' When sometimes things don't go too well
You're the butt of people's rants
But don't get down or even frown
just smile and then shout "pants!" '
Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Poetry. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
My Fav. Bubblegum Greetings Card Company Poem
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Language In Its Purity: Creational/Communicative?
As a believer in Sola Scriptura, I love Words, the Word of God is indeed infallible and the final uncompromising revelation of God. However as a musician and a poet I believe Words are not black and white, in fact as a note can sing a thousand songs, a word can progressively colour and create God's true revelation.
Sometimes it seems, Reformed writers talk about the Sola Scriptura as the 'exegetically exhausted doctrines of God' rather than the living, breathing, fluid, inspired, universally-and-intergenerationally-applicable, creational, double-edged (s)word it actually is. Or, another way, if we apply all our exegetical techniques to verses x, y, and z, and derive at a premise or two in those verses, that is the meaning of this portion of God's Word. Now there are 31,103 verses in the Bible, and if we apply this principle to all of them we will have exhausted God's revelation; and perhaps therefore the finality of God-revealed also in no time at all, a couple of gifted exegete's lifes work perhaps. There is obviously a problem with this.
The first words spoken were God's words, and they were creational, i.e. they created. Every time God spoke, something was made, light - stars - earth - plants - people - laws. When man spoke however, he named things so as to communicate. God's language was creational, it was man who made it communicative. Thus when man overdoes communication (Genesis 11) God disrupts what? ... their Language! Their abilities of communication.
God's language however is creational. This creational language is profoundly metaphoric. A metaphor can be thought of as an illustrative, poetic use of language which gives substance to something which isn't readily seen without the metaphor. Thus everytime God spoke in creation it was a metaphor, for the true form of the words did not exist until they were uttered.
Metaphor, Poetry, and sometimes even Parable is often viewed in evangelicalism as a form of lesser language, at best fluffy, and at worse dangerously-misinterpreting. However, responsibly embrace, the language of metaphor is far closer to the language of God than the language of communication. It still sends shudders down my spine to see how some exegetees exhaust meaning and prose and doctrine from lamentations, and the psalms, and parts of Isaiah, without ever mention the movement in the language, the meter, the rhyme, the allegory, the illustrations, the metaphor; the poetry.
Language in its purity is pre-Babel, it is creational, it is Godlike, it is focally-metaphoric. Do read God's word as creational language, seek to understand the poetic as more than just poems, and do speak to God from the metaphoric-language center of your heart.
Sometimes it seems, Reformed writers talk about the Sola Scriptura as the 'exegetically exhausted doctrines of God' rather than the living, breathing, fluid, inspired, universally-and-intergenerationally-applicable, creational, double-edged (s)word it actually is. Or, another way, if we apply all our exegetical techniques to verses x, y, and z, and derive at a premise or two in those verses, that is the meaning of this portion of God's Word. Now there are 31,103 verses in the Bible, and if we apply this principle to all of them we will have exhausted God's revelation; and perhaps therefore the finality of God-revealed also in no time at all, a couple of gifted exegete's lifes work perhaps. There is obviously a problem with this.
The first words spoken were God's words, and they were creational, i.e. they created. Every time God spoke, something was made, light - stars - earth - plants - people - laws. When man spoke however, he named things so as to communicate. God's language was creational, it was man who made it communicative. Thus when man overdoes communication (Genesis 11) God disrupts what? ... their Language! Their abilities of communication.
God's language however is creational. This creational language is profoundly metaphoric. A metaphor can be thought of as an illustrative, poetic use of language which gives substance to something which isn't readily seen without the metaphor. Thus everytime God spoke in creation it was a metaphor, for the true form of the words did not exist until they were uttered.
Metaphor, Poetry, and sometimes even Parable is often viewed in evangelicalism as a form of lesser language, at best fluffy, and at worse dangerously-misinterpreting. However, responsibly embrace, the language of metaphor is far closer to the language of God than the language of communication. It still sends shudders down my spine to see how some exegetees exhaust meaning and prose and doctrine from lamentations, and the psalms, and parts of Isaiah, without ever mention the movement in the language, the meter, the rhyme, the allegory, the illustrations, the metaphor; the poetry.
