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From Songs to a Watchful Lover by Donna Hardy
Poems: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18
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The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble …
In an hour of despair I call for help. The Beloved remembers my days of sweet charity and hard sacrifice, my nights of love and longing. Love gives me a clear mind and a set path. Love hears my heart’s call.
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The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handy-work.
Today assumes tomorrow, last night’s moon portends the time and shape of this night’s moon. All of this in silence.
Nothing hides from the heat of the sun or the gaze of the Beloved.
I trust the silence, the night, the heat, the gaze, the timeless embrace of Love.
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In my distress I … cried unto my God…
Earth shakes, hills move, the darkness is darker than any I have known. I call your name.
Lightning shatters the dark, passion’s fire devours it. Wild waters reveal the foundations of creation. I dive deep.
Love lifts me from what would overwhelm me. I leap over walls; I shout your name.
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Let my sentence come forth from thy presence…
I am yours, Love. You have visited me in the night. You know the sleek cats, who live off the fat of the land, yet
circle me as if they were hungry young lions. They skulk in dark corners, would lure me from you. I seek only you, only
the face of the Beloved. See me. Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me in the shadow of your wing.
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Thou wilt shew me the path of life…
When I am with you, Love, life is real. Meaning forms my days, dreams inspire the night.
Every cell of me is alive, every part of me knows I am on a right path. Why do I wander off? Ever?
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Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle?
I value my friends and I am loyal. I use my head, speak from my heart, work for justice. I never set out to harm. I seek always a path of non-violence and, once committed, I am unwavering.
Take me in, Love.
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The Lord looked down from heaven… to see if there
were
I am alone. Not one person here loves what I love.
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How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord?
How long will you hide from me, Love? How long must I struggle for every scrap of recognition?
While demons dance to familiar tunes I, vision dimmed, must cling to the wall to keep my balance.
Turn your face to me now, Love. See me. Listen. Remember, I sing always of you. ===
The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest of men are exalted.
Their words fool me. The boldness of their achievement invites me in, flatters me, deceives me. I think I am one of them.
One day I realize the clamor of commerce drowns out the cries of the poor. One day I see I am not part of the glamour. I am poor. The cries are mine.
Comfort me, Love. Your words are a clear stream, pure, refined, generous. Your words feel good on my ears.
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In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?
I slip, falter, fall into moods of violent fantasy. I want revenge. You, Love, take my measure in a glance, help me find a loftier perch.
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For the wicked
boasteth of his heart’s desire, and
Again I am obsessed with desire. My tongue lies in wait, ready to judge, ridicule, devalue, deny. Save me, Love, from these enemies.
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I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart…
You have saved my life, Love. You have outwitted my enemies and sent them spinning back into the hole from which they crawled. I tell your story everywhere.
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What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
Who am I, Love, that you lavish such riches upon me: an orange moon rising over the city last night, cooling fog this morning, one hawk circling at noon, and now this summer afternoon, this red lantana, this chair, this book. What else do you have planned for me?
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… save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me …
My failings pursue me like lions, would tear me apart, carry me off, trample me, grind me to dust.
If you find hope in me, Love, sharpen your arrows, tip them with fire, let these betrayers know
the pit they dig for me is the one into which they will fall.
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Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak...
I am worn down, Love, a sack of old clothes, a box of dog-eared magazines, a cracked vase abandoned in an empty room.
At night I cry into a dark silence that promises me nothing; by day I watch, wary of what I most dread: Love's judgment.
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The foolish shall not stand In thy sight…
Stay with me, Love. I want never again to drift off without you who hold the compass.
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Hear me when I call, O God … have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
The Beloved hears my call, bids me calm my angry heart, be quiet, pay my dues, count my blessings.
I sleep in peace.
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But thou, O Lord, are a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
Love shields me, guards my sleep, restores my strength, softens the bite of adversity.
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Psalm 2 Ask of me, and I shall give thee... the
uttermost parts
The beloved has promised me strawberries and cream, sweet wine and justice.
Some days
I don't believe it.
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Psalm 1 And he shall be like a tree planted by
the rivers… That bringeth forth his fruit in his
season…
I would live my seasons
By the river where I was planted;
I would bud, leaf, blossom,
Bear fruit or not; and then let go
To stand lean against a winter sky, My view of life vast and clear.
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