Let there be PEACE on the earth And let it begin with Yours Truly For Peace ever springs From the dreams which I dare When the Prince cares to cherish and rule me
Let there be JOY on the earth And let it begin with me now My angst is corrupted By a faith, fresh-erupted As I let Zion shine on my brow
Let there be MERCY on earth And let it disperse from me first Since I’ve been forgiven I have seventy-fold striven, to Pay it forward, for that Reign to rehearse
Let there be FIRE on the earth And let me be kindling consumed God’s Love is a spark; Every quark it has scorched By the torch of that Arsonist untombed
***
(inspired by the song, LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH, by Sy Miller and Jill Jackson
My pal and I sprawled out, face up, the heavens analyzing Soft sandwiched ‘tween the un-mowed green and blue The impish clouds performed their acrobatics, mesmerizing We pointed, “It’s a horse!” or, “That’s a shoe!”
When ended that, up sat my friend and asked, “Will heaven be boring?” Tried keeping calm, but couldn’t, not one bit My inner eyes had pierced the skies to realms of light outpouring Therefrom, the unseen rays my face up lit
“Will heaven be boring?” he stated again Elated, I grinned, “Well yes, that is, if..
“Won’t it be passively static?” he asked Ecstatic, I laughed, then cried, “O no, if…
Kingdom-building; brick road-gilding
Thanking, praising, Love-embracing
For the hellbound, interceding, etc.…
Are not passive!”
“We’ll never feel badly or lonely, I reckon!” “Heck no!” I said gladly, “with umpteen new friends, like… Eve and Adam, garden-tending Noah, bird and boa-nesting Sarah, heavenly hostess-training Jacob, coaching angel-wrestling Paul and Peter, guiding, teaching Forbears, Saints and angel fleets Loved ones saved by grace-outreaching
She whose prayer the snare defeats Mother, Queen; with care she’ll mind us
Last to mention (but not least) The One, Who’ll, from our tears, unblind us…”
“You see, my friend? All loneliness and pain unseen– O Glory Be!-
Will be…
… deceased!”
We started hiking; neither heard the striking Parson’s bell Well lost in thought of celestial locales Is Larson’s humdrum heaven just as silly as Larson’s hell? (1) Heav’ns Yes! We’d glimpsed a Glory plain unboring
We’d felt a good despair that earthbound hopes could quell that pain That ache which points toward a higher story We’ll claim that tale in tandem since unclouded hope is gained By boldly looking heavenward… …As pals
What if I hinted that Someone is smitten? Head over heels Who loves without quittin’ And cares for you more than a kid for her kitten Just savagely smitten with you
What if I mentioned you’re now on His mind? Not once in a while But all of the time With eyes for you only! Since you He designed And loved before earth was unearthed
What if I stuttered that by you He’s lovestruck? Afire with affection And for you, was nailstruck A Soulmate forever, not any ol’ schmuck Whose stricken heart quickens for you
What if this Lover is something undreamed of “Pazzo d’amore” (1) (Crazy with love) He’d give life and limb for you, push came to shove In fact, so He did! Long ago
What if I said that this Friend is besotted? “Drunk” with devotion (1) “Cross-eyed”, He fought Through death, He unblotted our souls all sin-spotted Through love, He’s now plotting to conquer
What if I blustered this “Bridegroom” has named you His “Chosen” and “Crown”? (2) His “Own” He has claimed you
To silence He summons you, calling your name
To prepare you for the “when” He will send
When your “winter” and “rains” (3) will come to an end
Again, He’ll invite, Come to me (4)
On a cross I was smitten
WITH thee and FOR thee
My spouse, my beloved
My friend
***** (1) St. Catherine of Siena: “You, high eternal Trinity, acted as if You were drunk with love [pazzo d’amore], infatuated with Your creature.. You, Sweetness itself, stooped to join Yourself with our bitterness. You, Splendor, joined Yourself with darkness; You, Wisdom with foolishness; You, Life with death; You, the Infinite, with us who are finite. What drove you to this?”
(2) Old Testament
(3) Song of Songs (Solomon) 2:11
(4) John 7:37; Isaiah 55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price”
True prayer is desire A longing, a yearning A stoking of fire That purges and brands without burning
A sigh– to unsmother A cry– soaked in hope A glance– at the Lover Who with every soul, would elope
Before prayer begins The Stag has been leaping (2) Across peaks within To trade His own joy for our weeping
Prayer answers that thirst Our heartaches make known Yet God has it worse Prayer mergesHisthirst with our own (1)
To pray is to dine On “meat” and “wine blended”- (2.5) The “choicest of wine”- (3) Our drought and our famine upended
To hand off what harms To slough off dismay To sink into Arms That mold to His image this clay (3.5)
The soul’s transformation A bath in love’s Flame Sweet divinization The Bridegroom’s new life free fromshame
When things go as planned Or couldn’t have gone worse (4) When life’s “fine and dand” Or soon to be hailing a hearse
When warmed by the sun Or while the flakes fly When the fight’s lost or won When “Thanks” is the only reply
Where silence is falling And list’ning unfettered Where no voice is calling But HIS Voice, within, or red-lettered
In bedrooms or churches On hikes to the peak In the bus as it lurches There‘s no place where one cannot seek…
And be found…
Bythe OneWho, for love, ever searches
*****
(1) Catechism of the Catholic Church #2560
(2) Song of Songs 2:9
(2.5) Proverbs 9:2
(3) Psalm 127
(3.5) Isaiah
(4) “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances” -1 Thessalonians 5:18
(5) Zephaniah 3
“I assure you that God is much better than you believe. He is content with a glance, a sigh of love.” “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”-St. Therese of Lisieux
“Labour, therefore, to increase the fire of your desire, and let not a moment pass without crying to Me with humble voice, or without continual prayers before Me for your neighbours.’-God to St. Catherine of Siena, from the Dialogue
In grandpa’s doting gaze Your rays of hope infused the twinkle In those crinkles ’round his eyes Your smile I saw Embraced and held a newborn- soon beheld Your starlit face Felt grateful for this grace Struck with awe
Through mother’s firm massage Your hands caressed my heart’s distresses In my messes, father’s patience showed Your own A stranger asked me how I was- I gushed too much to mention Knew his, and Your, attention Deeply known
The mailman’s warm, endearing “Hi!” envoiced Your cheery tenor In a tender nurse’s words Your Heart resounded A note from my old friend- Your tone broke through and gently gripped me From dread and doubt it stripped me Peace compounded
The beauty of the dancer’s form displayed Your subtle splendor As she rendered Swan Lakes’s leaps Your thrill I sensed As doc consoled my kid with special needs, I caught Your caring Infecting my despairing Joy commenced
*****
“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” John 14:21
“My beloved stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice” Song of Songs 2
The lasting gifts our Father brings Ain’t “mockingbirds” or “diamond rings” Ain’t slick “looking glasses” Or quick “billy goats” (1) Or spilling sacks of crisp green notes
Not boxes boasting bows and strings But seeds that grow undying things These seeds will keep Our souls afloat And safe and sound in Peter’s Boat
First, FAITH- that gives our hearts great wings Then HOPE- for heaven’s “eternal springs” But the best (please ignore The lump in my throat) Is LOVE! A fact not up for vote
Bright LOVE for all, both bums AND kings For Christ, Who makes our spirits sing Three giftsever potent You’ll find me devotin’ To the matchmaking goals Of the “Bridegroom” of souls Whose love Is never Remote ***** (1) Hush Little Baby, by Mother Goose
Rhymes for the Rejoiceful 