Language in its purity is pre-Babel, it is creational, it is Godlike, it is focally-metaphoric. Do read God's word as creational language, seek to understand the poetic as more than just poems, and do speak to God from the metaphoric-language center of your heart.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Jephthah’s Tragic Vow (Based on Judges 11:29-40)
Oh LORD, little did I know when I made my vow, the tragedy that would befall my heart. Little did I know when I exclaimed in my piety that death would be the reward, death from my family. My heart burns, my mind has turned, anguish grips me like a mother her new born babe; like a sparrow the meat it craves. As a babe is plucked from the breast, and a sparrow taken from its rest, so now, my child, my life, torn from me. Little did I know when I made my vow.
It has been six weeks since my little girl arrived home. Six weeks since she tumbled through my door; hop, skip, jump, buoyant smile upon her face. My child, my only child. Radiant joy upon her face, lights within her eyes unlike anything this world has seen. She opened my world and rested my mind in the contentness of this galaxy, the momentum of time and space, of truth and peace. Mine. My own little girl. My only child.
Six weeks since my little girl appeared at my door; light in her eyes as always, two blinking cherishing reflective lights only for me. Its daddy! ‘Daddy, I’m home, I’m come. Daddy take me in your arms and hold me, Daddy. Daddy? Why do you stand there still? Why, you look so frail, Daddy, what’s wrong Daddy; aren’t you glad to see me daddy? Don’t taunt me Daddy, don’t forsake me Daddy, I’m home. I’m your little girl.’
So brave my little girl, so true, so open; so penetrable her gaze. Her eyes like daggers tore right through me. Her dance ceased, the tambourine died. ‘Speak to me daddy.’ I broke. ‘Oh my daughter, my little girl, see what famine you have bought upon my heart! See what fulfilment you have bought to my vow, oh death and pain and tearing loss! But I cannot shun my LORD, I cannot pronounce judgement upon Him. What can I do? My only child.’
So brave my little girl. ‘Daddy. Father. You must do as you vowed to do. You must pour this wrath upon my soul, I am a big girl. I am your only begotten child. I am. But give me leave Daddy, let me walk and wail, for I am untouched, unknown. I am as one barren, cursed by God and afflicted. Let me mourn, two months. I will return. I must return. I am your little girl. I am your only child. And little did you know when you made your vow.’ Six weeks now since my little girl arrived home.
Six weeks since she left, and she is to return in two. Little did I know when I made my vow that the LORD would take my little girl? Little did I know when the last Ammonite fell that I would be left alone. Oh LORD, my only child. My brave, willing, little girl. That she should prepare herself for sacrifice, so willingly, so brave my little girl. That I, that Daddy must give the last blow, see the last sparkle fade from her eyes, I wonder if it’s there now?
Daddy should not have to outlive his own child. Daddy must keep His vow, from it deliverance has come, from it we are saved, from it have we inherited. I must appease. But my only little girl, so much harder is her willingness. Her piety. Her trust for Daddy. My brave little girl. She opened my world and rested my mind in the contentness of this galaxy, the momentum of time and space, of truth and peace. Mine. My own little girl. My only child.
Oh LORD, little did I know when I made my vow, the tragedy that would befall my heart. Little did I know when I exclaimed in my piety that death would be the reward, death from my family. My heart burns, my mind has turned, anguish grips me like a mother her new born babe; like a sparrow the meat it craves. As a babe is plucked from the breast, and a sparrow taken from its rest, so now, my child, my life, torn from me. Little did I know when I made my vow.
It has been six weeks since my little girl arrived home. Six weeks since she tumbled through my door; hop, skip, jump, buoyant smile upon her face. My child, my only child. Radiant joy upon her face, lights within her eyes unlike anything this world has seen. She opened my world and rested my mind in the contentness of this galaxy, the momentum of time and space, of truth and peace. Mine. My own little girl. My only child.
