I don't remember when, exactly,
But
I do remember it was during those hours
When the sun stretches and spreads it soft light over the sky,
kissing the grass and brushing its golden fingertips over the rooftops;
During the hours when the cool wind gently blows on your face,
telling you it's time to be alive again.

It was at that time I remembered,
A rare moment, really,
Since memories are so easily forgotten just as they are made.
They search every nook and cranny,
Looking for a place
To stay
And stay forever,
Maybe.

On that morning,
Everything came back.
Eyes widened
Mind whirled
And heart stirred
At a memory
I never knew existed.
A memory that had found its way home

I remembered, clearly,
Wind so crisp and cold
The air snapped with the chill.
I remembered, clearly,
Leaves wrapped in dresses of scarlet and gold,
Dancing in the breeze.
I remembered, clearly,
Carpets, soft under my toes,

warm in color and warm in feel.
I remembered, clearly,
Roads blanketed in white
And the earth's heartbeat, slow and steady, asleep soundly.

But the memory ended too soon,
For the taste had passed.
I shoveled in spoonful after spoonful of oatmeal,
sweetened with powdered milk and brown sugar,
Hoping the familiar flavor would come back,
So I could remember again.
Memory's a funny thing,
Because it left its home,
Opened the door,
And traveled down the road.
Never to return again,
Maybe.

For now,
I will try my best to remember.
For who knows?
Memory's a funny thing.
I might even find
The fresh smell of spring and the taste of steamed pilmeni again
In a nice, warm bowl of oatmeal.

for the boat:
wood.
the more fragrant the better.
maple, perhaps
but
pine
would do fine.
a sail.
of African cloth
and some oars with handles
made from gold-and-silver ladles.
pixie dust.
ten bags, at least
borrow some from Tink.
that would be simpler,
i think.
we're read-- oh!
i almost forgot.
don't leave behind your knapsack
and copper cooking ***.
you'll also need
an extra dose of courage
a tablespoonful of faith
two cups of questions
and a bucketful of dreams.
now, you're ready.
who needs a map?
destination:
anywhere
and
everywhere.
you have your boat
you have your dreams
impossible is not
what
impossible seems.

“Maybe if my legs were slim,
and my lips rose-pink,
and my hair like silk,
and my hands white petals,
you would love me more.
Maybe if I could sing,
and dance,
and capture people with my
star-like smile,
you would look at me more closely.
Maybe if my grades
never saw an 89,
you would smile,
and clap,
and tell me wonderful things.
Maybe if I spoke with
a silver tongue and
could convince with my
bright, 20/20 vision eyes,
you would hug me tighter.
Maybe if…”

Child, maybe, maybe, maybe.
But, really,
even if your legs were elephants,
your lips blue,
your hair seaweed,
and your hands sandpaper,
I would still love you.

Even if your voice
sounded like frogs at night,
and your feet
stepped all over mine,
and your mouth
was cut up from all of that fixing metal,
I would still love you.

Even if your grades
never saw an 89,
I would still love you
and tell you all sorts of wonderful things.
Even if your tongue was bound by chains,
and you tripped and stumbled over your vowels,
I would still love you.

Child, to them your legs may not be slim,
your lips may not be the shade of roses,
your hair may not be silk,
and all of those silly, fickle, worldly things, but
to me,
you are beautiful.
So beautiful.
I breathed out the stars for you.
I created for you.
I shed for you.
I bled for you.
I died for you.

Why
do you still doubt?
Why
do you still fear?
Why
do you still look at yourself
in a way
that makes you question what I have made?

Child, look at me.
Look.
at.
Me.
I love you.
I love you.
I love you.

hold me when the river runs
don't let go.
watch it wind,
see me sink.

hold me when the river runs
to wherever it can't wait to be
rushing, roaring, rigid flowing
sudden stops -- please,
give me warnings

hold me when it all floats up,
when the bones pierce through,
when the gold is birthed,
when my palms fail to release,
when they fail to keep.

hold me when the river runs
don't.
let go.
I'll learn to follow echoes.

It is numbing to stare at the ground,
seeing nothing but my own weatherbeaten ankles
each footprint evidence of steps half-taken
in between neckbreaking pausing
to squint at starless skies.

But where there is water,
there is life
and maybe, just maybe,
maps are of no use here.

Where has he gone?

That Gabriel I knew

The Gabriel who laughed

and teased with the stars in his eyes

The Gabriel who loved

being

himself


Where has he gone?

Somebody tell me

and when you find him

bring.

him.

back.

please.


Where has he gone?

away

he moved

away

made choices that

pushed him

away

from us

from Him


he's dying, I think

slowly

but he doesn't know

I tried to tell him

but

he brushed my words aside

and let them slip through his fingers


People change

but this

I hate the most.

