The Polyphonic Poet

On YHWH's Mountain

2007-11-20T16:32:00.001-06:00

'Twas on an unnamed mountain in the region of Moriah,
Four thousand years back, Abraham encountered YHWH Jireh.
The son he'd waited decades for, and finally acquired,
Was to be slain and offered up within an altar’s fire.
How could this be? The promised one! How could God give, then take him?
And yet, we see no hint at all, that Abraham was shaken.
Instead, we're told he trusted God, even for resurrection.
And as his knife was lifted high, God gave a new direction.
When Abraham raised up his eyes, a substitute he sighted.
And coined the phrase, "On YHWH's mountain, it will be provided."

© Copyright 2007 by Jon F Caudle Jr

When Winds Blow Fiercely 'Cross the Plain

2006-12-21T13:10:00.000-06:00

When winds blow fiercely 'cross the plain
And snow falls from the sky,
And howling tempests stir again,
And drifts are piled high,

Sometimes you feel the small home shake,
Cold air sometimes leaks in.
When it seems all that you can take,
And once more starts again,

Remember Him who calmed the storms
Out on the Galilee,
And when you've cause for wild alarm,
A prayer breathe, silently.

A prayer for tender mercies to
Pervade the fearful blast;
A prayer that He'll watch over you
Until the storm is past.

And likewise, when life's storms are mean,
And hide the light of day
So things are not so clearly seen
And you can't find the way,

In those times, too, cry out to Him,
He holds it in his hand.
Trust and obey, He is your friend,
And read redemption's plan.

Immerse yourself in promises,
His promise to redeem.
Rely then on the Lord Jesus,
Yes, trust your Mighty King.

© Copyright 2006 by Jon F Caudle Jr

In the Midst ... There Is

2006-10-12T00:09:00.000-05:00

In the midst of despair, there is hope,
In the midst of the darkness, a light,
In the midst of the fire, a cool breeze to blow,
And a haven of rest in the fight,

In the midst of the gloom, there's a promise
That joy, in the morning will come,
In the storm, there's a shelter, a place you can hide,
And a Father to whom you can run!

Come to me, all you weary and burdened, he said.
And see that my burden is light.
The yoke will not chafe, not when you yoke with me,
And rest for your souls you will find.

So come cast your cares on the master
And know, indeed, he cares for you;
Not even a sparrow can fall, save, he wills it
And your life is in his hands, too.
So trust him whose promise is true.

© Copyright 2006 by Jon F Caudle Jr

As you contemplate the provision that God makes for his saints, whom he has sent into trials, remember to pray for those whom you know who are in the midst of these trying fires. Pray that God will pour out his mercy upon them, and that they will trust their Father.

Gracious Father, God of Mercy

2006-10-07T21:01:00.000-05:00

Gracious Father, God of mercy,
Grant your children rest tonight;
Grant that their hearts would be trusting,
Knowing you will do what's right.

Grant them wisdom in decisions
That they're called upon to make;
Grant them fortitude to press on
When naysayers they must face.

Grant them courage in these hours
When their hearts could fail for fear,
Grant that they would cry out to You,
Confident that You will hear.

Gracious Father, God of mercy,
Reach forth with your mighty pow'r,
Healing bring to heart and body,
Be their strong and mighty tower.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

Take Heart, My Friend

2006-07-06T16:30:00.000-05:00

When dark despair comes knocking and you search in vain for strength;
When isolation drives you till you’re peering o’er the brink;
When overwhelmed by your acute responsibilities;
Breath deeply, friend, and fall upon your knees.

When all the weight you daily bear becomes a crushing load;
And ‘neath its pressing burden your back wearily bends low;
And when it seems the agonizing struggle ne’er will end;
Breath deeply, pray, and be encouraged, friend.

First, don’t forget that there are friends who, too, are on their knees;
And don’t forget Him who before the Father intercedes;
And don’t forget the promised joy which strength helps you endure;
Take heart, my friend, His promises are sure.

Sleep Can Be Elusive

2006-04-21T00:34:00.000-05:00

Sleep can be elusive when the children
Fitf'ly toss and turn upon their beds;
In the morn's wee hours you be wond'rin'
How you will survive without some rest.

I can see how easy it would be then
For Despair to make its presence known,
And the only way you can defeat him
Is to bare your heart before the throne.

There, then, I will join you in this hour;
There with God, our Father, we can plead:
Asking in his mercy and his power
He would grant you rest in time of need.

Rest that first begins with all your children;
Rest that drives away sickness and fears;
Rest derived from peace that stands a-guardin'
Hearts and minds, and dries away all tears.