Six weeks since my little girl appeared at my door; light in her eyes as always, two blinking cherishing reflective lights only for me. Its daddy! ‘Daddy, I’m home, I’m come. Daddy take me in your arms and hold me, Daddy. Daddy? Why do you stand there still? Why, you look so frail, Daddy, what’s wrong Daddy; aren’t you glad to see me daddy? Don’t taunt me Daddy, don’t forsake me Daddy, I’m home. I’m your little girl.’
So brave my little girl, so true, so open; so penetrable her gaze. Her eyes like daggers tore right through me. Her dance ceased, the tambourine died. ‘Speak to me daddy.’ I broke. ‘Oh my daughter, my little girl, see what famine you have bought upon my heart! See what fulfilment you have bought to my vow, oh death and pain and tearing loss! But I cannot shun my LORD, I cannot pronounce judgement upon Him. What can I do? My only child.’
So brave my little girl. ‘Daddy. Father. You must do as you vowed to do. You must pour this wrath upon my soul, I am a big girl. I am your only begotten child. I am. But give me leave Daddy, let me walk and wail, for I am untouched, unknown. I am as one barren, cursed by God and afflicted. Let me mourn, two months. I will return. I must return. I am your little girl. I am your only child. And little did you know when you made your vow.’ Six weeks now since my little girl arrived home.
Six weeks since she left, and she is to return in two. Little did I know when I made my vow that the LORD would take my little girl? Little did I know when the last Ammonite fell that I would be left alone. Oh LORD, my only child. My brave, willing, little girl. That she should prepare herself for sacrifice, so willingly, so brave my little girl. That I, that Daddy must give the last blow, see the last sparkle fade from her eyes, I wonder if it’s there now?
Daddy should not have to outlive his own child. Daddy must keep His vow, from it deliverance has come, from it we are saved, from it have we inherited. I must appease. But my only little girl, so much harder is her willingness. Her piety. Her trust for Daddy. My brave little girl. She opened my world and rested my mind in the contentness of this galaxy, the momentum of time and space, of truth and peace. Mine. My own little girl. My only child.
Oh LORD, little did I know when I made my vow, the tragedy that would befall my heart. Little did I know when I exclaimed in my piety that death would be the reward, death from my family. My heart burns, my mind has turned, anguish grips me like a mother her new born babe; like a sparrow the meat it craves. As a babe is plucked from the breast, and a sparrow taken from its rest, so now, my child, my life, torn from me. Little did I know when I made my vow.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Untitled3
Life, truth, meaning, feeling
I’m not sure the way, but I know all truth is God’s truth
The constructions in my heart seem made from so many fragile pieces
Thesis
Ideas not fully realized, truths not completely idealized
I know there’s a way, a time a place
But my bridge won’t take my own weight
It strains and creaksGasps for the very air that I need to breathe
It’s mine to breathe; yet I can’t seem to breathe, and walk
And hold my weight and finish my constructions.
Collapse, taint, scared, associated
But I need, I need to hold another in this weight
Surely, timely, I must carry us both,
But I can’t, I can’t even hold my own.
Frailty, normatively, existentially
Paradoxically only yours.
Frail -only- is this idolatry
Miss-constructed only is a gravity-less bridge, heart, start
Oh God your big enough for the both of us,
I need not even breathe in my own framework
I need not support, one or two, or even support itself for that matter
I only need to trust, to wait, to live, to love
All in your strength, Oh Lord, all in your ways, your truth,
For all truth is your truth, all goodness is your goodness.
Father help me see my own frailty, in light of seeing you
In light of needing you, In light of knowing you, in light of loving another,
In you.
Life, truth, meaning, feeling,
All truth is God’s truth, your truth.
Let me be unfinished, in your truth.
Amen.
tg. 23.06.06 Based in part on Calvin’s Institutes, Bk 1, chapters 1 and 2.
I’m not sure the way, but I know all truth is God’s truth
The constructions in my heart seem made from so many fragile pieces
Thesis
Ideas not fully realized, truths not completely idealized
I know there’s a way, a time a place
But my bridge won’t take my own weight
It strains and creaksGasps for the very air that I need to breathe
It’s mine to breathe; yet I can’t seem to breathe, and walk
And hold my weight and finish my constructions.
