Day And Night

Day and Night
by: R.A. Slater
6-28-07

Day and night, night and day
There is a clamor that none can hear
Save heaven's ears
The innocent that cry
As their lives are cut short
The silent children
Who never see the light of day
The forsaken ones who are thrown to the side
Living a life or torment and shame
Without ceasing their voice cries out
Without ceasing new voices are added
To the ever increasing throng
How long, O Lord?
Until enough is enough?
Which voice added will be the one,
That spurs Your hand into action?
Is it mine?
Then hear my cry
As I lift my voice
And add it to the cacophony
That reaches Your ears
Day and night, night and day

Wandering

Wandering
by: R.A.Slater

I feel so lost
As though I wander in circles
Running into invisible walls
That bar my escape from this madness
Who searches for me?
Anyone?
I know of One
Who hunts for me with dogged persistance
I wish He'd find me
Before this wandering
Gets the best of me

Broken Silence

Background: this is based on what I felt during a brief spring snowstorm early on the 12th. See the poem entitled "Silence" a few posts down.

Broken Silence
by: R.A. Slater
4-12-07

Alone I stood in the storm
The deadening silence echoing around me
Filled with the sounds of falling snow and rain
As a child I lifted my face
To gaze upward in the night
Ever upward
Into the onslaught
Such beauty raining down on me
There was nothing gentle about it
For the snowflakes mingled in the rain
Were heavy and wet
They streaked by me like meteors in the night sky
It was then that I felt You
In this moment made for romance
The snow and rain catching in my hair
Were Your fingers caressing me
Each snowflake, each drop of rain
That pelted my face with wetness
Were Your ardent kisses
Though You said not a word
Letting the tinkling sound of the falling snow
Fill my ears as You filled my heart
In that eternal moment
I knew that the silence
The terrible aching silence
Had been broken

Robin's Psalm II

Robin's Psalm II

"Clinging"

by: R.A. Slater/1-22-07

The pillars of heaven and earth did shake

And the gates of hell flew open

The forces of evil assaulted me without mercy

And to my shame...I was afraid and I did tremble

I fell beneath the onslaught, neglecting to cry out for help

I cowered in fear and shame, my tears mingling with the falling rain

Beneath my hands as I pounded my fists in anger

I felt the cool wet Rock

Greater than my shame, was the shame I had brought Him

But in my despair, I clung to Him

Knowing Him just well enough to know that He was still there

Still my salvation, still my fortress, still my refuge

I poured out my tears to Him, told him my heart, shared my fears

And I found, that although I fell down

I was not moved as I weathered the storm.

Robin's Psalm

This one is dated 11-7-98.

It's not bad for a novice.

Robin's Psalm
by: R.A. Slater


Though the pillars of heaven and earth shake
The gates of hell fly open and the forces of evil assault me
I will not be afraid and I will not be shaken
No, I will remain standing and I will stand boldly and bravely
Because the foundation upon which I stand is that Rock that can't be moved
Christ is that Rock
He is my salvation, my fortress, and my refuge
In Him I will stand and not be dismayed
I will weather all storms and not be moved.



Are poems allowed to have 'sequels'? Because as I was typing this up, trying really hard not to "polish" it up, I felt a part two begin to brew. I'm gonna go work on that now, I'll post it later. :)

Fire in the Sky

Fire In the Sky
by: R.A. Slater
1-18-07

How I long to see Your glory invade my life
As the rising sun stretches its far reaching fingers across the darkened sky
Each ray driving away the darkness
And warming the heartless cold of night
Won't You turn Your face to me
So that my dry and thristy heart
Might drink in Your fiery gaze
To set my ablaze with Your glory
And set me running to tell of Your love
Making me as fire in the sky in someone's darkened night.

Silence

Silence
By: R.A. Slater
12-10-06

My God, my God
How I long to hear Your voice
Your gentle whisper, a lover’s caress
The thunder of Your glory, a King’s commanding
But when I listen
I fear that I have gone deaf
For all I hear is silence.

