Can you hear the drums beat
and the ground shake in stride?
Is the enemy near? Will
there be time to hide?
Is there dust in the
distance? Is our strategy clear?
Will I fall by the sword or
just faint at first fear?
Has the enemy planned? Are
my weaknesses known?
Will the fiery darts come
from places unknown?
Does the foe laugh and scoff
at the thought of a kill?
Can my heart bear the weight
of the dread that I feel?
Quiet, don’t flee, just
listen…
Your feared adversary is
here, at the door, in your space!
At your side, near your ear,
at your back, in this place!
In the dark, ghouls do lurk,
and they joy in your fright
Preying here right beside
you, every day, every night!
They laugh when you struggle
and scoff when you try
Encourage wrongdoings, evil
thoughts, damning lies
They thrash at the Spirit
and beat on the Soul
While bruising the heel,
“you to fail” is the goal
Now, don’t panic, just do
as I say…
Raise your chin, lift your
heart, rejoice in your God!
Gird your loins, standing
tall, gospel’s peace you must shod
A strategy offered to all
who will don
“The armor of
God”---pull it out, try it on
The helmet protects the
stage of your mind
Displaying things pure,
discarding filth left behind
A breastplate is given of
righteousness borne
A shield for the heart,
where pure love should adorn
The shield is for faith, as
the darts will deflect
The cover of the holy, your
virtue protect
The sword of His spirit on
offense will go
Wounding evil with courage,
God’s word slays the feared foe
So, don’t fear, battle on!
With God as commander and
Christ our defense
Life’s battle is a trial,
your purpose, your test
So polish the armor, always
study and pray
Fight back when you must,
God’s commandments obey
Our prophet will lead,
Christ’s work to direct
Your parents, your
family---a war plan perfect!
Then when it is over and at
victory’s point stand
Posed atop of the hill,
sweat drips down off your hand
As your grip on the sword,
first relaxes, then drops
You look at the treasure
your worthiness wrought
A Medal of Honor from
Celestial heights placed
Round your neck, near your
heart in the covenant space
Your Commander and Savior
judges service well done
Warm embrace, bowing knees,
kiss the feet of the Son
Peace received is the gift
of habitat without war
Where our Lord is the
Master, servants forever will adore
Well done, faithful warrior,
you fought the good fight!
Still unborn, only spirits,
at meridian of time
Were we aware of the moment,
nativity sublime?
Could we see that low manger
from an angelic perch
As the new star shined
guiding the magi’s glad search?
How humble the moment, how
pure the love!
How much did we know of the
events that would come,
Mary’s care, Joseph’s
trust, Herod’s hateful kingdom?
As the dove lighted softly
on Christ as a sign
Did we gasp at the beauty of
declaration divine?
How poignant the moment, how
perfect the love!
Was the view, from above,
clear for all who would see
As The Son healed the sick,
calmed the Sea Galilee?
Soothing hands, extended
arms, from our Brother so meek
Lepers whole, blind do see,
devils flee, dumb do speak!
How miraculous the moments,
how infinite the love!
Were we privileged to view
tender sermons and teachings?
Did we wish to be there,
kneeling near, insight learning?
As he spoke of the mourning,
the poor and the lowly
Did peace fill our soul?
Wondrous teacher, all knowing!
How enlightening the moment,
how boundless the love!
Ceremony of cleansing,
humble service complete
First preparing and then
washing apostolic feet
The bread as his body, his
blood cleansing sweet
Grateful remembering is
promised, commitments repeat
How marvelous the moment,
how sacred the love!
As Gethsemane beckoned, His
sacrifice loomed
Comprehend, did we,
encroaching desperation and gloom?
Yet a Spirit, were we
witness to all pain that was bled?
Did we shrink at the view of
thorns on his head?
Were we able to bear all the
cruelty and scorn
As our Savior was spat on,
beaten, mocked, body torn?
Did we realize our mistakes
would add to His pain
That for us---future’s
sinners---He suffered, was slain?
Were we willing and wanting
to go by his side
To strengthen his bravery,
and with him abide?
As the nails pierced his
flesh, did we scream out in shock
Hanging there on the cross,
as the multitudes mocked?
Then---at the end---when He
spoke hallowed phrases
Did we petition our God for
relief, laced with praises?
Precious Lamb! Blessed
Savior! Thy Victory is won!
Death is conquered! Mighty
King, your mission is done!
How jubilant the moment, how
wondrous the love!
Now on earth, memory
lost---in faith we must walk
Spirit lead us to Him,
saving doctrines unlock
Help us seize every blessing
that His sacrifice brought
At His footstool return, in
His arms, embrace sought
How thankful each moment,
how eternal His love!
