A wall of empty polaroids,
Picture frames of memories
That only existed in my head—
I waded in my worries, bathing
In the darkness of my knuckles

As they held tight to the control
Around my life’s throat—
At the bottom of growth, nowhere
To go but upward, toward the
Light of glistening things, of His
Glory working to shine through
The drapes I closed to stew in

My pain—before I was Saved.

One heart tied to mine, slowly
Loosening as the strings of Jesus
Grew stronger, brighter, fastened
Around a sapling He was dredging
From the soil—when did I outgrow
The other flowers of belief that
Surrounded? To one soul, I was
Unrecognizable, and to others, I
Was only catching up, floundering,
Until I realized He was the Center.

A passage of unseen looks,
A stolen question, sequestered
By worries—
Can I see you
For a moment?
Words laid at a doorstep,
Fingers quietly wound together,
A hand holding a head--
Don’t speak,
You don’t have to.
God knows your heart better
Than I ever could.
Bring it to Him,
Fall apart,
Feel the Spirit catch you—
It is not my arms,
But the love of Christ
Supporting you through me,
Gracefully broken.

Pale yellow pages,
Torn at the sides,
The words thoughtful
As they fill up the
Ordained space—
His hand is smooth,
Full of love, using
Us as writing pads
To spread His grace.
We are flyers of the
Words He lays on our
Hearts, flitting in the
Wind, until He decides
We’re all out of pages—
Beauty returning to
Its likeness again.

The sharp corners of stairs,
A valley of ups and downs,
Housing a river of tears—
My struggles swelled at my
Ankles, slowly trying to rise.
If I did not climb forward,
Upward, towards my Father,
I would be drowned by this
World, caught in the Death
He had defeated on an old,
Waterlogged cross for the
Redemption of our souls.

The indestructable diamond—
Made from pressure, suffering,
Shaped by the love that never
Relents, the Spirit working in
Our Chests as He turns the
Coal of our hearts into the
Glistening imitation of Him.

Walking on the outskirts,
A smile crimped clean,
Holding on to the hope
Of leftover’s satiation.
Fifty feet away, zoom in
Until it’s almost like you’re
There, meeting success,
Your arm laden with their
Coats, falling into the idea
That you’re worth only
The change in the pockets.

Your hands grip around
Your midsection, thoughts
Cinching chains on your
Potential--uncurl them.
Watch the static in your
Hair loosen as you give
Yourself up to the arms
Of the only opinion that
Matters, the only love that
Can disprove the doubts
Of this insatiable world.

A hop down memory lane,
A world of darkness
Written in the cobblestones.
I relived it all on purpose,
Knowing it was where
I would find my inspiration.

. . .

I shifted the focus
From the brokeness
Of my heart
To the peace that lies
In the grace of my God.