I know how it feels to slowly fade
Quietly letting go of tomorrow’s pain
All due to one slip of the blade
Grief slips away through the drain…

Greatly burdened for one so young,
Pressed flat in that bright cold place,
Hearing heart heavy upon my tongue,
She bent her ear low to my face.

Poised her self most near to my lips,
Listened intently to jumbles confessed.
Knowing loose thoughts often sink ships,
Helped me to order my address.

Graciously inclined her capable heart,
Assured I should be granted a stay.
Consciousness quickly breaking apart,
Still I regretted that day.

Yet, while the gray turned into black
I pronounced her surely right.
No matter, should I not come back,
God has forgiven us in our plight.

L.L. Shelton, Copyright 2015

The wildly obedient heart

Flutters within its confines

Sculpted of clay,

Cognizant of its destiny,

Yearning toward Him,

Ever struggling out of darkness,

In part bound and gagged still,

Squirming toward the light

With one good eye,

Leaning in for strength,

Practicing courage,

Longing toward home…

They chose humiliation.

You chose exhortation.

L.L. Shelton, Copyright 2015

In the tomb my savior lay
Cold and thankless lifeless days,
Then on the morrow, shed his sorrow,
Rolled the massive stone away,

Arose and journeyed round the town
To tell them all no longer bound
By death’s dark grievous haughty night
To sing out loud all earth’s delight!

Copyright 2016, L.L. Shelton

So long Britney!
We bid you adieu.
Farewell Justin!
We’re all through with you.
We’ve had you atop,
We’ve had you on bottom,
In all manner of speaking-
You we’ve forgotten.
What’s that you said?
You’re feeling quite rotten?
That’s really too bad,
But it isn’t our problem.

I think maybe it is,
States a voice in the crowd.
I know it’s hard now to hear,
So I’ll shout it out loud!
There is One who may help,
For with you He’s besotted!
Since His first thought of you,
He has never forgotten.
You have been His to save!
He loves you that Way.
Return to Him now 
And be His past the grave.

Copyright 2016, L.L. Shelton

Time on the offense

Opportunities blown,

In selfish defense

Protecting my own,

Pride as my banner

Choosing the lie,

Recklessly roaming

Brazenly high,

Rejecting the good

Imagining ill,

Acting impulsively

In vanity still,

Unmerited favor,

Unwarranted love,

All grace bestowed

From heaven above,

On a wanderer like me,

An unrighteous mess,

Heart full of anger

You chose to bless.

Your beauty is brilliant,

Your holiness bright,

Almighty perfection,

Guiding my night!

Stunningly faithful,

My Father to me,

Stunningly faithful!

How can it be?

Copyright 2015, L.L. Shelton

God can be abstractly.

God can be exactly.

God can be a metaphor.

God can be a dinosaur.

God can be transparent.

God can be apparent.

God can be a window pane.

God can be a drop of rain.

God can be three in one.

God can be in all and some.

God can be obliquely.

God can be concretely.

God will be as God sees fit,

For God is God completely.

Copyright 2015, L.L. Shelton

America The Bold,

Stoops as she grows old.

Light is dimming in her eyes.

It comes as barely a surprise,

To watch her stumble ‘cross

Firm ground

Her fathers paved her all around.

She sways as in inebriation.

She cries out, “Am I yet a nation?”

Those who mourn her do so wisely,

Aware how soon her sure demise be.

As with any mother’s passing,

Those children who deserved a thrashing

Sob for themselves in soulful fashion,

Wondering who will pet their passion.

Copyright 2015, L.L. Shelton

Evil like a cancer grows
Where it stops nobody knows,
ISIS twirling round and round
Floating above the higher ground,

Trailing wall climbing mound
Choking life where it may be found,
Breathing fire from down below,
Seething with rage of long ago.

Once Evil like a cancer grew
Where it would stop Winston knew,
NAZI stepping barely gave sound
Skipping round the higher ground,

Crossing border onward bound
Snuffing life where life was found,
Seething with rage from down below,
Breathing fire of long ago.

Against the evil Churchill stood
Prepared to shed his very blood.
Blood of the English in rivulets ran
Begging the world as they made their stand!

Beneath the bombs British did pray
Beseeching us to join their fray.
Resisting as evil marched their way
In Righteousness shouting, “We seize the day!”

Copyright L. L. Shelton, 2/18/2015

I see them,

Those whose feet seldom
touch the ground
those who hover somewhere
not on the earth
but in between
the dirt beneath our feet
and the heavens counting stars,

Those old and tortured souls
their destiny it seems
to bear the weight of all that’s here
then to float upon a dream.
They ride upon the light
straddling a beam
come crashing to the ground
struggling to sing.

Lonesome primal moans
progress to morbid screams
but listen a bit longer
you’ll hear the harmony
as they begin to be
brought up to their knees
and rising to their feet
become a melody,

Strains of which so sweet
warn the heart may break
filled thus full with joy
as now we watch Him make
choir threatening to destroy
while promising to bring
peace to those buried in the ground
to those raised up
and to those seldom seen.

Copyright 2015, L.L. Shelton