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Walking inalking inthe Deserthe DesertA Poetic JourneyPoetic JourneyThroughhrough

Depressionepression

Poetry by RoadRunnerWith Illustrations by ClaraT

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Trials ........................................................................................ 3

IWait........................................................................................ 4God? ......................................................................................... 5

IstheStillWaterStillStill?.................................................... 6TheHornofPlenty................................................................. 7ICravedtheRaw.................................................................... 8TheCrux .................................................................................. 9DeepCallstoDeep............................................................... 10DesertThought..................................................................... 11FromMyCave ...................................................................... 12HiccupsandHammertoes .................................................. 13TheMysteryEncoded.......................................................... 14TheologyandAuntBee....................................................... 16HisPresence.......................................................................... 17ResurrectionIntersection .................................................... 18

Table of Contents

Copyright 2008

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Theundertakingoftribulanttrials

Offereduntousinmidstofourfeast

Abortingthecomfortofcirclingsmiles

Catchingourfancywhenwehungerleast.

Clarioncallfromindigoforest

Darklyinvitinginsistentmystique

Bidofahiddenpower,enormous,

Invisiblypulled,nowsensesarepiqued.

Thusthejourneyofspiritisstarted

Compasssurrendered,defensesstrippedbare,

Sunkdeepinstreamswithcouragedeparted

Theveiloffantasynolongerthere.

Onjourneysendingwemakeourreturn

ButsunkdeepinsideustheSpiritburns.

Trials

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IfIwriteinchalk,

Itcanbeerased.

IfIwriteinink,

Itcanbeshredded.

WhenIlookforpermanence,

Ifindtransience.

Ibowbeforethechangeless

Inmyconstantlychangingbody,

Withmy

constantly

changing

mind.

IreadthatIwascreated alittlelowerthantheangels

Should littlelower reallyread deathanddecay?

IdonotreachtotheheavenstofindYou.

Isinkintomyself

Ireleaseall

Thisbriefinterludebetweentwodustyfields

Andhere,inmymosthopeless,helpless,haplessestate

Iwait

I Wait

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God,

AmIusingthewronglanguage?

Am

I

sitting

in

the

wrong

position?

Doyoureallyprefer

theKingJamestranslation?

DidIaccidentallybreatheinthroughmymouth

whenIshouldhaveusedmynose?

DoIneed

abetter

devotional?

AreyoumadbecauseImbehindonmytithe?

HaveyouleftourchurchforthePresbyterian

Churchdowntheroad?

DidIhitacoupleofsournotesinthelasthymnwesang?

Doyoureallyknoweverything?

IfIletgo,willyoucatchme?

Aretheseallthewrongquestions?

Canavoidholdalltheanswers?

God?

God?

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Isthestillwaterstillstill

Wherethetanagerandthewhippoorwill

Serenadefromwillowytendrils?

Doesthatnuminousfountainstillflow

Wateringallofthevalleysbelow

Becoming,inYourlove,alovelyBordeaux?

AreSacredsongsstillsung

Aretherepraisesfromeverytongue

Isthereareachablefinalrung?

InthedrynessallowedbyYourWill

Inthesilencecomingoverthehills

Mysoulsicklyshrills

Isthestillwaterstillstill?

Is the Still Water Still Still?

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TheHornofPlenty,soundingoutmyname,

Acornucopiaofenticements

LadyFortuneinvitesmetohergame

Promisingthesoughtforenlightenment.

Comeuntome, shecallsinmydistress

Andyouwillfindthecomfortforyoursoul,

Butfrosty

fear

pours

forth

from

her

caress

Sosoftatfirst,butthenlikehangmanshold.

Temptationsoftcomeknockingatmydoor

Someindisguise,andsomewithFenrisfeet,

Theybeckonandpromiseshimmeringshores

AndEdenlikeadventuresohsosweet.

Ihesitate,beforeIletthemin,

Andinthatspaceacosmicwarbegins.

The Horn of Plenty

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Icravedtheraw

Icravedthereal

Andinmyzeal...

Ifell.

Awakingtoapalloredstate

Whereshadesoftemptingtawdrytastes

Contendasapplestomyeye

Portendingshacklesbyandby.

Ichoosetheruseandthusensues

Theyearsofapplecoresaccrued

But,hungrystill,itsnotthethrills

Forwhichmysoulwithlongingtrills.

Fromsomewheredeepwithinmyshame

Ibattleghoststhatstoletheflame

MySelfisdealtamortalblow

Ibleed,

but

freed,

am

free

to

know

ThatGodisraw

AndGodisreal

Andinmyzeal...

Ikneel.

I Craved the Raw

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I,bornintotime,

Seekingthetimeless.

God,timeless,

Seekingtobebornintotime?

Iguess

the

crux

of

the

matter

Isthepointwherethepathscross.

The Crux

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IfIstandinthemiddleofadesert

Andlookup

AmIalone?

AretherenotcataractsofLivingWater

Foreverreviving

Mysoul?

IsnottheBreadofHeaven

Mannalike

Bestowed?

Angelicvoices

Choirlike

Intoned?

ACloudofWitnessesFirebright

Shown?

ThedesertdoesnotdivideGodsown.

