Blog Archives
Tranquility’s Rest
Tranquility’s Rest
Tranquility resides at the river–
A mile run, arms and legs aflame,
To end at a river bank
And sit amongst Life.
Birds, sparrows if I guessed,
Flock the trees for morsels to eat–
A loud “WHOOOSH!!”
When their Cloud takes flight.
The tendrils from sentinels of old
Litter the way,
Felled by long-lost tempests
Or erosion’s Dust.
Russet leaves glitter the wind,
Let loose by their holders
For Frost’s approach
And Monarchs arrive for final thrones.
Oh the gentle flow of the river–
Over, Under, Around, and Through,
The sentinels’ tendrils on duty–
A moment’s breath.
Fish blossom for a favored meal–
Swarms of insects wing about
As the sun beams warmth
–Rays to brighten Tranquility’s Rest.
~By: A.J. Wagoner
Tears Flow
Tears Flow
For
Tears Flow
When the Dams Blow
Broken hearts, Weary darts
Drip Drop Drip Drip Drip Drip Drop
Bombshells slide again down the Cheek
Explosions of troubled souls, oh so weak–
When darkness of the night brought to light,
And one just longs to stay strong, please…please,
Yet sometimes tears just need to flow, and-and flow
For to bottle those tears up never goes well–whoa!
Bitterness, anger, resentment, et al add to your Fall,
Brokenness wrecks all the strength, out of breath…no
The littlest thing sets the course, sets tears loose again,
Even when one wishes to restrain, constrain, or refrain,
AGGGGGHHHHHH!!!! Screams the mind, body, soul-unison
A cacophony melody to tear at the most closed off hearts–
Please, please, please….please murmurs the depth of night
With icy white tendrils spike the spine out of sight, alight,
Flames awaken engulf the shadows eclipse of the soul
Drip Drop Drip Drop Drip Drop Drip Drop Drip Drop
One Teardrop begins the dreaded tearful overflow,
But do not hold back, now a good apropos
To release the hurt, pain, anguish anew
And remember: ‘Jesus Wept’ years ago
To now stand at Throne’s plateau
So, let your Tears Flow
©~By: A.J. Wagoner
Who’da Whatta
Who’da Whatta
Pleated PleatsCleated CleatsTake the Cake–Frost Frosts Frosted FlakesPleated CleatsCleated PleatsPiece of Pie–Lewis Looses Loses LakesWho’da WhattaWho’da WhattaGeneral Generalizes GeneralizationsJeepers Creepers Creepy JeepsUhhhh…Done.~By: A.J. Wagoner
12:12 12/12/12
Motion Activated
Motion Activated
Motion ActivatedPiano keys strumSnare drum pickGuitar String beatRhythm FormulaLet loose the gooseMother hen gathers–Stars under wingProtect the AirFair Stair StareSensors BlazeMotion ActivatedMusic to my lips…Claps for reals.~By: A.J. Wagoner
“Not Impossible” – In All My Years
“Not Impossible”
Yesterday ended a ten-week course on Coursera.org on Modern & Contemporary American Poetry, which I have mentioned in earlier posts. In the course we went through ten weeks of going deep into the meaning of poems from Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman all the way up to recent Conceptualist poets of Emily Baum and Christian Bok.
As the course progressed, I came to realize just how much I had in common with all of these poets (not just the fact of being one myself), in that they all chose to push the limits to their writing and their poems. They chose to make their own constraints and cast off their own bow-lines to go where others had never gone before!
I can say now, after the course, I have been challenged and encouraged by Prof Al, the TAs and the other 33,000+ students who have made expansive strides to understand and grapple with the nuisances and intricacies of the poetry we gazed upon. My passion for the written and spoken word, which encapsulates poetry, has been set on full alert and enlivened in the utmost way!
To sum up the course, I would be remiss to not share the two-word poem from a classmate, who stands in the process of recovering from Autism (Daniel Bergmann), shared in the final webcast: “Not Impossible”.
Those words penetrated my heart. soul. being. and God’s breath sighed by my ear, “What he says stands True, son, NOTHING is Impossible for me, nor for you!!” Wow! I sit here…speechless, flabbergasted, in complete awe and ended up writing the poem below. What have you?? (means, what are your thoughts??)
