The River

This one comes from March 2005

The River:
by R.A. Slater

there is a River
flowing with living water
enough to quench the thirst
of you and me
****
so jump on in
saturate
marinate
don't be late
****
revel in His joy
dance in His midst
delight in His presence
and drink deep

Perchance to Dream

Hmm, this one comes from Feb. 2006

Perchance to Dream
By: R.A. Slater

Sleep tight, you say to me
As we bid farewell
And go our separate ways

Ah, to sleep…
The only reason to sleep
Is perchance to dream

To dream of your touch…
Gentle as it explores
Passionate as it discovers my secret places of pleasure

To dream of your warm embrace…
As though embraced by fire itself
Held by a power greater than gravity

To dream of your passionate kiss…
As one kiss turns into many
And I return your passion with my own

The Sun Still Shines

This one is from Feb 2004

The Sun Still Shines
By: R.A. Slater

The sun is always shining
Whether on mountain or valley
Even when the mountain blocks the light
When the sky is dark with black clouds
From the storms that come our way
Even when night is fallen
And the heavens are clothed with stars and moon
The sun is still shining just over the horizon
The thing is to keep on moving soaking in what light you can
To plod towards that far horizon
Through woods of peril and storms of strife
During days of weariness and sorrow
With hope ever burning
Sometimes bright, sometimes dim
But always warming the chill in your heart and bones
For though the wind may howl
And the wilderness raise a dreadful clamor
Above it all you can hear Him whisper,
“Press on, my child…I am still with you.”
And though nothing on the outside changes
Hope takes root and turns to expectant faith
That whether on mountain or valley
Through clouds and dark
The Son still shines
And you know that He is still with you.

One Woman Alone

I was going through some old emails and found this jewel written back in November 2005.


One Woman Alone
By: R.A. Slater

One woman alone
……abandoned……
She stands against the cold
……forgotten……
Braving the wind and the rain
……beaten……
With no one left to hear her
……forsaken……
Whether she lives or dies
……ignored……
No one hears the whispers shouted into the wind
……helpless……

Alone she lies
……rejected……
Beaten, bruised, bleeding
……misused……
Words cut as knives
……misunderstood……
Twisted around and around
……confused……
Till she no longer knows who said what
……wondering……
Or why it matters
……weary……

Alone she drowns
……help me……
Beneath the weight of her sorrow
……can anyone hear me?……
Mocked and ridiculed because of it
……why Lord?……
Tears run down her face as they scold
……Jesus, I’m suffocating……
She surrenders and gives up
……I can’t take it anymore……
As she is at last told that her pain is imagined and unreal
……it hurts Jesus……

One Man alone
……Gethsemane……
Arms wide open
……Nails……
Blood flowing freely
……covering, healing……
Broken heart, tears falling
……love……
Nail scarred hands holding her close
……His heartbeat……
A whispered promise that echoes
……I AM with you, always……

Alone she kneels
……lonely……
In the presence of the only One left
……comfort……
And pours out her heart
……relief……
Lays down her sins
……repentant……
Gives her grievances over to Him
……forgiveness……
Starts over anew
……mercy……

One woman alone
……not alone……
She stands fortified by God’s grace
……forgiven……
Shored up by His strength
……joy……
Armed with the Truth
……His Word……
To face another day
……new mercies……
Not alone

Surprise

Surprise
By: R.A. Slater

Years of fruitless searching
Had brought me nothing but disappointment
When despair was my best companion
Unfulfilled dreams haunted my waking
And even the hint of hope was dashed
Broken and shattered into pieces
Each shard cutting to the deepest
Until my heart at last gave out
And I laid down, ready to die
Caught in a web of loneliness
Thinking, believing, knowing
I would never find you
You caught me by surprise
And you found me
Your arms held me with fiery passion
Tempered by patient gentleness
Made me believe again
That happiness could be found
With a piece of heaven on this earth
And a piece of the Father's heart
Hidden inside a man
Revealed for me to see
Much to my surprise
And delight
That echoes in two hearts

Gone

Gone

By: R.A. Slater

07-07-08

Gone are the days of blue haze

The mowers came one day

And cut it all down

They showed no remorse

They showed no regret

Only stisfaction in a job well done

Gone are the days of youth

Gone is our innocence

Now we must trod the path unmarked

We may travel without joy in our bosom

Or hope in our heart

But faith still abides

For though the path is unmarked

Robbed of the delightful blue haze

It is still the same path as before

Tantalize 2

Tantalize Me {pt 2}
by: R.A. Slater
04-26-08

Once in our secret place
You tantalize me
Your touch is light as a feather
Becoming firmer as I press into you
Teasing me at the edge of my senses
Your fingers trace my face
Running along my cheekbones
Under my chin, caressing my neck
You draw me close to you
Without my being aware
So easily you reached into my world
And drew me away
Pulling me into your own
Where thought stills
And attention is focused on you
On your touch
Your gaze
Your beating heart
Blending somehow with my own
Longing for more of you
Hoping that this moment does not end
But goes on forever

Eclipse

Inspired by a recent sermon by David Wilkerson that I read entitled "An Eclipse of Faith".

