It is a morning like no other
when hope is smeared across the skies
Among the mourners I am alone
death cannot bind, when life could not.

A law binds us of old, to kinsmen
and clansmen, and the court
of law can be crooked
where evidence is omniscient.

In the chamber of faith
elevated on the altar
where we light pious incense
is the decorated image
of disbelief - for death
here, is the final word,

and who knows if there was
one in the beginning?

In the heart, the answer
where a wave knocks
of love, daring storms
and disregarding falls,
waiting to wash our feet
and cleanse our lives.

So are we here for a time,
on a sojourn we meet awhile:

Now darkness is overcast
and shadows grow on the walls
Now time is distant
and memories pale
But the miracle of your advent
never fades in my soul.

There are so many souls
Running a muck
Out on a limb
Down on their luck
Playing with time as they try and piece it all together

Shows what can go wrong
When you try and go it alone
With only earthly ideas
Of whats going on
How can we predict our lives when we can't even predict the weather

Too many lives are like sailing ships passing by on a moonless night
Birds in search of food on a wingless flight
Trying time and time again to get it right

Out there like tall buildings in a city standing side by side
No way to run with nowhere to hide
Just empty shells with nobody inside

They tend to bend to the whim
Of society's call
Blind to the truth
Bugs in a jar
Surroundings are clear with no idea of how to get there

Without God on their side
To draw from in life
They keep running in place
They keep biding their time
No ones keeping score but the feeling is sure, they could do better

Too many lives are like sailing ships passing by on a moonless night
Birds in search of food on a wingless flight
Trying time and time again to get it right

Out there like tall buildings in the city standing side by side
No way to run with nowhere to hide
Just empty shells with nobody inside

If I should ever lose my sight
No longer seeing through these eyes
I still will gaze upon the prize
For my eyes they've seen the truth

If words no longer fill my mouth
If what I had to say did not come out
There would never be a doubt
I would continually sing my praise to you

If both my legs they were cut off
I would still be standing for the cause
Continuing in my faithful walk
Each day in you I stand anew

I know I'll never lose my heart
For it loves and knows How Great Thou art
To the very end from the very start
Jesus, I will always be in love with you

I had it all in my hand
Still I did not understand
How cruel this life could be
When it took it all away from me

Now I am nothing but a shell
Of what I once knew so well
Among the lessons that I learned
How quickly life can turn

So don't count upon tomorrow
Live life for today
Make the most of every moment
Love life along the way

For what may come tomorrow
No one here can say
Make the most of what your given
Then give it all away

Twelve are the months of darkness:
twelve the months of perennial winter,
in this world immersed
in the arctic of the Spirit;

Forty are the days of penance,
forty of fasting, yet our torment lasts:
is mortal sin washed?
of the heart, not carne?

Light, here we have, but
Light is what we need, lost our lives
frozen and dark,
in the penumbra of the Spirit.

And grace comes knocking -
but when David rises over darkness
we are with Saul, comes
ben-Joseph, we are with David.

By his lips he thought us to pray
A father in heaven to call every day
Hallowed be his name
Our heart to be pure for we are in his image same
We do plead on earth his kingom to come
yet we destroy the nature to benefit some
A daily bread we ask and he doth give
Do we share it with the hungry to live
Forgiveness from him we do seek
yet in our strength do we suppor the weak
We do forgive are the words we say
yet jealousy and hatred in our hearts do stay
Teamptaions he doth clear in our way
Yet by words and deeds we sow it everyday
Deliverence we do ask by his hand
yet against evil our heart doth not take a stand
His is the kingdom power and glory for ever
A father to us who forsake us never
tis a simple prayer we do say everyday
Not by words but with action in our way

Oh Lord my God, I want to die
And you are the reason why
Die to self, die to sin
Die to the man that lives within

The man that's deep within my soul
Too often takes complete control
Have mercy on this sinful man
Chief of sinners that I am

But you oh Lord
Have sealed my fate
To live is Christ
To die is gain

So that is why I want to die
And Lord you are the reason why
Die to self, die to sin
Die to the man that lives within

Isaiah 52:14 As many were astonied at Thee His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men.

Isaiah 53:2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant and as a root out of dry ground; He hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see Him there is no beauty that we should desire Him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised and we esteemed Him not.
4 Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.
5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb so He opened not His mouth.

I was walking in the desert.
The shadow was long
when the dunes went silent
and I sank to my knees
staring at the skies.

Past an abandoned drum
wailing in the winds,
where a half-buried mask
peeps out of the sand.

When the rain came
it poured out in torrents
and I had no place
to hide my soul.

Forefingers to thumbs,
I strain my eye to look through
the rummage of life.

Or on the tree
in the river island?

But it is like the song
that you know you remember
but can't put words to:
looping in and out,

Where did I leave my heart?

It's hard to tell,
when the love dried up
like the river in the desert.

Her appearance draws unwanted attention,
She’s judged by the veil on her head.
She sees their curious glances and reactions
But looks the other way instead.
She lowers her face, avoiding any eyes,
She’s used to this and expects it.
Some would consider curious conversation
But her evading eyes deflect it.

She wonders what it would be like to be
With family in a public place,
To not be different from the crowd, to see
Acceptance in a stranger’s face.
But deep beliefs resist any stray musings,
She’s been veiled most of her life.
Still she yearns for someone to view her as just
A woman, a mother, or wife.

Her veil and clandestine dress erects a wall,
Hides her heart, causes distrust, fear.
Not many are willing to risk her offense
Or bring possible menace near.
Do I look behind the veil to see the heart
Of a woman needing to come
To see God as a Father who loves this lost
And adrift daughter of Islam

I desire a metamorphosis
I know,  I feel,
Life can be better than this
I'd like to rise
A majestic thing
With grace and his glory
Shining in my wings.

Take flight
With colours rare and true,
Pretty like the chalkhill blue
Or glowing like the
Monarch's orange hue.

But instead I am trapped
In the cocoon stage
Wrapped up,curled
Stuck in sinful nature's cage
Wings not yet unfurled

Imprisoned by fragility
Brought on by bipolarity
Kept in emotional intensity
For what feels like eternity

But one day soon
I will feel free
From the cocoon's shackles
That bind me
I will feast on the nectar
Of His good word
And soar and flutter by
Free as a bird

Free in the sure certainty
The promises he's made
Sure of my saviour's love for me
My debts that he has paid

But yet I still feel like the caterpillar
Fumbling around
Still finding my way
I'm grateful for creation
Still orange striped and hairy
Yet not at all scary
Awaiting transformation! :)