Soiled and dirty, dingy and
dusty
Stained and untidy, grimy
and musty
Wash and refresh, scrub and
renew
Soap and then brush,
sanitize too
The body requires incessant
care
Cleansing the face, dousing
the hair
Polish the teeth, wipe off
your knees
Scrape away dead skin;
tweeze, if you please
Manicure, pedicure, shampoo
and rinse
Gargle, submerge, disinfect,
even pinch
Whiten and brighten, tidy
and primp
Rub and dig out, thicken
what’s limp
Polished and shiny,
brilliant and bright
Distilled, enlivened,
faultless in light
Immaculate, perfect, ready
for show
Impeccable shine, radiant
glow
Pleasant to view, a feast
for the eyes
But wait---what’s
inside---would I be surprised?
Let’s start with the mind,
is it clean or impure?
Is it soiled and blemished,
does corruption brew there?
Does the stage of your
thoughts warrant praise and approval?
Is the scene, if played out,
tidiness or upheaval?
Would one want to live there
and spend all his time?
Spotlessly pleasant or
perverted in slime?
If you open your mouth, do
the words purely flow?
Does the foulness give hint
of the taint you don’t show?
Does your speech represent
the virtue inside?
Will murmuring allude to the
pollution you hide?
What dwells in the heart, is
it safe to go in?
Is there goodness and light,
is it harboring sin?
Unblemished and unsullied,
where faith can bestow?
Does filth clog the veins,
does vice ebb the flow?
The body---it ages---and to
dust will return
The soul knows no time, when
will we learn?
That virtue is wisdom,
morality divine
A virginal spirit is God’s
shiny dime
With repentance, the
cleanser; humility, the brush
Fall to your knees and with
prayer clean it up
The sacrament reminds of
atonement so sweet
Shampoo with good works,
rinse twice and repeat
On that first day, our Earth
was carved from matter in the space
At Christ’s command the
roundness formed, a global birth took place
Then heaven’s eyelids
opened wide and light shone on the ground
The water suckled dryness
there and landforms did abound
By holy hands this sphere
was fed and nourished in God’s care
A face of gold, so innocent,
all plants and seeds to bear
As days passed by, the
foliage grew, the newborn’s beauty shone
Of trees and shrubs and
leafy lush, a place to feel like home
This infant land was smartly
dressed with beasts for us to find
God’s humor shined on
animal shapes and faces of every kind
Feathered birds adorned the
sky, with elegance dipped in grace
The fishes and aquatic life
decorated the seas like lace
A beauty mark was carefully
placed upon the sacred spot
For Adam and for Eve to
dwell in Eden’s lavish plot
A paradise for them to live
in innocence and love
The starting place for
God’s great work, first planned in heights above
In wisdom, Adam made his
choice---then wilderness appeared
Earth’s growing pains, as
man branched out, to settle and to clear
Deep groans were felt within
the ground as man did often err
Their God they often did
forget, worldly riches to ensnare
Through sin and wars, the
earth matured, and mourned each sorry state
How could God’s children
abuse His gift, this planet desecrate?
Baptism brought relief from
vice as Noah manned the ark
Receding waters, land
renewed, a rainbow displayed God’s mark
As time passed by, the Earth
did age, and quickly man forgot
To follow Christ and do his
will---a Savior was dearly sought
Then, that Christmas night,
grand angels bright, declared unto the Earth
“Joy to the world! Your
king is here! Our God, O precious birth!”
Though Satan’s lies
confused the eyes of many who saw the Son
His life, his love, did show
the way, perfection lived and won
And at the end he knelt in
pain and sipped the bitter cup
The earth received the
sweated blood, as it wept to hold him up
Then on the cross, our
Master died, while tremors rose in anger
The ground did shake and
writhed in pain as lightning stretched its finger
“How long must I accept
the acts of men which kill and lie?
My creator suffered for
their sins!” the Earth, in fury, cried
Apostasy spread throughout
the land, though apostles spoke forewarning
Thick darkness ceased all
progress while the Earth was deep in mourning
“O lonely planet, will
thou raise thy chin and stay the path
The time will come when once
again the gospel will ye have!”
Then in the spring the
heavens burst, a pillar shone to the Earth
God and his Son declared
their truths and knowledge of great worth
And then the past spoke from
the ground, the Earth displayed its treasure
The stick of Joseph safely
kept, great prize beyond all measure
In twilight years the stone
does roll and fills the Earth again
A chance for men to accept
the truth and free themselves from sin
And now this Earth prepares
itself to receive rebirth by fire
Celestialized, a home elect,
Christ’s mansions to desire
Dear Earth, O thank you for
your gifts, your holy sacred mission
With courage and with honor
kept, exactness in thy commission
Bless you for your loyalty,
thy resources for mankind did bless
A jewel divine to Christ
thou served, now peacefully might thou rest
© Copyright 2003
Steven Ross
