Now is part of forever!
Welcome to this growing collection of words, music, images, and resources that celebrate the eternal goodness of the Lord. Every generation proclaims His glory, and we who are now passing from life to life are called to participate in the endless praise of our faithful God.
Among these pages, you will find...
> passages from the Bible and writings of the saints
> poems that celebrate the goodness of the Lord
> music from the Psalms
> glimpses of the beauty in God's world
You are invited to contribute...
> links to websites
> your own writing: poems, meditations, narrative
> art, music, literature: whatever encourages the practice of forever
Contributions may be submitted in the "Introductions and Conclusions" message box.
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"God hath in Himself all power to defend you, all wisdom to direct you, all mercy to pardon you, all grace to enrich you, all righteousness to clothe you, all goodness to supply you, and all happiness to crown you." -Thomas Brooks
"O how ravishing and delectable a sight will it be to behold at one view the
whole design of Providence, and the proper place and use of every single act,
which we could not understand in this world!" -John Flavel
The Life of Light
Sometimes we sat together on the porch
and draped ourselves to catch a rumored breeze.
In first relief, our laughter billowed up
to nests of wings and bulbs, slow dusk unraveling.
Crickets knitted patterned resonance:
screen doors, wagons, sunset children, song
secured on textured staffs the moon meandered through,
whole notes to halves to phrased melodious tides
composing forms across night's deep event.
Profiles smudged like charcoal sketches.
Edges blended, even shadows basked.
Over all lapsed wonders, whitening...
For an hour, pickets blurred, stones glistened.
Trees conducted outbound sounds of trains,
their engines pulling the entire town.
Around us, darkness fanned the range of stars.
Our words converted into fireflies.
By memory, love fashions evensong.
Dance at the Deathbed Vigil
These lamp-bright hours line up
like partners for the darkening.
Slowly we wane, weak-eyed
in the soft-shoe silence after
friends long weary of musical chairs
have lost their place in this game
of objects pulled out from under.
But if now is part of forever,
I want to stay awake and watch with you.
At the last you ask me to read
your favorite psalm, a verse about
the one who guards your going
out and in: not to this
sterile ward but gold-paved liberty
on the arm of someone strong
enough to spin you graceful around
and hold you up--
along with love’s dead weight
of grief as you fail to turn and tap
once more my shoulder
before waltzing off to cross
the one-way street.
These lamp-bright hours line up
like partners for the darkening.
Slowly we wane, weak-eyed
in the soft-shoe silence after
friends long weary of musical chairs
have lost their place in this game
of objects pulled out from under.
But if now is part of forever,
I want to stay awake and watch with you.
At the last you ask me to read
your favorite psalm, a verse about
the one who guards your going
out and in: not to this
sterile ward but gold-paved liberty
on the arm of someone strong
enough to spin you graceful around
and hold you up--
along with love’s dead weight
of grief as you fail to turn and tap
once more my shoulder
before waltzing off to cross
the one-way street.
