Quarantine


For such a tiny little thing
it holds a lot of power
Keeping many steeped in fear
for hour after hour
Confinement has companions
we would rather do without
Whose quiet stealthy underminings
fill us up with doubt
What-ifs and speculations,
the whisperings of doom
Minds so very restless
keep us chained with ghosts of gloom

How can we stand against them,
these falsifying fools
Who shake our great foundation
with their cruel destructive tools
How can we change our thinking
from believing what is not
From thinking what is “sure to come”
is Satan’s evil plot
Can our imaginations
become friendly once again
Or are we stuck in “run amok”
which has a bitter end

For those of us with knowledge
of the one who holds the earth
Who own an inner peace
because we have a second birth
We need to keep our minds set firm
with truth from He who reigns
From Him who gives us peace within
when we are under strain
A calming peace which those without
won’t fully comprehend
But looking on may ask about
if we don’t faint, but stand

If we will praise and walk with grace
we’ll scatter seeds of hope
We’ll calm the hearts of those around
by casting them a rope
Of rest and peace and sanity,
the truest “all is well”
Because a Savior lives and loves
and in Him we can dwell
He alone is peace and joy,
on him we all can lean
So rest on Him, press in close,
and in HIM quarantine.

Lori Visser
Unpublished work © 2020

Goodbye Kisses

I said goodbye to my man children after the holiday.  One left in a car, one on a plane.  As they left, this poem I wrote in 2015 was resurrected in my mind.

It never seems there’s time enough

To get past all the surface stuff

We fit in all the pleasant things

That living distant always brings

 

We don’t  intend to leave it out

Sharing hearts; relieving doubts

But busy lives and things of fun

Keep us ever on the run

 

We know we’re loved, most certainly

Our lives are tied intrinsically

But time for talk seems hard to find

Departure now, is so unkind

 

We hesitate, we sit and wait

But time is short, it’s getting late

Driveway hugs, our last goodbye

Swallow hard, try not to cry

 

Loves rope tied to parting hearts

Vision blurred; teardrops start

Out of sight, mile one

Rope is snapped, my heart undone

 

Goodbye kisses; on their way

So much more I want to say

Wishing I could take back time

And keep my treasures only mine

 

In the house, up the stairs

Sheets to wash, no child there

A fragrance in the pillow case

Close your eyes, see a face

 

Your child’s heart can never glean

The deepest love that isn’t seen

His “parent eyes” are gently veiled

His children come, then veiling fails

 

And what I give to those I’ll miss,

A driveway hug and goodbye kiss,

Doesn’t fill the gap I feel

As distance grows with spinning wheels…

 

…It never seems there’s time enough

To close the gap with words of love

But packed inside the goodbye kiss

Is deepest love for treasures missed

Castle Living

I live in a castle far up on a hill
In comfort and luxury I stay
Venturing out on warm sunny days
The flowers are fragrant
The grass is all trimmed
Tress are in blossom
And birds are at play

My castle surrounded by towering walls
Protecting my fragile like shell
In my beautiful prison I constantly dwell
All news is good news
Smiles are required
Money flows easy
And mourners don’t tell

What’s outside those walls I don’t really know
I’m not even sure that I care
In my beautiful prison, in my comfortable chair
My cheeks are all rosy
I’m happy to stay
My pantry is full
I have plenty to spare

But what is this nagging I want to ignore
It’s pulling me, causing me fear
A voice softly calling, a focusing spear
piercing my soul
lifting my veil
showing me truth
making me hear

Go up in your castle, look down from the tower
Hear the sad songs paupers sing
Spiritless beggars, but loved by The King
Wanting good news
waiting for sunlight
wishing for bread
That no one will bring

Open the gates, go outside the walls
Don’t be afraid of the view
It’s different out there, and much will be new
But The One goes ahead
And He lights the way
So take a big step
For the workers are few

I live in a castle far up on a hill…

Lori Visser 2018

May I Have This Dance

No oil to heal, no suture to bind

No bandage to seal, no surgeon I find

No clinic to enter, no place to escape

No medical center, no refuge seems safe

Empty and sad, no smile on my face

But deep from within, His voice whispers “Grace”

 

Remember, dear loved one, I hear His voice say

In my love you’ll make it, so trust me today

The storm you now walk in, is not a mistake

It’s from my own hand and it’s all for my sake

It’s my invitation to dance with your King

For you are my bride. You wear my ring

 

I see where you’re wounded; I know you’re in pain

You don’t understand this is all for your gain

To you it is dark, no clearing in sight

But it’s our true love story illumined in light

I’m truly your hero and so very near

My right hand is on you, there’s no need to fear

 

I’m your mightiest refuge; I’m all that you need

The only true healing for which you now plead

I seal, bind, and heal; I’m your place of retreat

Bring all of your sorrow and all your defeat

We’ll sit here together, just you and I

I’ll bring my face close and for a while we’ll cry

 

In these times of sorrow with our faces so near

You take in my breath, and your mind starts to clear

My truth brings you comfort, as lies are replaced

Hope is renewed, doom is erased

Though still you may sorrow, you’ll find a deep peace

I’m giving it to you. It’s for you to keep

 

In our times together, when it’s just us two

I’ll tell you secrets and what you should do

Your deepest desire you don’t really know

It’s hidden within you, but I see it glow

I see what is hidden beginning to shine

Your deepest desire. You want to be mine!

 

And if you could see how my heart beats inside

How I dance as I look at my beautiful bride

You’d reach out your hand and place it in mine

We’d waltz ‘round together, forgetting the time

For you’ve found your home and I have your heart

So, may I have this dance? It’s a good time to start”.

Choreography of Praise

Trees sway their barky limbs

In wispy wind leaves twirl

Clear twinkling flowing stream

Moving in slow curves past

Sticks and stones and braided roots

Bright yellow buttercups bouncing

In watery ripples

Stony weedy watery bed

Reflecting sunny rays in a

Choreography of praise.