American Hurricane Fantasy

There’s a warning in the early breeze,

By evening it’s a gale;

A sea upon which any ship

Would not, could not, sail.

The predictions from the weatherman

Are coming true, and fast!

Will these wild and deadly seas

Engulf us all, at last?

America is like this sea;

A tempest, raging wild.

On our knees, we call on God

Like a fragile, frightened, child.

From far across the waves I see,

In cadence with no yield,

A company of heroes marching

Steadfast from Flanders Fields.

Their spirits, joined by patriots

Crossing over tempest waves,

Reach Gettysburg, Arlington;

Emptying every grave.

Their jaws are set, their eyes like steel,

Demand a full review.

Down Pennsylvania Avenue,

They’re marching two by two.

The land they paid full measure for;

Laid down their hearts and souls,

And only kept her freedom for

Their tenacious, unyielding, hold ...

Is threatened now by shameless thieves

Who fill their pockets first,

In love with filthy lucre, still

They seek the bulging purse.

They steal because they can and

No one even slaps their hand.

But, in my dream, those knaves were brought

Before those ghosts to stand.

And as in Daniel’s famed account,

The writing on the wall

Said, "Weighed, weighed, found wanting!"

Through an abyss they began to fall.

Labeled with names we cannot love

(Traitor, liar, thief);

Too guilty before these steadfast souls,

To beg for mercy or relief.

And the ghost-like soldiers stood with tears

And watched them disappear

While America (once good once free)

Became slave to the high bidder’s cheer.

Whose slave is she, anyway?

Who holds the trillions note?

Where will they look for integrity to

Guard dispersion of funds without gloat?

 

Oh, God, grant the miracle we so need

To hold our light up high.

As one, let us bend our knees and pray

For America must not die.

 

©Joan Clifton Costner

When Jesus Went Away

When Jesus went away, there was a purpose.

He promised us a "Comforter" would come,

The One Who would remain with us forever,

The strongest and the most gentle One.

The One Who woos and (when we answer, "Never!")

Turns right around and courts a heart anew;

Who n’er intrudes or forces Love upon us,

But brings the purest Love to me and you .

The One Who braves the deepest, darkest, cavern

To win our hearts and put Him in our eyes,

Yes, and He'd pass through fire and dark waters

To make us understand Heaven’s prize.

Jesus said, "I go," so He can comfort.

"I'll send Him with His special gifts to you.

The simple reason I go is to send this special Friend,

Who will only live within a heart that’s true!"

© 2004 by Joan Clifton Costner

If Puberty Began at 25

I don’t mean to go against His will or mess up anything;
But I sort of question this young age and the surprises that it brings;
It’s not all very happy, and I can’t see how it’s wise ~
I think we’d all be better off with puberty at twenty five!
 
Now, before you blow your hat off ~ just consider for a wink,
If people got to understand ~ and know how others think;
If we never got the hormones mixed up in everything, well,
Judgments would be based on a whole different scheme.
 
We’d not be so self centered nor offend so easily;
We’d learn to think of others more and see things more clearly ~
Our heads would set upon our shoulders able to calculate
We might sum up lots of things more important than a date.
 
If puberty held off and then began at twenty five,
We’d have our education and be workin’ ~ man alive!
We have our house half paid for and real neat car to drive
If puberty could only wait...and start at twenty five!
 
It’s about that time you realize the gift of Mom and Dad;
Thinking what they sacrificed to give you what you had,
There might be time to take a trip...with Grandma riding along
And all of you engaged in joyous roadside sing-a-longs.
 
There’s really not a hurry and I hope someone will see
How much we all could benefit by standing back ~ agree?
We’d really have some moments to thank God we’re alive
And know each other better if we matured at twenty five!

 

© 2007 by Joan Clifton Costner

One

One majestic entity,
One merciful and pure,
One strength filled with gentleness;
Three, but One, secure.
 
One who is omnipotent,
One who's love personified,
One, whose voice is so much like the wind;
Three so unified.
 
One who loves us, wants us so,
One who yielded all,
One who waits and woos, and wins;
Three, but One to call.
 
One moment to unveil the prize,
One heart filled up with praise,
One life to give, so others live;
Three in One, to sanctify your ways.
 
~ * ~
 
For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the
Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him,
which is the head of all principality and power.
 
Colossians 2:9-10
 
© 2010 by Joan Clifton Costner

Don't Give Up On America

Freedom doesn't come without a price tag;
Many times, it's almost out of reach.
God blessed us with a taste for independence
And liberty, and patriots when there's a breach.
We've had a few who faced uncertain future,
We've had more who died far before their time,
And 'for the famous names, we cheer and glorify'
There were many more that died behind the lines.
Sometimes, it seemed the battles had no turning point.
Sometimes, the night seemed only here to stay.
Would the daylight come, and bring the victory?
Would the illness ever go away?
It's when the times are good, the battles hardest;
For Satan wants this Christian land to fall.
He goes about. with demons all around him,
Bellowing his loud ferrous call.
Never give up on the free land of America.
We'll always find a 'Joe, the plumber' or two ~
Someone to raise the stars and stripes up higher,
Someone to lift the colors to the blue.
The enemy is all around and even here within,
Danger lurks throughout the world; comes again and again.
But, don’t give up; we need your voice and sinew
To shout, to lift, and struggle 'til we win.
When the going's tough, the tough get going;
Shouting courage to the brave young men.
Giving strength and courage to the women
Who stands beside and pray for them to win.
Never give up, nor give in.
Hold fast, pray hard, rememb'ring well ~
It looked impossible (weighted with the world of sin)
For Christ to do the job and save so many souls from hell.
If we lose, if we fall, if our hearts and strength give way,
Will it matter to the world at all?
Don't give up on America (the hope, the light, the way)
For the world is helpless without her freedom call.

 © 2010 by Joan Clifton Costner