10 September 2017

Tide Rolls (Sunday Psalm Series)

By Heidi Beth Sadler

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Poem

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Sunday Psalms: Fictional Narratives & Poetry Inspired by the Psalms, Proverbs, & Other Biblical Works

Tide Rolls

I trudge along the banks
Of a sea, vast and stormy
There are no others in my sight.
No love for me this morning

I am a pilgrim, alone it seems,
Traversing a desolate shore
No darling waits for me at home,
No intimacy fills my longing.

I’ve walked these shores ten thousand days,
My eyes wagering Hope.
But after hours of contemplating
I reject the fantasy of love.

Mockery waves its banner high
I raise my own white flag,
I bid farewell to yearning.
A man can’t dream forever.

Today the atmosphere hangs,
Damp linen on a line.
The sky brims a foggy stew,
Gray, murky abyss.

Sinking steps, I slowly kneel
on frigid sand, forlorn.
Eons pass and so I lay
In fetal, womb-like state.

Waves crash,
Saltwater works its slow, embalming phase.
This fisherman will surely die
The sea will eat me whole.

And then a shift.

Sunlight sneaks a gaze,
Gentle wind kisses shore.
Tide rolls, lungs inhale,
Exhale,
Life beats.

My eyes briefly open.
Once more. Blink.

A spout.
Within the waves, a geiser rises
A monstrous giant glides
I’ve never seen one of her kind.

I lift myself from the sludge
Heart beats again.
The Beast’s song calls out, tail flips,
And then she’s gone.
Heart beats on.

My feet move, legs lift,
Body steers me Home.
I pass market, schoolhouse, church.
Friends wave, I reciprocate.

I crave a wash and shave my face,
I hum a subtle tune.
A meager attempt to recreate
The ocean giant’s song.

I stroll on down to native pub,
No Juliet there for me,
But friar, nurse, neighborfolk–
A village waits for me.

Hope deferred maketh the heart sick; But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. Proverbs 13:12 (ASV)

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.For in hope were we saved: but hope that is seen is not hope: for who hopeth for that which he seeth?But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered;and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:22-218 (ASV)

Question to Ponder: When has creation brought you wonder? Hope? Humility?

Song Recommendation: Never Again by Enter the Worship Circle

-Read Previous Sunday Psalms from Season Two: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5,Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, Episode 13, Episode 14, Episode 15, Episode 16, Episode 17, Episode 18, Episode 19, Episode 20, Episode 21, Episode 22, Episode 23, Episode 24, Episode 25, Episode 26, Episode 27, Episode 28, Episode 29, Episode 30, Episode 31, Episode 32, Episode 33, Episode 34, Episode 35, Episode 36, Episode 37, Episode 38