Desert Thought

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Deepcallstodeep

ThedeeptruthoftheuniverseCallstothedeepthirstofmysoul

And,onceawakened,

Thereisnoreturningtotheformer

Safe,predictable,wellmanicuredlife.

Thepull

OfthePeacethatpassesunderstandingIsnotpacifiedbyperipheralpretenses

Ofdevotion

Commotionreignsandbearingslost

Untilthetossed

Aredeliveredontoashore

Where,indeed,

All

things

are

new.

Deep Calls to Deep

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Ithoughtmyselfalone

My

voice

a

mere

moan

Emittingfrommycave

Ofloneliness...

Whilethusenslaved

ThemirageYoustaved

Saved,onceagain,

Thisclaustrophobe.

Forthousandsandthousandsandthousandsofsouls

EventhismomentdoYouextoll

Myvoiceameremorselcomparedtothefeast

Thatsofferedupdailyandlaidatyourfeet.

Significant? No,

Myrhythmsandrhymes

Aredoomed

to

succumb

TothepressuresofTime

Butjustforthismoment

Withsoulsindelight

Weallraiseourvoice

Tolightupthenight.

From My Cave

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hiccupsandhammertoes

piecesofwoe

allowedbyHiswill

mishapsandmayhem

produceconsternation

thethroneisHisstill

lewdnessandlying

thehungryarecrying

theguiltlessaresighing

thereisnodenying

dying

surroundedbypain

immersedindespond

hopedrains

faithwanes

savedbygrace

hintsofaplace

bespeaksaspace

untouched

untorn

wherethosewhoarecrushed

whosehopeshavebeenhushed

aresought,caught,bought...

andborn.

Hiccups andHammertoes

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The Mystery EncodedThehelixholdsthemasterplan

Deepwithinitsdoublestrand

Twistedandcoiled,readytospring

Likeacattogivelifetoamyriadofbeings.

Deepwithin,themysteryencoded

Waitstobecomethemysteryunfolded,

Beautyand

wonder

ready

to

pour

Theirlightwherelifehadbeenabsentbefore.

TheOnewhosatthroughoutthenight

Designingwhatdaywouldbringtolight

Releasesthehelixtonowexpress

Allofcreation,andthisHeblessed.

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Onedayanonuponaboat,

Tryingto

keep

Creation

afloat,

Afamilyalongwithapairfromeachhelix,

Enduringastormthatthreatenstodealit

Alifeendingblowtheysomehowendureit

Andfindingdrylandtheirfortuneensuresthat

Theyonceagainhavebeenreleased

Tofilltheearthandlifeincrease.Adifferentage,adifferentstage,

AndLifeagainwithinthedark

Avitalrayputintoplay

ByOnewhoselightcrosstimedidarc.

Theearthiscold,creationstilled,

Adreadfullydarklibationswilled,

Allhopeseemslost,atsuchacost,

Insadnesswilltheearthbetilled.

Butonthatdarkest,saddestmourn,

Againstalloddsalightisborne

Therayemergesfromthecave

Claimsvictorynowforthoseenslaved.

Nowonceagainthehelicesthrive

Burstingwithjoyatbeingalive

Themysteryunfoldedinstillsabelief

ThemysteryencodedaPathway

to

Peace.

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Ontogenyrecapitulates

phylogeny

Ilearned

Yearsago

Andso

Embryologyatemytheology

Severedmycosmologyandthrew

Mebacktoprimordialstew

Phew!!

Overtheyears

Wellsimmered

Butwithvisiondimmer

Nowcatchingaglimmer

Ahint

Anevanescentshimmer

Ofamomentsublime,

Adimpleintime,

When

God

crossed

the

line

Anddined.

Ilovethesimplerthingsnow

Acatinthelap

OpieandAuntBee

Ahymn

sing.

Andthoseargumentssofine

Justseemtoresign

Neaththebreadandthewine.

Theology andAunt Bee

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Onquiet,gentlebreeze

Onquiet,mentalseas

Hispresencecanbesensed

Asworldfrommindisrinsed.Thepresentseemstranscended

HisPresencenowisblended

Withallwithin,without,

Evictingeverydoubt.

InvigilanceImstill,

Thevisionsentfulfills

Alivinglifelongquest,

Verbumcarofactumest.

(TheWordismadeflesh.)

His Presence

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Wheredry,parchedgroundmeetsgentlerain

Thatsoftlyfallsandthussustains

Potentiallifeawaitingthere

Silentseedswhosesoulsarebare.

Whereachingheartmeetsgentlehand

Thatdriesthetearsandunderstands

Thedarksideofourjourneyhere

Aworldthatsrifewithdoubtandfear.

Resurrection Intersection

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Wheresearchingmindmeetsgentleclues

Thatlightthepathbeyondtheruse

Thattries

to

hold

our

vision

here

Whileallaroundtheskiesareclear.

Wherecrossbarmeetssupportingpost

WhereupontheLordofHosts

DeliveredupHisHolyGhost

ForwhatHetrulytreasuredmost.

Thisintersectionlivesinside

Apeacefulplacewhereloveabides

Andpowersupandjoltsawake

Oursoulstoneverendinggrace.