Poems by Domenic Marbaniang

Goosebumps

2010-10-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

If not for Your grace O Lord,
This heart would remain as cold as ice.
But, You’ve drawn me with Your infinite mercies.
I feel heaven dropped into my life.

All of my striving brought me no gain,
Until Your gentle rap fell onto my ears.
I’ve got goosebumps all over my body,
I’ve got exhilarations from heart to my eyes.

Lord, I incline my heart to You!
Good Morning Lord Jesus!

© Domenic Marbaniang, 2010

How Old Have We Grown

2010-10-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

How old do we sooner become
Forgetting things that were yesterday new;
Looking behind, we’re surprised again
That our thoughts today aren’t that new.

Memories of profundity fade into obscurity;
Memories of goodness are ever new;
Still, memories of transgressions prick the heart;
While memories of mercies remain true.

How older have we become?
How farther from childhood grew?
Still the child-like dependence hasn’t disappeared,
The childish frettings aren’t that few.

We are children of You, O Father,
Our eyes look longingly only to You.
For only You can discern our desires.
And our hearts always come back only to You!

Don’t wanna miss Your voice in the morning,
As our eyes cast the spell of sleep away.
And, when we get back to bed in the night,
We desire Your presence with us to stay.

If we go wrong, O Jesus,
Let Your cane correct us, though we bitterly cry.
For, we know that sooner the cries’ll be over,
And You’ll sweep us back into Your bosom of love.

How old have we grown, how less dependent?
Well, never so old to never be dependent.
How younger do we remain, how far fit for work?
Where Spirit ignites passion, there never catches rust.

© Domenic Marbaniang, Saturday Oct 23, 2010.

Bloom Where You've Been Planted

2010-08-16T10:47:00.000-07:00

How easy would it be to just cast everything off and run away!
One doesn’t need to live this way of hardness and sacrifice, after all.
But, a proverb reminds me to stay on and bloom where I’m planted,
But, I question, if it’s worth it all, after all.

Lord, I’ve been too cautious about every step I’ve taken;
Yet, haven’t I failed many times in thought and in choice?
Still, waiting for some answer, I feel so forsaken,
While in some maze, it seems, my prudence is lost.

I wait for the audible, I wait for clear direction,
I wait for the miracle, I wait for some conviction;
Yet, none do appear, I’m left to my confusion!
Still, Your unfailing presence does guide me through this all.

The flower winds upwards through sunshine and rain,
It blooms where it’s planted, be it mountain or vale.
O worry, you’re over, your fears are all vain;
The unnoticed flower to blossom never fails,
It never fails, after all!

© Domenic Marbaniang, August 16, 2010

Peace or On The Problem of Evil

2010-08-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

The copters up grinned as down dropped the bombs -
“How easily have we humanity erased!”
“No, it’s not we but they who pilot us
That have first erased humanness from their own hearts!”

The copters bladed away as bullets ripped the air -
“Metal kills metal as men kill men!”
“No, metal is lifeless, men are alive;
Only metal kills men and metal alike!”

“So, these men are as us without mercy or shame,
What made them so lifeless, what power what name?”

“Fear, anger, hatred, and doubt
Are the negatives that deaden their hearts.”

A little girl below (running with her brother in arms):
“Cry not, my brother, my little dear doll,
The copters will go away and with it all noise!”
“I want my mother, I can’t see her around!”
“She is now in heaven, and sees us here down.”

The girl cries…
“O mother, O mother, we’re left all alone,
We’re left with no mother, we’re left with no home!”

The copters returned with more anger and ire,
They poured all their fury in brimstone and fire.

The girl ran for shelter with the toddler in arms,
The bombers rattled after unaware of this all -
For, as the smoke and the dust rose into the sky
The eyes of truth were curtained.

The next morning, a Priest wails:
“Why God, my Master, did You all this allow?
O terrors of darkness, what else you seek now?”

GOD answers:
“This history is yours. It’s you who’ll write
The story of man devoid of His God.”

“The story is sad… it’s still You who allowed -
the guillotines, the gas chambers, the fiery clouds!”

