oneness

God be in my head

be in my heart
be in my soul
be in my mind

God become my hand

become my feet
become my belly
become my lungs

God be my thought

be my lips
be my tongue
be my nerves

God become my taste

become my eating
become my drinking
become my breathing

God be my present

be my past
be my future
be my eternity

God become my being

become my fleeing
become my first
become my last

 

one that lasts

there is one that i desire

and there is one that i seek
as i turn to you in my prayer:
that you be in me and i in you

for if you are the primary cause
of all life and if it is to you
that i return, then i rather
remain in you forever

wealth much i sought

wealth much i lost
education much i sought
and much i found useless

fame and family i lived for

in the past are mere fumes
that pass away too soon
like the clouds of the morning sky

my mother i loved her

my father i respected him
my daughter i much cared for
but all have vanished like vapour

incline my eyes to see you

incline my heart to feel you
incline my soul to bear you
incline my mind to seek you

for you, and you alone

i am now inclined to own
for it is for your presence
and being, i am now a slave

 

no magic

my love for ease prevents that release

of the creative energy
stored deep within my soul
my fear to take risk fails to kick

the engine that needs a kick-start

leaving me in bed
to the comfort of that lie:
my body needs more sleep

i then turn to you for cheap grace

believing the unbelievable
until you kick me on my face
to pull myself together

and work hard for my release

or, to be damned in that relief of my own
more sleep and slumber
that knowledge, in my mind, increase:

that with you there is no magic

turning stones into bread
or, skipping the consequences
of my acts – good, or bad

while i focus not on the worth

of wealth, immerse me in the wisdom
that makes you to send the sun
shine on both good and evil

and the rain on wheat and weeds

viewing the wayside pampas grass
in the same way
you glance at the great oak

fret in my heart

i stand before you, in your unseen presence

and present myself with that disquiet caused
by that unrest among those uneasy with the loss
of power and influence they hitherto enjoyed

with no concern for growth of yours!

anxiety fills their heart foreboding a sense
of alarm in my soul of the current turbulence
that may kick strife and conflict all around

creating more disturbances and fighting

to death; the present turmoil and agitation
create plenty of disorder and instability
for my continuing work, adding nervousness

and a sense of restlessness causing

more discomfort! my present apprehension
and fear of losing my control, eventually
the current employment cause much distress

this makes me fret and i am troubled

deeply in my heart and filled with angst
and anguish creating that menacing sorrow
crippling my life, taking away calm i long

am i faking

i do not want to talk to my self

and think i am talking to you
the Lord of the universe
whom i seek to love and serve!

there are two that i do not know

there are two that are always unclear
to me: my knowledge of you
and my knowledge of myself!

from this stems my not knowing

or, this exercise becoming unclear:
am i talking to you, or
is my prayer a mere self-talk!

i pray for more genuine prayer

where my talking reaches the ear
of that one who moves the world
speaking to me an audible word!

nothing weighty from you i need

except that you hear my pleas
with an assurance i am heard
and my talking is not worthless!

 Note: Photo credit to Mario Flores.

pretty-less pain

i put no obstacles in anyone’s way and no fault

was ever found with my work and my presenting
to them as your servant and my work
through endurance in afflictions, hardships

and calamities, verbal abuse, and sleepless nights

with hard labour, purity of heart
grazing your Word, patience, kindness, holiness
of spirit and a genuine love for your people!

yet i am treated as an impostor

by the controllers, the so called leaders!
i am considered as unknown
though very well known!

i invite them to open wide the hearts

for love to enter and transform
the inner person for the Church
to flourish in the godless world!

dew of quietness

disquiet within me rises like larva

creeping on my limbs
and other times like lava
from Vesuvian volcano filling fertile fields!

it is nothing but this absolute disquiet

that you from the moment of my youth
have given me in that prophetic path
you have chosen to drive me!

i have lost all my hope in getting out

of this persistent mire, the unending karmic fire
the end, that final consummation
in you is what i now seek!

i pray you drop that dew of quietness

a little water, only grace i now look up to
or consume me quickly in the fire of crematorium
for that final cleansing of my soul to rise into you!
 
© henry victor