In All My YearsIn all my years, in all my life,I have held back from fear–no belief in myself–no confidence or self-worth–In all my tears, in all my strife,I stayed clear–confined within–Hermit of Hermits–But the last few cycles of days…the moments I’ve foundCourage, Boldness, Strength camewhen FAITH took hold,took shape, took me for a loopand I am transformed again and again –The Father’s Love took rootand I am new!What once was impossible,now lies possible…what was once impossible,now lies possible…so, I cast off my bow-lineslet His breath blow my sailsonto more of His Glory–The richness of our Story!~By: A.J. Wagoner
*Now, with all that said, if you have believed the lie of something being impossible for you, then I want to tell you at this moment: NOTHING is impossible for you. Go out there and make a difference in the world with what you desire to accomplish, whether you desire to lose fifty pounds or publish a best-selling novel; whether you wish to see the moon in person or travel the world, then you can…it is POSSIBLE!!
Tweet Tweet
Tweet Tweet
Like Like Like Tweet Tweet TweetLike Like Tweet Like LikeTweet Tweet Like Tweet TweetPin this.Pin that.Status updates — Str8 talkA generation stuck in cycle–Every six months 2 a year–The latest version of the latest gizmoPerpetual RoundaboutsHand-to-mouse,Finger-to-screenScroll UP^Scroll DOWN<Right, Left>Lost in Shorthand –— The I’s of our Friends –I Love You dwindles:I <3 U!, thenLike Like Like Like Like Like LikeTweet Tweet Tweet Tweet Tweet Tweet TweetJust put DOWN ur cold boxesLook others in the eye(Face-to-Face)And won’t you Tweet Tweet my words?~By: AJ Wagoner
Parachute Down
Parachute Down
Eager Expectation
Nerves of steel — I hope,
Third round, sun-risen
A wait game to fool the mind
And an inner monologue,
”I’ve got this, I’ve so got this!!”
The moment arrives,
Ascent into the belly
Of my wildest dreams–
Whirs of propellers, engines hot,
Ready to gaze Atlantic beauty
Abba’s gifts to my heart’s bliss.
Altitude rises,
Thumbs up — No turn backs,
The moment comes,
Smile at the camera,
Head up, legs back, body arched –
A Free fall D
E
S
C
E
N
T.
Eyes water, face contorts
A chipmunk’s last dance
Hmmph…deployed flag
Jerks the body, cannot escape
But the view eases the burden
To Love Life one hundred percent.
A C H
R U
A T
P E
D
O
W
N
My heart rivals Roadrunner
I butterfly kiss the ground –
Stand victorious — a daredevil
To conquer fear with leaps of faith,
The truest of Trust falls
Into my Father’s renown.
~By: A.J. Wagoner
We ALL Need A Journey
We ALL Need A Journey
We all need a journey.
At times we go from ardent optimist
To fervid pessimist,
Lost within our worlds of a ‘Dream’,
Ready to take on every twist and turn.
Our lives turn to a stagnant existence,
Between a nine-to-five job
And a myriad of options after,
From all night game sessions
To diaper change stations.
We try to run and hide from duty,
But we all need a journey,
A pilgrimage, an initiation
Into a life worth more than gold,
A life intertwined with the sacred.
So, a restlessness sets in,
An uneasiness to the soul
Of the possibility of more–
More to life, more to death,
More to the sheer existence of you and I.
We all need a journey,
A holy expedition
To jar us from the apathy of society,
Of self,
Of the broken lies spoken in history.
A journey, not for the sake of journey,
But a trip to test the divine,
To see if the Father
Stays the Father of Love,
Of Grace and Truth.
So, GO.
Go to see an infusion of the divine
Within the broken places of the world
Where beauty and poverty coexist,
And your heart will jar awake!
Abandon the white-picket fence!
Let loose your very soul
From the chains which bind you,
The bonds of restriction
Which choke your very soul.
Abandon the securities,
The very places, people, things,
Which you cling to for validation.
Let GO!
They shall hinder you no more!
Move from such abandonment
To brokenness, sweet brokenness,
Where you will witness poverty
Of the world,
More so, poverty of your heart.
