Psalm 50 (51)

Sprinkle me with hyssop,

and I shall be made clean.*

Let the droplets of water

linger on my skin

and sink slowly into my soul

and purge the darkness within.

 

Wash me,

and I shall be made whiter than snow.

Purify all of me,

my actions

my thoughts

my intentions.

 

Create in me a clean heart, O God,

and renew a right spirit within me.

Give me the desire

for Your purity.

Help me to guard

my eyes

my ears

my body

from temptations that sully me.

 

Cast me not away from Thy presence,

and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

But hold me tightly

against Your chest, my Beloved,

so that our hearts

may beat as One.

 

O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips,

and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.

May my joy of Your love, Your mercy

be always present

in my laughter

in my tears

and on my tongue.

 

A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit;

a heart that  is broken and humbled God will not despise.

My Beloved, may my heart

break with Yours.

May Your tears

be my tears.

 

*The bold italicized words are part of the original Psalm 50 (Septuagint)  from the Bible

 

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.