the light like everybody else
Instead I am playing by myself
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Sickness of the heart is a paradox
The heart is the opposite of sickness
Love is the best form of healing
Sometimes if you love yourself the most
Out of everyone else to play with
Then, you are happy just being alone
I am.  I savor that which perpetuates me
That which I live by, and I am happy
I am happy just to be alive

"To Ptolemy, my best friend"
Boots covered in thick mud splashes
What a messmaker you are
Thriving on chaos
Your heart is pure joy
Happy playing in mudpuddles
Blessed are Ye
Me, I like being thoughtful
I also like to watch you at work
If I could I'd follow you around quietly
And watch you mess up this and that
As you hand me the dinner rolls in a basket
I watch fascinated while you infect the world
A great sense of humour and playfulness
My memories of you are happy memories
I have learned so much from you about joy
About pure mean and happy fun
You are truly a great friend to me
And you can come and go whenever
I never get tired of your voice
I never want you to leave my side
Also, I cannot replace you with another
Because no one else truly understands me
I don't identify with or love anyone but you
Which is fine because I like being alone anyway
Don't force me to move on, little one
My heart is full with your carefree play
You will always be my best friend
And I will never hate you
I hope you're having fun
But I'm sure you are anyway
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

"Being Nice and Happiness"
The struggles of life may be unavoidable
The squabbling and fighting among creatures
Maybe I just like to smell the flowers all day
Maybe, more than anything else, I like to be happy
To sit and listen to the wind sighing in the eaves
Or the clovers breathing and the birds nesting
Just to be happy!  Just to sit and bask
If they would stop fighting for once, they'd be happy
Peaceful and prosperous, I just like to sit and think
Poverty teaches us all to be extremely grateful
Maybe I had it all going for me and it was taken away
Maybe I lost my life the day after I reached my happiest time
Maybe suffering over the years mellows my soul to happiness
Maybe I'm just a nice person
Maybe, If you are just a nice person,
 Then you too will be happy
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

You do not interest me because
I don't feel a need to manipulate your heart
Live and let live.  I love you little butterfly
I mean you no ill will and I smile when I see you
Your fetters are pretty to look at
Someday we'll understand these puzzles of life
Being alone gives me peace and peace is everything
Just quietly working away at a goal which is visible
The birds on the wing are just working away
At the little grains that nourish their bodies
Each day holds enough survival to spare time
I'm grateful for what I have and thankful to be alive
The thorn in my side I shall ignore
Until he, too, leaves me alone
Here's your candy little one
Try not to get your boots soaked
It's good to see you having fun
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

"Thorns"
Oh cruelty is a tragedy
If mankind did not have bloodthirst in his heart
Then maybe we would be a good planet
But this is not a really good planet because
Its people are too cruel to overcome their shortcomings
Jealousy, inferiority, desire
And the hate that springs therefrom
And from hate, springs forth cruelty
And from cruelty, springs forth evil
When the first man cast the first stone
Wounding a brother in the face
Or perhaps the arm, or maybe only the heart
This warlike tendency keeps us all trapped
Trapped, in a vicious cycle of rebirth
From which we never escape
All cruelty has a reason
Maybe if I didn't have so much, then
the others wouldn't be trying to kill me
Maybe so.  It seems hopeless
Many beautiful things are birthed forth on earth
Only to be destroyed by those that envy them
Envy is deadly. Hatred and lust
The lamb that was slain was killed
Maybe the point of life is to be killed
Maybe that is the greatest thing that could happen
Maybe these beautiful things are longing to grow
But the needles of meanness are fast afoot
All beautiful things, all destroyed
Makes me sad and afraid
Realizing I am in danger of becoming a prey
For having this or that greater scope
The party that enthralls the world is a mania
Those that hunt me are driven mad by anger
Is he really that perfect? 
Not to me, not ever.  I watch in amazement
And wish I could just let him go
Too much the world is with me
One man picks up a stone and wounds another
Such is the history of humanity
I'll cast you away from me and go from here
Here, with all the madness of ungratified desires
The madness of being alive
Yet not being able to have one's needs met
I'll brush you off of me like a lint moth
And ignore all that you say or do
Life is lonely and one must go it alone
Solitude is really all one gets to have
Thank God I like being alone
For in privacy I find peace
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