“If it was I who should have governed the earth,
Then why create man to have dominion on earth?
These are your inventions, your wisdom, your resolves
That drive these divisions, that compel these discords.
It’s you who for religion hate each other and all
And become more repulsive in the eyes of God.
It’s you who for your mission of justice for all
Give in to the religion of violence and harm.
It’s you who for riches of this fleeting world
Have exploited your brothers, your own flesh and blood.
And, shall I not requite this faithlessness of you all
Who abused your power while stewards in My house?
I’ll return your violence into your bossom,
Your withdrawal of justice, of mercy and compassion.
For, the end of all things will surely come,
Men shall be judged for all they’ve done.
For, what could be rewarded unless it were done;
But, you’ve chosen hatred and love you’ve shunned.
O, turn now from evil, turn now from shame!
Turn from judging each other by some name!
For your hearts are fashioned all alike,
But, evil is a venomous viper that strikes;
So, beware and make amends, make peace with all first,
Cease from all violence, from treachery and lust.
Then, shall righteousness spring forth from the ground
And bless you with assurance of glory from above.”

The little girl comes in between…
“God, I see Your answer is so true and so wise;
But, we’ve lost our mother, we’ve lost all we had!”

GOD answers:
“You’ve lost not your heart, my daughter,
You’ve lost not your child-like faith.
One day and sooner after,
The world will get a bold shape.
Then, you shall reign in glory
Over princes, rich and strong,
And they who are now stronger
Will then be proved wrong.
Keep this heart of yours as innocent
As I’ve made it with my heart;
I’ll return to give you justice,
I’ll come back with my reward.”

Then, GOD vanished into thin air;
And, the copters bladed through the air again.

© Domenic Marbaniang, 2010.

To The Ground My Face

2010-08-04T10:44:00.000-07:00

I wept and cried, but still I failed,
‘Cos all the while my heart was still veiled;
I sobbed, I shuddered, I wriggled in anguish;
Yet, all the while my self didn’t relinquish.
And, as with words and thoughts the pulpit mounted I,
My ‘I’ did mount tho’ so humble felt I.
If but a prick would have touched my skin,
The ire would’ve oozed out with ounces of sin.
Yet, in Your deep mercies You’ve chastened my soul,
You took me through failures to make me whole.
I may, yet, fail a number of times, but this assurance I’ve forever,
That Your mercies from me shall depart never.
Lord, forgive Your child, cover me with grace.
Unworthy I shall be to ever see Your face.
These days will pass, one day You’ll return,
The elements will melt, the universe will burn.
Then, these shadows of falsehood shall dissolve in Your Sun,
Eyes shall see Your Glory and wail at Your return.
For, what is man, this particle of dust,
A mask of vanity, a vagabond on earth!
I cover my eyes, I cover my face,
Oh Lord, my Savior, I can only live by Your grace.
I fall before You, Master: to the ground my face!

Domenic Marbaniang, August 2010.

You're a Hero!

2010-07-02T23:25:00.000-07:00

Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, "The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!"
(Judges 6:11-12)

I hid in my garden,
Threshing wheat in the wine
No freedom no light
I spoke to my soul
"Could you be silent for a while"
Coz my pulses beat high
Then You came there to me and said

You're a hero!
And the Lord's by your side
The Lord's by your side
The Lord's by your side
You're a hero!

I couldn't take all this
For I remembered my plight
All my plight
How can You just say this
See there the Midianite
Plundering our lives
But still You kept sayin’ to me this thing

You're a hero...
And the Lord is your might
The Lord is your might
The Lord is your might
You're a hero

You're a hero..
And the Lord's by your side
The Lord is your might
You're a hero

Still I doubted and put forth the tests
My fleeces and my doubts
And You granted all my requests
And confirmed all Your Words

For though I'm a hero
It's not by my might
I have fears and feelings
Doubts and confusions
I always need you by my side.

You're a hero..
And the Lord's by your side
The Lord is your might
You're a hero…

© Domenic Marbaniang, Sept 13, 2009

The Lightning or The River of Light

2010-06-24T23:26:00.000-07:00

This lightning blue has the blues dispelled
From darkest heavens, with a peal of discord;
Then, shimmering while the crackles distill
It recoils to strike in rhythmic chord -
How variant are the lux and the buzz
Of tributaries branching from this river of light!

Socrates despises the beaming daylight
Where the value of light is distinctly nill;
Socrates delights in the thundering night
When the cries of the day are blatantly stilled -
The pride of man is quenched by a thud
Of this spark ignited by heavens dismayed.

