My Muse

Liquid gold spills softly
Down a path of veins.
A sunburnt river
Coursing on red palms
Lifted skywards
in silent supplication.
Whirling, dancing
Waving in the wind.
Silently bidding the world
A brilliant farewell.

Soul Taking Flight

Her head is lifted heavenwards
Eyes full of the full red moon-
Rich, red wine spilled on some marble floor.
The stars have been stolen
Leaving a bare, black cloak.
A mass of shadowed silk
Wrapping round the earth.
She bends and stretches
Unfurling those great gray wings.
Lunging towards that wine-soaked disc
Toes scraping the cold, wet ground.
Too heavy. Too heavy to soar.
Weighed down by her steel cocoon,
Glinting dully under the bloody moon.
Nails clawing to shed that skin
Screeching wildly and tearing it off.
She gasps – it’s cold. So cold.
Reaches to cover her nakedness
But the armor lays in pieces. Useless now.
The wind howls, raking at her flesh
With its icy, hungry, fingers.
Barely standing.
Going to freeze.
It’s cold.
Sinking.
Almost.
Gone.
THEN
a VOICE: “Be Still.”
The fingers release her.
The wind silently slinks off.
Some celestial rain washes the stain
Restoring the moon to its purity.
She bends and stretches
Unfurling those great gray wings.
Lunging towards that pristine disc.
Toes leaving the cold, wet ground.
Stretching towards the sky
Rising, higher. Soaring higher still.
A breeze dances round her
No cold fingers, only soft warm lips
Bringing whispers of a love song
Pressing her onwards. Upwards.
She glances down for a moment-
She sees nothing save the moon.

Seeking the light in the darkness
Racing towards the shadowland,
Playing with fire yet freezing inside
Escaping the Truth, trusting a lie.

Suddenly one day it was gone
Everything I trusted had failed
Then I realized the lies were just lies,
So I turned to the Truth I had denied.

Up ‘til now my life was forfeit, worthless
And though I smiled, inside the pain was endless
I might’ve been singing, dancing
Putting on the world’s greatest show,
But I was dying, and I didn’t even know.
Oh I was dying, and I didn’t even know.

Oh how this light in me shines brightly
Even when the storm is breaking,
I can’t go back to the way things were
‘Cause I can’t lose what I don’t deserve

Up ‘til now my life was forfeit, worthless
And though I smiled, inside the pain was endless
I might’ve been singing, dancing
Putting on the world’s greatest show,
But I was dying, and I didn’t even know.
Oh I was dying, and I didn’t even know.

Funny how I had the eyes to see
But I was blind, I did not see.
Funny how I had the ears to hear
But I was deaf, I did not hear.
Lord please take my own, selfish stubborn will
Transform it as You please,
I’m moving out of this rebellious house
And into new life with You.

Up ‘til now my life was forfeit, worthless
And though I smiled, inside the pain was endless
I might’ve been singing, dancing
Putting on the world’s greatest show,
But I was dying, and I didn’t even know.
Yeah, I was dying, and I didn’t even know.

Home Again

I am so afraid
Of this mighty storm
It's crashing down over me
I cannot see the sun.

Where do I go,
Where do I run,
Where can I hide
from the rain?
I go where You are
I run to Your arms
I hide in Your presence
And I am home again.

I am in despair
All I had is gone
As all my dreams fade away
I'm completely undone

Where do I go,
Where do I run,
Where can I hide
from the rain?
I go where You are
I run to Your arms
I hide in Your presence
And I am home again.

I am home where
Your light shines on me
I am home where
Your love sets me free
Lord you heal me
With a simple gentle touch
When I am with You
You're more than enough.

Where do I go,
Where do I run,
Where can I hide
from the rain?
I go where You are
I run to Your arms
I hide in Your presence
And I am home again.

Call To Me

I am a wanderer,
Running far from home.
Hiding from the storm,
Seeking for the calm.
But I have wandered
Far too far from You.
Far from Your Word,
I don't know what to do.


So I fall to my knees
In this secret, quiet place,
To give up all of me,
And receive amazing grace.

Call to me:
This time I will respond.
Call to me:
This time I will obey.
I am tired and I’m worn
From hiding from Your face,
Lord, I long to return
And to live once again.