The panting of the breath as I run through the night
My feet in the heavy snow
All I ever wanted is to grow old with you
To hold you in my arms each day
The battles rage on as time goes on
I am fighting to be here with you
In my resolve there is hope for us
There is hope in going on
The dogs bite at my heels viciously
I kick them off and struggle
On and on I'm carrying you
Oh baby in my arms
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

I don't know what the future holds
Probably shifting on into the dusk
Life could be long but not for me
I'm dying against these lonely walls
I'd give anything for my freedom
Freedom to work, freedom to leave
Freedom to marry or have a child
Freedom to stand alone as a sole person
Apart and free from the ties that bind
I'd give anything to live my life free
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

I've loved you so much for so long now
That to lay in the dark with you is heaven
There's so much there in the silence
I love to be silent with you together
Holding hands because we're scared
I love you
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

I've seen a lot of suffering and pain in my life
Enough that I rarely smile anymore
When I was young I laughed at everything
But life has rent or torn me down
I feel more of a woman than ever
And I'm incredibly proud to be me
Nobody I've ever seen wears diamonds like me
I'm the toughest thing I know
From what I've seen of the afterlife it's worth it
All that hell can hold holds enough pain for me
I'd rather suffer in this life here and now
Than to someday reach eternity filled with regrets
Longsuffering and pain seems the hallmark of my lifetime
We are living in a hard era of history too
A product of my world, society has consumed me
And caught in the webs and snares of the many
I suffer in the loneliest chasms of the mind
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

"Your Loss"
The lost are stuck beyond repair
Still yet I go to you
To see if your morning glory's caught any rain
Solemnly you hold it to the sky
Like a moon cup gathering the tears of God
Your dreams were really scattered weren't they
Like a fine wheelbarrow turned over and dragged away
You struggle without knowing if it will get any better
"It's just misunderstood", I mutter and hand it back to you
I'm feeling low myself
If you want to scatter corn to the chickens here is some
I love you and I want you to come home
Days now are lonely without you
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Where you lay in your despair
Clutching at the blankets that held you
Crying for your nakedness and misery
For that which took your crown away
I'll find you some juicy wild grapes to suckle
And nod your head deep into her bosom
Where you won't have to be afraid anymore
Oh lost the way back home
It was shaken and lost underfoot
And this earth is not as it once was years ago
You look for your family and it is all gone
Like the pages of a storybook you were forgotten
And even if you wanted to reach out you can't
You can't without breaking the law
So you hide in your house with your spouse
And the darkness seems darker than ever before
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

The dark towers of the hidden castle
The one that looks over the cliffs of despair
Where the walls are cloaked in blue velvet
And the Windows are open and blowing their curtains
Brass and copper urns are full of violets and pansies
And some are full of coins and bracelets
Some are full of little crochets of ivory lace
Pearled into collars and baby bibs and little handkerchiefs
They hang from the ladies' long skirts and brush the floor
Where your hair is floor length and brushed a hundred times
The floor is tiled with marble and the basins are filled with pearls
Pink and cream pearls like women crying tears of joy
When they see their children and husbands coming home from war
Where they will lay forever in our arms
And wars are a fine thing when nobody dies
And absence makes the heart ever fonder
I hope you take me into your castle
And kiss me and show me where the waterfalls are pouring down
And the pets have curled hair and there are crystals hanging in the light
And all things are full of light
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

"The Children"
If love is the light by which we live
Then that candle is ever burning
Though the tunnels through which the enemy approaches
Are thick and clogged with mystery
Despair not little children for that which kills
Is unhappy deep within its heart
It paces and hunts without mercy
And in that it is unforgiven
All your singing and dancing is heard by God
And gratefully received by heaven
The gifts you bring will bless you all
Oh children with sweetest faces
All children buying and selling these goods
And children snuggling together
There is safety in congregating together
If we are not alone, we are not lost
This world is full of light and dark
And quickly escalates in either direction
Its beings are forever hungering
For the materials which make them happy
And in this ever-seeking of happiness
Much great harm is done to many
But there are moments filled with sweetness
Like honey-soaked sesame cakes
When these moments come everyone dances and sings
Gratefully received by heaven
Oh fear not little ones there is something that Guides
And that energy will indeed protect us
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

"The Witch"
The Witch is the daughter of the great I Am
She has kindled and earned His friendship through time
Like an earnest fire glowing on the outskirts of town
She is a whipped whelp and lives in wariness and fear
Afraid for that which gives and takes from her
She fills the rosary bed with things that fill her heart
Peaceful and prosperous she feels lost and betrayed
By that which she has dearly loved and tried to please
If you see her turn away she is saying a prayer
On the decline, she knows many things
If the civilization is turned to rubble she will probably survive
Because the meanness of her life has taught her so much
Hers is a path of suffering
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