We've looked in the dark eyes of this cultured maid
And have seen these watchers keep the time;
We've seen the blaze of God's sparkling blade
And have seen its angle never depart -
Oh Lord, how magnificent are Your works,
The dawn is Yours and so the dusk!

"The skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flashed about....
The lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook." (Psa 77:17,18)

"He covers His hands with lightning, and commands it to strike." (Job 36:32)

© Domenic Marbaniang, June 2010

The Key to Wisdom - Intro

2010-06-20T02:47:00.000-07:00

During our walk through the course of this life
This one thing we often realize
That the world is made of fools and of the wise,
So opposed as darkness is to light;
Thus, also does Proverbs all people classify
As those who love truth and those who fact despise:
But, calamity and destruction are in folly so disguised
That only the wise can through wisdom them identify;
Yet, the key to wisdom is not hidden but is openly testified:
The fear of the Lord is wisdom summarized;
The irreverence of God is folly maximized.

© Domenic Marbaniang, June 20, 2010
On Proverbs 1

Each Stroke of Your Blood

2010-06-07T02:04:00.000-07:00

Each stroke of Your blood wiped away a stain off my canvas,
Each stroke of Your blood wrote my history anew:
One stroke after the other fall over this surface,
And paint a picture thought by You!
Lord, help me live a life worthy of Your sacrifice
And shape me after Your choice !

Eye Salve

2010-04-14T01:54:00.003-07:00

The eye salve went a missin' and, boom, blew sunshine out of sky.
But, it left this hope a lingerin' that it'll come back by and by.

The world needs one beautifier, this cooler of vision and eye.
And, tho' the world grow sorer and indifferent,
The eye salve will beauty testify:
This eye salve does hope certify, vision purify, the world beautify...

"anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see." -- Jesus Christ, Rev.3:18

© Domenic Marbaniang, April 2010

PASSION

2010-04-01T04:30:00.000-07:00

The sun lifted his arm to hide his reddened face,
The winds ceased and the earth jolted in confusion;
The universe blackened; history was blotted out.

The One who held this vast universe by His power
Now hung motionless in body on the Cross --
That cursed pole obliterated by His crushed frame.

Puny little powers had wielded powerless hammers
Driving nails, lifting Him up for all eyes to see
What salvation God ordained through this cursed tree.

Two thieves for company; few friends, more foes
Waited, as time fled, to watch this end;
Time did end; history choked.

The quivers quivered as bitter arrows were disengaged;
Sin rattled against that Love immutable and true:
O Mockery, you had never so hatefully grimaced
Than when He prayed,
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!”

One sinner cursed, the other his sins confessed
And sought a hope this world never knew;
Glory shone from God’s battered face,
As to him He said,
“Verily, you’ll be with Me in paradise today, I say to you!”

Then, from those torn lips flowed words of sealing
A woman whose breast He leaned on
To the disciple that leaned on His:
“Woman, behold your son!”
“Son, behold your mother!”

And, darkness covered the land for hours three;
Chronicles and almanacs wriggled in disbelief;
Time dropped her hands all mystified,
As He cried,
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

What pride mars the hearts of sinful mortals,
Their evil enflamed by their wishful desires!
One blinded man whispered, “He calls for Elijah!”
Another mocked, “Now, he needs help.”
We plunder our lives for goods of godless pleasure,
We plummet our souls into hell’s horrendous grave;
Then, we look at the Crucified Savior,
And whisper to ourselves, “He needs help!”

The agony was over, the agony released;
He knew it was over and felt the peace;
Then, He said, “I thirst!”
Lord, I was the cause and the reason why You thirsted.
The liquid that most composes this earthly sheath
Was drained from Your veins to wipe my shame;
You thirsted in order that I may never thirst again!

They lifted to You that venomous vinegar
To burn Your lips, to blunt Your pain.
You turned Your Holy face in refusal,
Your thirst was quenched when You quenched my shame.

Then, He cried “It is finished;”
The Law and the Prophets brought to an end in Him.
One Act of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
Nullified religion, culture, and every human whim.
The wisdom of the wise in their wallets,
The power of princes in their pockets,
Let forever be confined:
He’s done with these, I’m done as well;
I’m crucified to the world through Him.
The old is blotted out, history has changed,
The transgressor is no more; see, there this saint!
Man no longer has works; these are acts of the Cross,
From where alone flows each disciple’s works.