You will see the ‘least of these’:
The Kenyan child on the streets,
The prostitutes who sell themselves,
The widows who lost more than all,
And men more hopeless than they.
Oh the cruelty of a world,
Where Heaven meets Earth
And the pyramid stands on end
For the children of God
To come alive at long last!
So, move my child
From the pain and grief
Through the arid deserts of brokenness
And into His promised land
Of Love and Peace.
Move to a dependence never known,
A dependence on a Good Father,
Who provides beyond reason
The spoils of a mansion
Just to show He loves YOU!
We ALL need a journey.
A Kingdom Journey
To reveal the core of ourselves
And allow us to pass through
To the our truest of selves.
Surrender.
Surrender all.
Through such a deed,
Life beyond life breathes
And we see Father’s smile.
The authenticity and vulnerability
Within our surrender
Releases the power to heal,
Even the darkest night of any soul
Brightens.
My Beloved, move,
Move outside your comfort zones!
Go to the marginalized,
The ones everyone forgets
And Love.
Whether a child of inner-city Chicago,
Or a sick refugee in Thailand–
All need care,
All need hope–
Will you go for such a purpose??
Kingdom Journeys rest in your hands!
Will you let the silence roar?
Or will you be the voice to shout,
To shout for the ‘least of these’,
The broken and downtrodden?
Awaken church!
Awaken NOW!
We hold the keys to the Kingdom
To release the captives
And set free the slaves.
The hour-glass sands settled,
The world stands still,
Takes in a breath
And waits for the Kingdom.
We ALL need a journey.
~By: AJ Wagoner
*I recently read Seth Barnes‘s new book Kingdom Journeys: Rediscovering the Lost Spiritual Discipline. I have lived similar stories on The World Race, which Seth shares some about and have gone through the process to fully come to know who I am. I highly recommend this book!!! This week you can get it for free on the Kindle or if you wait until next week, there will be some great options and perks for buying the paperback copy. The poem above is the one I wrote after reading the book. I hope you enjoy it! Thank you!
Go. Just Go.
For the World
For the World
I sit and stretch in my chair;I ponder the concept to longAnd think of the people, places I love,The ones for which I stand strong.A string of faces swim past my mind–American, Cambodian, Ugandan,And oh so many more,Never forgotten, never abandoned.I gaze upon the globe,A gentle spin of the axisTo see the world pass byAnd speak peace, a prayerful praxis.Oh, now a glimpse into Abba’s heart,A piece of holiness, glimmer of tears,Upon the shaded gloryWhen Abba chimes all of our years.He weeps for His children,”My precious ones, why do you fight,Why do you hate one another,A passion wasted on a woeful blight.You squabble and pierce my sideWith your hate-filled liesTo sow fear into one anotherAnd drown out my Son’s cries!”The passion swells in His voice,”My children, my sons and daughters,Can you not see the pain you inflictEven upon my treasured waters?Blood-bath innocents, tear-filled adolescents,For what? Personal pride, selfishness?White-washed walls cannot hold upTo your spirit-less negligence.My beloved, I find beauty in you!A holy reference to fight still,Beyond the hate, the cold indifference,I already paid the bill!Yes, I find beauty in each of you,Put aside the hatred, the filth,Lay down your arms, your self-made veil,So I may bring you to proper tilth.Oh, my children I love you!I will never leave you, nor forsake you;Draw to me once more,The ones I already knew.My heart beats for the world,A place I Am for and hold concernFor you seem to have forgotten me–Yet my Love will forevermore yearn.”A breath of fresh air fills my lungs!A gasp at the earth once more,The globe continues the tilted spinAnd a freshness to my eyes restoreAnother string of faces jaunt past my mind,Guatemalan, Indian, French,And still more upon themFor I fall to my knees, the Holy Trench.Oh, a heart filled to overflow,With Love, Compassion, Grace,To pour all of ourselves into creation,A love set in stone when face-to-face.So, Abba’s fire explodes within my chest,The light by which darkness gets hurledAnd I breathe His peace out,Not for me, but for the world.~By: AJ Wagoner
Face-to-Face
Face-to-Face
After midnight and my mind reels!