"The Witch"
The old witch's hut is hung with toadstools
And grey musk that sweeps its dusky forehead
Her cat is fat and happy with stories and fishbones
And the market boy brings her fish and root vegetables
Which she transforms into thick witch's broths and feeds them
They sit by the fire under the light of the unwary moon
Groups of visitors discussing invaders in low ominous voices
And goings on in the north lands where nothing conquers but cold
Where the ice and hardness of the landscape are dotted by trees
To that into which you must soon be going
The cat knows all the directions one can go in
Like a sphinx in a basket of eggs he waits for a visitor
He knows so much that he's pregnant with secrets
He watches while she weaves her soft yarns into stories
And now he wanders off for days to hunt
Without her cat the witch is lonely but busy
She is working on something she cannot deny
Time has rent or changed that which plaits her hair
And quite beautiful hangs her crooked nose in the light of the moon
When she bends crooked and humped under the urn that pours water
And hangs her stringy long hair to be rinsed underneath it
The rivers that flow nearby are of many names
She draws her water therefrom
Needing a new project to pour herself into
She makes of herself books of spells that make everyone dance
They come and take their books and go into the village
This is how she earns her keep
The old witch's hut
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

"The Carnival Of Horses"
The Carnival of Horses
Where the carnivorous red horses are devouring man flesh
Their red barrel chests heaving up and down
Drunk on human flesh they devour their victims
And lazily wait heavily for their next victim to fall in
They are red from blood and their fat white teeth are stained
Murderous horses they cannot be trusted with men
The Carnival of Horses
Where the pink and baby blue horses are chomping the bit
Around and around they dance to the music of the stars at night
Their heads rise and fall their mouths are open and panting
Feet pounding the golden floor as they dance up and down
Nodding and bowing like crashing waves
There are pink roses in their hair hung from streamers
The soft locks of hair fall into their foreheads
Children come up to their haunches with wide eyes
And climb on their backs and hold on
While they tell them the stories of the night
Why some are lost and some are found
Why crickets must die in the autumn
Why chickens are born to be slaughtered
Why children cry when their toys are taken
Why ships roll in and pulse through the night
Why lost things are sometimes never found
Why they are doomed to pound the earth forever
Why they cannot reenter the kingdom of heaven
Why they must grow up and lose their innocence
These horses know that we all must die
They know of that which stalks us in the night
Perhaps that is why they are so fiercely dancing
Like nothing could put out the fir beneath them
And further on the black jarred night
The golden globes of light hang under the sky
And trace the paths of strangers seeking a thrill
Where the ferris wheel looms darkly in the night
All ablazoned with lights like the doom of all things
Or the great wheel of father time eaking out our lives
Where graffiti marks the dissonance of youth
And pickpockets snatch the watches from unwary purses
Lost in unfamiliar languages unknown to the general assembly
And unaware to those who govern the land
The hungry are taking what they need by force
And raiding the villager's stalls and filling their bellies
Then they get on the horses and ride into the night
Raiding and feasting and going through their incarnations
Little children growing and falling back down again
The horses don't care who rises or falls
They are beating into the earth their triumphant horse destiny
The Carnival of Horses
And further on the outskirts of this outpost
The blue and black horses are solemnly carrying the Indians
Down and down into places where street vendors fear to tread
These people fear not the darkness of night
They flinch not when they are whipped severely across their cheeks
They pray not when the fall of man is descended upon us all
They fear not and seek only solitude and peace and rest
Ever wandering, wandering they ride through sunflower meadows
Where the blue paint on their black horses cracks in the sunlight
Fearless and conquered they have no hopes to dash
And pray if they are ever moved to wrath for they cannot be
And long and lonely is their night vigil
These horses come out at night when the devil is on their backs
These are my warrior horses These will I send you
Into the night when dark is on the face of us all
To carry the children back into nonbeing
And the thieves and the hungry back into their beds
Where they can lay softly and feel safe at night
And listen at night to the falling of streetcars
Rising and falling under the lowlit witch moon
Horses are meant to carry children to their destinies
And they will until tide and time's begun
And the race is bound for another shore
In Jesus' Name,
Amen