Collapse, taint, scared, associated
But I need, I need to hold another in this weight
Surely, timely, I must carry us both,
But I can’t, I can’t even hold my own.
Frailty, normatively, existentially
Paradoxically only yours.
Frail -only- is this idolatry
Miss-constructed only is a gravity-less bridge, heart, start
Oh God your big enough for the both of us,
I need not even breathe in my own framework
I need not support, one or two, or even support itself for that matter
I only need to trust, to wait, to live, to love
All in your strength, Oh Lord, all in your ways, your truth,
For all truth is your truth, all goodness is your goodness.
Father help me see my own frailty, in light of seeing you
In light of needing you, In light of knowing you, in light of loving another,
In you.
Life, truth, meaning, feeling,
All truth is God’s truth, your truth.
Let me be unfinished, in your truth.
Amen.
tg. 23.06.06 Based in part on Calvin’s Institutes, Bk 1, chapters 1 and 2.
Friday, May 26, 2006
This Time
Lost within a time warp,
Going south, yet looking northward,
You've given me directions
Yet I’ve kept myself at the front of my mind
Where it rains all the time,
It's cold, and I cannot see the distance
Where you told me there’s hope.
Lost in metafusion, where the now meets the then,
Where I judge myself from experience,
Where the papers, met the pen,
’I couldn't do it then, so I can't do it now’
Commonsense blinding me, throwing me to doubt.
Lost in the physical, stuck in the real,
I thought it was yesterday, I've forgotten how to feel,
This isn't life, its a fake reality
I'm tired of feeling this way,
I need stability.
Why do I do this to myself,
Theologise my breath,
I need only to trust to wait
Why am I so deaf?
God you know, I'm a human, I'm blind,
Open my eyes again, I'll really try,
This time.
Going south, yet looking northward,
You've given me directions
Yet I’ve kept myself at the front of my mind
Where it rains all the time,
It's cold, and I cannot see the distance
Where you told me there’s hope.
Lost in metafusion, where the now meets the then,
Where I judge myself from experience,
Where the papers, met the pen,
’I couldn't do it then, so I can't do it now’
Commonsense blinding me, throwing me to doubt.
Lost in the physical, stuck in the real,
I thought it was yesterday, I've forgotten how to feel,
This isn't life, its a fake reality
I'm tired of feeling this way,
I need stability.
Why do I do this to myself,
Theologise my breath,
I need only to trust to wait
Why am I so deaf?
God you know, I'm a human, I'm blind,
Open my eyes again, I'll really try,
This time.
Coffee
My coffee tastes so good right now
It feels like the world is smiling for me
Through me.
My heart is brimming within my throat
Pounding, urging against my very soul.
Music sounds so true today
Every word rings a new theme
A genre designed just for me in this moment
God has touched my very being with his eternal breathing hand
He has smiled an inconceivable smile
He has locked me inside his goodness
I’m lost in his praise, and his delights, and his desires.
Oh change my heart oh God
Make me in your image
Confirm me to your will
It is done, it is done.
Make me yours every moment
Let the very chromatic vibrations of my being
Follow you’re every step.
Help me not love myself, or anything in my possession
Help me long for nothing but you
Help me seek for, and long for, and breathe for your kingdom.
For only then will all this be added.
Only then
Thank you Father, for you are always the giver, and I, and we, are always the receiver.
Amen.
It feels like the world is smiling for me
Through me.
My heart is brimming within my throat
Pounding, urging against my very soul.
Music sounds so true today
Every word rings a new theme
A genre designed just for me in this moment
God has touched my very being with his eternal breathing hand
He has smiled an inconceivable smile
He has locked me inside his goodness
I’m lost in his praise, and his delights, and his desires.
Oh change my heart oh God
Make me in your image
Confirm me to your will
It is done, it is done.
Make me yours every moment
Let the very chromatic vibrations of my being
Follow you’re every step.
Help me not love myself, or anything in my possession
Help me long for nothing but you
Help me seek for, and long for, and breathe for your kingdom.
For only then will all this be added.