What cry now rends the heavens and the earth!
What voice echoes through the corridors of space!
“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!”
The only Obedient Son died to live again!

The veil of the temple was torn asunder,
The earth quaked and the rocks were split;
His material case broke open; the path of heaven was paved.

The centurion fell to his knees in wonder,
The crowd beat their breasts and cried;
Silence! God hangs motionless, the penalty is paid.

As the sacrificial lamb brought to the altar,
As the sparrow over running waters slain,
He poured out His boundless love and drenched me with grace.

Lord, what is passion and how much zeal’s enough?
Your Passion displayed passionately the ultimacy of love.
The world’s fully obliterated, it’s only You all now!

© Domenic Marbaniang, Thursday, April 1, 2010

My Lines Have Fallen In Pleasant Places

2010-02-02T01:25:00.000-08:00

A candle lights the distant horizon,
It silhoettes sharp my contours of day;
Its fire engulfs all solar traces,
And forces my wish to espouse its way -
My lines have fallen in pleasant places.
(2Pet.1:19; Ps.16:6)

The colors of the rainbow witness the story
Of ignited anger and torrential rains;
The skies couldn't also withhold His fury,
Except He stopped for He knew my days -
My lines have fallen in pleasant places.
(Gen. 7:11; 8:1; 9:13; Eph.1:4; Ps.16:6)

One stooped in honor of truth and love,
To heal my wounds and bear my pains;
He plunged beneath this temporal surface
To save my soul, to blot my stains -
My lines have fallen in pleasant places.
(Phil.2:6-8; Isa.53:2-5; Ps.16:6)

Before my mother could hold me in arms,
Your love had touched my innermost parts;
I've trekked the mountains and walked through valleys;
But Lord, it's You who holds my paths -
My lines have fallen in pleasant places.
(Ps.139:1-3, 13-17; Heb.13:5; Ps.16:6).

You poured Your precious oil of unction
And set me apart by Your own holy will;
Before I could ever use my senses,
You appointed me to hold this quill -
My lines have fallen in pleasant places.
(Gal.1:15; Jer.1:5; Ps.16:6).

I'll run the fullest course of life
And fight the finest fights of faith;
The world now all its force releases,
The Lord keeps pouring out His grace -
My lines have fallen in pleasant places,
My lines have fallen in pleasant places....
(2Tim.4:7; Rev.12:15; 1Cor.15:10; Jn.1:16; Ps.16:6)

© Domenic Marbaniang, Feb. 2010.

The Morning Moon

2010-01-09T22:46:00.000-08:00

Awaiting the awaking of the daystar on the other end
The night keeps its radiance still glowing through the morn
It stands still over the horizon, over the expanse of sky and sea
Gently, quietly, beaming in fullest vigor
Your night may be long, but nights do end
Your moon keeps the watch through the night
And still remains when the dawn begins.

Photograph(taken at Bordi Beach, 145 Km from Mumbai, on 2 Jan, 2010(c) Domenic Marbaniang, January 2010.

Poem(c) Domenic Marbaniang, January 2010.

Faith

2010-01-07T13:18:00.000-08:00

The heart of faith has no presumption,
It simply trusts His Word.
It stands secure, and in His Promise
Finds eternal worth.

The eyes of faith will never tire,
Though deeper gets the night;
They hope ignited by the fire
Of God’s Eternal Light.

The dreams of faith are dreams of glory;
Not earthly name or fame.
A child may write another history,
If he’s of God ne’er ashamed.

Faith will worship God forever;
For faith alone, in truth, sees Him.
Faith is an unceasing river
Of praise and worship to the King.

Faith listens and faith obeys,
Faith moves on and never stays,
Faith is strong and faith grows stronger
And never falters in His ways.

Faith offers its all to God
Not a thing to itself left;
For faith’s true rest and meaning
Are in the bosom of His chest.

