FINDING PEARLS

I stumbled upon you
When I was child, at play
I could hold you, mold you
And make you say

Whatever I thought
Would make them smile
Funny was good, but hope
Took them, an extra mile

When I was a teen, I tried
To make you say a truth
But no one had ears
For a powerless youth

Education freed a group
Locked away in a prison
That pricked some ears
To finally listen

Attention frightened me
So I joined you behind the bars
Within the safety of the box
You began to examine my scars

Shame held me tight
As you fought to pull it away
But my ideas of self
Asked Shame to stay

You abandoned the struggle
And began to dance a jig
The music lightened my heart
As I took a shovel, to dig

A way out, I had to get out
The walls seemed to be moving in
If only I knew the way
I would know where to begin

You gathered at the gate
Light shone through the lock
It was open...
All I had to do was push, and walk

You continued to dance
Around my awkward pace
Assuring me, fast isn't important
In this purifying race

Instead of going up, to light
You took me deeper still
To a dungeon for dragons
Where I could find my "real"

When I saw the beast
I shrieked with fear
I wanted to run...
But Love drew me near

It was an invisible force
That possessed my soul
Your broken visage
Held my whole

Those eyes, oh the wonder
That lies within, your sorrow
I cared for nothing
But bringing you into my marrow

You were me, and I you
Hidden away in the dark
Fire in your belly, gone
But unity brought a spark

In time you got up, began to walk
Prance around in the black
Chains of suffering gone
Still locked in bondange of lack

One day, our building shook
As we watched the walls come down
Light burned our eyes
Revealing we were no longer bound

Your wings began to flap
And I knew you had to go
I watched you fly away
And my words lost their flow

Here I am, today
Looking for the fire to burn
Longing for our dance
That made Word turn

Look at me again, not a glance
Peer into my soul
And take me to your Heaven
Where Word and Deed can show

            LOVE.....

Written by Trudy Schrader on 07-23-2016

Note: I have an ongoing love affair with words. They have been friend, foe, lover, healer, hater, stealer...you name it, we've been their together. Whatever Word revealed, I worked it til it became part of me. I can't be without Word. He is my heart, mind, and soul. Didja see that? I'm not nearly as clever as I think I am :)

SUSTAINING GRACE:Song of the Tares

No one wants sustaining grace, Jesus
Or haven't you heard
That is not the system
Whereby we observe
          .....diety

We have grown accustom
To trouble and despair
Then, when we are about to break,
Bam, you are suddenly there
          .....saving the day

Deep truths are too hard
To eat, they are bitter
We like sweet treats
That we grow fat to consider
          .....the goodness of god

Don't get me wrong, we work
We labor to draw beautiful images
Where outsiders can gaze upon success
And find that HOPE is limitless
           .......with god

We don't earn the Promised land
Your grace bought that long ago
So what's wrong with gaining pleasure,
Avoiding pain, in the process of coming to know
            .......you love

We love this life, it's not bad for hell
A prerequisite for the eternal reign 
Let the uninformed enjoy their suffering
We have our own glory to gain
           ......so our fruit will be plenty

Ha! Some of the little babies
Have yet to share the "good news" once
But us, we will have libraries of books
To present you for all the good we have done
             .....for god, of course

Yes, the condition of the Earth, is bad
But we have a hope beyond the blue
We know that very soon, the Rapture
Will come, and we will finally "see" you
             ......to gain our crown

While others panic, and cry out
"Seek the Lord our God for mercy"
Our knees will not bow
To the enemy, terrorizing the nursery
            ....babies don't endure

Because of your gift, Jesus
We will stand upright and declare
Religion and Images have saved us
When the Sustaining Grace came to share
             .......the freedom of your Love.

All authority has been given by God
We possess the promise in our closed hands
We own all that we have purchased
And hold it over the simpleton who will never understand
              .......power holds might.

Written by Trudy Schrader on 07-08-2016


Note: I have found, in this long ordeal, that very few want to walk with me, and even less want to pray for me. Some have even accused me of "not getting it." Oh, I get it, and this poem shows what I have come to know. That all the "Hall of Famers" in the Bible can't hold a candle to the saints who suffered everything asked of them in pursuit of God, in silence, and no recognition was ever given. In Heaven, God knows every child's name and loves them with his never failing love, and is no respecter of persons.