Lord, I have treasured
This pride for much too long,
Wanting what was Yours
Knowing it was wrong,
For it is Your Glory,
Lord You are the King.
To You be all honour,
You are everything.

So I fall to my knees
In this secret, quiet place,
To give up all of me,
And receive amazing grace.

Call to me:
This time I will respond.
Call to me:
This time I will obey.
I am tired and I’m worn
From hiding from Your face,
Lord, I long to return
And to live once again.

My life is Yours Lord
I lay it down.
My will is Yours Lord
I lay it down
Everything, all of me
I surrender to You,
I die to my old self
For You make me new.

Call to me:
This time I will respond.
Call to me:
This time I will obey.
I am tired and I’m worn
From hiding from Your face,
Lord, I long to return
And to live once again.

They used to call him Ghost. Now don't get me wrong, he wasn't a quiet, withdrawn fellow at all. No, Ghost was well-liked by all of us, especially the ladies. Why did we call him Ghost? Well, that's a long story, but it has something to do with a prank he played on Old Joe one cold, winter night when he was barely 10. But I'm not telling that story. No, that's a different story altogether. Not a bad story, just not this story.

Where was I? Oh, right, the real story. Well, like I was saying, Ghost was quite popular around here. Can't remember too many days when that boy didn't have that friendly smile on his face. Now, that face had the girls sighing and dreaming of marriage. Took after his mother, I'd say. I still say that his pa must have lucked out something awful to have ended up with Marie, pretty as she was. Anyhow, point is, nobody didn't like Ghost.

I don't really like tellin' this story, mind you. I loved that boy like he was my own son. One day, he just up and left without a word. Didn't tell no one where he was going, not even his own ma. Can't tell you why. Like I said before, nobody didn't like Ghost. You just couldn't help yourself. Oh sure, he was ham-handed and liked to joke around a bit much, but thing was, no one could find it in their hearts to be sore with him. You would open your mouth to say something cross and old Ghost would take you by the hand, smile his easy grin, and say something like "Now Ms. Betty, you know how I adore you, don't you? See I only grabbed your hat because it hid that pretty gold hair of yours." After that, why I wonder if she's not still grinning halfway to heaven!

So all of us here are still scratchin' our heads trying to figure out what he left for. That boy had a good head on his shoulders, he did. Nothin' to be done for it now but wait and hope that he'll come back to us. We don't get many strangers around here, traveler, so this may be our only chance. If you see old Ghost, tell him to come home, you hear? What was his real name, you ask? Well, see, I been callin' him Ghost for so long that I don't rightly know!

Ride

If wishes were horses, fools would ride.
So the old adage proclaims.
Today I am a fool.
I am a fool who wishes and dreams
Dreams and wishes.
For love, for peace, for hope, for wisdom.
I dream of soaring beyond the clouds
I dream of flying to my Lord, my God.
I wish for quiet stillness within my soul
I wish for hope for those who have none.
For a light to shine in our darkest times.
For love that conquers death.
If wishes were horses, fools would ride.
And so I shall mount upon my steed
Race with wind
And leave the wise who have no dreams
Far far behind.

Hundred Percent Girl

I don’t do make-up
Or ribbons and curls.
I don’t love to dress up
In diamonds and pearls.
I will not diet
To fit in size four,
I don’t wear perfume
From Christian Dior.

But still I sing when I think
That no one’s listening,
And still I dance when I see
That no one’s watching.
And still I pray that someday
I will find my perfect guy,
And when I do, I know that I
Will love him ‘til I die.
I may not look it to this world,
But I’m a hundred percent girl.

I may not star-gaze
Or be a crazed fan.
I’d rather catch a wave
Than work on my tan.
I won’t spend hours
Talking on the phone,
I can walk to
The bathroom alone.

But still I sing when I think
That no one’s listening,
And still I dance when I see
That no one’s watching.
And still I pray that someday
I will find my perfect guy,
And when I do, I know that I
Will love him ‘til I die.
I may not look it to this world,
But I’m a hundred percent girl.

I may not look it to this world,
But I’m a hundred percent,
Oh I’m a hundred percent,
Yes I’m a hundred percent,
Beautiful Girl.