the poetry knook :: the poetry of stephen m. james :: indianapolis, indiana » hymns

There is no space; time stops

Stephen M. James — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

There is no space; time stops between thoughts of you.
Which is greater? My anxiousness at seeing you or
my disappointment when it is not you?
My happiness for
The scent of your body is my food restoring me
Your hug pulls me along as I plod on my path
“Mercy!” I scream when you look at me.
Thankful you are four seats down from me
For I would never see the chapel speaker,
If you were across the way from me.
It scares me when I imagine spending a month without you.
I’d make it through holding my Father’s hand.

Asleep in worship, unaware I see you

Stephen M. James — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Gazing at you gazing up in Hughes,
more beautiful than you in my blues,
Asleep in worship–unaware I see you
Resting on one stronger than me.
Smiling, secretly craving falling into you,
Breathing in your life, grasping for your touch,
But to pull you from your trance,
Your beautiful steadfast stance!
Stretching into the air for your God.
Am I selfish in my stare,
marveling in the radiance, wanting to share
in the light resonating off your face,
never let her image be replaced!

Wet wall

Stephen M. James — Mon, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Sound rebounds from the dry wall around,
A wet wall of worship resounds
Absorbing priorities like water to cacti.
Dry mouths and wet eyes don’t dilute my
Scummy spumes, putrid, yearning for purity:
Drilled on our demigod devotion bowed to daily.
We always move standing in one place,
sick n’ pale; faltering in Your face.
Squinting to see, struggling to focus
Through joy and shame frothed sobs of mucus.
Another rock star to sing to be autographing?
No! Your veins splash soap smothering those below bathing.
Pour through the ceiling from the sudsy sky.
Intense terms lie, intense lives testify.