(c) Domenic Marbaniang, Explorations of Faith, 2008

Who'll Break the Ice? or Water the Moon

2009-11-14T12:03:00.000-08:00

Let's break ice and water the moon
While windstorms hurl our lands into oceans,
While sandstorms react with angry heat,
Let's cover land and capture the skies,
Let's rocket through our farthest horizon,
Take a giant leap through a crater deep;
Perhaps, one step away, a new world lies;
And in this shifting luminary a future thrives.
So, let's break ice and water the skies.

But who'll break ice for a lonesome child
For a helpless youth, for an anxious mother?
Who'll bring light to the darkened world,
Having eyes and lives enlightened?
Aren't you, O man, called to be the neighbor,
To bring hope to the world around?
For, we may conquer the skies, yet be destitutes inside;
We may travel as light; yet be haltered by the night;
For, what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world,
But loses his own soul?

(c) Domenic Marbaniang, Nov, 2009

Conquer this Self!

2009-10-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

i am, this egotistical self,
Vain, vexed, and wanton;
This idolatrous flaunt,
Reckless, raucous, and rotten -
How long shall the self strive
To put itself away?
Each time the mind gives up
To flits of false display!
The line between humility and pride
Is almost invisible;
The sinner and the broken man
Can't almost part.

I AM, Thou art O Merciful Savior
The True Originator and Reason of all!
Take this empty, vaunting self
And fill it with Thyself
Consuming its nothingness
With Thy light!

Rule my heart!

2009-08-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

The sun doesn't fail to discern its east,
Neither does it wander from its west;
How meticulously, Lord, You rule the heavens!
Unfailing Lord, rule also my heart!

You give the birds their shelter,
You give the lilies their shades,
You bless this earth with dew from heaven,
O Gracious Lord, bless also my heart!

In deepest oceans, where darkness prevails,
Your mercies are constant ever;
Neither science nor fiction can ever change
What You have fixed in nature.

But, what a contrast is man!
Falsified by sin, confused in sorrow,
Childish he remains, shifted by winds around!
Each idea blown impels a reaction,
Each egoistic flow propels a revolt,
How stubbornly do these thoughts engross
A heart that's molded by its own flames.
Diversity, how frail you are!
You can neither crawl nor stand.
For, when from Truth you were unchained,
You fell to ways that lost their path.

Let Your Truth prevail, O Lord
O'er every segment of my life!
Let Your Spirit rule over
Every space of my heart!
For these laws of nature may be dismayed,
But Your goodness endures forever!

"Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,and Your truth unto the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth." (Psa 57:10,11)

Copyright © August 2009 by Domenic Marbaniang

The Rain

2009-07-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

How blissfully dribbles the rain
Fuming over surfaces, flooding the drains.
Drops after drops, their unceasing train,
Make little oceans along the lanes.

Ho! A child darts over the muddy banks
Then sweeps into a messy swamp.
His cries exhilarating draw in the ranks
Of shirtless soldiers surfing the swamp.

What peal of thunder, what cloud now bursts!
The sky's now blistered to heal the earth!
The wind brings shivers, the flood brings dirt!
Yet, all together, they vanquish the dearth!

See, the pearls now glitter
In the shimmering sun;
As colors bend over,
The rain is done.
Well, ask the farmer,
It's not all done, Oh! It's not all done!

"You, O God, sent a plentiful rain.... " (Psa 68:9).

© Domenic Marbaniang, 2009.

Amazing Love

2009-07-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

Amazing love of Jesus
Never minding my scarlet stains,
He holds me up in His arms of glory
And covers my heart with His unfailing grace.

The sun may despise my heart of darkness
The moon from me may cover her face.
But never has His light once failed me,
He holds me up in His heart's embrace.

I'm wrong, not once I've fumed over
My heart in doubt His Name disgraced.
But still can I but love my Jesus,
My Lord, my friend, my only praise?

The stars above me hung in silence
As thoughts confusing marred my face.
Yet, deep within me was His assurance;
He'd love me through the end of days.

I'll doubt myself, my Lord I'll never
Who saved me by the cross of shame.
Each stripe He took, my soul delivered
Each drop of blood, my life reclaimed.

"...having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end" (John 13:1)

Delay is not denial

2009-06-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

Once upon the tumultous shore
Of raging waves tossing by
I thought of all the worldly lore
That taunted and made me cry.

'God' they said 'is just a bore'
'Who's silent or anything but not.'
This did hurt me to the core
For I believed Him and all else not.