Father, God of mercies and all comfort,
As before, we come to you again.
Pleading for a night of restful slumber,
Asking now in Jesus' name, Amen.

40,000 Little Buzzy Busy Bees

2006-04-17T01:11:00.000-05:00

Forty thousand little buzzy busy bees
Live inside the hive that hangs among the trees.
Daily they go buzzing through the countryside,
Looking for a source of sweetness to imbibe.

Pollinating crops and veg'tables and trees,
And within the hive creating honey sweet.
When the season's right, the keeper goes around
Raiding hives, and taking stashes that are found.

James speaks of a farmer who waits patiently;
This, too, could be said of one who tends the bee:
Moved by expectation of the precious fruit
Which rewards the diligence in this pursuit.

For that coming day, though far away it be,
I too wait, with anxious longing, eagerly;
In the fruit of my hands' labor I will share,
Having built the beehives that are hanging there.

Never At Odds

2006-04-13T12:32:00.000-05:00

The saints confess God had a plan
The day that He created man;
A purpose which He would instill
So man, this mission, could fulfill.

The saints confess that man's chief end,
The cause for which God fashioned him:
To glorify God, and to be
Enjoying God eternally.

To those who read with ears to hear,
The Bible's evidence is clear:
Whate'er you do, in deed or word,
Do to the glory of the Lord.

The question, though, nips at our minds,
Sometimes foreground, but oft behind;
The question which we can't ignore:
Himself? Or us? Who is God for?

But we so often fail to see
This is a false dichotomy --
Our highest good is most enhanced
When our God's glory is advanced.

God works for good for those He's called
(Who love him: with Him are enthralled),
And for the glory of our God.
And never are these two at odds!

a poem using Long Meter, iambic tetrameter

May God Be Gracious Unto You, and Yours

2006-04-12T00:18:00.000-05:00

a sonnet

May God be gracious unto you and yours
This night, and grant you sleep with peaceful dreams,
And bear your burdens 'way on angel wings,
As you entrust to Him all that is yours.

May He dispatch his grace from heaven's shores
To guard your heart and mind with heaven's peace;
May your reliance on His grace increase.
May He, to you, unlock all heaven's stores.

He said that in this He is glorified:
That we ask in His name, and then receive,
And thereby, our joy also would be full.
Thus, on my knees I've knelt, and to Him cried
That He would grant more than I can conceive
To you, and yours; and your joy to fill full!

May We Still Trust

2006-04-06T11:50:00.000-05:00

thoughts about weather, and an exhortation to trust our Father, knowing that Mother Nature answers to Father God, and El Niño obeys El Padre

'Tis lovely in these parts today;
The temperature is nice and warm;
The grass is greening, I might say.
But of the ev'ning we are warned
That weather quite severe may come
With thunderstorms and softball hail.
Tornadoes are foreseen by some,
Though, truly, only time will tell.
So we can joy in weather fair,
And weather foul we can endure,
For all's from God, and for our good.
Indeed, of this, we can be sure.
So even when we cannot see
Why certain things, endure, we must;
How weather foul could possibly
Be for our good; May we still trust!

Industrial Age Lament

2006-03-06T22:51:00.000-06:00

a Petrarchan sonnet

This age of industry does havoc wreak.
Back in the days of old, man could rely
On work to be the exercise whereby
His health could be maintained: of this I speak.
My job: computer and accounting geek.
With naught but brain and fingers I get by.
My brain spends hours with the bits and bytes;
My fingers work their forty hour week.
But this activity can't stimulate
My heart and lungs and muscles to expend
The energy that keeps my body fit.
So to the treadmill (I confess I hate)
I go, propelled by questions from my friend,
Like: "how long?" and "how far?" "Come now ... admit!"

He Will Come Ere End of Night

2006-02-13T00:23:00.000-06:00

© Copyright 2006 by Jon F. Caudle, Jr.
a poem based on Mark 6:34-51

Undoubtedly you've heard how Jesus
Taught a massive crowd,
And they heard him quite willingly
And bothered not with food
Until the day was wellspent and,
Perhaps, their stomachs growled.
To make a quite long story short:
The LORD fed them, but good!

If you recall, the Twelve he gave
The distribution task,
And, further, when the meal was done,
The leftover detail.
They gathered all that did remain
The way that Jesus asked.
I'm sure they were exhausted, and
I'm sure that He could tell.

So Jesus made them go ahead
While he dismissed the crowd.
That's in verse forty-five; I want you
To remember that:
He made them go, it isn't simply
That it was allowed,
And in the Greek, it's quite emphatic,
So much more than that!