Eclipse

By: R. A. Slater

05-08-08

Why do You hide?

Why do You leave me alone?

Your hand which covered me

Now covers Your face from me

Withholds Your presence

Keeps Your very breathe

Afar off

The barest shimmers

Along the edges of perception

Serve to remind me

Of the past glories

Of how things used to be

Instead of reminding me

That You are not completely gone

My heart cries out for Your return

Even as I deal with the anger

Over Your departure

Not understanding WHY?

Why God?

What did I do to deserve

The absence of You?

Can't You see

What this is doing to me?

How I can't breathe?

How I stumble and fall

Because I can't see

In this diluted darkness

Of this eclipse?

I wish that I could give up

I long to give up

But something keeps prodding me

A faint glimmer of hope perhaps

A last shred of faith

That this too shall pass

That You will return to me

Tantalize 1

Tantalize {pt 1}
by: R.A. Slater
04-23-08

How you tantalize me
Drawing me on
Tempting me with bits and pieces
Marking the way with delectable morsels
Each one designed to captivate
And hold my attention
As you lead me to your destination
Where we can be together at last
With no one to bother
And no interruptions
So that you can ravish me
At your leisure
Taking your time at exploring me
Pleasuring in my pleasure
This thought draws me on after you
You never waiver
Never let me wander
Keeping our eyes on each other
And the destination
And the as of yet unknown
Ecstasies that await us there
My heart pounds in anticipation
And I hear the echo of this desire
In your voice as you encourage me on

Moonbeam

A change of pace.....sort of a commerical break maybe? lol!

Moonbeam

by: R.A. Slater

4-17-08

Sleathily I rise above the horizon

Uncurling my luminescent beams

As a flower opens her petals to the sun

Or as a maiden unfurls her hair for her lover

For so I desire to be to you

Stretching forth in my beauty

I long to wake you

Arouse you from your slumber

To caress you with my soft tendrils

Pleasure you with my sweetness

To bathe you with my incandescent glow

Seduce you with my smooth milky white

To feel your hands reaching back

And see the desire in my eyes

Reflected in your own

Pulling closer to each other

No longer existing in distant orbits

But dancing closer and closer

Until we are in the same plane

Will you be there when I wake

Or will it turn out to be a dream

Regardless I display my beauty for you to see

As a maiden slowly disrobes for her lover

For so I long to be to you

Count My Tears

Count My Tears

by: R.A. Slater

4-19-08

Do You count my tears

Each one as they fall

In a steady stream

As anguish breaks my heart

Yet once again

As I am forgotten

Shoved to the side

And ignored

Do You count my tears

Shed in loneliness and despair

Differently from the other tears

Shed in joy and delight

Though far and few between

Do You keep them in seperate bottles

Or pool them all together

Do You count my tears

That I cause myself

Or consider them deserved

Unworthy of marking

Do You count my tears

Even when they aren't shed

Held in by fear

Of judgement and condemnation

See them now

Dropping, streaming, falling

How can You count

A continuous stream

Sometimes

Sometimes

by: R.A. Slater

4-12-08

Sometimes I don't know where You are

Looking high and low

Until I am weary and faint

I curl up inside into a tiny ball

The pain of my loss too great to bear

The world bears down on me

Cutting off my will to live

Cutting off the very air I breath

Though my tongue has been silenced

Still my heart cries out to You

Knowing that where ever You are

You always hear each whispered shout

How I miss Your presence

Your arms wrapped around me

Keeping me warm in this cold world

So now I wait...

Sitting here alone and cold

Weary with my crying

Waiting for You to find me again

Weary

Weary
by: R.A. Slater
April 5, 2008

I am so weary of my life
Of waiting and longing
For open doors that aren't there
Of hoping for things
That never come to pass
Even the windows are solidly locked
I have checked them twice
There is no escape from this dark passage
As I groan beneath the weight of my burden
Trying to scream
In a world of deaf people
I find that I am invisible
No breath of cool air
To bring me relief
No oasis in this darkness
To quench my thirst
Blindly I grope along
Needing to keep moving
If there is a light
At the end of this tunnel
My heart feels that it is far off
And I despair of living long enough
To see it with my own eyes
Instead of imagining it
But I am weary
Unable to keep my chin up any longer
Needing rest
And finding no safe refuge

Burning

Burning
by: R.A. Slater
09-22-07

I used to be
A brightly burning fire
For You my Lord
Bright and hot
Strong and true
Somewhere along the way
I let the fire dampen
And now I cry out
Lord, burn once again in me!
Burning blazing fire
Holy passion
Pure delight
Scouring
Purging
Enlivening
How I long for that life
Abundant life
To burn in me again
No longer hidden
Fire dripping from my fingers
Oh God, set me and send me
Set me aflame with Your love
And then where shall I run?
Where can I spread this life?
This life giving fire
Passionate delight
Air to the dying
Etnernal Flame
Holy Fire
Consume me
Let me be Your living torch
Here am I

Basking

Basking
by R.A. Slater
09-14-07

Sometimes life hits hard
Leaving me spinning
First one way and then the other
And I find myself wanting nothing more
Than a chance to sit at Your feet
And bask in Your glory