A gentle, soft light glows
And I stare at the 10-inch screen some more.
From e-mail to social media,
Or movies with ads galore.
I lose track of time
And wish I could pull away.
I walk the streets to take in the sights!
I wanna declare ‘Good day,’
But no one pays attention–
Stuck to their screens and games,
We all just need a suspension.
Please do not get me wrong,
I just long to talk face-to-face.
Let me tell you some more.
Thirty minute wait…
Sorry, I had to read the last post,
I had to watch one more episode.
A symptom I don’t wish to boast,
Oh brothers and sisters, forgive me–
For I lost track of the lilies.
My world crumbles and I cry out:
“My Father, help me!
I need you now!
Where have you gone?
I fell from the oak’s mighty bough
And I lost track of you!
Please meet me face-to-face!”
The dial-tone, blank…
I wait and wait…
No answer, no call back.
Then, a gentle whisper,
“I’m sorry, son, I lost track.
I thought you no longer desired me,
So I left to read one more post.”
I…I…st-stumble for breath.
“My Lord, I, I am sorry.
I do not deserve to hear your voice!
I let the world distract me:
I held the choice,
Yet still media gripped me
And failure set in to see you face-to-face.”
A knock on my heart,
“My son, I have never left you!
I always heard your cries;
Still I must go silent
To ensure your pursuit’s not a disguise.
I love you, son
And I enjoy your heart!
Listen to me, son,
The sights and sounds of the world
Can and will deceive you,
Yet we overcome such lies
As we push through
Every tension and hindrance
Just to see each other face-to-face.”
Sighs of sweet relief.
My heart beats in rhythm again
And I smile at His sweet face!
My King never left me,
Never set me up with disgrace.
Oh my cup lies full,
A moment more before the overflow.
Oh, the perspective of a Father
To put the heart in check
And awaken me to His sweet reality
Of a desire to love and honor me,
A renewed vitality.
So, I turn the glow off
To gaze upon Love face-to-face.
~By: AJ Wagoner
Open Display
Open Display
The space-time continuum opens up,
I fall into a Black Hole
With Bermuda Triangle oddities
And a year’s supply of MRE’s;
Unsure of what ship I’ m on–
Deserted, desertion–
No where close to a desert,
Nor a dessert.
A free fall descent into oblivion;
Carnivorous omnivores,
My stomach growls,
Yet fails to tune out my soul’s howls
For freedom, love, and sanctity of mind–
A wind-tunnel of thoughts, emotions,
Set to a time-lapse of jumbled notions,
The concoction of ill-reposed potions.
More than a conqueror,
I press further in…
Into the darkness of nowhere,
To find the Light of everywhere–
A pinhole slimmer of possibility
In the mind’s ability
To overcome the starkest terror,
For nightmares cannot bind the Deliverer’s Dreams.
Honest repose upon the mind’s eye;
Ready, set, go
To the middle-of-the-fray–
Do not hesitate, do not delay–
The Deliverer’s Dreams on open display
To bring me through every valley,
And raise me to the highest of highs
A chance to bask in His Presence alone.
~By: AJ Wagoner
Anthems Rise
Anthems Rise
They said not to share about Christ,
But His Name rises from within
To rend the darkness all the more
And shake the mountains to the core!
Kids from broken families
With weary hearts and tired souls,
Now need the voice of the Lord,
So speak, speak His Word!
No more can we hold back
For lives stand on the line
To the brink of no return;
Oh my, what words to discern?
What to say to the hopeless man?
What to share to the single mother?
A little love, a little piece of His heart
To give their spirit a big jump start.
Whether on the street or in the park,
Let your faith shine bright,
While His dove flies
Our forever anthems rise!
~By: AJ Wagoner
What Words
What Words
What words could I ever say?
What words could I pray?
For the earth holds a million songs
With more and more on the way;
My Lord, I sit speechless at your Glory,
Your Holy Story reverberates everyday!
What words could I ever say?
What words could I pray?
In and to, Through and for,
I raise my voice to the heights
Ready to run the gauntlet,
No matter the restless nights!
Oh my soul sings sweet melodies
To you my Beloved, my heart’s Divinity,
As I give and give all of me
Over and over and over again;
My life belongs in your hands,
The Provider of Love’s Win.