So here they are a-rowing on
The sea of Galilee;
The wind was raging 'gainst the boat
And they made no headway.
At least, they strained at rowing,
And wind blew incessantly,
While Christ retirëd to the mountains
Going there to pray.

And from the mountains, check the text,
It says, at ev'ning time
The boat was in the sea, while Christ
Was by himself on land.
He saw them, since the ev'ning,
In the struggles He designed
But not until the fourth watch
Did the Savior tip his hand.

For then, he came a-walkin' out
To where they struggled yet,
And would have passed them by, it says,
Had they not cried in fear.
For when they saw him walking there,
"It is a ghost", they said.
But when they cried, He did (as always)
Tune his ears to hear.

Immediate was his response:
"Be of good cheer", he said,
"For it is I, be not afraid."
Then in the boat he got.
And then the Twelve, who surely 'til then
Thought that they were dead,
Were awestruck with amazement great
Because the wind he stopped.

Now, many little picky points
Together make this tale,
But notice that their trouble
Was, by Christ, Himself, induced.
He made them go, and then, for hours,
Comfort he withheld.
And only in the fourth watch,
When they cried, did he produce.

He sends us into troubled seas
And watches from the height.
He lets us stuggle in the storm
Until we're faint with fears.
And fin'lly in the fourth watch, and then
Only when we cry,
Does He cause winds and waves to cease
And then dry all our tears.

Now, I could try to understand,
And try, then, to explain.
But it's his glory to hide things
Until the time is right!
So worry not of his decrees
But rather, what is plain.
That if we trust our Savior,
He will come ere end of night!

generated from a sermon, based on the above referenced text, by Dr. Douglas Doll, at Christ the King Church in Springfield, MO on February 12, 2006

Appointment for Pain

2006-01-30T14:21:00.000-06:00

a Petrarchan sonnet

Today a pile of money I have spent;
Paid to a man who's known for causing pain.
Yet, still, I went to see him, just the same;
A needle, first thing, in my gum he sent.

You say seems rather unintelligent?
It's worse! (You may decide I have no brain.)
I even scheduled to see him again,
And thanked him when upon my way I went.

His instrument rotated round and round
While grinding on enamel covered bone
Protruding from the mandible of me.
The stress was in the turning, and the sound;
He couldn't just leave well enough alone.
A dentist, otherwise, he could not be.

Thomas E Stone, DDS, is actually very good with the needle; I scarcely felt it when it was inserted. He can be reached (in Springfield, MO) at 417-881-1195.

HAMBURGERS (The Finest Cuisine)

2006-01-27T10:40:00.000-06:00

Verse 1.
When I was a kid and money was short
We ate from the garden, and the fish Daddy caught,
But when Mom went all-out, and we had a treat,
She’d break out the grill, and we had burgers to eat.

Chorus
Hamburgers ... the finest cuisine:
A pleasure to the palate, if you know what I mean.
For the sake of my health, many things I cut out.
But a burger’s a staple I cannot live without.

Verse 2.
Since money was short, we seldom bought a school lunch
And truthfully told, I didn’t miss ‘em that much.
But every Friday, with a gleam in my eyes,
I’d shell out my buck for a burger and fries!

Repeat Chorus:

Verse 3.
Even now as an adult – you know what I want
When I’m going out to a fine restaurant.
A hamburger might be a social mistake,
But just change the name, and I have a chopped steak!

Repeat Chorus:

written for the Wendy's Search for Sizzling Sounds contest in 2000. Dave did not choose me as the winner :(

On Behalf of My Brother

2006-01-24T18:51:00.000-06:00

a prayer
(meter 9.8.11.8 D)

I plead on behalf of my brother,
A brother who's walking in You,
A brother whose diligence plainly is seen,
Whose labor provides daily food.
In this he spends, weekly, long hours,
Oft having to work late at night;
But as he considers his dear family,
A high price he pays to provide.

For they often lay down for sleeping
Ere his truck arrives home at night.
He grieves with awareness that this shouldn't be,
And yet, he is called to provide.
Oh, God, it is all in Your doing.
O'er all, you rule sov'reign as Lord!
Thus I plead with you to provide for him work
Where he can be home so much more.

And, Lord, while awaiting your answer,
I ask that he will not lose heart.
I pray that you'll strengthen with courage, so that
With anticipation, he'll start
Each new day; with diligence, pressing,
Until you provide this for him.
I ask for Your glory. I ask for his good.
In Jesus' strong name! and AMEN!

If you know my friend, pray for him now. If you don't, pray for someone you know who is pressed between the responsibilities of providing material needs, and providing spiritual leadership.
Thank you.

