Of Gardens and Garlands (2005)

I hear you walking in the garden
you are calling my name
calling me naming me for what I cannot see
You tend sweetly to the flowers you have sewn
they are not trampled by
harsh footsteps
of the evil one
but tended with your grace
we are clothed in your promise, Lord
you rain down upon us
gentle and slowly
giving us green leaves
that we never knew we had
you plant us in the tender soil of your Word
your Spirit of Truth
You send the gentle shepherd
to watch over us
All of the flowers of the Lord drink from the
river of life
flowing and sweet
it curves to the shape of the earth
and all who hear You rejoice
at the sounds of Your footsteps
Oh Lord How I love you
How I love the way of Your walk
I desire to be nothing more than like David
who was called a Man after Your own Heart
I just want to dwell in your peace
be tended by your gentle hands
be guided by your righteous love
to grow in your sight


your promise
existed before I had breath
before we had laws
it cannot be destroyed and altered
this tattered garment of humanity
despite sin’s scissors

Today Lord I bask in your grace
and yet still I stumble from weariness
and tired feet
Yet you offer me living water to quench my thirst
and wash
my soles
clean

Today you have prepared me a gown of
brilliant yellow
the color of the sun
so bright that all who see it quiver

For you promise
undeserved and unmitigated
is true
and lasts
even with that which
moth eats
time yellows
and age corrupts

You are the true God

the savior of an unholy people
soiled in their own sorrow
bloodied by their own barrenness
their violence is against their own soul
and they sell their bodies to the highest bidder


and yet you have redeemed them
repurchased them with your Love
and still they shun you

oh how long suffering you are

Because even the most righteous among us
cannot imagine the great things God will give those who love him
and they stumble on their own garment
but you have clothed even the repented harlots and hustlers
in white
and removed the scarlet ribbons which bind their neck and feet
you have taken the brier crown
and the thistle headpiece from the sinner
and crowned the saint
so that saint may redeem sinner
and sinner may become saint

You have denied us nothing, Father
You have dealt with us as Sons and called us Daughters by our names

and yet we not only lack faith to move mountains
our faith cannot even move mouths

but still you are patient
merciful
d kind

you make Your way for those who have lost their way
and they are contented
you comfort those who are sick with their sorrows
and sing psalms of bitter blues
you coat the lips and mouth with palpable honey
you provide manna for the murderers
grace for the repented golddiggers and graverobbers

Yes Lord, you have been merciful and kind
to the worrisome ways of the wicked
and allotted the rod for their own good
you have shown their idols to merely be dust
dust that will not help them
and will in fact mingle with them in the grave
yet in spite of our sin
those who rely on
You may sing a new song
they are wrapped in
white crisp righteousness
may be comforted by the robes of the One
who alone is clean
and pure and
holy.

Let every thing that has breath praise you my God,
the most high