Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep - From Cradle To The Grave

I don't often give away the backstory for my writing but I am. So I was in the shower, thinking about a tattoo idea I have. I want to do a child kneeling in prayer while held in a pair of hands on my calf. And Then I thought it would be great to do an old man praying in a pair of hands on my other calfs. And then I was inspired to write this.


"A little child lays his head on the pillow
Offering a simple prayer to God above
Thankful for mommy and daddy
And to keep the monsters out of his head
Faith so innocent, so pure
A picture that one wishes they could capture forever
Knowing all the while that age will bring the weight of the world
And this simple faith will be push, tested, and in some cases destroyed
The lessons learned from simple bedtime prayers will travel a lifetime
Carrying us through our darkest hours and disappointments

A man kneels at the side of his bed in tears
The job he's placed his security in is gone and his marriage is headed in the same direction
He cries to God for some sign, for some peace
Life has not turned out how he'd imagine as a kid
The world has not been kind and life doesn't seem worth living
A cry for peace, for understanding for anything echoes off the ceiling
Has God heard the words he's screamed night in and out
Or have the words gotten chopped by the fan, never making it out of the room?
But a still small voice touches his heart
"Have no fear my son. I've got it under control."

An old man sits up his deathbed
Twilight has come and his family is gathered around him
He bows his head and offers a silent prayer
Thanking God for a blessed life
Gathering his family around him, he kisses them one last time
Ready to go meet the Father"

In the Midst Of...

We are all just broken people leading each other off the cliffs of madness
Searching for a hint of gladness
We dance like the crazed generation they proclaim us to be
We have hope in the unseen
Belief in a God who fixes our inner most beings
We get lost trying to make our own way
Stuck in the forest of life without anyone to guide us along these darkened tree lined paths
We have searched from sea to sea only to discover that God was before us all along and our searching was in vain
We dream through restless sleep as our spirit cries for more of you
Please don't withhold your Spirit from us as we desire to dig deeper into you
Our ship has found it's captain and You've steered us back on course
Guide us through the storms and the droughts as we navigate this world by Your word
Our merciful Father, we who are weary come to you
Let this desperate need for you not be vanquished

For a...

I will struggle to say this once so pay attention because I hate repeating myself.
You are a beautiful garden, not hidden, but lost and forgotten in this overgrown city
And I have watched from this balcony as strangers pass by daily, withholding their half love
The flames of hell lick higher and higher, trying to take a beauty eternal and unyielding
Vanity passes by and misses out on a sight the average eye is to ignorant to understand
Take heart because love is on it's way to sweep you off your feet
These years of waiting will seem like mere minutes and worth every penny when your heart is uncovered
Let the passersby miss out so God's chosen can bring joy into your world

A Walk, A Kiss, A Smile

She said kiss me like you'll never see me again
Her perfume striking the air around me, filling my nostrils with her desire
We embrace, mouths touching and fighting for control
Her gentle push on my stomach breaking our moment of passion
She turns away without a word
And I'm left with her scent on my hands and stale beer on my breath
Her words and actions always leave me confused, wondering where exactly we stand
Maybe I should get out before someone gets hurt
I could write novels about being with her but my thesis would topic would read "Why It Can't Be."
Though my interest has been held long enough to not break this stare...

Cruel Sparks

I want to make love to a French Princess on a yacht encrusted in diamonds
Our bodies slowing rock with the movement of the sea as I give into my wanderlust
Her hands slowly gliding down my side as we embrace each other
Each stolen kiss an unforeseen memory I had not intended on creating

I once heard a song about a man who found God in the bed of his mistress
But it turned out to just be the devil in cheap perfume who trapped the man forever
Is that what's happening here?
Is my life a dance with the devil while I think I'm finding God?
I have allowed myself false pleasure and have come crashing to the bottom of the ocean
I have experienced true joy in absolutely nothing at all, yet it was everything that really mattered
This hope of new life, of better life seems too good to be true
And I can't embrace it long to give up this fools errand I'm currently running
What must I do to break free from these destructive patterns of self-inflicted torment?
How can I truly be free?

High School Love: Destined for Failure

Wedding bells fill our young minds as we stroll these halls hand in hand
Completely unaware of the world outside and all the temptation we are about to face
Our minds so lost in young love that all life's distractions don't seem to matter
For at this moment nothing else matters but our first love

Young dear where do you think you'll be in ten years?
"In the arms of my high school sweetheart" she cried
But in a simple months time her first heartbreak will completely shatter her understanding of love
A terrible introduction to heartaches that she'll face in the years to come
This innocent crush, turned future husband to be, will set her body ablaze and watch it burn from the arms of his new flame
Shadows dance in her broken dreams; trampling the flowers she had planted just this spring
Yet a single rose still blooms in the garden of her heart
Carefully being protected for her real life one to come

Love, Heartache, and All the Inbetween

I am standing at the edge of this canyon we have called a relational encounter
Slowly moving further and further away from the ledge, hoping to avoid falling into the chasm
I once would have given myself over to the depths, leapt joyfully headfirst into the unknown
But experience has taught me to be guarded, not taking flight at my hearts slightest inkling
My heart, no more complete, isn't given to running into the abyss anymore
It's shattered remnants a cruel reminder of why careful planning should be taken
But there's a desire deep down to just give into the temptation to fly, hoping this time to be given wings
Hoping this time there's at least a parachute to keep my heart from dropping straight to the rocky floor where it has exploded brilliantly into tiny and tinier fragments with each unsuccessful relationship

My heart feels a pulling
Wants to yell "What the hell!" and run off this cliff while my mind clearly remembers the latest crash and burn attempt
To give one's own self fully and be held out on
To be tossed aside like yesterday's paper
Why would you want to risk the danger of more heartache?
But this desire...
To be known
To love and be loved
To find intimacy with another
The idea of first kisses and butterflies when holding hands for the first time
The thought of finding one to spend the rest of your life with
These thoughts are sent from the heart to the mind and all thoughts of impending destruction and failure flee

Grasping her hand you move, slowly at first but gaining speed with each step and eventually you reach the edge of the canyon...
And you jump