All around and about
The world is screaming
Shouting profanities and madness
Chaos beating at me
Turning me in endless circles
Of panic filled confusion.

But inside of me
When I listen for You
Where You used to be
There is only…
…silence.
Maddening…
…deafening…
…suffocating…
…unbearable…
…silence.

I cannot even hear
My heart crying out to You
Pleading for the silence to end
For Your presence to come once again
Beseeching You to come rescue me
From this quiet dungeon
Screaming for someone to help me
Screaming, beseeching, pleading…
Needing this pain to end.

What I would not give
The dreams, the hopes, heart’s desires
Just to hear…
…how I long to hear…
The whisper of Your breath
The gentle pitter-patter, the roaring crescendo
Of the rain of Your presence
For just to hear the rumble
Of that distant thunder
Would give me that hope back again.

Absent

Hey gang!I'm going to be absent from the blogworld for a while. This goes for all my sites {sorry Bob fans} I just need some time away. If you want to know what I'm up to, email me. {shrug}

Light In The Dark

A Light In The Dark
By: R.A. Slater
Surrounded by darkness, fear, chaos ...


I look for Your light, a lamp unto my feet ... but I cannot see the source of the light that brightens my path ...


And realize with chagrin, that the light shines from Your presence in me ... Your light in the dark world ...

Caught

Another old one.

Caught
by: R.A. Slater

How long it has been, Lord,
Since I have stood in the place of Your presence,
Where once we were inseperable.

It has been far too long,
For the memory of Your presence,
Is as a fading shadow in my mind.

You sought to shower me with blessings,
With a love far greater than I have ever known,
But I could not bring myself to trust You.

I could not surrender the very things that hindered,
For great was my unholy and irrational fears,
Of being torn apart and abandoned.

So I wandered far and wide,
Strayed from the path You set me on,
And have come to know the dark wilderness well.

In my pride and arrogance,
I sought to rebel against You,
Foolishly thinking that I could find what You offered elsewhere.

I ranted against heaven,
Poured out my anger and my ugliness,
And was answered with a gentle silence.

You could have thundered in anger and judgment,
You could have rained down hailstones of fire and brimstone,
But You did not.

In Your wisdom You let me rant and rave,
So that I could hear my own words echoing in the silence,
Allowed me to hear my own foolishness.

How small I felt, dirty and naked,
How ashamed of myself I was,
Yet You were never ashamed of me.

I sought to drown in my grief,
Determined to give up on myself,
In a vain attempt to give You permission to give up on me as well.

And You, in Your mercy refused,
Instead You showed Your abundant love,
And pointed me once again to the cross.

Where Love and Forgiveness
Met Sin and Death head on -
And won.

The place where I first met You,
Where we first danced,
Where first I knew Your peace.

There I first tasted freedom,
As I laid my burdens at the foot of the cross,
But it was just a taste, as I did not leave them there.

Your mercy is far greater than my imagination,
Your grace is far stronger than I first understood,
And Your love is more enduring than mine.

For You have shown me a vision greater than shackles and chains,
You have shown me what is possible if I lay my burdens down and leave them down,
And You have promised to help left those very burdens and shackles off of me.

You show me Your gentleness,
Your patience which far outlasts my own,
And You paid the price for my sin with Your own blood.

My fears You have eased,
My spirit You are gentling,
My heart You are winning.

You relentlessly pursued me in my wandering,
And with great gentleness You have caught me in Your strong arms,
And promised to never let go.