Brightly shining
Blazing and blinding
Warming the cold of my life
Comforting that which hurts
Seeking You, I find You
Sometimes quickly
Other times not

And we sit
Drawing near to each other
Renewing our communion
Taking me deeper
Burning me deeper
Changing me deeper

And as I bask in Your glory
Knowing You
I become discontent
And I realize
That there are others
In need of You

Desperate
Dying
Thirsting
Longing
Enslaved
And they've never heard Your name

It is not enough to bask
Not enough to reflect Your glory
You must shine from within me
Consuming fire
Burn in me
Consume me

Each time I bask
Soak deeper into me
Then push me to my feet
Set me running to the dying
Lead me, run with me
Dwell in me

Saturate me
Burn in me
All the way
To the core
All the way
I am yours

Light In the Darkness

Light In The Darkness
By: R.A. Slater
09-01-07

In the darkness I sat
Heart so cold
Lonely and afraid
Too tired to even call Your name
Lord how long must I wait
So long already
Your Voice silent
Here I wait longer still
Unwilling to give up hope
Though hope is gone
Resting...trusting...
Crying...waiting...
Breathing...quietly...
And then...there You are
Softly, gently, a light in the darkness
Your warmth spreading from limb to limb
Melting the coldness of my heart at last
Love renewed, a heart refined
Passion restored, all things new
Then...brightness explodes
Blazing glory
A fiery tornado
Oh how You consume me Jesus
Holy fire rushing through my veins
Not enough...never enough
Always wanting more
This intimacy
This deepness
That deepens
Hunger gone, thirst quenched
But always wanting more and more
Needing more
More of You

Figment 2

Figment 2

by: R.A. Slater

I awaken as though from a dream

Thinking I've held you near

Having felt your touch

Your voice caressing my ears

But as I push back the covers

The dreams are shattered

Reality sets in

The fog of uncertainty clearing

As my feet hit the cold hard floor

Darkness descends

Cold and hard as mountain bedrock

Traveling through my day

I realize that you were never there

That what we shared

Never existed

Created by my imagination

You turned out to be a figment after all

And I am left alone

Without even the warmth of hope

To wrap my heart in

Words

Words
By R.A. Slater
08-26-07

Words … words … words
Tumbling around my head
Aching … longing … needing
To find expression
To have a voice
To be heard
How does one describe
A pain this sharp?
Pointed … piercing … pounding
A heart rejected
Tearing … torn … to pieces
Bleeding all over the place
Into every part of life
No facet untouched
Aching … alone … a void
Unseen … unwanted … undone
A heart so lonely
A heart so scared
Frightened and terrified
Shards … seeping … seeking
Broken … bleeding … bruised
This heart of mine
Laid bare for all of you to see
And all I have are words
Which cannot describe
Cannot explain
Cannot fix

Pictures

Pictures
By R.A. Slater
08-25-07

I put your pictures away
A year ago today
Foolish I was
And foolish I am
Thinking I had found better
Not thinking at all
I got your pictures out today
Looked upon the face I adored
That I adore
Tracing its line with my eyes
Touching the picture
As though it were you
Smiling back at the smile on your face
Missing hearing that smile in your calls
I thought to pick up the phone
To hear your voice again
To let it caress my ears
As though it was my heart
To ask you
To beg you
To take me back
To love me again
But I know that I cannot
For last we spoke
You told me no
Breaking my heart
As I must have broke yours
Poetic justice perhaps
But my how it hurt
Hurts
So once again
I put your pictures away

Treasures Of Darkness

Treasures Of Darkness

by R.A. Slater

7-9-07

I will give you treasures of darkness

And hidden riches of secret places

So said the Lord one lonely night

Treasures of darkness? I reply

What treasure can there be

In this darkness surrounding me?

Hounding, invading, all encompassing

Until it is all I can see

All that I feel

All I can hear

Every breath I struggle to take

Is saturated with its clinging dripping weight

There are no riches hidden here

In this secret place of my despair

Where I wonder if You're even there

Where I ask if You remember me

Have You heard my cries?

Have You been listening?

Were You there to catch my tears

To store them in Your bottle

Like Your Word says?

I am weary with my crying

Day in and day out

With no sign that You've heard

No sign of Your promised comfort

Where is this hidden treasure

That I have sought after

Groping about in this blinding darkness

And when I paused...

Breathing...Crying...Straining to hear...

Hoping to hear...Longing to hear...needing to hear...

I Am right here, He whispered

By your side

I have never been far

And have held you often

As you shed your tears

Catching each one in My bottle

Just as I promised

For I am a keeper of promises

Which you are still learning

Which is the treasure of this time

Though you do not see it yet

Nor its end

But I do, precious daughter of mine

I see the darkness' end

And its hold on you

And the joy that awaits you

As the darkness shatters all around

My light reflecting off the jagged edges

And you and I shall dance

As never before

Victory in the keeping

What intimacy we have had in this darkness

As the secrets of your heart have been laid bare to Me

For the darkness does not hide you from Me

For where you grope blindly

I have held firmly

What intimacy is yet to come

Once you learn these treasures

And let go of the darkness

And cling to Me