Only then
Thank you Father, for you are always the giver, and I, and we, are always the receiver.
Amen.
Timeless breathing (n.b. needs editing)
Timeless Breathing, the return of the lamb.
Timeless breathing, all I’m seeing
Longing for that moment believing,
Grace appealing, pleading, bleeding
Knowing that I’m needing, feeling.
Today, tomorrow, the mercy seen
Is but a depth, in a breadth, a length,
Time is falling, days are dawning
Knowing that I’m needing, calling.
The lamb returning, and I am longing
To see the eyes of fire freeing,
The throne is moving, creatures fleeing
Knowing that he’s pleading, needing.
Saving, sustaining, knowing, growing,
I’m living, being, knowing, seeing,
Grace appealing, pleading, bleeding
Knowing that I’m needing, feeling.
Timeless breathing, all I’m seeing
Longing for that moment believing,
Grace appealing, pleading, bleeding
Knowing that I’m needing, feeling.
Today, tomorrow, the mercy seen
Is but a depth, in a breadth, a length,
Time is falling, days are dawning
Knowing that I’m needing, calling.
The lamb returning, and I am longing
To see the eyes of fire freeing,
The throne is moving, creatures fleeing
Knowing that he’s pleading, needing.
Saving, sustaining, knowing, growing,
I’m living, being, knowing, seeing,
Grace appealing, pleading, bleeding
Knowing that I’m needing, feeling.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Untitled2-needs editing
For mercy carves a thousand promises
And grace secures it new each day
This peace that passeth all my knowledge
Directs my thoughts in Christ to stay.
I sleweth my sin by the strength of the spirit
I exhaled my death throug the lungs of God
That wrath that tears within my soul
Has been torn from me in Christ my Lord.
Through his death, now I live
Through his life, my sin convicts,
Now he's rose, I'll stand anew
And kiss his face, his place, his grace.
And grace secures it new each day
This peace that passeth all my knowledge
Directs my thoughts in Christ to stay.
I sleweth my sin by the strength of the spirit
I exhaled my death throug the lungs of God
That wrath that tears within my soul
Has been torn from me in Christ my Lord.
Through his death, now I live
Through his life, my sin convicts,
Now he's rose, I'll stand anew
And kiss his face, his place, his grace.
Untitled
Im crushed in my spirit
waiting for you
I long for the night
Without the ado.
The world swirls around
The haze of colored chaos
The grays, the blacks, the browns
Spinning through to slay us.
Oh God I'm naked I'm blind
I'm lost in this haze
I'm out of my mind.
Death crawls to us all
How did we live
In sin and hate
Or weakness to forgive?
Oh Christ save my soul
Take me from this place
Come down on your throne
Let me see your face.
The fire in my heart
Burns brighter with your fuel
scorching away myself
Leaving behind a jewel.
Oh ragged, jagged
Suited, booted,
Falling from
Mountain disputed.
Oh heated, haunted,
Hated, fated,
Late within
This valley waited
I know i'm lost
without your cross,
I know the cost
From frost has glossed,
I know my eyes
Are still criss-crossed
But from your love
The wrath exhaused.
A confused heart - is for but a moment.
A dependent faith - a thousand lifetimes.
waiting for you
I long for the night
Without the ado.
The world swirls around
The haze of colored chaos
The grays, the blacks, the browns
Spinning through to slay us.
Oh God I'm naked I'm blind
I'm lost in this haze
I'm out of my mind.
Death crawls to us all
How did we live
In sin and hate
Or weakness to forgive?
Oh Christ save my soul
Take me from this place
Come down on your throne
Let me see your face.
The fire in my heart
Burns brighter with your fuel
scorching away myself
Leaving behind a jewel.
Oh ragged, jagged
Suited, booted,
Falling from
Mountain disputed.
Oh heated, haunted,
Hated, fated,
Late within
This valley waited
I know i'm lost
without your cross,
I know the cost
From frost has glossed,
I know my eyes
Are still criss-crossed
But from your love
The wrath exhaused.
A confused heart - is for but a moment.
A dependent faith - a thousand lifetimes.
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