Diverging Roads

When I left you, I had told you
I’d return soon and I’d be true.
And as time passed, hope would still last
That my road would lead back to you soon.
From afar off I would miss you
And I’d long to just be near you.
And I waited, anticipated,
While I’d gaze and I’d sigh at the moon.

But despite what I said,
I chose something instead
That took me much farther from you.
Though you’re still on my mind
In deep anguish I find
My life took a turn and despite what I yearn,
The promise I made can’t come true!

Is this it, then? Must I leave you?
It’s the hardest thing I must do!
I will treasure our time together
And the place that you have in my heart.
In the silence I am crying
While my heart is still denying
Our dream must die as life goes by
And our paths are now doomed to depart.

Though it tears me inside,
These paths can’t coincide
And so I must leave on my way.
Still I pray you’ll forgive
And as long as you live
You’ll never forget our sweetest duet.
For I shall still sing it each day.

The Last Words

The last words that I said to you
I confess were rather mean.
I know I could have been more gentle
As I think about that scene.

I thought those words were nothing,
That you'd forget them very soon.
I assumed they'd be forgotten
By the next day's afternoon.

Oh, what I stupid fool I am!
If I had only known
That night you would be taken
And I'd be left alone!

If I had known you'd pass away
Before you went to bed that night
I would have whispered, "I love you"
And hugged you extra tight.

The last words that I'd say to you
If I had been prepared,
Would be, "I am so proud of you."
Or I'd relive the times we shared.

My last words perhaps would be,
"I'm very pleased with who you are,"
Or, "I'm thankful you are in my life."
Or, "Sleep well, my shining star."

But my last words were not so sweet.
They were cutting, harsh, and snide.
My last words you ever heard
Were spoken out of pride.

And now I'm left to weep and wail
For I can't talk to you again
And the last words I ever said
Are a reminder of my pain.

A Child's Dream

A little boy watched the news
Then, terrified, went to bed.
And though he shut his eyes,
He saw wars inside his head.
He saw the hatred in men's eyes
He heard the people scream.
And as he tried to drown the sight
The boy began to dream.

He sat next to a waterfall
That formed a crystal pool
And people came from all around
As the air began to cool.
Each person dressed so differently
With eyes, hair, and skin diverse
But they all seemed to get along
And started to converse.

A feast was spread for all to eat
And the boy rushed to attend
No passports were required
For here each was a friend.
Their languages were different,
But their smiles were the same.
The laughter was contagious
For all of those who came.

After eating they played games
As their cultures were entwined.
The boy began to see the good
That lives in all mankind.
At last the people walked away,
They hugged and said goodbye.
The boy awoke, still in his bed.
Then smiling, gave a sigh.

The news no longer scared him,
There was something more to men.
And this boy just could not wait
To dream that dream again.

In the Light

The mist wraps around my feet
And the darkness dims my eyes.
I try to shout against the storm
But the fog hushes my cries.

Can't anybody see the darkness growing?
It seeps into our homes and leaves us blind!
What should be our haven is our war front!
There must be a refuge I can find.

We accept the world and what it offers;
In turn, we're left with heartache and deep strife.
Violence and evil flood against us.
But wait! I've found guidance for my life!

In the light of the Savior I feel free
There I know who I am and why I'm here.
In the light, the world seems different to me
And my purpose, my goal, it seems so clear.

In the light when I pray I feel God's love.
When I read His words, there's a message for me.
When I serve, then I feel my love reborn.
Where I was blind, now I clearly see.

In the dark, you are always left alone.
If you fail, you're abandoned and lost.
In the light, there is hope in the air
For Jesus Christ has paid the cost.

When I feel weighed down, a voice in my soul
Tells me, "Come unto me and I'll give you rest."
My burden lifts, the Lord makes it light
And gives me strength to overcome each test.

And when I'm in the light, I see in the dark
All the broken souls who can't tell where they are.
So I carry the light to each person in need.
I become to them a shining, valiant star.

And I say, "In the light you will find joy,
So step out of the mist and let light fill your soul,
For the Savior can heal you of all your hurt.
Come to Him; I assure He'll make you whole."

If you're out there in darkness, weighed down by grief,
Or if addiction holds you tight by the throat,
If despair sets in, if you struggle with sin,
The light of Christ will keep you afloat.

Step out of the darkness! Come into the light!
There's no story nor song worth holding you back!
Let the light flood your soul till the darkness is gone.
If you have God's light in you, there's nothing you lack.

I have faith that one day I will come Home
Where forever I'll rest and peace will prevail.
And I hope I may be pure on that day
When the hand of Christ takes me through the veil.

Found

I remember now;
It's stirring deep within.
I'm changed somehow--
A rebirth, a new beginning.
Just a glance in his eyes
And then I realized
That the person who I thought had died
Was still the king inside!