But then I saw the waves become a door
Of new blessings that keep pouring in.
God tarries but delays not more
Than we can take and in Him we win.

The World a Wily Tradesman

2009-02-01T21:55:00.000-08:00

I agree that you are charming, desirable, and fulfilling
Mild or violent though I be your presence is mesmerizing
Kings and paupers, young and old have never been able to evade you
For you are charming; charmingly murderous.
You rend the heart from the mind, and kill its thousand eyes
You bend the heart to the flesh, and fill it with a million lies
Visible desire, invisible snare.
Lust of flesh, death of mind.
O World, the master tradesman
You give us what we want
At the cost of what we need.

Truth

2009-02-01T21:33:00.000-08:00

What is truth? What is falsehood?
The mind knows; the heart doesn’t.
Logic sees; feeling doesn’t.
Truth is truth when the heart sees it,
Feels it, knows it, believes it,
Till it becomes a part of the knower, one with the knower.

Truth must be one’s passion,
The fountain of life, strength, and energy.
It must be water to the thirsty,
Food to the hungry,
Medicine to the sick,
Wealth to the poor.
Or else, truth is a stranger
That keeps no friend.

Everybody sells ‘truth’, but are they all real?
Objects with the same name, but different colors, shapes, sizes, odor.
What is the standard of truth?
Who will specify the mark of truth?
Where is its hologram? Does it have a master?
If one claims to be its owner; how do we know that’s true?

Flee Lust!

2009-02-01T21:19:00.000-08:00

Lust's arms are a tangling web.
Its gazes alone conjuring,
Frail souls to fall and ebb
Into Hell's unquenchable fury.

My soul was high upon the crest
Of holy thoughts and musings.
But sooner were its yearnings wrest
To idolatrous lurings.

Wild, drunk, and debauched turned I,
As lust its blood-drenched sword out drew.
It left my heart of love all dry,
As loveless lust sought more for new.

Lust's arrows are sharp and heavy
Piercing through man's entrails.
Then leaving its victim void and weary
It falls away with no avails.

True, remorse does first sooth the wound
But foregoes as lust keeps the strike.
Oh, that man would no longer play the fool
To follow lust's charms and lose his life.

The flick of the moment, the slip of time
The act of a fool in the daze of night.
Lustre ephemera, murderous wine.
Son, run from lust: stand not to fight.

Winds of Change

2009-02-01T20:25:00.000-08:00

‘Days have changed’ said an elder.
Crafty change takes a stealthy stride.
And even before the eyes could wonder
Supersonic change does steal the ride.
Neither allowing to predict nor ponder,
Another change soon whizzes by.

‘It’s Future Shock,’ said Alvin Toffler.
'Inevitable process,’ said Harvey Cox.
‘It’s last days,’ said Paul the apostle --
On winds of change the world now rocks.
We’re living ‘midst lights and thunder,
Camera truths and lusty lies.

The tower of Babel looms sublimely higher,
Now built of neither brick nor clay.
Floors of fantasy built one upon the other
Defy the heavens in total array.
But Babel comes tumbling down asunder
And men depart as flurrying flies.

Lie is a multi-headed monster,
Unsatiated, ever-seeking some new
Fancies to placate its infernal hunger,
Spinning changes and choices not few.
As insatiable desire flares up stronger,
The hurried heat is its death-sigh.
This world of wars, wishes, and woes
Now finds in it her most fearsome foes,
Lawless winds of change on fire
Burn this world with venomous desire.
But rough winds corrode mind’s apt power
To tell the difference between truth and lie.

Truly, a vision for change t'wards the good is noble.
One must leave the wrong for right;
For fanatical falsehood breeds contagious trouble,
And falsehood can't with falsehood fight.
Fanaticism is a blind surrender
To unchecked views that might one day die.

But, truth’s unfrightened by bullet or ink;
Neither does it rot nor stink;
But while men’s fancies expand and shrink,
Truth’s eye will never wink.
The wise take courage to stop and think
How change changes by the brink
Of eternity, another world to link
That’ll bring to the just living waters to drink.
Icons, Idols, Images now fall and crumble
Before God’s own Son and our True Life

Published in in Basileia (Oct 2008), CITS, Itarsi and the Light of Life (Jan 2009), Mumbai.