The change that

breaks you

wrings you like a wet rag

and makes you ask yourself

Where has he gone?

If you’re looking for a King,
you’ve come to the wrong place.
A warrior on a white horse or a
ruler robed in silk isn’t the face
He took when He
came down, if
you’re looking for a King, you’ll find an
empty throne and an
empty crown, because the King
stepped down, He
didn’t announce His coming with
a thousand trumpets blasting or
multitudes of angels to
show off His splendor, no, He
came in peace, He
came clothed in humility and became
a baby.

If you’re looking for a baby,
you won’t find him here,
The King came as a child
showing His people that He is
flesh and blood, too
He’s had the same hurts as you
but now the manger is empty
because the baby
grew up to become
the Messiah

came
and the Messiah went on to
fulfill the will He was sent here for
to bind up the brokenhearted
to take up our burdens
to be an instrument of mercy and
the love of the Father
unlike any other, to tell us that
the time had come for a fresh faith
in the One who holds the stars.
And so the donkey stands with no rider,
for Messiah took the cup
and became our Savior

crawled with death scraping His shoulders,
hissing triumphantly into His ear while
the very people He gave life to spat at Him
denied Him
tore the flesh off His back
hung Him naked on a cross, his hands red with
every sin He never committed, and He cried out
as His Father turned His face
away
from Him.
But the veil was torn and our sins
thrown to the farthest ends, and now
that cross stands empty.

They sealed his body in stone, seething,
“Where
is your Savior now?”
and the land was wrapped in darkness
and hope was burnt out, but
three sunrises later, the earth trembled
and heaven wasn’t the only place that opened
that day.
The body went missing and the
empty tomb
changed
everything.

Jesus rose over
every sickness
every hurt, every pain
He took our shame and
wiped our slate clean, there is
salvation in His name, there is
redemption in His name, there is
freedom in His name, Death had
no victory and no sting that day because
there is nothing
that can separate us from the love
that is the Father’s, who watched His son suffer
paying our debt, so that one day we may
receive what is His and be with Him
again, we are now
sons and we are now
daughters, no need for
sacrifices and meaningless prayers
come
as
you are, sinner, and let His blood
wash your past away, He
is alive.
So when doubt comes creeping closer
saying, “Where is your Savior?”
Look it in the eye and proclaim,
“He is risen!”
“He
is risen!”

You are so much more than a pair of green eyes.
Your heart is golden but sometimes your thoughts dull its shine.
It might take some rain and maybe even a thunderstorm, but I promise you,
It will be worth far more than the pain
to see you
see for the first time.
And you are nearing that day.

i think
chickens can fly.
they've just forgotten how to.

i think
penguins can soar.
they just don't want to.

i think
dragons still exist.
they are just hiding.

i think
the dodos are still here.
they are just afraid.
afraid of other people
                other thoughts
                other words
                other cultures
                other beliefs

i think
you need to break out now.

Look at the stars.
See how they never cease to
glow even on the darkest nights.

Be like those stars, child.

Look at the moon.
See how though it has no
light of its own it
refuses to leave you without bringing you some
light in the dark.

Be like the moon, child.
But most of all,

May you have the joy of your mother, for
her smile can light up a million black suns
and her laugh
can warm
even the coldest heart.

May you have her loathing for evil and
despise injustice like she does.
I hope you'll take up a sword and
fight for the truth alongside her, for
she fears no one
except
the only One who should be feared.

May you have the strength of your father
and walk with integrity like he does.
May you have his humble spirit,
his patient heart,
and his strong arm.

May you aim for excellence,
and shoot your arrows
straight and true.
I hope you learn to walk on waters
with a faith like your father's, and never
ever
look at
the threatening waves.

Look at the sky, child.
No, higher
       higher
       higher
because more than any other
I pray that you'll be


just like your Father.

I've found a Love
that can heal hearts
and cross realms.

I've found a Love,
an everlasting Love,
that none can compare to.

I've found a Love
that fills me up
from the very depths of my soul.

A Love that saves.
A Love that hears my cries.
A Love that loves
though I do nothing.

It's Your Love.

cool and calm

a dream half-lived

everything

a still pond



the drops whisper

and play about

silently,

softly,

gently.



sssshhhhhh

light and steady

a sweet melody

pitter-patter

a sudden stop.



out comes gold.

peppermint winds

sweet and minty

danced in the breeze


like whipped cream

on pumpkin pie

fell the snow

ever so lightly


the evergreens powdered

with a soft blanket

of sugar


sweet carols rang

throughout the night

echoing joyously


cinnamon scents

wafted from the kitchen

the aroma of

a symphony of spices

filled their noses


dancing flames

to heat

cold feet


knowing smiles

tiptoeing toddlers

warm hands

cheery hearts


oh, how i love christmas eve