Postie's Jig

2006-01-22T02:14:00.000-06:00

Another vig'rous dance we did,
My partner was the birthday girl;
It had me panting ere the end,
We'd dip 'n' dive and swing and twirl.

I think this is a dance that was,
For Post-mill congregants, designed.
It's in the name, it's vigorous,
Designed to last a long, long time!

The corner post, we're helped around,
Centrif'gal force to modify;
By elbow or forearm slowed down
Lest we, into the next set, fly.

Much like the Dog Branch (see elsewhere),
I like the part where we can swing.
Exhilaration fills the air!
We utilize much energy.

And I would be remiss, if I,
Did not, a final comment make,
'Bout how we finished up the night
When dancing time, to its end, came.

The ev'ning ended "marvelous"
In joyful four-part harmony;
The saints, with great exuberance,
Sang unto God: Doxology!

Amen!

Thoughts generated by the barn dance (in a gym) celebrating the birthday of Naddy, the Settler's daughter.

Dog Branch

2006-01-22T02:09:00.000-06:00

A novice starts with empty head
When he attempts a dance to learn,
But after failures and missteps
Excitedly, he waits his turn.

I now refer to the Dog Branch
In which you swing incessantly;
Indeed, it is a boist'rous dance,
It's round and round, repeatedly.

You do-si-do your corner, and
Your partner, do the same, also.
You form a line, go up and back;
You circle left; return, then, home.

The trouble is, the couples are
Denominated ones and twos;
If you forget which one you are,
You'll be engaging in wrong moves.

What I remember most, I've found,
When one's or two's are called to swing,
You and your partner: round and round
Most certainly exhil'rating.

Just be for certain: stop and think;
Ask, "am I one, or am I two?"
'Cause if you, at the wrong time, swing
The set will have a laugh on you.

Despite this hazard to my pride,
I must acknowledge this is true:
Of all the dances that there are,
I most enjoy this dance with you.

Thoughts generated by the barn dance (in a gym) celebrating the birthday of Naddy, the Settler's daughter.

Let Us Exalt His Name Together

2006-01-19T21:34:00.000-06:00

The voices float toward the realm of heav'n.
Also, the instruments in sweet accord,
Resounding to the glory of the LORD,
Rejoicing in the fulness God has giv'n.

Yes, even little children, with delight
Lift voices in a soaring melody,
While others blend and flow in harmony;
The praise of God pours forth into the night.

Whence did the music sung originate?
How did it, in their souls, take such a grip?
Why do they, under guidance, blossom so?
A thousand generations celebrate
And lift the praise of God from thankful lip
When God, in faithfulness, endues their soul.

this sonnet was written in response to
An Evening of Music to the Glory of God
Presented by the
Orchestra and Choirs
of Grace Classical Academy
(Springfield, MO)
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Friday, January 20, 2006

From the opening strains of This is My Father's World co-mingled with All Creatures of Our God and King, through J. S. Bach, G. F. Handel, A. Vivaldi, interspersed with hymns and spirituals, and a stunning cello solo of Saint-Saens The Swan, the music was exquisite.

We Beg You to Defend

2006-01-18T12:49:00.000-06:00

God, in Isaiah 49,
Says, near the chapter's end,
Concerning who contends with you:
"With him I will contend.
As for your children? Them I save!
And those who would oppress?
Their own blood they will drink as wine,
And will eat their own flesh."

Great Father, this, Your promise made,
We bow now and we claim:
This saving of the children, and
We ask in Jesus' name.
You far surpass the tyrant, and
You've promised to contend,
So by the power of your might
We beg you to defend.

We ask you to set things aright,
In Jesus' Name, Amen!

written New Year's Day evening, 2006.

based on Isaiah 49, God answered this prayer Monday, January 9, 2006.

Isaiah 49 (ESV)
24Can the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued? 25For thus says the LORD: "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children. 26I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. Then all flesh shall know that I am the LORD your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."

A Long Night's Celebrating

2006-01-16T17:14:00.000-06:00

written in response to this description of New Year's Eve and Morning

You wrote of this august event
With long elaborating,
And I, as one participant
In this night's celebrating
Must add my hearty affirmation
To your grand description;
Such revelling in what God gives
Could lead to an addiction.

And though I did not make the part
Where pancakes were ingested
(For I had laundry to complete,
And food prep ere I rested),
I nonetheless affirm you in
Your chiding strong derision
Of wicked, ancient heresy
We know as gnosticism.

And when, despite, the lack of sleep
We gathered Sunday morning,
And gladly sang our Psalms and hymns
So helpful and heart-warming,
Why scarcely any snoozed despite
The prior ev'ning's lateness
When we received sermonic challenge
From our Elder Davis.

