Solemn Vow

And now, today at this very hour,

I make this solemn vow

to myself,

the one of whom I used to be ashamed,

the one whom I hid from

while looking in the mirror,

the one who would always take on the blame

for the misdeeds of others.

 

And now, today at this very hour,

I make this solemn vow

to myself,

my beautiful, sacred, lovely self,

the one whom I cherish

whom I guard,

the one who

is precious in the sight of the Lord.

 

Never again

will I sacrifice

my hopes, my dreams,

my very self

on a funeral pyre

to appease

those who believe

I am unworthy.

 

Never again

will I debase myself

and compromise all I believe

just to fit in

to be accepted

to be loved

by others

who only want to use me

abuse me

and then abandon me

when there is nothing

left in me

to give.

 

 

 

 

Never again

will I

let the words of self-hatred

form upon my lips

nor let the poison of unbelief

creep into my soul.

 

I will honor this temple

of the Lord.

I will beautify

my gardens

and feed those

whom come my way

with the fruit

of His love.

 

For I am

a vessel of His love

a cup of His cool water

to those who thirst.

 

I am a blanket of His comfort

to those who mourn,

a pillar of His strength

for those who lack faith,

a song of His joy

for those who have lost

the music of life.

 

The Awakening

Rise,

Uncurl your body and stand erect.

Dust off

the injustices

of the past

and put on forgiveness.

Let your knees extend.

Steady your wobbly legs

and plant your feet

firmly on the ground.

May they be pillars

of strength and grace.

 

Uncover your face

and remove your hands.

Let not the veil of fear and shame

shroud the lights of mercy.

 

For the time of lamentations has passed.

The season of mourning has been lifted.

Shed your garments of black.

Array yourself in ribbons of color.

 

Cast away the stones

that made your heart heavy.

Breathe in the air of joy,

let your anxieties

float away

like vapor on the wind.

 

For the time of feasting has arrived.

Come to the table

for the King has desired your restoration

and He delights in your beauty.

 

Bread of Angels

And they

they ate the bread of angels

that fell down from the sky

that appeared daily

to feed their hunger inside.

 

And they

they walked around in circles

for forty years

but their feet did not swell

nor did their clothes wear thin.

 

But I

I do not ask for the bread of angels

I do not ask that my feet never swell

or my clothes never wither and fade.

 

I ask for Your presence to always surround me

engulf me

protect me

lead me

guide me

love me.

 

I do not ask for the bread of angels.

 

I only ask that You keep my head above water

when the storms

when the storms

come crashing down.

 

The Promise Land

I am the Promise Land.

 

I want to dip my hand

into the vat of honey

and taste

its sweetness

on my lips.

I want to cup my hands

and gulp

from the rivers of milk

and let it dribble

down my chin.

 

I have crossed the Jordan

and have seen with my eyes

the miracles of the Lord.

I have hungered and thirsted

and have tasted and seen.

 

But the battle is not completely over,

the walls of Jericho still stand

and part of me is still held captive

by the enemies of this land.

 

I hear the marching

outside the city walls

and my heart beats wildly within

for I know soon

that the trumpet will sound

and that these oppressive walls

will come tumbling to the ground.