The Table

Touchy by Rachel O'Brien

I have goose bumps

But refuse to put on my sweater

Heat slides across the concrete floor washing away the sting of winter

Slices of light crack the back of my chair and leave patches of warmth

unlike any I have felt in months

Where were you?

In the clicking of typed words?

In the light?

In the heat?

Where were you?

On the hard wood?

On the concrete?

In the crumbs?

In the water?

With down-turned eyes I hold you in and hold you out

Guts exposed

Lonely hands cold

And getting colder

Even as the ice breaks off in chunks of gray

Covered in dirt and sand and grit

The tender underskin comes to life

Painfully growing up and out

Shoots of young spring come through

Still warm from their wombs

Still fragile

But they eke under the skin and beg to come to life

There you are

In the light

In the birth

In the growth

In the pain

 

In my goosebumps

 

I Fist Fought You by Rachel O'Brien

I fist fought you to the ground and when we had bloodied our noses I called out

Stop

Leave me

Turn away

I am a man of unclean lips

But you stood over me with defeat across your back

And held out your hand and for a moment I hesitated

Blood crusting on my upper lip

And now someone will ask me how I managed to get up

Well first of all I had to be lowered and while I was down there

In that split second of apprehension my life ended

My heart went silent

My mouth closed

And you picked me up

So yes I got up

I stand now when I had been down

But had you chose not to fight me

Had you left me sassy and self satisified, all too undesperate, I would be lost forever

Crushing ny face and picking me up

Cracking me one and stand over me

Has set me free

Has made me desperate to know the violence of that again because I am hard and feel so little

Feel nothing at all unless you break me

     Shatter me

 

A Little Too Late by Rachel O'Brien

There was the sun hot and whole over me

And for years my chest hurt as though it were pressing through my ribs

Keeping me wound up tight

And then I was set free

Asked to stand

I realized the only way to Him is

Through a shattered set of ribs

Through a crackling row of teeth

Under a heavy heart almost sunk

With a pair of hands broken and hanging at my sides

Inside a downturned grin

On the upside of a tantrum

On the back side of a bottle of wine

And I found Him there waiting and calling

Holding up my head while I slept

And his hands felt like home and hope and the things we create in books

While wrapped up in some else's limbs under wool blankets

That's how it was when I was set free

When my heart beat for the first time

When I lost control, awoke, fell down and stood up

That's what it's like when you meet your Purpose

Your Means

Your Beginning and

Your End

 

Scratch by Rachel O'Brien

I once had hands

without lines

without marks

without crooked nails

 

I once had feet

without miles and miles on them

without black ink

without blisters and callouses

 

I onced had hope

with reservation

with tightly bound edges

with rightly set sides

 

I once had life

with choices

but without windows

with options

but without pathes

with laughter

but without joy

 

Don't give me a chance to go back

Don't let me scratch off these scars

Don't let me stop running down my tired feet

Don't close the windows and the doors

 

Point me in Your direction and I'll go

Where else can I?

You alone have the words of life

 

  

The Rebellion by Jerrod Potter

There were little tweed-Englishmen dusted

Along the crabgrass knoll.  Percy, Jennings, Roger

And the boys locked arms in dapper day-battles

Against the rising threat of age and disrespect.

 

They nodded their heads like the mastodons

Of the Missouri plains and cantankerously shook

Their knuckles at their peetering world.  They

Catapolted insluts: "We'll promise, those

Chaps are cases."  Their proper chirps of

 

Pretensiousness inspired them to enjoy

A garden of brandy-cheers:  pinkies flared toward

The sun and confidence sprouting.  Little

Happened at the end of their war.  No

 

One came to fight them and their

Derby-heads remained intact, but the

Cucumber sandwiches waiting at home

Never tasted so satisfying.  

  

One And The Other by Mark Tinjum

 

Both men received the same sentence

Both would serve the same penalty

One entered in eyes wide open

The other too blinded to see

 

One's heart was stonily calloused

His sins he refused to see

The other fully acknowledging

Why he'd been led to Mount Calvary

 

Dragging their crosses behind them

Gave them time to reflect their deeds

One man defiant and hostile

The other aware of his needs

 

But along with the two walked another

Sentenced to die that same day

What did he do to justify

Them treating Him in the same way?

 

When they'd reached the place called Golgotha

One thief could no longer pretend

As their bodies were raised on the crosses

It was certain his life would soon end

 

Both men had heard the stories

Of this carpenter from Galilee

Who raised the dead, gave sight to the blind

And taught of God's great mystery

 

In one it stirred up a yearning

Of hope that endures past the grave

The other found only anger

And a feeling of being betrayed

 

One man joined in the mocking

"If you're God come and set us free!"

The other studies His countenance

His poise and His calm dignity

 

In the midst of the hatred and taunting

Jesus spoke words beyond all belief

"Father, please forgive them."

Not in anger but choking back grief

 

At the words one man's heart had melted

The other stayed hardened as stone

One man would live in paradise

The other in darkness alone

 

The words gave one man confidence

To ask of Him one grand request

"Lord, remember me in your kingdom

I am weary and need peace and rest."

 

In the midst of the pain and anguish

While suffering for all of our vice

With a look of love, He said to the thief

"Today you will see paradise."

 

  

Prelude To The Cross by Mark Tinjum

  

"Not My will but Yours be done,"

Christ proclaimed in Gethsemane's garden,

Solemnly knowing what He had to do,

To purchase the sinners full pardon.

 

His sweat became mingled with life-giving blood,

On that night of most anguished prayer,

His friends fast slept from weariness,

Even though Christ had told them beware.

 

The crowd pressed in with weapons and swords,

To bind the One truly free Man,

They thought it was they who were in control,

Unaware of God's purpose and plan.

 

They approached Him by cover of darkness,

Sinful hearts filled with evil intent,

Bent on destroying the sinless Man,

Who through grace and by mercy was sent.

 

They called out, "We come seeking Jesus,"

His reply in return, "I am,"

Caused all to fall down in confusion and fear,

At the power of God's Passover Lamb.

 

Christ could have chosen differently,

The angels stood by to defend,

But by drinking the bitter and deadly cup,

He knew sin would lose all in the end.

  

  

The Servant's Way by Mark Tinjum

 

The Master had preached about servanthood,

That for righteousness they should all thirst,

While those at the table were quarreling,

About glory and who would be first.

 

They thought He would ring in the kingdom,

Through force and a mighty right hand,

But He gave them much more to think about,

While He taught them of God's holy plan.

 

The men He had chosen had much to learn,

And the Master a short time to teach,

So He decided to get their attention,

By His actions and not by His speech.

 

His actions shocked them to silence,

What they witnessedf beyond their belief,

It was a lesson they would never forget,

As they looked on in stunned disbelief.

 

The Master took up a basin,

The lowliest servant would use,

And proceeded to wash their dirty feet,

Until Peter gave voice to refuse.

 

"Lord never shall you wash my feet,"

Not knowing what Christ was teaching,

Later he would realize that what Jesus did,

Foreshadowed and was much more far-reaching.

 

Still the Master stoops down to serve in love,

Those He calls and He loves till the end,

And those who let Jesus cleanse their sin,

Find Him Savior, Redeemer and Friend.