An Humble Request

2006-01-16T14:55:00.000-06:00

A maid of honor once approached
The castle of her King.
With deference, she there intoned,
"Long live the king and queen."
The bodyguard, who faithfully
Kept watch around the throne,
Cried "Who goes there", to which the maid
Replied "Tis me, alone.
A maid of honor, I desire
An honorable man."
The guard replied, with wisdom great,
"The good King understands."
The girl cried, "My heart, reasons has,
To reason, though, unknown."
The guard gave counsel, "Watch and see
What issues from the throne."
"I want a man who's spiritual
And certainly no fool,
A brave man, one without reproach,
Without doubt, self-controlled.
I do not want a man depressed,
No simpleton for me."
The guard broke in, "Reliable,
Instead, and trustworthy?"
To which the girl, rejoicing, said,
"Yes, now you understand!"
Again, the guard, with wisdom, gave
A caution, "Understand
You seek a good thing; don't in haste
Accept less than you should,
For, in a land of blinded fools,
A one-eyed man sounds good."
"Indeed, 'tis so", conceded she,
To which the guard replied,
"Just trust the King, He'll meet your need;
He'll answer in good time."
"Please tell me one more time that He
Has heard the cry I make."
To which the guard, then, in response
Said, "God, your King, will save."
The words she echoed joyously,
"The Lord, your King, will save."
And with a final parting word
He sent her on her way:
"Good lady, Soon, I'm sure 'twill be
That you'll again be seen."
And she, departing, did exclaim,
"Long live the king and queen!"
And as she left, she thought about
The last thing he did speak,
Rejoicing, she recalled his words:
"Honorable lady!"

this poem was based on a French dialog posted by MyBelovedIsMine. It expresses the angst of patiently waiting and trusting God, when one is ready for God's timetable to move along. The poem can also be found here as originally posted. The original French dialog was subsequently removed.

Storming Gehenna's Gates

2006-01-16T00:26:00.000-06:00

Sitting in the back seat of a
Fifteen person van,
Bound for Monroe, L A as a
Conf'rence caravan,

Hearing young folks talking
In the seats in front of me,
Speaking of eternal life,
And of the Trinity.

Delving into C S Lewis,
Chesterton, and such,
With discourse on FV authors
Wilson, Leithart, Lusk;

Seeing passion in their faces,
Hear it in the voice,
Looking down the road a piece
I suddenly rejoice.

Things it's taken years to learn
At my unsteady pace,
They already wrestle with in
His astounding grace.

Families, I can envision
From these twenty-somes;
Fam'lies blessed with faithful daughters,
Fam'lies blessed with sons.

Fam'lies started with a strong
Foundation at the start.
Christ and his affections and
His knowledge fill their hearts.

Knowing how, at Kidderminster,
Baxter labored long;
After nearly twenty years
The streets rang with the Psalms.

Like that, glorious blessing I see
Waiting to unfold:
Covenant communities
With place for roots to grow.

Though I weep for barren years
Which mar the church's past,
Full of hope I look ahead
To see God's work at last.

Semper reformanda:
We are always to reform,
Taking ev'ry thought as captive
To our Saviour Lord.

Such reform I weekly see,
And that in younger saints.
Led by godly elders, they will
Storm Gehenna's gates!

The Greatest Love

2006-01-15T21:29:00.000-06:00

Though He was King of Glory incarnate,
He condescended to be known by men.
Indeed, more: He referred to some as "friend"
And said that, His lead, they should imitate.

And then one ev'ning, after they all ate,
He gave instructive summary to them,
And said that they'd be known as His, to men:
When to each other, love, they'd demonstrate.

Indeed, this is the greatest love that is,
That someone lay his life down for a friend.
The next day, with this love, His life He gave.
Though often failing, His church walks in this:
As, writing, Tertullian cites pagan men:
"Look! For each other, such a love they have."

a Petrarchan sonnet

John 13:34-35
John 15:12-15
Romans 5:6-8

Cold Turkey

2006-01-14T13:01:00.000-06:00

Cold turkey, I, just yesterday,
Began, some habits, to rein in,
How old the first I cannot say,
But one's of recent origin.

The first, a bev'rage, nasty stuff
Like caffeine, sugar, chemic-ills;
These soft drinks helped me to wake up,
But would result in doctor bills.

The other drug, I took 10 days,
And when I ceased, I did not know
That it would leave me rather crazed:
Depressed and listless, full of woe.

So caffeine deprivation add
To endorphin deficiency;
That should explain why I've gone mad
And spent a day in misery.

I guess, then, that I will be glad
When I've kicked this dependency.