it is the deepest teaching of
them all
that a sacrifice must come
before the blessing

yet many
are stopped by It

to receive the chrism
of Blood
which saves and erases
what was
transforms those who ask for It
into a blank slate
with a tender heart
and an open eye

because
surrender makes Whole
makes Holy
the anointed

for
Sacrifice must come
before
Blessing



c. 2024 Roberta Compton Rainwater

this human life seems
always to be crawling
each moment justified
by
anything but God

its movement neither
to nor fro
back nor forward
for nor against
for
anything but God

but
Love changes waiting
to Wisdom
and
movement
away from anything

but God


c. 2024 Roberta Compton Rainwater

it was excruciating to watch
the boiling in oil
listening, though never a sound was made
nor a struggle against

excruciating
to see a skinless man crawling over stones
silent as a sleeping lamb
blind yet fully bright

excruciating
to watch as he signed
asking for writing materials
then, on his stomach, begin to write

as though he still has fingers
as though he still has eyes

his story is a vision
written with spirit fingers
and eyes
listening to the Inner Voice

the only sounds
the scratching of a stylus across papyrus
and the sighing of Breath
as he listens


c. 2024 Roberta Compton Rainwater

truth begets Truth
trust begets Trust
Life begets seed
seed begets life
Life begets Life
life begets life

like attracts like

there is no versus
no againsts
what is created here
is matched
whether perceived right or wrong

Like attracts Like

as a child grows
and develops
so its soul allows
when guidance is missing
or when it isn’t

like attracts like

give your heart to God
follow His Heartsong
alone
then all the titfers
become only Tats


c. 2024 Roberta Compton Rainwater

the answer to your unasked question
is always and ever
can’t quit you
you are planted in my heart
growing in the soil of Love given me
by our God Father
won’t quit you baby
ever and always

you ask your unasked question
in many ways
phrasing it differently each time
you un-ask it
my answer is as unchanging as God
because it comes from Him
can’t quit you
won’t quit you
ever and always

the richness of my Love’s Soil
spreads into my answer
drowning the doubt in your unasked question
lifting our hearts both
don’t wanna quit you
can’t quit you
ever and always
whispered on the Breath of Love
by the Breath of Love
to you
ever and always
in the Breath of Love

ever and always
always and ever


c. 2024 Roberta Compton Rainwater

a habit comes to its end
when mirrored - if you let it
if the distress of keeping it
nurturing it
doesn’t **** you first
the brain doesn’t let go easily
produces obstacles
relentlessly
forcing a reckoning
a picking apart
a loss of what was

when the releasing ends
justice floods in
pushes the habit off its mooring
ungently
crashes it into the prison walls
breaking it apart to make
a puzzle of it and
sorting begins:
does any of it fit anymore?

justice completes the reckoning
sorts the habit’s habits
into piles
and crushes them to dust
dust to dust to nonexistent
who is this being now?
no one
everyone
potential
as a child is potential
while the glory of the habit
of the Ichabod
becomes anonymous
and the Heart takes over


c. 2024 Roberta Compton Rainwater

sitting in a space surrounded
by rain, I become rainish
I puddle up with distopia
gather rainish-soaked bitter memories
into my heart as though they’re precious
and necessary
my brain acting as rainish gauge
tracking un-data for the un-stats
for making claims like presidential
candidates

the heart knows Truth, knows Love
and never falters nor complains
the heart rests in comfort
like a baby rests in cradling arms
ignores rainish thoughts
and bittered memories
surrounds me with treasured ones
instead
gently leading me back to center

hearting me back to God


c. 2024 Roberta Compton Rainwater