Go ahead and mock, if you dare.
Reject me and scorn me. I don't care!
I have a quest I must heed,
And this time I'm bound to succeed!
I will not lose sight again!
I will not get lost, my friend!

Give me the impossible, I'll do it,
Breaking unbreakable walls!
Give me a crazy dream, I'll dream it,
As the sun gently falls.

Night is a time of darkness and terror.
The results of your dreams are hidden from view.
That's why at night I do my dreaming
And with the dawn my dreams come true!

It is my dream to change the world,
To fight for virtue, charity, truth!
So stack up the odds, I'll break them down!
I've reconnected with my youth!

From Avalon to Neverland
To this world where I live,
I'll keep my fire burning bright
And give all I can give.
I never need a mask again,
I will show I am a king.
For now I know all I can give
And the things I have to bring.

And someday when my time has come
And I have served faithfully,
I'll take my place with kings of yore,
Together for eternity.

Aslan's Eyes

My heart is pounding in my chest
To see the Lion's face.
I bow my head as I draw near,
Ashamed at my disgrace.
"I'm sorry that I failed," I said,
While staring at his paw.
But then he gently said, "Look up."
And this is what I saw:

I saw a little boy reach out
For his dad he could not see.
The trust he had was sweet and pure.
The boy I saw was me.
I saw this boy become a man,
Dedicating his whole soul
To serve his God and fellowmen.
It was his only goal.
I confess, it caught me by surprise
What I saw in Aslan's eyes.

"I do not see a failure, son,
When I look on you;
I see a child who's lost his way,
But searching for what's true.
I see a son with wings to soar,
But fearing to take flight."
I looked inside his eyes once more
And saw that he was right.

I saw myself for who I am
And all that I could be--
A servant sent to heal the world.
I saw God work through me.
I realized that I lost myself
When I tried to work alone.
But my potential grew so much
With God as my sure stone.
That was when I began to realize
Who I am in Aslan's eyes.

A child, a man, a beggar, a king
A doctor, a patient, or most anything.
I'm all these and more,
I can wear no disguise
When I look at myself
Through Aslan's eyes.

Avalon

The waves so gently roll along,
The fog is thick and dense.
I stare unblinking at the sea.
My feelings are intense.
And then at last the jagged cliffs
Appear before the dawn--
The island I've been searching for,
The Isle of Avalon.

When I land, Merlin's hand
Helps me to the sand.
We embrace, then I race
To seek Arthur's face.
I subside, slow my stride,
'Til I reach his side.

"My King, I feel ashamed to be
So close to you right now.
When I have lost the vision of
My call, my sacred vow.
Adrift so long and lost at sea,
I lost most everything!
I've forgotten who I am
And how to be a king.

But there you are, like a star,
Never drifting very far.
Though afraid, though betrayed,
You fought on in your crusade.
In the night, full of fright,
How could you not lose your sight?"

And the king replied,
"When the world was black and all things seemed broken,
There was one thing that would see me through:
In my heart I'd hear words my friends had spoken.
"Good must prevail! Sire, defend what's true!
Don't give up now! Arthur, that's not you!"

And I learned that a king wants to run and hide
This is a truth that can't be ignored.
He must search himself for his faith inside,
It takes more than strength to withdraw a sword.
Then you let that faith light a fire inside you,
Giving you strength to withstand the tide.
When you find that fire then you will be renewed.
At last all can see the king you are inside!"

The Smiling Mask

Though I hurt inside,
Feeling like I died,
I refuse to ever show it.
I just live my life
As if everything's ok.
When I wake at five
I don't feel alive
But no one would ever know it.
And all I hope for
Is to make it through the day.

I'm wearing a mask that shows a smile.
I wear a mask, but it isn't real.
I wear a mask, but all the while
I'm just hiding how I feel.

I once knew my course,
Now I feel remorse
For the life I have forsaken.
I am not a hero.
I'm a traitor to my youth.
Could I learn again
From my childhood friends?
I need to reawaken!
But until I do so
I know I have to face the truth

I'm wearing a mask; the smile's deceiving
The mask that I wear is an empty shell.
Behind the mask I am bereaving
And there's nothing more to tell.
I take off this mask so I'll see clearer
I rip off the mask and my face is numb.
I turn and I stare into a mirror
And I see what I've become.

Deep down inside my heart is yearning!
Deep down inside I see the strife!
Deep down inside I miss the burning!
How I long to hold the flame of life!

But something inside me starts stirring,
As I stare into my soul,
And I long for the ones who once taught me,
The ones who made me whole.

Lost

Yesterday was a fantasy
But a life that felt so real!
I knew my own destiny
And my world was ideal.
I was once respectable,
A hero and a king!
But that seems so long ago
Now I'm not anything.