Oh what words could I ever say?
What words could I pray?
~By: AJ Wagoner
Ivory Towers
Ivory Towers
High above in our ivory towers,
We sit and watch the world pass by
As we sequester ourselves in our steeples
With the hope of every spiritual high.
Plastered to our holy veneers,
Secluded from the heathens on all sides;
We let no love shine forth,
Ill-suited for the shame such provides.
Oh, children of God, abandon your towers,
Come out into the fresh air and see–
See the world in sincerity and truth
With God’s creativity in diversity.
Let us walk in the reflection of Christ
To broaden perspectives,
Learn the world’s realities,
And meet needs for the collectives.
Yes, love and serve without prejudice
For we must go in the steps of the Lord,
Steps to bring about justice and truth,
And guide the church into one accord.
So, open up the doors,
Fling wide our wakeful hours
For you begin a new work in us,
As we leave our ivory towers.
~By: A.J. Wagoner
The Sun and The Moon
A special relationship exists
Between the sun and the moon,
As one shines throughout the day
And one watches over the ‘coon.
The earth orbits the sun,
The central character to any story,
While the moon finds worth around earth
And only mirrors the sun’s glory.
A noontide arc of ample light
From the depths of the sun’s core
Leads to a midnight run of flattery,
As a satellite attempts to break lore.
All the while we stand in the tide,
Lost to a fantastical entity,
Eyes wide open to the sky
With the complexities of our identity.
Now rest awhile in the secret place,
Allow the God of all creation to speak
To the depths of your soul
And draw you ever closer to His mystique.
Love written on the tablets of your heart!
So rise up and shine for all the earth
For darkness grips the reins
To tie us down with shameful girth.
Though bright we can be
When we reflect the Son,
Show the world His glory,
And unravel Death’s deals to undone.
My beloved, ascend to your potential,
Let the sun and the moon
Remain the examples for our lives
As we reflect the Son all afternoon.
~By: A.J. Wagoner
Guard Your Heart
A knight for the heart
Guard Your Heart
They say you should guard your heart,
But what does such a task entail?
How do you shield your heart
From vibrations of love’s cosmic trails?
For Christ went to the cross
To deal Death a final blow,
And every step He felt the sting
Of Love’s cost for freedom’s flow.
So, should I not let freedom ring?
Should I not let Love drip through rain
And wash away the tears of remorse,
Or banish away the cloud’s sinful stain?
Freedom reigns for freedom’s sake,
For Christ died and rose to unlock cells,
So I will love and love some more,
If to do so rings freedom’s bells!
All the while, I know Truth,
I must hold my Shield of Faith
Forward march, advance the ranks,
As no matter what we fight shadow wraith.
Forgotten times when shield held low,
A sudden shock, a slow start,
And taken off-guard to lose a fight,
But now He and I guard my heart.
~By: A.J. Wagoner
Stop the Madness!
Stop the Madness
Stop the madness within the absurdness
Of our love for profitability and green-backs
To when we cast aside logic, compassion,
And you tell me to relax!
Why do you think you always right?
Why do you think you got all the answers?
Even though truth spelled any different,
Still doesn’t eradicate the harshest cancers.
Instead, you lace foods and declare breakthrough,
Except all other countries deny such advances
Due to the dangers in and out to their people…
And yet, we crave more finances to take more chances.
Do you not see! Open your eyes and look around!
Once the country desired, now our back afire
For we march to our deaths, short of breath,
As we hobble on fattened calves and perspire.
Artificial flavors, colors, more and more,
Natural foods kicked to the curb
With taxes and fees to organic farmers;
All for an extra millionaire verb.
Now, the growth of allergies and parents’ screams
For children sway on dark days
From generational consumption of filth and folly,
Hang on, let us rephrase:
Double the cases of cancer patients,
The doses of antibiotics swell to Heaven’s height
As more and more join the fight
Within their beds and gowns, such a blight.
So, mothers, fathers, sisters, brother–
Weary to the bone at Death’s door-knocker zone,
And we begin to blame one another
With venomous words, groans and moans.
