Above The Shallow

 

Follow, Follow, Follow, Follow

Who do we follow?

Why do we follow?

What do we follow?

Follow the Scientist

Placate the Aethist

Tolerate the Artist

Or smile for the Universe's Dentist?

Follow the Prophet

Or follow the Apostle?

Follow the Crotchet

Or follow the living Epistle?

Follow the Man of God;

Reverend, Apologist, Archbishop

Daddy, Papa, My Lord

Or the King of Kings?

Wash the feet of diamond studded cleats

Or the cracked jigger-filled soles of street kids?

Kiss the hands of the Priest

Keep the dirty laundry of the pulpit neat

Make the dessert of false doctrine a favorite treat

Or feed on a whole platter of the Word's meat?

Ignore your family's troubles

Befriend the crumbs the dog daily swallows

Maintain the posture of a malnourished callow

Or ingest on the digest of wisdom's intimate bellow

Follow the seed

Follow the fleet

Follow the tune of entangled feet

Or the pattern of freedom's beat?

The fastest way to the soul is the bosom

The fruit of labor is Lack's blossom

Stress and depression as bold as Lamar Odom

Or inhale the true breath of Love's freedom?

Follow the ladder

Follow the leader

Follow the bleeder

Or follow the wider road cheaper?

Follow the nourishing river of honor

Forget not your Maker

Forget not MY commands

Follow your heart

Follow your pacesetter from the start

 Follow, Follow, Follow, Follow

Who do we follow?

Why do we follow?

What do we follow?

EDGARD THE BARD: RHEMA

EDGARD THE BARD: RHEMA:  Alone A visitor wherever I go. No one I can call, No one I can open up to No one to run to Alone Seeking refuge; WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTo...

RHEMA

 Alone

A visitor wherever I go.

No one I can call,

No one I can open up to

No one to run to

Alone

Seeking refuge;

WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook

Scattered monotones screech through my phone

Alone

Searching for a home;

Searching for someone I can hold

Alone

Veil untorn,

Always walking blindfolded,

Always in a state of known unknown,

A speck of sand surrounded by a seashore...

...Rhema

Always smiled at me

Hugged me and kissed me.

Always missed me

Teased me, held me lovingly.

Always had an affinity for me

Always been there for me

Rhema

A never-ending mystery...

Always been with me;

In joy and sorrow,

In victory and defeat,

In the basking of a sunny day

In the hypothermia of a frozen night

Rhema

Always confides in me;

Tells me deep-breasted secrets,

Shows me past, present, and future glories 

Rhema

Frequently reminds me;

There is more to life than what I see

There is more in me if I believe

I wear a crown of glory daily

Rhema

I hear her voice clearly

A gentle whisper carried by a cool breeze;

Over hills, over valleys,

In the mistiness of a raging storm

In the pin-drop silence of a sleepless night,

In the gurgle and crackle of dancing shadows

Rhema

I feel her in every heave of my chest

I feel her in every tingle under my skin

I feel her cut through every bone and sinew

I feel her gush out from the depths of my soul

I feel her hold me, never letting go

EDGARD THE BARD: Dear Michelle

EDGARD THE BARD: Dear Michelle:  I stood idly by All the messages I did not reply All the moments I closed my eyes To your silent cry. I did not protect you, I did not look...

Dear Michelle

 I stood idly by

All the messages I did not reply

All the moments I closed my eyes

To your silent cry.

I did not protect you,

I did not look after you

Like I was supposed to.

Time and time again

I abetted abuse

To misuse you;

I enlightened eyes to undress you.

I looked aside

When the disheveled hair on the chest

Pricked you.

I held my nose

When the musky scent of sweat

Nauseated you.

I clapped for him

I did not reprimand him

The first time.

I did not throw him out

The second time.

I feigned absence

When he came into your room 

The third time.

I thought your smiles were genuine

I thought you locked your room

To pray and read your books,

I thought you asked for paracetamol

To relieve the pain of Saskatchewan's toll.

Nothing I do can bring back what you lost back then

Nothing I write can numb your pain.

Nothing but Grace can make you feel whole again.