(A Psalm of Supplication: the cry of
grievance in affliction.)

Life's painful impositions,
I will cast upon the Lord.
He faithfully will bear them all.
At night I toss. At dawn I weep
With no desire for food,
Or sleep.

O restless soul.
God's weary sheep—
Do not fret nor stray.
In his own time,
The Lord shall
Bear your cares away.
He’ll give a song
To soothe your heart
And turn your night
To day.

(A Psalm of Trust: prayer of the afflicted.)

Leave me not to walk alone
Thro’ barren land and wilderness,
Where the lurking of the foe
Is ominous.

Day by day, my feet would tremble,
My heart would faint,
And my faith would fail—
If it were not for you.

Oh, see me through the storm;
In You, my anchor firmly holds.
Great is your strength,
And marvelous is your love.
I shall gladly trust in you.

(A Prayer of Penitence.)

Lord, forgive my sins;
Do not remember them
Nor hold them against me.
Grant peace and abundance
With an endless supply
Of your Holy Spirit.

Protect from every evil
And strife.
Restore my joy
And renew my faith
That, in you, I might triumph.

O Lord God, most high—
Each day, I will trust in you
With hope and an undying love.

(Psalm of Exhortation to Praise God.)

Let every glad heart
Sing unto the Lord.
Rejoice in his goodness,
And worship at his feet.
Extol him! Extol him!
Exalt his mighty throne.
The Lord is above all,
And he is God alone.

The deep—even the deep—
Is subject to him.
He rules the meek and proud.
Let the ocean roar
With thunderous praise,
And the cosmos shout aloud.

O earth, extol him!
Exalt his mighty throne.
The Lord is high and lifted up;
For he is God alone.

(Nostalgic Psalm: a quest for rest.)

O that I had the wings of a dove,
My soul would fly to be at rest
As the eagle flies above the earth,
And the sparrow embraces her nest.

I would soar above my troubles,
Fill my heart with a song
And be safe from war against me.
How long? O Lord, how long?

I watch as an owl in the night,
And like the dove—I mourn.
When will the darkness be light
And the night be gone?

But like the sparrow that finds a home
And the swallow—a cozy nest,
I will dwell at the altar of God
And abide in his perfect rest.

(Psalm for Meditation.)

There is a familiar place
In the stillness,
To which I am drawn
In mind and spirit—
Wooed by your manifold goodness
And abiding love.
Day and night, I think of you
With countless lovely thoughts:
Pure, pleasant, sweet,
Lofty and refreshing—
Full of hope and desire.
You are larger than my dreams,
Infinity is your dwelling.
I am rapt in your love,
And to you I bare my soul.

You are the well of living water,
The light that illumines my way,
The star in my, otherwise, darkened sky
And the sun I long for each day.
You are my strength and protection,
And the object of my meditation,
O God, my eternal hope and joy.

Ballad: Song or Psalm of Praise.

Awake, O voice,
And sing praises;
The Almighty awaits you.
His ear leans
Toward your worship.
He is moved
At the sound
Of your praise.
Arise and soar
On wings of reverence.
His scepter bids you
Into his presence.
Awake, O voice,
Arise and sing;
Sing for the King.
He awaits you.

(Psalm of Purpose.)

Lord of all things—
Great and small;
Master of masters,
And Ruler of all.

Let the mountains
Echo with ecstasy,
And the hills joyfully
Ring with glee.
Let the lilies dance
In all their grace,
And the angels humbly
Cover their face.
Let the sea roar
With thunderous praise.
And the locust's chirp
Be heavenward raised.

Let the cry of the cheetah,
And the lion's shout,
Be heard in the heavenlies
Round about.
Let the hum of the bee
And the bird's sweet tone,
Ascend before
The life-giving throne.
For all were made
Of one mighty hand—
Divinely fashioned
For his perfect plan.

Somewhere in the distance, someone is singing



I've got the dank smell of earth plugging  my nose
It hurts so bad, so bad
and everyone swears to God you wanna know
but I'm a bit busy trying to do this on my own


In the night, filled with nothing but the reek of human sweat
I've been trying to sleep, it won't let me yet
In a garden, filled with not even flower heads
a scared little girl writes

I've been writing to you, letters in crayon
flinging them over a wall
and as I sit and rock and you don't reply, I wonder
did you even read them at all?!

I see in perfect circles
rings darkening my eyes
I rest in perfect slumber
while beneath starry skies

I turn in perfect anguish
so perfect are my aches
I live in perfect numbness
feeling nothing but the breaks

I wish in perfect prayers
to each and all the gods
I wail in perfect outrage
while I'm up against the odds

I think in perfect madness
never feeling like I'm here
I smile in perfect detachment
hoping I might disappear

I'm feeling imperfect
perfectly stuck
knee deep in the mud
down in on my luck