Showing posts with label poetry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poetry. Show all posts

1/14/2016

LEFT BEHIND...


RACHEL'S TOMB
in old Bethlehem
Rachel... still weeping for her children
because they are not.
 LEFT BEHIND...




From Cradle to Cross

HE+ suffered loss in lowest garb allowed,


HE+ wrapped HIMSELF+

in Swaddling Clothes

and then, in human Shroud.

.

From rented manger
to borrowed Tomb

HE+ had not where
His+ Head to lay.


HE+ owned no Colt nor Room,

it seems,

though Temple tax ,

exacted,

paid. 


Fleeing sword 'ere HE+ could walk,

Egypt hid the Royal BABE+

from death by HIS+ own nation

at His+ birth

with Wise Men's laud and adoration.


Glory LEFT BEHIND, 

not grasped,

for us HE+ emptied Himself+

for FATHER'S Will

and by Obedience 


forged a path for us to trod BEHIND HIM+ still. 


By imitation of HIS+ loss

we accept the limitations

HE+ sets upon our brow

that we might come before Our FATHER,

embracing HIS+ Salvation

now.

 
Meditation Poem by Sr. Judith Hannah + ,
Order of the GOOD SHEPHERD+
Year of Our LORD,
1.14.2016 

12/16/2011

My Hand, Cemented...



My hand, cemented...
fingers fixed
upon those goals
of my desire.
.
Grasping hand
unyieldingly
ignored YOUR+ call
… and coming Fire.
.
Determinedly
YOU+ pried them loose
until my willful
strength was through.
.
Emptiness
of hand and heart…
my sole* remains
… except for YOU+.
.
Sick I grew,
distressed anew
… no purpose, goal, nor person.
Weak body could not
stand the stress
of no human purpose
to profess.
.
Bleakly, no-one needing me,
skills vanished like hot air.

. Strength fled, fever raged;
mind, a blank; I did not care.
No work upon my shoulder
… except my solitary prayer.
.
No goal in life
… except to do
my daily discipline
with YOU+.
.
Directionless, interest gone
unadorned, life raw and bare.
.
Bones ached, emotions numbed.
Joy? Not my portion, this I rue.
Only in one place Joy glowed
… in quietness with YOU+.
.
Thank YOU+, LORD,
for freeing me
From built-in values, clamorings...
For prying loose my concrete grip,
Death-bringing goals
that would strip
my time and thought from YOU+.
.
My aims and goals
YOU+ withheld
…"AKA" my future woes...
.
Earth-bound illusions
replaced by YOU+...
  Heaven’s treasure flows
through entwining Fingers,
all Divine+
into this hand of clay,
called “mine.”

*sole = only
"AKA"= Also Known As
or Otherwise known as...
.
.
.  .  .  .  .
.
.
.
By Sister Judith Hannah  + + +
~ from my heart to yours...

12/04/2011

Come, Stand by ME+...


Stand by ME+
...when dignity is stripped;
they took My+ clothing, as well.
Come, stand by ME+.

Stand by ME+
...when rejection faces you;
family, friends, and followers
forsook ME+
when I+ needed them most, too.
Come, stand by ME+.

Stand by ME+
...when your good acts
are misunderstood;
they said My+ acts of mercy
were acts of be'elzebub.
Come, stand by ME+.

Stand by ME+
...when lying spirits defame you;
they dogged My+ path incessantly
... and still do...
Come, stand by ME+


Stand by ME+
...when excluded, though you love;
they hid their faces from ME+, too,
as I+ died to cover their sins.
Come, stand by ME+.

Stand by ME+
...when death strikes;
Death struck My+ Body
but soon found out it struck
its own death-blow, not Mine+ !
Come, stand by ME+.

Stand by ME+
...through every earthly trial;
I+ will not hide Myself+ from thee.
Come, stand by ME+.

Stand by ME+
It's then you'll find
the only way to minister
to My+ hurt
is
when you come
...and stand...
by ME+.

+  +  +
by Sister Judith Hannah,
who is learning to come
and stand
by HIM+.