He Knows My Name

Written almost a year ago: 6-24-05

He Knows My Name
By: R.A. Slater

Yahweh, Jesus
Emmanuel, Jehovah
Christ, Messiah
Lord, Savior….
And yet He is friend
This Being of immense power and authority
He stretches forth His hand
To span our unending universe from pinkie finger to thumb
He strung the stars as a necklace
And hung the sun and moon in their place
With care He placed the planets in their orbits
These heavens declare His great Majesty
There for all to see
His glory is indescribable
And words cannot contain its weight
What am I that God would be mindful of me?
I am but a speck of dust compared to a mountain,
Yet He knows my name
One out of uncountable humanity
My life is to Him the blink of an eye
But His thoughts toward me are without measure
Amidst all creation He sees me
And His love for me is as immeasurable as His glory

Shattered

Written---now

Shattered
by R.A. Slater

Once again
Caught unawares
Shattered

Broken
In shards
Scattered

Told to go away
To stay away
Given no choice

How much more
Why does it have to hurt
Where can I hide

No one to hold me
To stop the bleeding
Dry my tears

Jesus
I cry out to You
Needing You

Pain too great
Aching
Black hole

Silence
I wait for You
Waiting

A Simple Prayer

No date given...{shrug}

A Simple Prayer
by: R.A. Slater

Father God -
......I receive Your Mercy
......I receive Your Grace
......I receive Your Forgivennes
As You have shown me mercy,
......Help me to be merciful
......To share Your mercy with others, even the unmerciful.
As You have shown me grace,
......Help me to show Your grace at work in my life
......To those who don't know You.
As You have shown me undeserved forgiveness,
......Help me to be forgiving
......To forgive the unforgivable
Speak into my life as never before,
......Let Your words ring loud and clear
Dispel this fog of conufsion that seems to surround me,
......And help me to see You as never before -
......To see Your face and Your glory
......Your vision for my life
......The things You would have me do
......The words You would have me speak
......To see in others - to have You seen in me.
Lord, I can do nothing without You,
......You are my breath and my heartbeat.
You have placed this fire and passion within me,
......A vision too grand to be of my own imagining
......And I long for You to bring it to be
......For all Your promises are Yes and Amen -
......And I know that Your promises extend to me.
Amen.

Father God ... I've Come Home

Don't have the exact date on this one, but I know that it had to be sometime in either September or October of 2001. Because of the issues I had going on in my life around the same time as the 9-11 attacks. I actually finished laying the issue to rest last night, so the poem needed to be revisted anyway. Made me smile.


Father God...I've Come Home
by: R.A. Slater

Broken and Bruised
I crawl back to You
Hoping against human hope
That You will forgive me yet again
Expecting to hear a resounding "NO"
Instead my heart melts at Your resounding "Welcome back"
Your gentle hands lift me,
And I wince in pain at the balm of Your love
The balm which is Your tears and Your blood
Applied to my wounds, shed at my iniquity
With gentle fingertips
You wipe the tears from my eyes
And wash me clean from the stains of my sorrow and torment
You whisper words of forgiveness and all consuming love
Into my aching soul,
And You hold me...
You Hold me as if I were Your most precious daughter in the entirety of creation
And as Your eyes smile at me......
......I know that I am

Figment

Another old one transposed from My Secret Place. 1-9-06. Written with a certain person from England on my mind.

Figment
by: R.A. Slater

Like a phantom you walk the corridors of my heart and mind
Your kisses steal my breath
Your touch brings a trembling
My heart longs for your presence
My ears long for the brush of your lips whispering your love
My skin longs for the caress of your hands
As a flower longs for the summer rain to wash over it
Yet when I open my eyes, you are no longer there
And I wonder if you are real, or a figment of my imagination

Embers Of Glory

Another old one. I'm not sure of the date. Enjoy!