We approach every day with pride and prejudice,
While we look at age, sex, color, race,
Only to forget the truth of the matter
None matter in the first place…
Oh, hear me out for once, please,
Cancer, asthma, death, disease–
Do NOT play favorites for any face
As we all fall to each with ease.
Oh, my beloved, hear my cry!
Wake up to the illusion profusion
Of Death’s deceptive perceptive
Within the lies of delusion’s illusions.
Others say no to such acts
The use of artificiality,
Yet profitability stands the ego–
A trip to sterilize virility;
Yes, the possibility of probability
For a people to lose sight of it all,
As one by one they listen to the hype
Only to fall victim to Death’s squall!
Tears shed, screams pierce the night
For another hits the dust,
And all-the-while tensions never cease
As a gust of lust busts the trust,
Where those responsible point the blame
To fan the flames upon cold blackness
And walk away with pockets full,
While the rest drown in engineered madness.
~By: A.J. Wagoner
Under the Cross
Under the Cross
The house ‘under the cross’
Where nations come and go, ebb and flow,
As men of God find rest and solace,
While they follow the Father to and fro.
Brothers at arms for the Kingdom
Come together and connect the Body of Christ
For the days come when we must stand
Against the tide of the Bride and Hell’s tryst.
Oh, the house ‘under the cross’,
A place for refuge and for battle,
As men rise up to pray
And contend against Evil’s prattle.
The home of hospitality and love,
Where a soldier lays his head,
While he takes a break from the watch
To rest and tag team another for prayers to spread.
Yes, the time ticks to now,
When our anchors re-rope to the hawse,
As we draw near again with the Son
In the house ‘under the cross’.
~By: A.J. Wagoner
A place of rest
Rain Duet
Rain time
Rain Duet
I gaze at the clear-face door,
At the explosions of life, the spring-time shower,
Where ripples of puddles breathe a melody
Of vibrant redemption and clothe anew each flower.
Hope and love cascades to earth,
A reminder of all promise and Truth;
The sound of afternoon stories of grace,
Yet my mind wanders from my four-walled booth.
Yes, I go to Central America,
A sky of the deepest blue,
Where clouds dance with every expression
And the rain’s fragrance changes the harshest world view.
I soar back to Southeast Asia–
Filipino villages full of simplicity to bask in the rain,
Or Cambodia’s relief from the heat
And the scramble to gather gems from the gutter main.
Or to East Africa with the dust and flies,
Nostrils fill to the brim with both life and decay,
Yet Heaven releases the dam to quench
Such heat, but more so every dismay.
Then to India and the colorful displays,
Where the tears begin lifeless and dry,
But morph to the deepest wellspring for more,
While ominous clouds draw nigh.
Even to places only dreamed,
I whistle through the air on angel wings
To hear the sighs of each land
When a fresh token falls down from Heaven’s springs.
Dirt and dust turn to mud,
The rivers churn and life stuffed,
While the trees spring into flowery life
And the land awakens after being cuffed.
Still, we take for granted the fresh rain,
We drown in the deepest mires of regret
To shield our hearts from suppressed pain,
Only to miss Heaven and Earth’s rain duet.
So, my dear ones, stop and rest!
Begin to listen once more to the rain duet,
While you let fresh air breathe over you
And maybe even get a little wet.
~By: A.J. Wagoner
Spring blooms
Repaint Your Heart
Repaint Your Heart
The sun sets on a weary land;
Our hearts more elastic than a rubber band,
Yet we hold to the tension
Afraid to let go of the friction,
So our hearts shadow the line–
Line between slavery and freedom.
On the verge of victory,
Our minds begin to twist the story;
An eminent, intimate betrayal
To back us out of our betrothal
With our precious bridegroom,
Whose eyes denote the purest love.
Love so profound logic suspends time,
Undeserved, extravagant, we forget to rhyme–
So whole, the cup overflows,
So full, love gives and gives through all our woes;
Still the air lies pregnant with expectation,
‘Til we encounter true agape.
Now, rest awhile in His blessed grace;
Turn and run into His precious embrace,
While the buds of life spring forth,
His symphony awakens new birth–
Arise child of the Most High,
And allow Heaven’s hues repaint your heart.
~By: A.J. Wagoner
Spring in the air