Somewhere between Neverland
And the place I now call home
I lost my soul and vision and
I'm feeling all alone.
Will someone give me pixie dust
And a happy thought or two?
I need to fly and find myself.
I'm lost without a clue.

Back then I knew who I was
And all that I could be.
I sought to serve my fellowmen
And I gave the best of me.
I would give priority
To anyone in need.
But now I'm filled with selfishness.
I've forgotten how to lead.

Where are those great kings of yore
Who were mentors in my youth?
I've lost my crown, my shield and sword.
I've forgotten what is truth.
Could I hold Excalibur
And be taught by kings once more
Like Arthur and the Pevansie's?
Otherwise, I'll lose this war.

The dream world that I lived in once
Brought direction to my life.
It taught me how to overcome
All my sorrows and my strife.
The hopeless fights were always won
With a vision of what's right.
But back here in reality
I think I've lost my sight.

Deep inside an old wardrobe
Or inside a rabbit hole
I lost the lessons that I learned,
I even lost my role.
Take me back to Wonderland!
Open Narnia's doors to me!
Then on the way I'd find myself
And from darkness I'd be free!

Yesterday was a fantasy
But today my life's a twist.
I'm lost and needing answers
To know why I exist.

The Winning Run

I gripped it tightly,
my hands welded to the bat.
I watched the pitcher lean
and slightly tug his hat.
Then it launched!
A missle! a zooming blur!
I swung my arms for impact,
the ball my only lure.

FWUMP! "Strike one!"
The umpire announced my shame.
Only two more shots to win this!
The bleachers chant my name.
The second try was worse!
The ball curved in deceit.
I heard my coach behind me,
"Never take defeat!"

I blocked out all noise.
My eyes and arms were one.
I swung my arms of fluid steel
and CRACK! The ball was gone!
The ball and I both flew
(I to first, it, the sun).
I ran as though I were the wind,
a bullet from a gun.

Then gravity snuffed out
the speed of that high ball.
Descending like the fallen angel,
it bounced behind the wall.
"Home run!" called the ump
as I hurred to home plate.
That was it! My team had won!
I never felt so great!

I was in a dream
as cheers rang out from all.
I felt like I was soaring
far higher than my ball.

He Was There

Alone
the fog descends, obscures my view.
On my own
adrift at sea, my life askew.
And there--
a thunderclap cuts through the night!
All the waves begin to churn
in the air the lightning burns
and my soul is tossed in fright!
Soon I'm spinning in the storm,
I'm blind to all the world.
First I raise and then I fall!
Will I make it through at all?
Raging, threatening my life,
shaking me with fear and strife,
the storm rages 'til it's past
and the sun comes out at last
then suddenly my sight's unfurled:

There, in the midst of that great storm,
with a glow of holy light,
Christ the Lord stood in the air
keeping me inside His care!
He helped me to survive that night!

Though I had felt I was alone
and the storm so hard to bear,
there was never need to fear
for my Lord was always near!
In the storm He was always there!

The Enemy

"I know thee, sir," I said to him
As the traveler passed me by.
"Thou art my greatest enemy."

And smiling, the man replied.
"'Tis you that art the enemy,"
He said and gave a grin.
"I follow you along your trail
Through dangers thick and thin."

"'Twas also you that steered me wrong!
'Til I finally saw the light."

"I steered thee to thy destiny
Down the path I knew was right."

"This shall end right here and now!"
I said, and grasped my sword.
It shone as lightning filled the sky.
I shouted. Thunder roared.

I charged at him, he seemed unarmed.
I stabbed him in his thigh.
A gash appeared upon my leg,
The thunder hid my cry.
I swung my sword and sliced his arm,
Then dropped my sword in pain.
I tried to use my other arm,
But the fight just seemed in vain.
I swung my sword and hit him true
And the pain went to my bone.
I dared not try to chop his head
For fear I'd lose my own.

"What sorcery is this?" I cried,
"For no matter what I do
I feel the pain of my own blow!"

"Because," he said, "I'm you.
I'm all the things that you could be
If you would just believe.
You say I am your enemy,
But sir, thou art deceived."

In disbelief I blinked my eyes
And saw in him my face.
In pain I dragged myself to him.
Ashamed at my disgrace.

"Please tell me, sir," I humbly begged,
"Can I ever right this wrong?"

"Build me up," this friend replied,
"And then thou wilt be strong."

I strove each day to build him up
And strength was built in me.
I saw myself for who I am:
My former enemy.
'Tis not the ones who gather 'round
And taunt me 'til I fall.
'Tis in my power to decide
To give them heed at all.

"Oh, Build me up!" the soul cries out
"Oh, build me! I implore!"
Bind it up and be its friend
And enemies no more.