30 November 2010

Memories of redemption

David Wheeler posted the following Random Acts of Poetry challenge:

This week, I dare you to write a poem about Noel Ghosts. There's an old tradition of telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve. Charles Dickens is perhaps most famous for his: A Christmas Carol. Be they spirits of Christmases past, present, yet to come, or altogether fantasy, I love a good ghost story.
My thoughts wandered back a short eleven years ago to my first Christmas with Christ in my life. As I stood in a church or Christmas Eve singing Hark the Herald Angels Sing (peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled) I knew that I had been both redeemed and forever changed.

Who was and Is and Is to come
Who waited patiently
through tinsel, glitter
and lights
escalators jammed
with those sweating warm
in winter wools
ascending to
the higher floors
to secure the choicest gifts
and finding more
of nothing.

Who Was and Is and Is to come
Who wrapped a gift
for me, not hidden
yet left unseen
year after year after
meaningless year.

Who Was and Is and Is to come
Who never stopped
knocking
until I was seeking
and finally asking
to find my centre
not in the tinsel, glitter
and lights
but in His love
unwrapped
revealed and received.

Another time, another tree
where sweetly drops
the blood
of reconciliation.
Who Was and Is and Is to come
born to live
and die
for me.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord God, He Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty (the Ruler of all) Revelation 1:8 Amplified

I am also submitting this as my Wednesday One Shot at One Stop Poetry

13 comments:

L.L. Barkat said...

"and finding more of nothing"

that phrase.

Maureen said...

The refrain lends this so plaintive a feeling, like a lament.

Very nicely done.

Brother Ollie said...

Intense faith - God Bless!

dustus said...

very emotional. Agree with Maureen, like a lament. Well done.

Rinkly Rimes said...

Beautifully written. The true meaning of Christmas is often forgotten.

Desert Rose said...

but in His love
unwrapped
revealed and received

captured my heart..:)
Merry Christhmas..:)

Anonymous said...

Well done, good use of repetition, incantation.

David K Wheeler said...

sweating warm / in winter wools

I've found no better description of how it feels to be indoors, in public, in the winter.

Katherine Krige said...

"Who never stopped
knocking
until I was seeking"

While not overly religious, this spoke to me. You are so right that it is not about the tinsel & glitter & lights, but the joy in my girls eyes today when they came home to the house decorated with Christmas chatchka was a gift in and of itself. I love the season for all that it brings.

Monica Sharman said...

Oh, this was a breath of fresh air. Very nice.

Shashidhar Sharma said...

A great one full of faith.. Thanks for sharing...


ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
Twitter: @VerseEveryDay
Blog: http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com

dianne said...

i loved your use of "who was, and is and is to come" - very powerful.

Unknown said...

thanks for this...i loved it...

what a wonderful testimony...

my heart sings with it:):):)

so thankful He is what all the Redeemed have each Christmas and every day!!!...all we need!

be so blessed:)