Embers Of Glory
by: R.A. Slater

Here in my hand I hold embers of Glory,
That which once was fire falling from heaven.
They are all that I have left,
Of the manifest Shekinah Glory of God.
Can they burn bright once more,
That which now dimly flickers,
No longer lighting the night with radiance?
Can they be coaxed by the breath of God
To turn to a pillar of flame once again,
As His presence once was in my life?
And if so, as the word of God says,
Will I be able to sustain the flame
Which He so graciously rekindles -
Or will I once again neglect
And let the fire burn down to smoldering embers?


found the date: 4-21-02

Satisfy

Here's one that I posted on my old Amazing Grace Blog. Dated: 8-16-05


Satisfy
by R.A Slater

Satisfy
Fill my life
With things that are good

Satisfy
Give greater joy
When I am sad

Satisfy
When I'm dry
Pour into me

Satisfy
Do not deny
The hunger inside my heart

Satisfy
Hear my cry
For more of You

Satisfy
When I doubt
Strengthen my faith

Satisfy
Heal my heart
Bind up brokenness

Satisfy
Catch my tears
In Your bottle

Satisfy
Hear my prayers
That rise up to You

Satisfy
You satisfy me
Always satisfy

Deep Enough?

The date on the email said October 20, 2003

How deep is deep enough?

Deep Enough?
By: R. A. Slater

I’m way down deep
At the bottom of this pit
And the walls are very steep

I’m up to my knees in mud
But I know it could be worse
I could be covered with dry dust

It is warm down here where I am
My bones feel as though they’re aflame
Though I see no fire burning

The darkness is thick and heavy, but that’s all right
For every drop of glory that falls into this pit
Splits the darkness like a flaming meteorite

I can see His light shining
In the great far distance
Letting me know that I’ve not been abandoned

The walls are too steep to climb
I am torn and bruised
Exhausted from trying

Perhaps if I dig deeper
I will find a hidden reservoir
Living water to refresh

O Lord, I cry and shout!
Let the rain pour in!
Open up the deep!

Fill me from within
Cover me from above
Won’t you please shower me with Your love?

May Your falling rain drench my skin
And combine with the rising deep
To lift me above to where You are

For Your glory I do long
In Your presence I wish to dwell
Where Your promised joy strengthens me

It is for this I await
With expectant faith
At the bottom of this well

A poem on demand

I was babysitting the other day and was playing school with the little girl [who's a rather demanding teacher btw] and one of my assignments was to write a song. Poem, song, same thing right? I got a "star" for my poem.


Lord, how You satisfy me
The longings of my heart
The thirst of my sould
You hear my cries
You see my tears in the night
With Your love You satisfy me

Though I wander around
Without aim, lost and afraid
Though I stand in the desert
unable to see my way out
Still Lord You rain on me
And bring me safely home

Healer, Come Heal

An old one - 12-29-99. Once again, I wonder what was going on. Whatever it was, it must have hurt. {throws hands up in mock surrender} People anyway!


Healer, Come Heal
by: R.A. Slater

Over my heart a scab had formed
A shell of protection to hide myself
And then your words, your actions
Pulled and pried and tore and tugged and shimmied and shoved
And ripped the scab clean away

Here I lie -
...........open, sore, beaten
Weeping along the way
No one to help, no one to listen
My life pours out -
...........oozing, bleeding, dying
And I am left to sit, staring vacantly
With the broken pieces of my life
Strewn about in chaos around me

Try as I might, I can't put the pieces back together again
Like a jigsaw puzzle laying loose, scattered about
A straight edge here, a corner there
The pieces refuse to meet in the middle
No order is found, there is no sense
I am left with this mess
As you go your merry way
Unaware or uncaring of the damage you've done

Savior........come rescue
Counselor........give ear
Put the pieces of Your child back together again
That which mankind ruthlessly, blindfull tore apart
That which she has sundered herself
Renew her broken spirit, make her whole and complete
Give her joy everlasting, surround her with Your freely given love

Spirit.........come guide
Father..........love and hold
Ease the pain in this Your little one
Wipe away the tears, restore the lost years
Repair the brokenness, smooth out the edges
Raise her up in Your power
Stand her in Your presence,
Secure in You
Shower her with Your glory
Rain down Your mercy
And in the quiet, in the raging storm
.................Healer, come heal